Rockies 4 - 3 Guardians
Final
  for this game

Smith's second homer lifts Rockies over Indians

Jun 22, 2011 - 4:52 AM

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Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Seth Smith hit two home runs, including the go-ahead solo blast in ninth inning to lift the Colorado Rockies to a 4-3 win over the Cleveland Indians.

Smith also had a two-run homer in the sixth and designated hitter Jason Giambi went 3-for-4 with two doubles for the Rockies, who have taken the first two of this three-game series and have won six of their last seven overall.

Matt Belisle (5-2) pitched a one-hit eighth to pick up the win for Colorado, while starting pitcher Jhoulys Chacin tossed 6 2/3 innings of two-hit ball. He allowed just a run, but walked six batters while striking out seven.

Travis Buck knocked in the game-tying run in the eighth, but the Indians' comeback ultimately fell short as they took their second straight interleague loss after starting 6-0 this season against NL opponents.

Cleveland closer Chris Perez (2-3) suffered the loss after serving Smith's home run in the final frame.

"I knew I was in the game after [Buck's] hit and I just didn't come through," said Perez. "I made some good pitches on Smith, I just hung a slider."

Rafael Betancourt came into the eighth for the Rockies with a 3-1 lead and served up three straight singles. Travis Hafner laced one up the middle to finish the burst and score the inning's leadoff man, Cord Phelps.

With a threatening thunderstorm baring down on Progressive Field, Belisle replaced Betancourt. After getting two quick outs, Belisle wasn't as lucky against Buck, who knocked a single through the right side to score pinch- runner Adam Everett and knot the game a three.

The lead didn't last long, though, as Smith drilled a leadoff homer in the ninth to put the Rockies up for good, 4-3.

"He took great at-bats all night," said Rockies manager Jim Tracy.

The rain really started to come down when Rockies closer Huston Street came in to finish the game. However, it wasn't easy after he allowed the winning run to reach second. But pinch-hitter Austin Kearns, a .209 batter entering Tuesday, came up to the plate and struck out to end the game.

Chacin did not allow a hit through the first 5 2/3 innings on the mound, but that didn't mean he was trouble free.

The 23-year-old Venezuelan just couldn't find the strike zone in the third and walked three straight batters with two down. But he locked in and struck out Hafner to keep his no-hitter intact and leave the bases loaded.

The Rockies capitalized with two outs in the fifth to get on the board first. Carlos Gonzalez doubled into left, where Buck took a bad angle and let the ball sail over his head. Jonathan Herrera followed with a single into right to score Gonzalez.

With two outs in the sixth, the Rockies struck again with Smith's two-run shot to go up 3-0.

Chacin's erratic control finally caught up to him in the sixth. He walked Asdrubal Cabrera and Hafner with one out, and Shin-Soo Choo broke up the no- hit bid with an RBI single.

Game Notes

Indians outfielder Grady Sizemore had a day off, but made a pinch-hit appearance in the ninth...Chacin threw 115 pitches, just 60 of them for strikes...Cleveland starter Mitch Talbot went 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits...The Indians fell to 3-2 on a six-game homestand.






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