Diamondbacks 6 - 7 Rockies
Final
  for this game

Helton knocks in game-winner for Rockies

Apr 14, 2012 - 7:31 AM

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Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Todd Helton hit the go-ahead RBI double in the eighth inning and the Colorado Rockies held on to edge the Arizona Diamondbacks, 7-6, on Friday.

Helton finished 3-for-5 with three runs batted in, Ramon Hernandez blasted a solo home run, part of a three-RBI effort, and Dexter Fowler got the Rockies' offense going with a solo shot in the first.

"I'm seeing the ball well, and even when I'm getting off bad swings I feel like I'm in a fairly good position to swing the bat, so that's all you can ask for," Helton said.

Rex Brothers (1-1) pitched a scoreless eighth inning to record the win and Rafael Betancourt picked up his second save of the year.

Bryan Shaw (0-1) suffered the loss by allowing an unearned run, thanks in part to first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who failed to corral a pickoff throw, accounting for a two-base error. Miguel Montero hit a two-run home run in a losing effort.

"It doesn't work out sometimes. It wasn't a very fun game to be a part of," said Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson. "You could just tell it was going to be an extended game and we were unable to do the job."

Neither starter factored into the decision. Diamondbacks starter Daniel Hudson was tagged for six runs on 10 hits and three walks over 3 2/3 innings, while Colorado's Juan Nicasio also gave up six runs, on five hits and five walks in 2 2/3 frames.

After Goldschmidt plated two runs with a bases-loaded single in the top of the first, Fowler got one back in the home half by smacking Hudson's 2-2 pitch into the right field seats for his first homer of the season.

Hernandez followed an inning later with his first, this time to left field, to tie it at 2-2.

Arizona responded with a four-run third. After Justin Upton reached on a bunt single, Montero launched one to right. Chris Young went first-to-third on a Goldschmidt single before Geoff Blum drove him in with a sacrifice fly, and Ryan Roberts capped off the rally, scoring Goldschmidt on a double.

But the Rockies scored a pair in the home half on Hernandez's double and tied it the fourth. Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki hit back-to-back singles. They advanced on Hudson's wild pitch and scored when Helton laced a base hit past Goldschmidt.

Several innings then passed before Helton's decisive opposite-field double down the left-field line.

Game Notes

The probables for Saturday's second game are Jhoulys Chacin (0-1) for Colorado against Arizona's Josh Collmenter (0-0).






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