Cubs Fall To Rockies 4-3
DENVER (AP) — Tyler Chatwood pitched six strong innings, Nolan Arenado hit a go-ahead single and the Colorado Rockies beat the Chicago Cubs 4-3 on Sunday to win the three-game series.
Chatwood (6-3), who went the distance last time out but was a tough-luck loser to Zack Greinke and the Los Angeles Dodgers 1-0, allowed seven hits and two runs, one earned.
Starlin Castro had four hits for Chicago, matching a career high, and Anthony Rizzo homered.
Edwin Jackson (6-11) settled down after a rough start to go seven innings, allowing five hits and four runs — three earned. All the damage off him came with two outs.
Jackson, whose three-game winning streak was snapped, struck out five and walked two, both in the sixth. With two outs, he walked Carlos Gonzalez and, after Gonzalez stole second, issued a free pass to Michael Cuddyer.
Arenado followed with a single to shallow center that Junior Lake fielded on the run. Gonzalez beat his errant throw home, which sailed over the head of catcher Welington Castillo. The ball bounced off the backstop and rolled into the Rockies' dugout, allowing Cuddyer to score from third. Arenado also came home but the umpires sent him back to second, ruling the ball dead when it rolled into the dugout.
Rex Brothers, in the closer role with Rafael Betancourt (appendix) on the disabled list, allowed a leadoff double in the ninth by Castro, who scored on Alfonso Soriano's groundout. After walking Cody Ransom, Brothers struck out Lake for his fifth save.
Like Jackson, Chatwood had a shaky first inning but managed to get out of it unscathed. With one out, Castro and Rizzo hit successive singles. After Soriano grounded into a fielder's choice, Nate Schierholtz drew a walk to load the bases before Chatwood fanned Lake, blowing a 95 mph fastball past him for the third strike.
Chatwood couldn't escape trouble in the sixth, though. Rizzo started the inning by homering into the left-field bleachers for his 14th of the season. One out later, Schierholtz and Lake hit back-to-back singles and both advanced on Chatwood's errant pickoff throw, leading to Schierholtz scoring on Darwin Barney's sacrifice fly as Chicago tied it at 2.
Colorado took a 2-0 lead in the first on an RBI single by Gonzalez and a run-scoring double by Cuddyer.
NOTES: Chicago continues its 10-game road trip Monday at Arizona where Matt Garza (6-1), who remains the subject of trade speculation, is scheduled to pitch the series opener against Tyler Skaggs (2-1). ... Colorado resumes its 10-game homestand Monday, opening a four-game set against Miami with Drew Pomeranz (0-3) taking the mound against Tom Koehler (1-5). ... Chicago was unbeaten in four consecutive series (2-0-2) before Sunday's loss. ... Gonzalez's sixth-inning stolen base was his 100th as a member of the Rockies, tying him with Juan Pierre for fifth on the club's all-time list. ... Castro had his 10th career four-hit game and first since Sept. 19, 2012, against Cincinnati.
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