The Colorado Rockies entered action on Saturday with the best record in baseball, and as winners of seven in a row. But thanks in large part to home runs by Starlin Castro and Alfonso Soriano, the Chicago Cubs stopped them in their tracks, beating the Rockies 8-3.
Cubs Vs. Rockies: Starlin Castro, Alfonso Soriano Help Cool Off Colorado
This was a tight game for six innings, as starters Jason Hammel and Casey Coleman pitched around trouble. A solo shot by Soriano in the sixth put the Cubs up 3-1, but in Coors Field, such a lead is anything but safe.
The Cubs, though, blew things open in the seventh against reliever Felipe Paulino. Paulino gave up consecutive singles to start the inning, then allowed a three-run homer to Castro to take the score to 6-1. The Cubs would score two more before the inning ended, on RBI singles by Aramis Ramirez and Kosuke Fukudome.
The Rockies would get a pair of runs back in the eighth on a two-run shot by Chris Iannetta, but that's where the score would remain. It was the Rockies' first loss this season that didn't come in extra innings.
Soriano went 3-for-5 with his fifth home run of the young season. Castro had four hits, and his homer was his first. The Cubs pounded out a remarkable 17 hits, six for extra bases.
The series concludes Sunday afternoon, with Ryan Dempster opposing rookie Alan Johnson, who will make his big league debut.
For more on the Cubs and Rockies, please check out team blogs Bleed Cubbie Blue and Purple Row.
See More:
