Charlie Blackmon and Elias Diaz each drove in a run in the ninth inning as the visiting Colorado Rockies ended the Chicago Cubs’ four-game winning streak with a 3-1 victory on Saturday afternoon.
Blackmon hit a tiebreaking triple with one out in the ninth against Adbert Alzolay (0-1), who was making his season debut. Diaz added an insurance run with a single to center.
Carlos Estevez (4-4) pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Daniel Bard recorded his 31st save for Colorado (63-82), which lost the opener of the three-game series 2-1 on Friday.
Chicago (62-83) lost despite an impressive outing from rookie Hayden Wesneski, who allowed one run on three hits over seven innings. He struck out seven with no walks.
Wesneski, who had made two relief appearances since being acquired from the New York Yankees in early August, retired 16 straight batters before giving up a two-out single to Ryan McMahon in the sixth inning.
Chicago broke a scoreless tie after putting runners on second and third with two outs in the fifth. Ian Happ scored on P.J. Higgins’ single before Alfonso Rivas was thrown out while also attempting to score from second.
Rockies starter Jose Urena nearly matched Wesneski’s performance, giving up one run on seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts over six innings.
Colorado pulled even in the seventh when C.J. Cron hit a leadoff double, moved to third on Blackmon’s groundout, and scored on Diaz’s fielder’s choice.
Alzolay, who had been out all season with a right shoulder strain, struck out the side in the eighth inning before running into trouble in the ninth.
With one out in the ninth, Cron walked and was replaced by pinch runner Garrett Hampson, who scored on Blackmon’s triple into the right-field corner.
Rivas and Happ had two hits apiece for Chicago, which was without several starting position players, including Seiya Suzuki (paternity leave) and Nico Hoerner (right triceps strain).
–Field Level Media