Rockies 5, Reds 4
CINCINNATI -- Nolan Arenado homered and drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning, lifting the Colorado Rockies to a 5-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday at Great American Ball Park.
Colorado (18-25) won its third straight despite playing without two of its offensive centerpieces: Right fielder Carlos Gonzalez was scratched due to illness and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki was given a day off.
John Axford pitched the ninth for his seventh save. Rafael Betancourt (2-1) earned the victory.
In the ninth, leadoff batter Charlie Blackmon walked against Reds closer Aroldis Chapman (2-3) and advanced to third on second baseman D.J. LeMahieu's single. Blackmon tagged on Arenado's fly ball and slid home with the decisive run just ahead of center fielder Billy Hamilton's throw.
Third baseman Todd Frazier hit his 13th homer for Cincinnati (18-26) and left fielder Marlon Byrd added his 10th, but the Reds' losing skid reached nine games.
Rockies right-hander Eddie Butler, who hadn't pitched past the fourth inning in his previous two starts, allowed four earned runs in six innings.
After throwing 160 pitches in his past two outings, totaling 5 2/3 innings, Butler struggled with his command early in Monday's game, requiring 25 pitches to get through the first inning. He was more effective in the subsequent five frames, totaling 82 pitches through six.
The struggles continued for Reds starter Jason Marquis, who gave up four runs (two earned) and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Arenado went 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs. He also tumbled into the stands while making a spectacular catch on pinch hitter Skip Schumaker's pop fly in the eighth.
Blackmon walked and later scored the Rockies' first run on Arenado's single in the first inning.
Frazier's two-run, 403-foot blast off Butler in the bottom half put Cincinnati ahead 2-1.
LeMahieu's two-out, two-run single helped the Rockies regain the lead in the second.
With two outs in the fourth, Arenado crushed an 0-2 pitch from Marquis into the left-field seats for his ninth home run, putting Colorado ahead 4-2.
Hamilton cut the Reds' deficit to 4-3 with an RBI single in the fourth, and Byrd's solo homer off Butler in the sixth tied the score 4-4.
NOTES: Cincinnati's nine-game losing streak is its longest since an 11-game skid, June 14-24, 1998. ... Colorado RF Carlos Gonzalez was scratched from the starting lineup due to illness. Brandon Barnes started in right field. ... Cincinnati placed C Devin Mesoraco (left hip) on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Thursday, and reinstated LHP Manny Parra from the 15-day DL. ... Rockies manager Walt Weiss said it will be a day or two before a decision is made on whether RHP Jordan Lyles will make his next start. Lyles suffered a sprained left big toe on Saturday. He is tentatively scheduled to start Friday in Philadelphia. ... RHP Jason Marquis batted eighth and CF Billy Hamilton hit ninth for Cincinnati. It was the first time a Reds starting pitcher had not batted ninth since Red Lucas batted seventh against Brooklyn on Sept. 7, 1933. ... Reds 2B Brandon Phillips appeared in his 1,500th game.