Wolters contributes with bat to Rockies' 11-6 win
DENVER -- The Colorado Rockies consider any offense they get from backup catcher Tony Wolters to be a bonus.
Entering the game with a .194 average, 11 RBIs and a .547 OPS this season, Wolters went 3-for-3 with a double and his first career home run in the Rockies' 11-6 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday.
Wolters had a career-high four RBIs and tied his career high with three hits as the Rockies broke a three-game losing streak and won for just the third time in nine games.
The Diamondbacks lost for just the second time in nine games and fourth time in their past 14 games.
With their bullpen heavily taxed, the Rockies needed an effective start from Jorge De La Rosa and got it as he won his third straight start. He gave up one run in six innings but matched a season high with five walks that elevated his pitch count to a season-high 107.
But De La Rosa (5-4) struck out six and escaped trouble in the fourth and fifth innings with double plays as he got 10 outs on ground balls.
With one out in the fourth, De La Rosa gave up conecutive singles and a walk to load the bases but got Michael Bourn to ground into a double play.
After De La Rosa issued a one-out walk in the fifth, Wellington Castillo singled. But De La Rosa got Peter O'Brien to ground into a 5-4-3 double play.
Since returning to the rotation on June 14, De La Rosa is 3-0 with a 2.12 ERA.
The Rockies had surrendered four-, three- and one-run leads while losing their past three games. They used five relievers in the first game, followed by three and six to pitch a total of 12 innings in those losses.
Closer Carlos Estevez was unavailable after pitching three of the past four days. So Rockies manager Walt Weiss gave the closing duties to Gonzalez Germen, who got the final four outs for his third career save.
Wolters doubled home two runs in the Rockies' three-run fourth that put them ahead 4-1. And he hit a two-run homer in the sixth off Arizona starter Shelby Miller (2-7), a drive into the Rockies' bullpen in right center that traveled an estimated 421 feet.
Charlie Blackmon belted Miller's second pitch of the game into the right field stands for his 11th homer of the season after Paul Goldschmidt singled home a run in the top of the first.
Four straight one-out hits netted three runs in the fourth and gave the Rockies a 4-1 lead. Trevor Story lined a double into the gap in right center and scored when Daniel Descalso singled. Brandon Barnes' single put runners on the corners and both scored when Wolters flared an opposite-field double to left.
Barnes, who had three hits and scored three runs, went sliding headfirst to the plate and was initially called out on a throw from O'Brien, but the call was overturned when replays showed Barnes tagged the plate with his right hand just before Castillo tagged him.
Nolan Arenado put the Rockies ahead 5-1 in the fifth with a double after DJ LeMahieu's leadoff walk.
Justin Miller, who took over for De La Rosa, issued the fourth consecutive walk of the game to Jean Segura to open the seventh and Bourn followed with his second homer of the season.
Chad Qualls came on in the eighth and gave up a run-scoring single to pinch-hitter Jake Lamb with one out. The hit came after Qualls issued a one-out walk and Nick Ahmed singled. Segura followed Lamb with a run-scoring groundout that trimmed the lead to 7-5 and brought Germen out of the bullpen.
Germen gave up run-scoring double to Bourn on a 1-2 fastball that made it a one-run game. After intentionally walking Goldschmidt, Germen got Yasmany Tomas to ground into a force play.
Blackmon singled in a run in the bottom of the inning and LeMahieu followed with a three-run homer. It was his fifth homer of the season, one shy of his career-high set last year.
NOTES: Rockies LHP Yohan Flande had his contract selected from Triple-A Albuquerque, where he is 3-3 with a 4.26 ERA in 18 games, including one start. ... Rockies RHP Miguel Castro was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque. He is 0-0 with a 6.14 ERA in 19 games in three stints this season with the Rockies and in his latest one allowed five runs and eight hits in 2 2/3 innings with one blown save in six games. ... Diamondbacks RHP Silvino Bracho was recalled from Triple-A Reno, where he is 0-1 with 15 saves and a 3.12 ERA in 25 games, and began his fourth stint this season with Arizona. ... Diamondbacks RHP Zack Godley was optioned to Triple-A Reno. He is 1-0 with a 4.35 ERA in five games (one start) for Arizona. ... Rockies RF Carlos Gonzalez was back in the lineup. He was limited to a pinch-hitting appearance Friday because of a sore right wrist. ... Diamondbacks 1B Paul Goldschmidt has reached base in 47 consecutive games against the Rockies, one shy of the record 48-game on-base streak against them set by Mike Piazza. ... Rockies CF Charlie Blackmon hit his 17th career leadoff home run and fifth this season.