Rockies 6, Cardinals 1
Carlos Gonzalez hit a three-run homer and knocked in four runs and Jason Hammel pitched 6 1/3 strong innings as the visiting Colorado Rockies defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 6-1 on Saturday night.
Hammel (7-11), who had been 1-3 with a 9.00 ERA since the All-Star break, gave up five hits and one run as the Rockies snapped a five-game losing streak at Busch Stadium.
Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia (10-6) walked two with one out before Gonzalez homered to right-center field in the third inning for a 3-0 lead. He added an RBI double in the ninth.
The homer by Gonzalez was the second by a left-handed hitter against the left-handed Garcia in his career.
Todd Helton had a two-out, two-run double in the fifth for the Colorado, giving him 1,301 career RBIs.
With a run already in, two on and one out in the seventh, Colorado third baseman Chris Nelson made a brilliant diving catch of a Ryan Theriot liner and turned it into a double play.
Garcia, who came in with a 1.56 ERA at home, allowed six hits, four walks and five runs over five innings.