Astros 8, Rockies 4
DENVER -- The Houston Astros hit two more home runs, including a three-run shot by pinch-hitter Domingo Santana, and completed a four-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies with an 8-4 win on Thursday.
Santana hit his first career home run with one out in the eighth inning to give the Astros a five-run lead. Colorado's Scott Oberg surrendered the homer, the eighth he has allowed in 24 1/3 innings this season.
The Astros lead the majors with 97 homers and have won all 27 games this season when they have hit multiple home runs. They hit 12 homers in their four victories over the Rockies, including wins on Monday and Tuesday in Houston.
The Astros, who are 8-1 in interleague play this season, have won five straight games and six of their past seven.
The loss was the fourth straight and eighth in nine games for the Rockies, who tied a season high by falling 10 games below .500 at 28-38. They dropped the first two games of an eight-game homestand to fall to 13-20 at Coors Field, the second-worst home record in the National League this year.
Rockies starter David Hale (2-2) tied his career high with nine strikeouts but threw 96 pitches and worked a season-low five innings. He yielded a career-high 10 hits and gave up five runs, the final two in the fifth when the Astros went ahead 5-3 on back-to-back doubles by left fielder Preston Tucker and first baseman Chris Carter.
Hale gave up Tucker's fourth homer of the season in the first inning, but the Rockies quickly retaliated when right fielder Carlos Gonzalez hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the inning.
It was Gonzalez's 10th homer of the season and gave him home runs in three consecutive games for the first time since May 22-25, 2013. He also has hit six homers in his past 12 games.
The Astros tied the score at 3 with a two-run third. Starting pitcher Colin McHugh led off with a single and scored on Tucker's groundout. Carter singled home the second run of the inning with two outs.
McHugh (7-3) threw a season-high 112 pitches in six innings. After Gonzalez's three-run shot in the first, McHugh allowed two singles and strung together five scoreless innings. He issued five walks, but the only one of those who scored was second baseman DJ LeMahieu on Gonzalez's home run.
NOTES: Third-base umpire Bob Davidson left the game in the third inning because of dehydration. ... Astros CF Jake Marisnick left the game in the eighth with left hamstring discomfort. ... Rockies RHP Brooks Brown (right shoulder inflammation) was placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to Wednesday. The same injury put him on the disabled list last month. ... Rockies RHP Christian Bergman was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque, one week after being optioned there. ... RHP Rafael Betancourt (vertigo symptoms) is scheduled to throw 20-25 pitches to hitters Friday for the first time since going on the disabled list June 8. ... Astros OF Colby Rasmus might return Saturday. He went on the bereavement list Tuesday after the death of his grandmother. ... Astros RF George Springer extended his hitting streak to 11 games, tying his career high. ... Astros SS Carlos Correa set a franchise record with 14 hits in his first nine major-league games. The old record of 13 was set by Ken Caminiti in 1987. Caminiti also held the previous record of 13 hits in his first 10 games.