Rockies 7, Phillies 3
DENVER -- Michael McKenry's two-run homer and strong work by the Colorado bullpen enabled the Rockies to overcome a poor start by Jorge De La Rosa and beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 on Thursday.
The victory gave the Rockies a split of the four-game series and was just their fourth win in 19 games.
The Phillies, who were trying to win back-to-back series for the first time since Sept. 1-7, 2014, lost for only the second time in nine games.
McKenry's winning homer came in the fifth inning against Phillies starter Jerome Williams (3-4) with the score tied at 3. It followed Ben Paulsen's one-out single and was McKenry's first home run since Sept. 27.
Left fielder Brandon Barnes, who was recalled Wednesday from Triple-A Albuquerque, went 4-for-4 with a double, one RBI and one run scored. The latter came in the seventh when the Rockies scored twice to build a four-run lead.
Five Rockies relievers combined to pitch 4 2/3 scoreless innings, limiting the Phillies to two hits.
De La Rosa was coming off his best outing of the year -- 7 1/3 scoreless innings and two hits on Saturday at Los Angeles -- but was nowhere near that effective against the Phillies.
De La Rosa threw 100 pitches through four innings but took the mound in the fifth with a 3-1 lead and three outs shy of qualifying for the win. He didn't make it.
Phillies second baseman Chase Utley led off with a triple into the gap in left-center field and scored on Darin Ruf's sacrifice fly. First baseman Ryan Howard tied the score at 3 with his ninth homer and second in two games, an opposite-field drive to left center on De La Rosa's 108th and last pitch.
Pitching for the first time since May 10, Christian Bergman (2-0) retired the two batters he faced. Bergman threw just 11 pitches, making him the likely starter in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against San Francisco.
After Scott Oberg worked 1 1/3 innings, Boone Logan came on for the Rockies. He gave up a two-out double to Ruf in the seventh but struck out Howard.
Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki's bases-loaded single brought two runs home in the third for the Rockies. Three batters later, Barnes singled home a run with the bases loaded, giving the Rockies a 3-1 lead.
The Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the third on Ruf's single. Rockies third baseman Daniel Descalso jumped for the ball, but it went off his glove. Shortstop Freddy Galvis led off the inning with a single, stole second and moved to third on Paulsen's error at first base.
NOTES: Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado, who had one hit in his past 15 at-bats with six strikeouts, was not in the lineup after starting 23 straight games. ... RHP Christian Bergman is a likely option to start the second game of Saturday's doubleheader with the San Francisco Giants, particularly if the Rockies don't have to use him Thursday. ... Rockies 1B Justin Morneau is not ready to be activated Friday when he is eligible to come off the seven-day concussion list.