Rupp leads Phillies victory over Rockies
DENVER -- Cameron Rupp homered and drove in a career-high-tying four runs Sunday as the Philadelphia Phillies pounded the Colorado Rockies 10-3 to split their four-game series.
Rupp, who went 4-for-5, had a career-high four hits -- singles on each of his first three at-bats and a two-run homer in the seventh off beleaguered reliever Jake McGee that gave the Phillies a four-run lead. Rupp singled home runs in the third, when the Phillies scored three two-out runs, and in the fifth for his third four-RBI game and first since Aug. 28, 2015, against San Diego.
Maikel Franco hit a massive three-run homer in the eighth off Jason Motte, another struggling Rockies reliever, when the Phillies scored four runs and blew the game open. Franco belted a 3-0 fastball an estimated 471 feet to left field for his 18th homer of the season.
Zach Eflin, who threw a complete game Tuesday against Atlanta for his first career win, held the Rockies to two runs and seven hits in six innings. Eflin threw 12 balls in the first inning when he issued his only two walks and just 15 balls over his final five innings.
Rockies starter Tyler Chatwood (8-5) labored through five innings, throwing 93 pitches as he allowed four runs on eight hits and three walks with two strikeouts.
The Phillies reached the All-Star break with a 42-48 record as they won for the 10th time in 14 games.
The loss was the ninth in 12 games for the Rockies, who are 40-48, matching the furthest they have been below .500 this season.
Eflin (2-2) gave up a run in the second when Brandon Barnes tripled off the wall in right-center with two outs, and Chatwood flared a single over first base just inside the foul line. In the sixth, Trevor Story doubled with one and scored on Nick Hundley's two-out double. Eflin then got Barnes to fly out.
Rupp's third straight single plated a run in the fifth to give the Phillies a 4-1 lead. Franco opened the inning with a single, and Tommy Joseph walked before Rupp singled with one out.
With two outs in the third, Chatwood faltered and the Phillies scored three runs to go ahead 3-1. They loaded the bases on two singles and a walk before Cody Asche singled home two runs and Rupp followed with a run-scoring single.
Rupp's homer to straightaway center traveled an estimated 465 feet. It came after McGee came on and walked Asche. Rupp connected on McGee's 0-2 fastball.
McGee blew a save and took the loss Friday when he gave up pinch-hitter Joseph's go-ahead three-run homer in the seventh as the Phillies won 5-3. In 25 innings this season, McGee has yielded five home runs and has a 6.12 ERA in 29 appearances.
Motte, whose ERA rose to 4.76, has surrendered five homers in 17 innings in his 21 appearances.
The Rockies' final run came when Carlos Gonzalez hit his 19th homer, a blast into the third deck in right field that soared an estimated 462 feet.
NOTES: The Rockies' rotation coming out of the All-Star break will be LHP Jorge De La Rosa, RHP Chad Bettis and RHP Jon Gray at Atlanta next weekend followed by LHP Tyler Anderson and RHP Tyler Chatwood in the first two games against Tampa Bay on July 18-19. ... The Phillies' rotation in the second half will be RHP Jeremy Hellickson, RHP Jerad Eickhoff and RHP Zach Eflin against the New York Mets next weekend with RHP Aaron Nola and RHP Vince Velasquez starting the first two games against Miami on July 18-19. ... Phillies LHP Daniel Stumpf was reinstated from the restricted list after serving an 80-game suspension for failing a drug test. RHP Severino Gonzalez was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley and LHP Mario Hollands was designated for assignment to make room for Stumpf on the 40-man roster. ... Rockies LHP Chris Rusin (left shoulder inflammation) threw 30 pitches in a simulated game. One of the hitters was LF Gerardo Parra (high-ankle sprain), who faced live pitching for the first time since he was injured on June 14. ... Phillies 1B Tommy Joseph went 4-for-4 with a double, homer and three runs scored. The last Phillies first baseman with four or more hits in a game was Ryan Howard on Aug. 23, 2005, at San Francisco.