Major League Baseball

Cubs offense awakens in 9-5 win over Rockies

Published Apr. 11, 2015 11:41 p.m. ET

foxsports

DENVER (AP) Before third baseman Mike Olt even left the game after being hit on the right wrist, speculation already was beginning.

Twitter was filled with talk about the possible promotion of top prospect Kris Bryant.

Wait on that, though. Olt insisted he's fine and may even be able to play soon, given the way the wrist feels now.

Olt may be dinged up, but he also helped ignite this offense. Chris Coghlan and Olt hit consecutive solo homers in the third inning, Dexter Fowler had two triples and the Chicago Cubs ended the Colorado Rockies' bid for their best start in team history with a 9-5 win on Saturday night.

The Rockies were attempting to improve to 5-0 for the first time. This is the fifth occasion they have won four of their first five.

After the game, Olt had his wrist tested, and initial results seem to indicate it doesn't appear to be broken. That was a relief for Olt, who initially feared the worst when Adam Ottavino's nasty breaking pitch hit him in the ninth.

''I couldn't feel anything. I think it was from the shock of getting hit,'' Olt said. ''Once I was walking away, I was moving it around. I wasn't as nervous.''

Fans were already tweeting about Bryant, who's expected to spend the first few weeks at Triple-A Iowa.

Olt understands.

''As I said before, he deserves all the hype he can get,'' Olt said. ''He's one of the best in the minor leagues and one of the best I've seen.''

Starlin Castro also added a solo shot for the Cubs, who entered without a home run this season. Chicago was limited to three runs through the opening three games, but finally erupted at hitter-friendly Coors Field. The Cubs had 12 hits Saturday, which was as many as they had coming in.

''We had a nice day,'' Cubs manager Joe Maddon said.

So did Jason Hammel (1-0), who allowed three runs and eight hits in six innings against his former team. He also had two singles.

Kyle Kendrick?

Not so nice a night.

Kendrick (1-1) surrendered a career-high eight runs in five innings. That was quite a contrast from the opener, when he pitched seven shutout innings.

''Obviously, the command wasn't there,'' said Kendrick, who walked five.

Did the mystique of Coors Field mess with him?

''My command could have been like that anywhere,'' Kendrick said. ''I just got to stay after it. You're not going to win many games walking five guys.''

Fowler had two triples in a game for the fourth time, the first since Aug. 29, 2010, at Coors Field, when he was with the Rockies. He also walked twice and drove in two runs.

''Any time you get things going, it puts a smile on my face,'' Fowler said.

Hammel is accustomed to pitching in this environment, compiling a 4.95 ERA in 49 appearances at Coors Field with the Rockies from 2009-11. His only mistake was grooving a fastball in the second inning to Nolan Arenado, who hit it into the left-field seats for a two-run homer.

Corey Dickerson added a two-run single in the eighth to make it 9-5. Colorado had runners on first and second with two outs, but Pedro Strop struck out pinch-hitter Wilin Rosario, who hit a go-ahead homer in the 10th last Wednesday in Milwaukee.

For a fourth straight game, Maddon batted his starting pitcher eighth. Before Maddon came along, the Cubs said they batted the pitcher outside of ninth in the order once - on Sept. 8, 2012 - in 15,848 games from 1914 to last season.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Cubs: OF Chris Denorfia (strained left hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment at Class A Myrtle Beach on Sunday.

Rockies: LHP Jorge De La Rosa (sore groin) will not make his season debut next week in San Francisco even after an encouraging bullpen session Saturday. Instead, De La Rosa will throw at Triple-A Albuquerque on Tuesday. ''We're not concerned,'' manager Walt Weiss said. ''This gives him a little more time to feel confident mentally about the groin.''

UP NEXT

Cubs: RHP Kyle Hendricks makes his season debut Sunday. He went 7-2 with a 2.46 ERA as a rookie last season.

Rockies: RHP Jordan Lyles (1-0, 3.00) is 2-1 with a 4.34 ERA in five starts against the Cubs.

Follow Pat Graham at http://twitter.com/pgraham34