Major League Baseball

Hundley's homer lifts Rockies to 6-5 win over Phillies

Published May. 20, 2015 12:16 a.m. ET

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DENVER (AP) The Colorado Rockies were striking out quite a bit until Nick Hundley finally struck it big.

With that, all those swings and misses were forgotten - for a day, anyway.

Hundley hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth inning and the Rockies beat Philadelphia 6-5 on Tuesday night to snap the Phillies' six-game winning streak.

Hundley lined a 1-2 pitch from reliever Justin De Fratus (0-1) into the seats in left-center.

''Definitely not a no-doubter,'' said Hundley, who also had an RBI single in the first.

De Fratus meant to bury a slider in the dirt, trying to get Hundley to chase it for strike three. A good idea, especially considering the free-swinging Rockies struck out 10 times. They've now fanned 10 or more times in a club-record seven straight games. That's one shy of tying the 2011 San Diego Padres for the longest streak since 1900, according to the Rockies.

''The one spot it could not be,'' De Fratus said of his pitch. ''Right into his bat path and right into his bat speed.''

Scott Oberg (2-1) earned the win by getting the Rockies out of a jam in the eighth. John Axford pitched a perfect ninth for his fifth save as a steady mist began to fall.

After the game, Troy Tulowitzki was in a jovial mood as his young son hit plastic balls off a batting tee in the clubhouse.

''This has been a tough go,'' said Tulowitzki, whose team ended a string of six straight home losses. ''To sit here after a game and have a smile on my face is nice.''

The first pitch was delayed 17 minutes by rain that was supposed to hit the area, only to miss. The Rockies have been interrupted by weather at Coors Field six times in the last three weeks, including four postponements.

Tulowitzki gave the Rockies a lead in the seventh with a two-out, two-run bloop double that landed just beyond right fielder Grady Sizemore's outstretched glove.

The lead didn't hold up. Boone Logan gave up a two-run single to Maikel Franco in the eighth. Logan left with the bases loaded and one out, but Oberg bailed him out by getting Carlos Ruiz to hit into an inning-ending double play.

Chad Bettis settled down after a shaky start in which he allowed three runs through three innings. Bettis retired his final seven hitters before giving way to reliever Rafael Betancourt in the seventh.

Aaron Harang was effective, too, after an inauspicious beginning. He allowed three runs - all unearned - in the first. After that, he was virtually untouchable, giving up just one hit over the next five innings before being removed for a pinch hitter in the seventh.

Harang entered with one of the top ERAs (2.03) in the NL and lowered it to 1.82.

''We kept coming back, especially after the first inning,'' Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. ''Harang really settled in.''

Down 3-0, Philadelphia got run-scoring doubles from Chase Utley and Ruiz in the second. Franco tied the game an inning later with an RBI single up the middle.

Wilin Rosario lined a two-out, two-run triple to right in the first. It was Rosario's first triple since June 15, 2013, against the Phillies.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Phillies: Sandberg said he checks in with Sizemore every so often to ''see how he's doing on the physical side of things, and he says he's doing well.'' Sizemore missed the 2013 season as he recovered from microfracture surgery on his right knee.

Rockies: OF Corey Dickerson was placed on the 15-day disabled list due to plantar fasciitis in his left foot. Dickerson, who turns 26 on Friday, has been bothered by the sore foot most of the season and said the inflammation has grown worse. ''Hopefully, this will get rid of it or make it more manageable,'' he said.

UP NEXT

Phillies: RHP Severino Gonzalez (1-1, 10.57 ERA) will be recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He steps in for Chad Billingsley, who was placed on the 15-day DL last weekend with a strained shoulder.

Rockies: RHP Eddie Butler (2-4, 4.24) finally faces a team outside the NL West. His start against Philadelphia will be just the second time in 11 career outings the young pitcher has faced a team outside the division.

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