Rockies blast 5 homers to down D-backs in opener

Rockies blast 5 homers to down D-backs in opener

Published Jun. 24, 2015 12:39 a.m. ET

DENVER -- Nolan Arenado has taken his power surge to new heights.

Arenado hit two home runs, including a go-ahead three-run shot in Colorado's six-run fifth inning, and the Rockies rallied to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 10-5 on Tuesday night.

It was Arenado's third career two-homer game, the second this season, and pushed his home run total for the year to a career-best 19.

"If you had told me in spring training I would have hit 19 home runs by this point, I would have said, `No shot,'" Arenado said. "I've just been putting some good swings on the ball and luckily they have been going out. It's just nice to hit the ball hard and help my team win."

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He wasn't the only one.

Wilin Rosario, D.J. LeMahieu and Brandon Barnes also homered to help Kyle Kendrick (3-9) win at Coors Field for the first time in seven home starts since signing with Colorado in the offseason as a free agent. The game included a 38-minute weather delay because of lightning and a brief downpour.

"We're starting to swing the bats. It's nice to see the offense starting to take off," said manager Walt Weiss after the Rockies' third win in a row.

Kendrick withstood back to back home runs in the second inning by Welington Castillo and Nick Ahmed and a solo shot by A.J. Pollock in the fifth to improve to 1-4 this season at Coors Field. He allowed four runs on eight hits in six innings.

"You can give up three, four runs here and most of the time, you're going to win with our offense," Kendrick said. "It was a nice win for us."

Chase Anderson (3-2) gave up a season-high eight runs on eight hits in 4 2-3 innings, his shortest outing of the year. The three homers he surrendered matched his total for the season coming into the game. It was also the first time the opposition had gone deep in his last nine starts on the road.

The rain delay "had nothing to do with it," Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale said. "He just elevated the ball too much and they had good at bats against him. I don't remember one swing at a ball out of the zone."

Arenado led off the fourth inning by driving Anderson's first offering into the left field bleachers, pulling Colorado to within 3-2 with his 18th homer of the season.

Pollock connected off Kendrick in the fifth for his ninth of the season, but the Rockies took control in their half of the fifth.

Charlie Blackmon hit an RBI double, and after LeMahieu walked, Troy Tulowitzki hit a run-scoring single to even the score at 4-all. Arenado followed by hitting his 19th homer, a career-high, and putting the Rockies up 7-4. His four RBIs matched a career high.

One out later, Rosario homered, finishing Anderson.

"You can't leave the ball up, you pay for it," Anderson said.

LeMahieu homered in the seventh and Barnes in the eighth for the Rockies, who had a season high five homers in the game.

Bad weather has caused 15 in-game delays or outright postponements during an unusually stormy season at Coors Field. Time lost to weather-related interruptions is now up to 17 hours, 25 minutes over 11 games.

Diamondbacks: RHP Jeremy Hellickson remains on schedule for his next start, for now. He bruised his left hip when he was hit by a pitch Sunday and in a later plate appearance, aggravated the hip injury swinging the bat. But Manager Chip Hale said Hellickson has shown steady improvement in the last couple days and should be good to go so long as his pending side session goes well.

Rockies: OF Carlos Gonzalez was held out of Tuesday's game with a left hand strain. He suffered the injury swinging the bat during Sunday's game against Milwaukee. "Right now, we think it's going to be a day to day deal," manager Walt Weiss said. "One or two days. With the hand, it's always a little concerning with hitters. But I feel like it's not too serious."

Diamondbacks: A winner in his Diamondbacks debut earlier this month, RHP Allen Webster (1-1) will try to get back on track after a rough interleague outing last time out in which he gave up six runs in 5 1-3 innings in the Diamondbacks' 7-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels.

ROCKIES: RHP David Hale (2-2), coming off back to back losses, will look to break the skid when he makes his sixth start of the season.

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