Helton hits 2 HRs, drives in 6 as Rockies top Reds

First Posted: 8/31/2013

(AP) Todd Helton homered twice and matched a career high with six RBIs to power the Colorado Rockies past the Cincinnati Reds 9-6 on Friday night.

Jorge De La Rosa pitched six effective innings for his 15th win. Helton’s 28th career multihomer game and first since 2011 left him one hit shy of 2,500.

The first of his two three-run homers came in the fourth off Bronson Arroyo (13-10) roughed up for six runs and nine hits over 3 1-3 innings in his shortest outing of the season. He issued a one-out walk in the first, ending a 30-inning string without one, and had his four-game winning streak snapped.

Helton homered again in the seventh off reliever Logan Ondrusek, his 11th of the season. Both times, Troy Tulowitzki and Wilin Rosario hit successive singles to set the table for Helton, who also had six RBIs against the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 29, 2003.

Tulowitzki singled and Rosario doubled to put runners at second and third in the eighth when Helton, given a rousing ovation by the crowd, came up for his final at-bat. But newly recalled reliever Zach Duke struck him out.

De La Rosa (15-6) allowed three runs and eight hits to win his fifth consecutive start. He improved to 9-1 with a 2.73 ERA in 13 home starts this season.

The Rockies were trailing 2-1 when Tulowitzki and Rosario singled to start the fourth. Helton followed by driving Arroyo’s offering into the seats in the second deck above the right-field scoreboard.

Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon followed with singles and both scored when Charlie Culberson’s line-drive double to left sailed over the head of Ryan Ludwick, who appeared to misjudge the flight of the ball.

Arroyo retired De La Rosa on a grounder for the first out of the inning and was relieved by Alfredo Simon.

The Rockies also touched up Arroyo for a run in the first when rookie Corey Dickerson led off with a triple and scored on D.J. LeMahieu’s double.

The Reds tied it in the second on the first of Ryan Hanigan’s two RBI singles. He also singled home Todd Frazier, aboard on a leadoff double, in the fourth.

Ludwick hit a two-out solo homer in the fourth. In the sixth, with the Rockies in front by three, Hanigan was hit by a pitch and pinch-hitter Cesar Izturis doubled to put runners at second and third with one out. But De La Rosa got Shin-Soo Choo on a grounder and struck out Brandon Phillips, the last batter he faced.

Helton hammered a 1-0 offering from Ondrusek in the seventh for his second three-run shot.

Phillips hit a two-run single off reliever Jeff Francis in the ninth, and Devin Mesoraco had a sacrifice fly.

NOTES: The Rockies finished with 19 hits, one shy of their season high. … Before the game, the Reds recalled Duke from Triple-A Louisville to add a left-hander to their bullpen. RHP Nick Christiani was optioned to Louisville to make room. … Rockies OF Carlos Gonzalez (sprained finger) is expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment this weekend and could be activated from the 15-day DL next week. … RHP Juan Nicasio (8-6) is set to pitch the second game of the series against Reds RHP Greg Reynolds (0-2). … Injured Rockies closer Rafael Betancourt has told club officials that he plans to undergo Tommy John surgery to repair the torn ligament in his pitching elbow. He faces at least a yearlong rehab.