DENVER -- Just when they seemed headed for another shake-your-head loss on Friday night, the Rockies put up seven runs -- three on a Josh Rutledge double, two on a Carlos Gonzalez homer -- in the seventh inning of an 8-1 victory over the Pirates at Coors Field in front of 38,487.The Rockies led narrowly for six innings, but, remember, they were swept three games by the Pirates at PNC Park last weekend in games they led by narrow margins until the late innings. The game had the hallmarks of a story that started so good, but ended so bad. 
Rockies manager Walt Weiss issued what appeared to be a punitive benching to third baseman Nolan Arenado for not immediately running out a grounder to the box that the pitcher didn't handle cleanly. Then, starting pitcher Brett Anderson, who didn't yield a hit until the fifth and was rolling along, left with an apparent blister on his pitching hand after issuing a walk with one out in the seventh.But this time the Rockies flipped the script. Anderson, who gave up two hits in six mostly-dominant innings, ended up with his first win in Purple Pinstripes, and the Rockies have won consecutive games for just the second time since the middle of June.Righty reliever Tommy Kahnle replaced Anderson, forced a Jordy Mercer fly ball and struck out Pedro Alvarez to preserve a 1-0 lead.In the bottom of the seventh, Ben Paulsen and Wilin Rosario doubled off Pirates starter Charlie Morton, with the latter hit driving in a run. DJ LeMahieu, who had tripled and scored in the third, chased Morton with a single.Drew Stubbs and Charlie Blackmon singled off Pirates reliever Ernesto Frieri to load the bases for Rutledge, whose second double of the game cleared the bases and upped his RBI total to four. Rutledge doubled to center. Rutledge is 10-for-21 with four doubles, a triple and a home run since being forced into starting shortstop duty because of Troy Tulowitzki's left hip flexor strain.Weiss placed Gonzalez in the cleanup spot Friday even though he entered 7-for-32 (.219) in his first eight games after returning from surgery to remove a benign tumor from his left index finger. Gonzalez was hitless in his first three at-bats Friday, but launched Frieri's 1-1 slider onto the right-field bullpen for his 10th home run of the season for an 8-0 lead.Anderson held the Pirates to one run in seven innings Saturday at PNC Park and left with the lead, but the Rockies fell in 11 innings, 3-2. This time the club upheld his lead.The Pirates scored their lone run in the ninth off struggling righty Matt Belisle, who has given up 16 hits, nine earned runs and five walks in his last seven innings.Thomas Harding / MLB.com
Rockies manager Walt Weiss issued what appeared to be a punitive benching to third baseman Nolan Arenado for not immediately running out a grounder to the box that the pitcher didn't handle cleanly. Then, starting pitcher Brett Anderson, who didn't yield a hit until the fifth and was rolling along, left with an apparent blister on his pitching hand after issuing a walk with one out in the seventh.But this time the Rockies flipped the script. Anderson, who gave up two hits in six mostly-dominant innings, ended up with his first win in Purple Pinstripes, and the Rockies have won consecutive games for just the second time since the middle of June.Righty reliever Tommy Kahnle replaced Anderson, forced a Jordy Mercer fly ball and struck out Pedro Alvarez to preserve a 1-0 lead.In the bottom of the seventh, Ben Paulsen and Wilin Rosario doubled off Pirates starter Charlie Morton, with the latter hit driving in a run. DJ LeMahieu, who had tripled and scored in the third, chased Morton with a single.Drew Stubbs and Charlie Blackmon singled off Pirates reliever Ernesto Frieri to load the bases for Rutledge, whose second double of the game cleared the bases and upped his RBI total to four. Rutledge doubled to center. Rutledge is 10-for-21 with four doubles, a triple and a home run since being forced into starting shortstop duty because of Troy Tulowitzki's left hip flexor strain.Weiss placed Gonzalez in the cleanup spot Friday even though he entered 7-for-32 (.219) in his first eight games after returning from surgery to remove a benign tumor from his left index finger. Gonzalez was hitless in his first three at-bats Friday, but launched Frieri's 1-1 slider onto the right-field bullpen for his 10th home run of the season for an 8-0 lead.Anderson held the Pirates to one run in seven innings Saturday at PNC Park and left with the lead, but the Rockies fell in 11 innings, 3-2. This time the club upheld his lead.The Pirates scored their lone run in the ninth off struggling righty Matt Belisle, who has given up 16 hits, nine earned runs and five walks in his last seven innings.Thomas Harding / MLB.com
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