DENVER -- Rookie left-hander Tyler Matzek blanked the Pirates for seven innings and gave up three hits as the Rockies took their third straight victory, 8-1, at Coors Field in front of 44,611 on Saturday night.Nolan Arenado, the night after receiving a mid-game, punitive benching for not running out a grounder, homered with one out in the seventh as part of a three-hit, two-RBI performance. Arenado ran the bases with a nice pace after his homer to left, and hustled down the line to stay out of a double play in the eighth. 
Arenado also made dazzling defensive plays against Gaby Sanchez in the fourth and on a Russell Martin liner in the fifth.Drew Stubbs homered in the fourth, his 11th this season, before leaving an inning later with a twisted left ankle. Stubbs' replacement, Corey Dickerson, added his 13th homer of the year, a solo shot in the seventh. The current run of success and a three-game run July 7-9 mark the only times the Rockies have won consecutive games since the middle of June.This win streak coincides with Arenado's idea of cuffing the pants just below the knee to change the luck of a team in a deep losing funk. But high cuffs or no cuffs, if the recent pitching continues, the Rockies will be smiling more often than not as they try to make something of a season of injury and disappointment.Matzek struck out three and forced eight ground-ball outs, the last two on a double play when he extracted a grounder from Brent Morel to end a two-on threat in the seventh.The best of Matzek's nine starts since being called up from Triple-A Colorado Springs came on the heels of stellar work by two experienced Rockies lefties. Jorge De La Rosa struck out 11 in 7 1/3 innings and gave up one earned run (two total) in defeating the Nationals on Wednesday. Brett Anderson threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings before leaving with an index finger blister Friday night in an 8-1 victory over the Pirates.Interestingly, De La Rosa, Anderson and Matzek pitching well could be the start of a pattern. All three pitched well in a three-game set at PNC Park last weekend, although the bullpen blew each of those. However, if the lefty trio can consistently pitch as effectively, it could help eliminate the pitching poverty that has afflicted the Rockies this season.Arenado flied to deep center the first inning, then singled in the third, drove in a run with a single in the fifth and hit his eighth homer of the season -- all off Pirates starter Jeff Locke, who gave up six runs and 10 hits in 6 2/3 innings.The Pirates' Ike Davis averted a shutout with a one-out homer in the ninth off Rockies reliever Brooks Brown. It was the second straight night the Pirates were scoreless until the ninth.Thomas Harding / MLB.com
Arenado also made dazzling defensive plays against Gaby Sanchez in the fourth and on a Russell Martin liner in the fifth.Drew Stubbs homered in the fourth, his 11th this season, before leaving an inning later with a twisted left ankle. Stubbs' replacement, Corey Dickerson, added his 13th homer of the year, a solo shot in the seventh. The current run of success and a three-game run July 7-9 mark the only times the Rockies have won consecutive games since the middle of June.This win streak coincides with Arenado's idea of cuffing the pants just below the knee to change the luck of a team in a deep losing funk. But high cuffs or no cuffs, if the recent pitching continues, the Rockies will be smiling more often than not as they try to make something of a season of injury and disappointment.Matzek struck out three and forced eight ground-ball outs, the last two on a double play when he extracted a grounder from Brent Morel to end a two-on threat in the seventh.The best of Matzek's nine starts since being called up from Triple-A Colorado Springs came on the heels of stellar work by two experienced Rockies lefties. Jorge De La Rosa struck out 11 in 7 1/3 innings and gave up one earned run (two total) in defeating the Nationals on Wednesday. Brett Anderson threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings before leaving with an index finger blister Friday night in an 8-1 victory over the Pirates.Interestingly, De La Rosa, Anderson and Matzek pitching well could be the start of a pattern. All three pitched well in a three-game set at PNC Park last weekend, although the bullpen blew each of those. However, if the lefty trio can consistently pitch as effectively, it could help eliminate the pitching poverty that has afflicted the Rockies this season.Arenado flied to deep center the first inning, then singled in the third, drove in a run with a single in the fifth and hit his eighth homer of the season -- all off Pirates starter Jeff Locke, who gave up six runs and 10 hits in 6 2/3 innings.The Pirates' Ike Davis averted a shutout with a one-out homer in the ninth off Rockies reliever Brooks Brown. It was the second straight night the Pirates were scoreless until the ninth.Thomas Harding / MLB.com
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