Jorge De La Rosa Pitches, Hits Rockies to Victory

After a tough start to the season, Jorge De La Rosa once again looked like the Colorado Rockies’ all-time winningest pitcher on Thursday afternoon.

Jorge De La Rosa earned his first victory of the 2016 season with a 102-pitch effort, allowing just four hits and striking out seven, in Colorado’s 11-6 decision over the San Francisco Giants. The win gave the Rockies the edge in the three-game series and allowed them to finish the six-game homestand against the Giants and San Diego Padres with a 3-3 mark.

“I thought I threw the ball much better today than I did in my first two games,” said De La Rosa, who entered Thursday with a 12.46 ERA. “My command was much better.”

“That was more like Jorge today,” said Colorado manager Walt Weiss. “I thought he used his fastball a little better today. We needed some length out of that start today and he gave us that. It’s been part of his history to a degree to be somewhat of a slow starter. He picks it up after the first couple of games and he certainly did that today.”

Not only did Jorge De La Rosa contribute on the mound, but also with his bat as well. He went 2-for-2 at the plate with 2 RBI, marking the first time since 2010 that he had two hits in a single game.

His two-run single was part of a nine-run fifth inning that quickly turned a 1-0 San Francisco lead into a 9-1 Colorado advantage. In all, 13 Rockies went to the plate in the inning.

“He got a couple of big hits for us,” Weiss said. “He battles in the batter’s box. He doesn’t have the prettiest swing but he battles.”

Carlos Gonzalez and DJ LeMahieu both extended their hitting streaks to nine games to start the season as part of a 13-hit attack by the Rockies. After being held to two runs in the first game of the series, Colorado exploded for 21 runs in their two victories.

“Our offense is the best in the league,” said catcher Tony Wolters, who went 2-for-4 for his first career multi-hit game and also stole two bases to mark another first in his MLB career. “We have guys who just grind out at-bats. I think everyone in this lineup has the main goal of getting runs and doing everything they can to make that happen.”

San Francisco (6-4) fought back from the 9-1 deficit to pull within 9-6 on a two-run homer by Brandon Belt in the top of the eighth off Colorado reliever Chad Qualls. That, however, would be as close as the Giants would come as Gonzalez roped a two-run double into right-center in the bottom of the eighth to give the Rockies some additional breathing room.

Colorado (5-4) now heads on a six-game road trip to face the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds.

Next: De La Rosa Leads Our List of Colorado's 5 Best Southpaws

Notes

⇒ The nine runs scored by the Rockies in the bottom of the fifth represented the most runs they’ve ever tallied against San Francisco in a single inning. The eight hits in the inning were also the most Colorado has ever logged against the Giants in a single frame.

⇒ Gerardo Parra went 2-for-3, including his first homer and RBI of the season. The fifth-inning homer was also the first round-tripper he’s ever hit at Coors Field.

⇒ Mark Reynolds went 2-for-4 with three RBI. His two hits were both doubles and came in the fifth inning. He became the first Colorado player to hit two doubles in the same inning since Troy Tulowitzki turned the feat against the Cubs in July of 2010.