Spilborghs’ 4 hits powers Rockies past Brewers

DENVER (AP)—Ryan Spilborghs(notes) made sure the Colorado Rockies didn’t miss Carlos Gonzalez(notes).

Spilborghs had a home run among four hits, Ubaldo Jimenez(notes) pitched six solid innings and the Rockies beat the Milwaukee Brewers 12-3 on Thursday night.
Spilborghs finished a triple shy of the cycle while registering his first four-hit games in more than two seasons. Ty Wigginton(notes) and Ian Stewart(notes) had three hits each for the Rockies, who had a season-high 20 hits.
“I don’t know if we could have done it much better offensively than we did tonight,” Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. “We drove in runners from third with less than two outs, we got two-out base hits, we moved runners along.”
Spilborghs was the catalyst at the top of the lineup. Filling in for the injured Gonzalez, Spilborghs led off the bottom of the first with his third homer and drove in four runs on the night.
“It felt good to just string together some quality at-bats. Even my non-hits I felt I was hitting the ball hard,” he said.
The Rockies’ offense was a welcome sight for Jimenez. The Rockies had scored seven runs in his last four starts.
Jimenez (5-8) allowed two runs and six hits, walked two and struck out four to earn just his second win at home in 2011. Jimenez has won four of his last six starts after beginning the season 1-7.
“I’m definitely feeling much better,” he said.
He gave up runs in the first and second innings before settling down. He allowed just one baserunner past first in his last four innings.
“He’s still got a good fastball, but if it’s 2-0, he can throw a slider for a strike,” Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke said. “He’s got great command with his offspeed stuff and it’s good offspeed stuff. He threw some great ones today to get some punchouts.”
Ryan Braun(notes) returned to the Milwaukee lineup with two hits to extend his hitting streak to 23 games. Braun missed the last eight games before the All-Star break with a left calf strain.
Corey Hart(notes) hit his 11th homer for Milwaukee and Yovani Gallardo(notes) (10-6) allowed six runs and a season-high 11 hits in four innings.
“The ball was up in the zone,” Gallardo said. “Get the ball a couple inches lower and it’s a whole different ballgame.”
The Rockies broke open a tie game with a four-run fourth inning. Stewart led off with a double and scored on Chris Iannetta’s(notes) single. After a sacrifice by Jimenez, Spilborghs singled up the middle to score Iannetta. Spilborghs stole second and scored on Mark Ellis’(notes) single, and Troy Tulowitzki’s(notes) RBI double made it 6-2.
“That fourth inning, I felt that I made good pitches and they were able to put the bat on the ball and put it in play for some soft base hits,” Gallardo said.
Spilborghs singled and scored on Ellis’ double in the sixth to make it 7-2.
The Rockies added four runs in the seventh when pinch-hitter Cole Garner(notes) drew a bases-loaded walk and Spilborghs followed with a two-run double.
Spilborghs had a chance for the cycle when he batted with the bases loaded in the eighth but he hit into an inning-ending double play.
“Of course I knew (I had a chance),” Spilborghs said. “I couldn’t wait.”
Braun and Prince Fielder(notes) hit consecutive two-out doubles in the first to make it 1-0 before Spilborghs got the run back in the bottom of the inning
Gallardo gave Milwaukee a 2-1 lead in the second with an RBI double, but Jimenez tied it in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single.
NOTES: Braun’s hit streak is the third-longest in Brewers history. Paul Molitor hit safely in 39 straight in 1987 and Dave May 24 straight in 1973. … Spilborghs’ last four-hit game was April 22, 2009, at Arizona. … Gonzalez missed his seventh game in the last eight with a deep bone bruise in his right wrist. He is day to day. … 2B umpire Brian O’Nora left the game in the middle of the first inning with back issues. The umpiring crew was down to three until Cory Blaser took over at second base in the fourth inning.