~ The right-hander pitched 2 2/3 innings before leaving with 'back tightness' in 10-5 loss to Rockies
DENVER -- Justin Morneau hit a three-run homer and drove in six runs as the Colorado Rockies beat the St. Louis Cardinals 10-5 on Tuesday night to snap a seven-game losing streak.
Jorge De La Rosa (7-6) allowed five runs, four earned, in seven innings. He is the first Rockies starter to earn a win since June 12.
Nick Greenwood (1-1) pitched 1 2/3 innings in relief of starter Shelby Miller, who left in the third with back tightness. Greenwood surrendered Morneau's homer on a hanging slider in the fourth.
Morneau had an RBI single in the first and a two-run single in the seventh that gave Colorado some breathing room.
The Rockies finished with 17 hits one night after managing just three when they were shut out at home for the first time in nearly a year.
Jhonny Peralta hit a two-run homer for St. Louis and Matt Holliday had another productive day at Coors Field against his former team, going 2 for 5. He is hitting .545 in his last five games at this park.
De La Rosa finished strong, striking out Allen Craig to end the seventh with Holliday on first.
St. Louis had something brewing in the eighth with the bases loaded and two outs. But Adam Ottavino struck out pinch-hitter Jon Jay to end the threat.
Pinch-hitter Drew Stubbs added an insurance run in the bottom half of the inning with a solo homer to left. Charlie Blackmon later added an RBI single.
LaTroy Hawkins finished the ninth in a non-save situation.
The Cardinals' rotation may have taken another hit with Miller leaving the game. The right-hander arched his back in discomfort soon after delivering a pitch to De La Rosa. Manager Mike Matheny and a trainer instantly trotted out to check on Miller, who took a few warm-up tosses before being taken out for Greenwood. Miller went 2 2/3 innings, surrendering three runs and six hits. He walked five.
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