DENVER – Nick Evans and Chris Owings hit back-to-back homers, rookie Chase Anderson won his fourth consecutive start, and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the slumping Colorado Rockies 4-2 on Tuesday night.
Evans’ solo shot in the fourth was his first homer since Sept. 3, 2011, when he was with the New York Mets.
Four pitches later, Owings hit another off Jorge De La Rosa (6-4). Owings also added a run-scoring double and finished a single shy of the cycle.
Anderson (4-0) didn’t overpower the Rockies so much as keep them guessing, throwing six effective innings in his longest outing since he was recalled from Triple-A Reno on May 6. He became the fifth rookie since 1998 to win his opening four starts.
Anderson allowed four hits and one run, a homer by D.J. LeMahieu, to help the Diamondbacks stop a three-game skid.
De La Rosa settled down after a shaky start, giving up three runs in seven innings. The hard-throwing lefty didn’t have a strikeout for the first time this season, and his six-game winning streak came to an end.
The Rockies opened a 10-game homestand with their fifth consecutive loss. The best-hitting team in baseball just finished a dismal road swing in which it went 2-7 and averaged less than three runs a game.
Colorado struggled against Anderson, who mixed a fastball that barely crept into the 90s with a sharp curve and a changeup. Anderson also benefited from an overturned call at the plate in the second that kept the game scoreless.
Wilin Rosario was ruled safe by umpire Jerry Layne after sliding past the tag of catcher Miguel Montero. As Montero protested, manager Kirk Gibson trotted out of the dugout to challenge the play. The call was reversed when replays showed Montero tagged Rosario on the back before touching home.
The Diamondbacks took a 3-0 lead in the fourth on homers from Evans and Owings, along with an RBI groundout by Gerardo Parra. Evans was just recalled last week from Reno and his homer was his first hit of the season.
That was more than enough for Anderson, who was taken out for a reliever in the seventh. Addison Reed pitched a wobbly ninth surrendering a solo homer to Troy Tulowitzki but struck out LeMahieu looking for his 15th save in 17 chances.
De La Rosa worked his way out of several early messes, including one in the second when Justin Morneau threw out Owings at home on a sharp grounder.
The sun created some awkward shadows on the field in the first and led the Rockies to run themselves out of the inning. Soon after Charlie Blackmon walked, Morneau sent a liner up the middle that Blackmon, looking toward the sun, figured a diving Owings caught. Blackmon retreated back to first as the ball rolled into center field. Ender Inciarte tossed it to second base for a less-than-routine 8-4 putout.
Rockies rumpus
Arizona recalled INF Didi Gregorius from Triple-A Reno and placed INF Cliff Pennington (sprained left thumb) on the disabled list. Kirk Gibson said Pennington will undergo surgery. ... It was the third time this season the Diamondbacks have hit back-to-back homers. ... Arizona RHP Josh Collmenter (4-2) will start Wednesday, while the Rockies go with RHP Jordan Lyles (5-1). ... Arizona 1B Paul Goldschmidt was given the night off. ... Rockies OF Carlos Gonzalez was removed in the sixth after irritating his left index finger. ... The umpires used replay to check the count in the fourth.
