DENVER -- Nearing the end of what could be his final season, Todd Helton showed hes still far from done.
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Helton, who turned 40 this month, homered twice and matched a decade-old
career high with six RBIs to power the Colorado Rockies past the
Cincinnati Reds 9-6 on Friday night.
"Two-homer games, six RBIs, that doesnt happen too often nowadays," said
Helton, who has hinted at the possibility of retirement but has yet to
formally announce his plans. "Ive got to take it all in and enjoy it."
Jorge De La Rosa pitched six effective innings for his 15th win. Heltons
28th career multihomer game and first since 2011 left him one hit shy
of 2,500.
"Hes a very special player and its a blessing to play with guys like
that," De La Rosa said.
The first of Heltons two three-run homers came in the fourth off
Bronson Arroyo (13-10), roughed up for six runs and nine hits over 3 1-3
innings in his shortest outing of the season. He issued a one-out walk
in the first, ending a 30-inning string without one, and had his
four-game winning streak snapped.
Helton homered again in the seventh off reliever Logan Ondrusek, his
11th of the season.
"The old guy can still do it. This was a special night for Todd and
everyone who was here to see it," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said.
Both times, Troy Tulowitzki and Wilin Rosario hit successive singles to
set the table for Helton, who also had six RBIs against the Los Angeles
Dodgers on May 29, 2003.
"Ive seen him do a lot of damage," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "He
may not be as quick, or this or that, back might be bothering him. Hes a
smart hitter, plus we made some mistakes, especially the last one. It
was down the middle of the plate."
Tulowitzki singled and Rosario doubled to put runners at second and
third in the eighth when Helton, given a rousing ovation by the crowd,
came up for his final at-bat. He worked the count full, fouling off a
couple of pitches from newly recalled reliever Zach Duke before finally
striking out.
Helton said he appreciated the warm reception and acknowledged he
thought about hitting one more out of the park.
"I was thinking three three-run homers in a game would have been really
cool," Helton said with a smile. "It didnt work out, but thats all
right. We can save it for another day."
De La Rosa (15-6) allowed three runs and eight hits to win his fifth
consecutive start. He improved to 9-1 with a 2.73 ERA in 13 home starts
this season.
The Rockies were trailing 2-1 when Tulowitzki and Rosario singled to
start the fourth. Helton followed by driving Arroyos offering into the
seats in the second deck above the right-field scoreboard.
"Even in his older years, hes still quick enough to get to the ball on
the inner half sometimes, and you can see his wheels turning," Arroyo
said. "Sometimes he can guess right. And hes been a guy over the years
thats definitely been a challenge for me to get out. It was a 1-0
changeup. He could have popped up to short but he squared it up, broke
the game open a bit."
Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon followed with singles and both scored
when Charlie Culbersons line-drive double to left sailed over the head
of Ryan Ludwick, who appeared to misjudge the flight of the ball.
Arroyo retired De La Rosa on a grounder for the first out of the inning
and was relieved by Alfredo Simon.
The Rockies also touched up Arroyo for a run in the first when rookie
Corey Dickerson led off with a triple and scored on D.J. LeMahieus
double.
The Reds tied it in the second on the first of Ryan Hanigans two RBI
singles. He also singled home Todd Frazier, aboard on a leadoff double,
in the fourth.
Ludwick hit a two-out solo homer in the fourth. In the sixth, with the
Rockies in front by three, Hanigan was hit by a pitch and pinch-hitter
Cesar Izturis doubled to put runners at second and third with one out.
But De La Rosa got Shin-Soo Choo on a grounder and struck out
Brandon Phillips, the last batter he faced.
Helton hammered a 1-0 offering from Ondrusek in the seventh for his
second three-run shot.
Phillips hit a two-run single off reliever Jeff Francis in the ninth,
and Devin Mesoraco had a sacrifice fly.
NOTES: The Rockies finished with 19 hits, one shy of their season high.
... Before the game, the Reds recalled Duke from Triple-A Louisville to
add a left-hander to their bullpen. RHP Nick Christiani was optioned to
Louisville to make room. ... Rockies OF Carlos Gonzalez (sprained
finger) is expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment this
weekend and could be activated from the 15-day DL next week. ... RHP
Juan Nicasio (8-6) is set to pitch the second game of the series against
Reds RHP Greg Reynolds (0-2). ... Injured Rockies closer
Rafael Betancourt has told club officials that he plans to undergo Tommy
John surgery to repair the torn ligament in his pitching elbow. He
faces at least a yearlong rehab.
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Boston is making its first appearance in the ALCS since 2008. For
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research.Newark, NJ (SportsNetwork.com) - Jonathan Toews and Patrick
Kane both scored
in the shootout to send the Chicago Blackhawks to a seventh straight
victory
with a 3-2 win over the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday.
Toews, Chicagos first shooter, raced up the slot, dragged the puck
to his
backhand and slid the puck past the pad of Keith Kinkaid for the first
marker
and after Jaromir Jagr was stopped, Kane stickhandled his way up the
slot and
wristed the deciding tally past the New Jersey netminder.
Duncan Keith tied the game with 3:13 remaining in the third period,
and Bryan
Bickell also lit the lamp for Chicago, which received 22 saves
from Scott
Darling.
Jordin Tootoo and Stephen Gionta both scored for the Devils, who were
coming
off a 2-1 win over Carolina on Monday.
Kinkaid was tremendous in his first NHL start, turning aside 37
shots in
regulation and the overtime session.
Toews slipped a pass to Marian Hossa down low. Kinkaid stopped Hossas
shot,
but the rebound trickled over to Keith, who buried the puck into an
open net
for a tied game with 3:13 remaining.
Sustained Chicago pressure and a stickless Devils defender led to a
Chicago
man advantage as Jagr took a hooking penalty with 2:06 remaining in
overtime.
The Blackhawks, however, were unable to solve Kinkaid and the game
went to a
shootout.
Tootoo wristed a shot under the arm of Darling from the right circle
to open
the scoring with 4:49 remaining in the first period.
Kinkaid robbed Kanes rising wrister from the right circle with a
slick glove
save early in the second to preserve New Jerseys lead. Clive Walford Raiders Jersey. The Blackhawks lit the lamp after Kinkaid was unable to replicate his left-
handed larceny on Bickells short-side wrister with 9:05 left in the middle
stanza.
Jacob Josefson was assessed a double-minor high-sticking penalty shortly after
the equalizer, but Kinkaid and the New Jersey penalty kill stood tall, turning
aside chance after chance during a Chicago barrage.
After Kinkaid stoned Patrick Sharp on a breakaway, Damon Seversons blast from
the right side hopped off a gathering in front of the net. Gionta was there to
whack the puck out of the air and past Darling for a 2-1 Devils lead 2:31 into
the final stanza.
Martin Havlat broke through on a breakaway up the left side and had a chance
to give the Devils some breathing room, but his backhander rang off the far
pipe with 9:21 to play.
Game Notes
Sharp returned to the Chicago lineup after missing the last 14 games with a
knee injury ... The Blackhawks have won three straight games against the
Devils ... Prior to the game, New Jersey placed forward Patrik Elias (groin)
on injured reserve and recalled forward Reid Boucher from Albany of the
American Hockey League ... Forward Mike Cammalleri (pulled posterior muscle
and Dainius Zubrus (leg laceration) were also absent from the Devils lineup
... The two teams will conclude the season series in Chicago on Feb. 13.
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