Hits keep coming: Rockies break out with 10-run 3rd

DENVER -- In the top of the third inning on Sunday, Jay Bruce handed Cincinnati a two-run lead with a home run off the foul pole.

Then the Rockies exploded.

As part of Colorado's 17-7 win over the Reds at Coors Field, the Rockies sent 13 men to the plate and plated 10 runs in their riveting half of the third. It was the most runs Colorado had scored in a game and in one inning since April 27, 2012, when the Rockies had an 11-run fifth as part of an 18-9 victory over the Mets.

"Those innings are fun," said Ben Paulsen, who finished 4-for-5 with two homers and went back-to-back with Nolan Arenado in the third. "When you get to sit in the dugout and watch our teammates hit, it's a joy."

Charlie Blackmon led off the frame with a double, and after a DJ LeMahieu groundout, seven consecutive hitters reached base safely before the second out was recorded. Carlos Gonzalez beat the shift the other way with an RBI single and immediately trotted home on Arenado's first homer since June 28, which was projected by Statcast™ to land 393 feet way.

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Paulsen went deep three pitches later, and after Nick Hundley followed with a single, Daniel Descalso laced a run-scoring triple down the right-field line. That gave the Rockies a team cycle in the inning and signaled the end of the day for Reds starter Michael Lorenzen, who surrendered eight runs on just 61 pitches.

"Our offense responded really well today," Gonzalez said. "To put up 10 runs in one inning is impressive. That's the type of inning we can put in there when the offense is rolling, and it's really fun to play that way."

Cincinnati then turned to reliever Dylan Axelrod, but nothing changed. He walked Brandon Barnes to put men on the corners for Kyle Kendrick, who laid down a sacrifice bunt that Joey Votto fielded and flipped home as Descalso came sprinting in from third.

Only catcher Tucker Barnhart couldn't handle the throw, and Descalso slid home safely to give Colorado an 8-4 advantage. The lineup card flipped over, and the Reds finally got the second out on Blackmon's popup. But DJ LeMahieu immediately doubled home two, extending his hitting streak to 16 games.

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Gonzalez delivered the finishing touches with a two-homer into the Cincinnati bullpen, supplying the Rockies with their first three-homer inning since May 27, 2010, when they connected for a trio of long balls in the seventh against Arizona.

"When I have two at-bats in an inning, that's good sign, Gonzalez said. "It's one of those things that when you have that opportunity it's because everybody's doing their job and putting runs on the board. So it's always fun to see."