Rox even series on Rosario's three-run homer

PHILADELPHIA -- Rockies pitcher Jorge De La Rosa's left middle finger has been hurting for three weeks, and that's not to mention the back pain. Catcher Wilin Rosario's left hand and wrist have been bothering him most of the season. The training room was a good place for them to talk before Tuesday night's game.

"I told him before this game, 'You have to help me win this game,' and he said, 'I don't know, I'm a little sore,'" De La Rosa said. "I said, 'You've gotta say yes.'"

Both did their parts. De La Rosa held the Phillies to one run and scattered six hits in six innings, and Rosario hit an opposite-field, three-run homer in the seventh inning as the Rockies ended a three-game skid with a 6-2 victory in a game delayed 1 hour, 22 minutes at the start because of rain.

The victory was a breakout for the Rockies (28-24), who dropped two of three in Atlanta to start this nine-game trip and were shut out Sunday by the Braves and Monday against the Phillies. Tuesday night's victory gave the Rockies a split of the first two games against the Phillies, with Wednesday night's finale to go.

Rosario's fifth homer of the season, on an outside, first-pitch fastball from Phillies starter Cole Hamels (1-3), allowed De La Rosa (6-3) to receive a reward for striking out four in an effort that saw him escape a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the third inning.

De La Rosa is 6-0 with a 1.80 ERA over his past seven starts, with his previous four seeing him pitch through the middle finger injury. And in his past three starts he has been dealing with back pain that affects him when he runs, but not when he throws.

Rosario was happy to help.

"He's our guy; he's special," Rosario said. "He has a bruise on one of his fingers, but he gave us the opportunity to win the game. He's pitching with heart. He's really good."

Rosario has eight career homers against the Phils, including five at Citizens Bank Park. It was a good time for him to come to Philly. Before the homer, Rosario was 0-for-2 in the game and 5-for-29 in seven-plus games since returning from a bout with the flu.

"I still feel a little lost at the plate, but today I felt a lot better," Rosario said.

De La Rosa also likes Citizens Bank Park, where he is 2-1 with a 1.76 ERA in his past three starts.

Rosario and De La Rosa were key figures in a sorely needed team effort.

The Rockies managed six hits, but two big ones were from Drew Stubbs, starting in center field and at leadoff in place of Charlie Blackmon in manager Walt Weiss' lineup designed for the left-handed Hamels. A leadoff single in the fourth by Stubbs eventually led to Troy Tulowitzki's fourth-inning sacrifice fly to end the Rockies' scoreless streak at 23 innings. Stubbs' other hit on a 2-for-5 evening drove in an insurance run in Colorado's two-run eighth.

"It's a long season," Stubbs said. "No offense, but partly you guys [the media] make us aware of that. We realize there are going to be tough times and there are going to be great times. You have to ride tough times out and realize they're going to come to an end and not try to force things when they're not there."

Other contributions came from Corey Dickerson, who entered in the sixth after Carlos Gonzalez left with a right calf contusion (sustained on a second-inning foul ball), and Michael Cuddyer, who drew one-out walks to set up Rosario's homer with two out in the seventh. Also, righty reliever Adam Ottavino worked Ryan Howard into a double play when the Phillies had two on and one out in the bottom of the eighth.

Before Wednesday, the road trip was a concerning string of empty at-bats and missed opportunities with runners in scoring position (1-for-27 in the first four games, three of them Rockies losses). The breakout offensive performance and clutch pitching were just what the Rockies needed.

"We had great energy in the dugout tonight," Weiss said. "These guys had done that all year. We kept fighting. You've got to fight through the tough stuff in this league."

De La Rosa gave the Rockies a fighting chance by escaping the third to keep the game scoreless.

The Phillies, who were no-hit by the Dodgers on Sunday before scoring nine runs in the shutout of the Rockies on Monday, seemed poised to break out again when Carlos Ruiz, Cesar Hernandez and Hamels, on a perfectly placed bunt, loaded the bases against De La Rosa to open the third.

However, first baseman Justin Morneau grabbed Ben Revere's bouncer and threw home to force Ruiz. De La Rosa got Jimmy Rollins to line to Morneau, then squatted in hopeful anticipation as Chase Utley flied out to deep left.

"He hit it really good, and I thought that ball was gone, but thank God Carlos caught that one," said De La Rosa, who threw 98 pitches.

It was harder for Gonzalez than it looked. His calf tightened steadily after he was hit by the foul ball. The Rockies took him out later for fear that he would not be able to get to a fly ball.

Rockies lefty Boone Logan yielded a one-out homer in the seventh -- Revere's first Major League homer, in his 1,466th at-bat.

Josh Rutledge entered as a reserve in the seventh, tripled off Phillies reliever Jeff Manship to lead off the eighth and scored on Stubbs' double. Pinch-hitter Brandon Barnes drove in another run with a fielder's choice grounder. After the game, Hamels felt the impact of the third inning.

"Any time that you do that and don't score, that describes the way that things are going," Hamels said.