DENVER (AP) — Charlie Blackmon, Sam Hilliard and Ryan McMahon hit home runs, Germán Márquez overcame one rough inning for his first victory this season and the Colorado Rockies snapped a five-game skid by beating the Kansas City Royals 10-4 on Saturday night.
Hilliard homered for the second time in as many games, hitting a three-run drive in Colorado’s four-run third and adding a sacrifice fly in the fifth. Brendan Rodgers had a pair of hits, including an RBI double.
Salvador Pérez hit a two-run homer in the third, the only frame in which the Royals scored off Márquez (1-3), who went six innings and allowed three runs and three hits. He struck out six and walked one. In his previous six starts, Márquez was 0-3 with a 6.47 ERA.
Kansas City's Bobby Witt Jr. homered for the second time this season, a solo shot in the seventh off reliever Ashton Goudeau. Whit Merrifield had an RBI single while extending his team record by playing in his 500th consecutive game.
Royals starter Carlos Hernandez went four innings and allowed a career-high nine runs on eight hits in his first career appearance against the Rockies and his first at Coors Field.
Hernandez (0-3) walked the first batter he faced and Blackmon followed with a homer over the right-center field fence into the Rockies’ bullpen. Dom Nunez’s sacrifice fly in the second gave Colorado a 3-0 lead.
Kansas City evened it in the third before the Rockies broke through for four runs in the bottom of the inning on Hilliard’s homer and Jose Iglesias’ RBI single, going up 7-3.
MAJOR MILESTONE
Merrifield’s 500th consecutive game is the longest active streak in the majors and the longest since Prince Fielder played in 547 straight from Sept. 14, 2010, to May 16, 2014.
“He just shows up and he’s ready to go,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said before the game. “He’s been blessed with good health, but a lot of that is him just taking care of himself really well, too.”
Cal Ripken Jr. holds the major league record, playing in 2,632 consecutive games.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rockies: OF Kris Bryant, sidelined since April 26th by a lower back injury, took a full batting practice session before the game. There’s no timetable yet for his return, however.
UP NEXT
Royals LHP Daniel Lynch (2-2, 4.01 ERA) is slated to start Sunday’s series finale against Rockies LHP Austin Gomber (2-3, 4.36 ERA).
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