Peralta homers but Lynn, Cardinals fall to Rockies 6-2
ST. LOUIS -- When Jorge De La Rosa takes the mound for Colorado against St. Louis, it's usually a successful formula for the Rockies.
De La Rosa turned in another solid outing against the Cardinals and Nolan Arenado homered in the Rockies' 6-2 win on Saturday night.
Arenado connected for a two-run shot in the fourth against Lance Lynn (8-6) and Ben Paulsen added a leadoff drive in the sixth. Paulsen finished with two hits and three RBIs in Colorado's first win at Busch Stadium since May 12, 2013, snapping a string of five straight losses at St. Louis.
De La Rosa (7-4) allowed two runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. He is 7-2 with a 3.41 ERA in nine starts against St. Louis since joining Colorado in 2008.
"We know we've got a good lineup," De La Rosa said. "We just have to keep the game close and wait until the guys start swinging it."
De La Rosa's solid outing was a timely one for the Rockies after they used five relievers in Friday night's 7-0 loss to St. Louis.
"We always feel good when we hand Jorge the ball, especially after a tough loss and the bullpen's taxed," manager Walt Weiss said. "He almost always rises to the occasion."
De La Rosa mixed his cutter and curveball to keep the Cardinals at bay.
"He's our stopper," Paulsen said. "He gets it on the mound and he competes and that's what you want."
The Cardinals (66-38) failed to get to 30 games over .500 in their third try. St. Louis still has a major league-best 39-16 home record.
The Cardinals continue to have no answer for De La Rosa, who also beat them at Coors Field on June 9.
"He pitches backwards," said St. Louis first baseman Brandon Moss, who was acquired in a trade with Cleveland on Thursday. "He doesn't throw his fastball a lot so you get yourself anxious waiting for the off-speed stuff. He doesn't give you much."
Carlos Gonzalez reached on a leadoff walk before Arenado's 26th homer gave the Rockies a 3-0 lead. Arenado had just one homer in July.
"It's always tough to come in here and score runs against this staff and in this park," Weiss said. "I think we played well offensively this series."
Paulsen added a 436-foot home run to center in the sixth and smashed a two-run double in the seventh.
"Our lineup is strong," Paulsen said. "Everybody should know that and I think opposing teams know that. It's one of those things, if we put runs up our pitching is good enough to win."
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Lynn was charged with four runs and seven hits in five-plus innings in his first loss since July 10. The right-hander was 5-1 with a 2.04 ERA in his previous 10 starts.
Lynn was disappointed with the pitch to Arenado.
"It was a fastball out over the plate," Lynn said. "The guy's got 26 homers; he did what he was supposed to do with it."
St. Louis shortstop Jhonny Peralta hit his team-leading 16th home run in the fourth. Stephen Piscotty had a pair of hits and an RBI to run his hitting streak to seven games.
SO FAR, SO GOOD
Right-hander Jonathan Broxton made his Cardinals debut, pitching a perfect eighth. Broxton was acquired in a trade with Milwaukee on Friday.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rockies: RHP Kyle Kendrick (shoulder inflammation) and OF Corey Dickerson (broken ribs) were placed on the 15-day disabled list. RHP Scott Oberg and OF Kyle Parker were recalled from Triple A Albuquerque, and RHP Christian Bergman (right shoulder fatigue) was activated from the DL. LHP Aaron Laffey was designated for assignment.
Cardinals: RHP Jordan Walden gave up an unearned run in one inning of work during a rehab outing in Triple A Memphis on Friday. Walden (right bicep) threw 21 pitches, struck out two and walked one.
UP NEXT
Cardinals LHP Jaime Garcia (3-4, 2.00 ERA) will face LHP Yohan Flande (1-1, 3.68 ERA) in the series finale Sunday. The Cardinals have been shut out in all four of Garcia's losses. Flande made his first start of the season and got his first major league win in a 7-2 win over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday.
