Arizona tops Rockies 6-2

PHOENIX -- Rockies manager Jim Tracy was curious to see which Edwar Cabrera would show up on Tuesday night against the D-backs.

Would it be the "amped up" Cabrera that threw one too many fastballs against the Nationals in a lopsided loss his first big league start in late June? Or would it be the young man that impressed members of the organization in the Minor Leagues?

It appears the answer is still to be determined.

Cabrera, who was starting in place of Drew Pomeranz, pitched himself into and out of a few jams and left the game in the fourth.

In the end, Cabrera's line -- two runs on four hits in 3 1/3 innings - only told part of the story in the Rockies' 6-2 loss to the D-backs at Chase Field.

Cabrera struck out two of the four batters he faced in the first inning and exuded confidence as he strolled off the mound.

But Cabrera ran into trouble in the second inning when he gave up back-to-back singles to Miguel Montero and Chris Young with one out. He walked the next batter, Stephen Drew, to load the bases but the rookie struck out pitcher Joe Saunders on five pitches for the second out to set up a showdown with third baseman Willie Bloomquist.

Three pitches -- all of them balls -- later, Bloomquist had Cabrera on the ropes.

He just didn't stay there.

Cabrera fired fastball down the middle for strike two. Bloomquist then lined out right field on the next pitch to end the inning.

It didn't get any easier.

Cabrera gave up a single to second baseman Aaron Hill to start the third. He retired the next two hitters before intentionally walking right fielder Justin Upton. But Montero flied out to left field and Cabrera escaped unscathed to keep the game scoreless.

Rockies first baseman Michael Cuddyer hit the first of two home runs in the top of fourth for a 1-0 lead, but Young led off the bottom half with a walk and eventually scored on a double by Drew to tie the game at 1-1.

Cabrera responded by striking out Saunders, but he would not throw another pitch, replaced after throwing 81 pitches - 45 for strikes - by Josh Roenicke.

The D-backs were not done.

Bloomquist followed with a RBI double to put the D-backs ahead 2-1, and they never looked back. Arizona tacked on two runs in the fifth on a Chris Young homer and two more in seventh to put the game out of reach.

Cuddyer's second home run, a line drive to center field in the top of the sixth, would cut the D-backs' lead to 4-2, but the Rockies could not muster any more offense.

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