Rockies hang on to beat Cardinals, 8-6, take series

Brendan Rodgers stood at the plate for an extra moment and watched his three-run homer sail deep into the left-field bleachers.

Why not? The Rockies deserved to strut their stuff on a hot Thursday afternoon at Coors Field.

Powered by their six-run seventh inning and a solid start by right-hander German Marquez, they held on to beat the Cardinals, 8-6, to clinch the three-game series.

The Cardinals, in a dogfight with Milwaukee for the National League Central title, came to Colorado riding a seven-game winning streak but were bludgeoned by Rockies hitters in Games 1 and 3.

But nothing comes easy for the Rockies this season. The Cardinals scored three runs in the eighth off of slumping set-up man Alex Colome. Nolan Gordon drew a leadoff walk and MVP candidate Paul Goldschmidt made Colome pay by mashing a two-run homer to left. Former Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado followed with a solo homer.

Over his last nine appearances, Colome has an ERA of 14.84.

Right-hander Carlos Estevez relieved Colome and put down the Cardinals’ rally. But closer Daniel Bard walked a tightrope in the ninth as the Cardinals loaded the bases and score a run. But Bard closed out the game by striking out Arenado — looking — with men on first and third, for his 24th save.

Colorado’s seventh began innocently enough, with Sam Hilliard and Brian Serven drawing one-out walks off right-hander Jordan Hicks. Genesis Cabrera relieved Hicks and allowed RBI singles by Charlie Blackmon and Jose Iglesias, followed by Rodgers’ 407-foot home run. Ryan McMahon then blasted a solo shot to right, giving Colorado an 8-2 lead.

The Cardinals tested Marquez but he hung tough for six innings and left with the game tied 2-2. The right-hander gave up eight hits, struck out six, and walked one.

St. Louis threatened to blow Marquez off the mound in a two-run fourth. Gorman led off with a second-deck homer to right and Goldschmidt followed with a double. Corey Dickerson, the former Rockies outfielder who was 3-for-4, doubled home Goldschmidt. But Marquez snuffed out the Cardinals’ potential big inning by getting Paul DeJong to pop out to first baseman Elehuris Montero and then striking out Tyler O’Neil.