Rockies 9, Astros 7: Colorado Takes 1st Half Of Doubleheader

The Colorado Rockies defeated the Houston Astros on Monday afternoon, 9-7, in the first game of the doubleheader, but there could have been even more baseball today had it not been for Jordan Pacheco in the bottom of the eighth inning with the game tied, 7-7.

After Wilin Rosario and D.J. LeMahieu started the inning off with outs, Jeremy Guthrie found his way onto the diamond as a pinch runner once Jason Giambi walked and that was followed by a Dexter Fowler walk, putting them on second and third after Jed Lowrie committed a throwing error. Pacheco came up with a bloop single to center field to score Guts and Dex for the 9-7 lead.

Rafael Betancourt came in for the top of the ninth inning, pitching a 1-2-3 inning on two swinging strikeouts and a flyout. He picked up his ninth save of the season.

But this game nearly turned into one of those games. The Astros jumped out to a 2-0 lead against Juan Nicasio before the Rockies answered back with five runs in the bottom half of the first inning. Pacheco started things off for the Rockies with an RBI triple and then scored on a wild pitch by Wandy Rodriguez. Troy Tulowitzki doubled in Carlos Gonzalez for a 3-2 lead, but it was Wilin Rosario's two-run blast -- his seventh of the season -- that seemingly have the Rockies a comfortable 5-2 lead.

Lowrie and Carlos Lee chipped away at the score in the third inning, but that put just two runs on the board for the 'Stros. LeMahieu's rejoinder in the bottom of that inning was an RBI double to plate Rosario for the 6-4 lead.

The fifth inning saw more of the same. The Astros scored two runs on a Chris Johnson single and a Michael Cuddyer throwing error. Troy Tulowitzki led off the bottom of the inning with his eight home run of the season.

Jose Altuve drove in the seventh Houston run on a single off Adam Ottavino. But the Rockies waited until the eighth to respond and ultimately secure the victory.

Yippee, a Rockies victory!

(Game thread #2 coming up at 5:30 p.m. MT)