Early lead holds up as Pacheco leads Rockies to sweep of Cubs

Jordan Pacheco's value to the Rockies this season has come under a bit of scrutiny despite the solid batting average that he sports because he lacks power for the corner postions that he's played and he's generally been a defensive liability. On Thursday, the power showed up and showed a glimpse of the kind of asset that Pacheco could be with just a bit more in that department, as his three run first inning home run started the Rockies on their way to a 7-5 victory over the Cubs.

Former Cub DJ LeMahieu followed Pacheco with a two run homer of his own in the second, while in the third Chris Nelson and Matt McBride drove in two more, as the Rockies got all their scoring done early and then held on for the win. The Rockies reliable rookie trio of the last couple months, Pacheco, Nelson and Wilin Rosario, each collected two hits in the victory.

Jhoulys Chacin was fairly efficient early, allowing just three hits and a walk (including an Anthony Rizzo solo home run) in the first three innings, but he gave up three more hits and three more walks in the last two frames he pitched. The Cubs made a bit of a comeback in the ninth off of Matt Belisle by scoring two more before Rafael Betancourt squelched the rally and recorded the save. The Rockies are now just one win away from avoiding 100 losses.