Rockies 4, Phillies 1: Chad Bettis throws gem against Phillies

Chad Bettis brought his 'A' game as he took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies in a 4-1 Rockies win at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

Bettis threw 104 pitches, 66 for strikes in eight shutout innings against the Phillies, allowing two hits with no walks and seven strikeouts. He lost his bid for a perfect game on an error by Troy Tulowitzki on Ben Revere's ground ball to lead off the seventh and lost his no-hit bid on a soft single to left by Cody Asche that beat the shift with one out in the eighth.

John Axford allowed a run in the ninth inning but managed close out the Rockies win.

It was the second-straight outing of at least eight innings for Bettis, as he allowed two runs on six hits in 8⅓ innings against the Giants at Coors Field in his last start, walking two and striking out seven.

Bettis retired the first 18 batters he faced, becoming the first pitcher in Rockies history to carry a perfect game through six innings. He was just the second to carry a no-hitter through seven after Ubaldo Jimenez's no-hitter against the Braves in 2010. The performance dropped Bettis' ERA to 2.96 in 27⅓ innings in 2015.

The only offense Bettis needed came on a pair of Tulowitzki solo home runs against Phillies starter Cole Hamels, one in the top of the first and the second in the top of the third. Tulowitzki rounded out the night with a pair of singles, raising his average from .266 to .285.

Ben Paulsen, who entered the game defensively in the eighth, provided the Rockies some insurance with a two-run home run against Phillies reliever Luis Garcia in the top of the ninth.

The Rockies will go for their second-consecutive series win at 1:05 p.m. Mountain time tomorrow as Jorge De La Rosa takes on Aaron Harang.