DENVER (AP) — Sterlin Thompson hit a pinch single off Daniel Palencia’s 100-mph fastball in the ninth inning to give the Colorado Rockies a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night.
It was the seventh career RBI for Thompson, the 24-year-old rookie from nearby Longmont.
Thompson’s single to right field with runners on first and third and no outs came after Ian Happ hit a 424-foot solo home run off Antonio Senzatela in the top of the ninth to tie it. It was Happ’s team-leading 15th homer of the season.
TJ Rumfield hit his eighth homer of the season for Colorado, a two-run shot to right field for a 2-1 lead in the eighth. Rumfield had just one home run in his previous 22 games.
After blowing the save opportunity, Senzatela (6-0) picked up the win. Palencia (1-1) took the loss.
Chicago’s Pete Crow-Armstrong tripled in the fourth inning and scored. The hit extended Crow-Armstrong’s on-base streak to 14 games, a stretch during which he is batting .356.
The Cubs have lost 22 of their past 29 games after starting the season 27-12.
Starter Michael Lorenzen had his best outing of the season for Colorado, giving up just two hits, one earned run and a season-high seven strikeouts in five innings. In his previous four starts, the veteran right-hander had allowed 22 earned runs across 15 2/3 innings.
Shota Imanaga threw five scoreless innings for the Cubs, allowing only two hits and striking out seven.
Cubs RHP Edward Cabrera (3-3, 4.99 ERA) was set to face RHP Ryan Feltner (2-1, 4.22) on Thursday in the series finale.
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