Final Score: Chicago 11, Colorado 7

Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Mark Prior smacked a home run and added a three-run double to go along with tossing seven-plus strong innings to power Chicago over Colorado, 11-7, in the first game of a three-game set at Coors Field.

Prior (4-1) has now won four of his first five decisions after only yielding two runs in this game. The 22-year-old righthander also posted seven strikeouts, while allowing five hits and one walk.

Corey Patterson slammed a two-run homer and finished with four hits, three RBI and three runs scored for the Cubs, who snapped a two-game skid. Chicago managed 16 hits after scoring just one run in its previous two games.

Todd Helton and Larry Walker belted back-to-back homers for the Rockies, who dropped their fourth straight game. Helton was 3-for-5 with four RBI en route to becoming the fourth player in team history to reach 1,000 hits.

Patterson opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the second and the Cubs never looked back. Hee Seop Choi also crossed the plate on Patterson's fourth of the season to right field after he led off with a walk.

Nelson Cruz (3-1) suffered the defeat in an effort to tie a career-high of winning four straight decisions. The 30-year-old righty was tagged for seven runs on nine hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings.

In the third, the Cubs extended their lead to 4-0. Prior led off with his first homer of the season to right and Alex Gonzalez got things going again with a one-out single. Gonzalez advanced to third on a Sammy Sosa base hit up the middle before coming around on a Choi single.

The Rockies got on the board in the fourth on an infield single by Preston Wilson. Jay Payton scored on the two-out hit after he was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a Helton fly out and raced to third on a groundout by Walker.

But Chicago produced a three-run sixth to break the game open courtesy of more offensive power by Prior. Troy O'Leary and Patterson each singled and Damian Miller drew an intentional walk before all three runner crossed the plate on a two-out double to left by Prior.

The Cubs added another run in the next frame when Gonzalez, who led off with a walk, scored on an O'Leary sacrifice fly to center.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Rockies tallied three runs on back-to-back homers to cut the lead to 8-4. Helton belted his sixth homer of the season, a two-run shot that brought in Ron Belliard, and Walker followed with his third homer of the campaign.

Chicago got those three runs back in the top of the ninth as it took advantage of a lead-off double by Sosa, who scored two batters later on an O'Leary two-base hit. O'Leary then scored on a Patterson single to right and Patterson eventually crossed the plate on base hit by Tom Goodwin.

The Rockies also recorded three runs in the home half of the ninth, but it was too little too late. Brent Butler scored on a Payton single and Helton drove in Belliard and Payton with a double to center.

Game Notes

The Rockies extended their major league record of scoring at least one run to 297 straight home games...The Rockies fell to 8-2 at Coors Field...The last Cubs pitcher with four RBIs in a game was Kevin Tapani on July 20, 1998 against Atlanta.

04/26 01:03:14 ET

powered by The Sports Network