Josh Fuentes homered for the second straight game to back seven shutout innings from Chi Chi Gonzalez, and the Colorado Rockies held on for a 13-8 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday night.
Gonzalez (2-1) scattered four hits in his longest outing of the season. He struck out two, walked one and was pulled after 88 pitches.
“He threw some quality pitches early in the count, got some quick outs,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “The ball-strike ratio was great. He was around the plate. The best version of Chi Chi is what you saw tonight.”
Jonathan India and pinch-hitter Tyler Stephenson homered late for the Reds, who shaved a 10-0 deficit to 10-8 with eight runs in the eighth.
Fuentes hit a two-run shot in the first inning off Luis Castillo, then added an RBI single in Colorado’s five-run fourth and another in the sixth to set a career high with four RBIs. Connor Joe had two hits and three RBIs to help the Rockies open the four-game series with a win.
Castillo (1-5), the Reds’ opening day starter, allowed eight runs and 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings. He is 0-4 in his last six starts.
“He’s really close. He’s throwing sinkers at 97 (mph) tonight, which is a major plus for him, a major plus for us as a ballclub,” Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart said. “We’re all trying as hard as we possibly can to get him out of this and it’s going to come soon. Tonight’s definitely a step in the right direction.”
