Denver, CO (Sports Network) – Jhoulys Chacin snapped his four-game losing streak in impressive fashion, shutting out the Red Sox for 6 2/3 innings in a 2-1 Rockies win to begin a three-game interleague set.
Chacin (4-6) allowed four hits and five walks while striking out five for the Rockies, who are facing the Red Sox for the first time since being swept in the 2007 World Series. Chacin, whose first two starts ended with no runs allowed, had given up at least two runs in each of his last seven outings.
Todd Helton and Carlos Gonzalez each had two hits for the Rockies, with Helton driving in a run. Colorado has now won seven of its last 10 games.
Jon Lester (8-3) lost for the first time since April 18 after giving up a lone run on six hits and a walk with six strikeouts in six innings for the Red Sox, who had a six-game win streak snapped.
Adrian Beltre and Mike Cameron finished with two hits apiece for Boston.
Colorado led, 2-0, entering the ninth, and Matt Belisle ran into some trouble trying to close the game out.
Beltre greeted the Rockies’ pitcher with a double and raced home on Cameron’s one out single. Belisle, though, settled down to get pinch-hitter Bill Hall to fly out and pinch-hitter Mike Lowell to ground out to end it. On the final play, shortstop Clint Barmes ranged to his right, rolled over after stopping the ball and fired to first on one hop to beat Lowell by a couple steps.
Belisle earned his second career save and first since 2005 with Cincinnati.
The game turned into a pitcher’s duel early, with opportunities few and far between.
The Red Sox had the first good chance, loading the bases with two outs in the third, but Victor Martinez grounded out to end the threat. Boston may have had a better chance to score, but Cameron was caught stealing after a leadoff single.
The Rockies capitalized on their first great scoring opportunity in the fifth. Chris Nelson singled to start the inning, and Barmes followed with a walk. After the next two batters were retired without advancing the runners, Nelson scored on Helton’s single to right.
Chacin got into some trouble in the seventh, giving up a one-out walk to Beltre, which was followed by a Daniel Nava single. Josh Reddick walked with two outs, prompting Colorado to take out Chacin in favor of Joe Beimel, who induced a groundout from David Ortiz to maintain the 1-0 score.
Rafael Betancourt pitched around a two-out single in the eighth to keep Colorado ahead, and the Rockies added an insurance run in the home half on three consecutive one-out singles from Helton, Gonzalez and Ryan Spilborghs.
Lester had been 8-0 with a 2.01 ERA in his last 11 outings, going at least six innings in each…The Rockies activated closer Huston Street from the disabled list on Tuesday. He has yet to pitch this season and was not used in this game…Boston outfielder J.D. Drew (hamstring) missed his third straight game…Gonzalez returned to Colorado’s lineup after sitting out the previous series with a knee injury…Nava has reached base in each of his first nine major league games.