Iannetta, Gonzalez team up for late back-to-back homers to lift Rockies to 5-3 win over Reds

Iannetta, Gonzalez homers lift Rockies over Reds

CINCINNATI — Chris Iannetta and Carlos Gonzalez hit home runs on consecutive pitches leading off the eighth inning to lift the Colorado Rockies to a 5-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night.

Iannetta hit a full-count pitch from reliever David Weathers (2-3) into the left field seats for his 12th homer of the season to snap a 3-3 tie. Gonzalez followed on the next pitch with a homer into the right-field seats, his second of the season and first in 69 at bats since June 18.

Franklin Morales (2-0) got Joey Votto to fly out with runners on first and second and two outs to end the seventh inning. Rafael Betancourt pitched a perfect eighth for Colorado, and Huston Street matched him in the ninth for his 27th save.

Colorado extended its winning streak against NL Central Division teams to 12 games, dating back to a 6-4 loss at Houston on June 3, while sending the Reds to their fourth consecutive defeat and 10th in their last 11 games. Cincinnati is 3-12 since the All-Star break.

Reds right-hander Justin Lehr made his first career start after 66 relief appearances. Lehr, who last pitched in the majors as a reliever for Milwaukee at Cincinnati in May 2006, set a career high with six walks while also allowing four hits and three runs in five innings.

The Rockies reached Lehr for two runs in the first inning. They loaded the bases with nobody out on two hits and a walk, and after Seth Smith scored from third on Brad Hawpe’s fielder’s-choice groundout, Troy Tulowitzki drove in Clint Barmes with a sharp grounder down the left field line that went over the third base bag and barely eluded diving third baseman Adam Rosales.

The Reds cut the lead to 2-1 in the second when Brandon Phillips scored from third on Alex Gonzalez’s sacrifice fly, but the Rockies capitalized on Lehr’s control problems to regain their two-run lead in the third. Lehr walked the bases loaded with one out, and Hawpe scored on Chris Iannetta’s sacrifice fly.

Votto and Phillips tied the game with back-to-back home runs — the 16th for each — in the sixth inning. Votto’s homer was the first allowed by Cook in his last five starts. He now has allowed 15 home runs this season, two more than he gave up all of last season.

Cook went 6 2-3 innings to pick up his fourth no-decision in his six starts. He gave up seven hits and three runs with two walks and four strikeouts.

Notes: Colorado acquired LHP Joe Beimel from Washington for two minor-league pitchers before the game. … The Reds traded utility player Jerry Hairston Jr. to the Yankees for a minor-league catcher and third baseman Edwin Encarnacion, RHP Josh Roenicke and a minor-league pitcher to Toronto for 3B Scott Rolen. … The Reds also called up RHP Kip Wells before the game. Wells, 32, was signed by the Reds to a minor-league contract on July 7 after being released on July 1 by Washington. … Reds rookie Drew Sutton’s start in left field was his first outfield start at any professional level in six seasons. He played right field briefly at Los Angeles on July 21.