The Grand Junction Rockies put on an offensive show on Saturday night, rapping out 14-hits in the 12-6 victory over the Helena Brewers. All but one batter in the starting lineup had a hit and all but one scored a run. Pedro Gonzalez and Chad Spanberger drove in 3-runs apiece, and the Grand Junction bullpen combined to toss 5.1-innings of one-hit relief in the victory.

This was a slugfest from the very first frame. In the top of the first, Helena scored two-runs against Anderson Amarista. With one down, Kenny Corey doubled to right field and scored when Tristen Lutz hit his first home run of the season, a shot over the left field wall that made it 2-0.

The lead did not last long as Grand Junction put up three in the bottom half of the inning. Harold Chirino walked Shael Mendoza to start the frame and he would steal second, his 21st of the season. Chirino retired the next two batters, but Chad Spanberger tied the score when he drilled a shot over the right field wall for his seventh of the season. Next up was Casey Golden, who followed with his eighth home run of the season, a shot that was deep over the wall in left-center field to give the Rockies the lead.

In the second, Grand Junction added two more runs. Javier Guevara singled to start the inning, but the Brewers starter was able to retire the next two hitters. However, like in the first, the third out proved to be somewhat elusive. Mendoza singled to keep the inning alive, and Pedro Gonzalez followed with a triple that brought both runners home to make it 5-2.

In the top of the third, the Helena Brewers rallied to tie the score. Amarista retired the first two batters, but Lutz kept the frame moving along by reaching on a walk. KJ Harrison followed with a lined single into center, and Jay Feliciano tied the score when he blasted his eighth homer of the year to knot the game at five.

The Rockies retook the lead right away in the bottom half of the inning. Braulio Ortiz came on, but he was not able to shut down Grand Junction. Golden walked to start the inning and then stole second. He moved to third on a fly out before scoring on a wild pitch to make it 6-5. With two down, Todd Czinege doubled and scored on a double by Kennard McDowell. A wild pitch moved him to third and Mendoza walked to put runners at the corners with two-down. With Gonzalez at the plate, the Rockies went for the delayed steal. Mendoza went into second safely as McDowell broke for home for the steal of home, his first stolen base of the season. That made it 8-5.

Helena got one of those runs back in the top half of the fourth. Jose Gomez singled with one down and moved to second on a ground out. Kenny Corey singled to put runners at the corners, and Lutz brought Gomez home with a base hit.

Grand Junction would score for the fourth straight inning. Matthew Hardy came on in relief and struck out the first batter, but gave up a double before striking out his second batter of the frame. With two down, Ramon Marcelino tripled to center to score Spanberger to make it 9-6. A base hit by Javier Guevara scored Marcelino to extend the lead to four.

After 16-runs scored in the first four frames, the bats went silent. Neither team was able to score over the next three innings. In the eighth, Grand Junction extended their lead. Mendonza drilled his third triple of the season to start the frame and he scored on a double by Gonzalez. That made it 11-6. Two batters later Spanberger grounded to short but the throw to the plate was not in time to get Gonzalez to make it 12-6.

Shael Mendoza was 2-3 with 2-runs scored and a triple for Grand Junction. Chad Spanberger was 2-4 with 2-runs and 3-RBI. Casey Golden scored 2-runs and drove in another. Tristen Lutz led the Helena offense, going 2-3 with 2-runs and 3-RBI.

These two teams close out their four-game series tomorrow. Helena will send All-Star Nelson Hernandez (5-0, 5.40) to the hill. He will be opposed by Jeffri Ocando (4-0, 4.14). First pitch is scheduled for 7:00.

Boxscore

By Robert Pannier