DENVER (AP) – Rookie Peter Lambert went five strong innings and baffled Chicago for a second time in five days as the Colorado Rockies won their 10th straight at home by beating the Cubs 10-3 on Tuesday night.
Lambert (2-0) allowed one run and three hits in his Coors Field debut. The right-hander made his first major league start last Thursday at Wrigley Field and earned his first win when he pitched seven innings of one-run ball.
Daniel Murphy led the Rockies offense with three hits, including a two-run double in the first. Charlie Blackmon added a three-run homer as part of a five-run sixth to break open the game.
Lambert mixed in several offspeed pitches with a four-seam fastball to bottle up the Cubs. Lambert’s only mistake was a fastball that Jason Heyward lined to left for a solo homer in the second.
The 22-year-old Lambert left his mark on the field, too – in the form of a giant divot. He sprinted off the mound on a pop foul in the fourth and dove for the ball near the first-base dugout. In the process, Lambert’s left knee dug deep into the turf. He momentarily limped around before taking a few warmup tosses with a noticeable grass stain on his white pants.
His 83rd and final pitch of the night was a fastball that struck out Anthony Rizzo before turning it over to the bullpen.
Chicago lefty Jose Quintana (4-6) allowed four runs, three earned, over 4 2/3 innings. He also took the loss in Lambert’s debut.
