Jose Berrios kept the Colorado Rockies hitters off balance all night en route to a 2-0 victory at Target Field in the second half of a double-header on Thursday. It was the final game of a three-game series between the Rockies and Twins at Target Field. Minnesota salvaged the final game of the series, holding Colorado to three hits in the game. Colorado left Minneapolis with the series win, however, their ninth on the season.
Tyler Chatwood did everything he could to keep the Rockies in the game despite issuing five walks and five hits over five innings. He allowed just two runs on 105 pitches, but the Colorado offense was unable to generate anything against Berrios. The 22-year-old had the Colorado hitters befuddled, striking out 11 on the night and allowing just a pair of singles and a walk over 7.2 innings. Taylor Rogers retired a hitter and Brandon Kintzler earned his 11th save of the year for Minnesota, who leads the AL Central at 20-17.
Colorado fell back to 26-16 in the loss, still leading the NL West. The Rockies threatened in the ninth inning against Kintzler when Nolan Arenado hit a one-out single and Carlos Gonzalez followed with a walk. Kintzler forced Ian Desmond into a ground-ball double-play to third base to end the game, however. Gonzalez and Gerardo Parra were the only Rockies on the night to solve Berrios.
The Rockies next head to Cincinnati for a weekend series beginning on Friday. The Reds are 19-21 on the season and losers of six games in a row. They were just swept by the Chicago Cubs in a three-game series after losing three of four to the Giants before that, all on the road. Tyler Anderson (2-4, 6.43) will try and put together a longer outing to help lengthen a Rockies bullpen that logged eight innings on Thursday in Minnesota.
