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Baez belts winning HR in debut for Cubs

Denver,  CO  (SportsNetwork.com) - Prized  infield prospect Javier Baez belted 
the  tie-breaking homer in the top of the 12th inning to give the Chicago Cub
a  6-5 triumph over  the Colorado Rockies in the opener of a three-game series 
at Coors Field. 

Baez,  who  had his  contract selected  from Triple-A Iowa  on Tuesday for his 
major  league  debut, took Boone Logan's  (2-2) first pitch of the 12th inning 
over  the  wall in right-center field.  The Cubs' first-round pick in 2011 was 
hitless and had three strikeouts in his first five at-bats, but lifted Chicago 
to its fourth win in five games. 

"He drove that ball pretty well," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said. "He had a 
few strikeouts, but he didn't seem like he was anxious at all." 

It  marked the  third  time these  teams  have played  extra  innings in  five 
meetings this season. 

Nolan  Arenado  had three hits,  including a solo  homer, for the Rockies, who 
suffered their fifth straight defeat. 

The  Rockies wasted  a bases-loaded  chance in  the 10th  inning when  Brandon 
Barnes grounded into an inning-ending double play. 

The Cubs went  ahead in the 11th  when Ryan Sweeney singled to right to plate 
Starlin  Castro, but  they couldn't add on with the bases full as pinch-hitter 
John Baker struck out and Arismendy Alcantara grounded back to the mound. 

The  Rockies were down to their last strike when Charlie Culberson lined a 3-2 
pitch  to right  field to  score Jason  Pridie. With  runners at  the corners, 
Justin Morneau struck out swinging to send the game to the 12th. 

Hector  Rondon (3-3)  got the  win despite  giving up  three hits,  and Carlos 
Villanueva notched his second save. 

Rockies  starter Brett Anderson pitched the first three innings, but left with 
lower back spasms. Cubs starter Travis Wood lasted six frames. 

Barnes  doubled in two runs in the second, and it became 3-0 in the fifth on a 
Josh Rutledge RBI single. 

Welington  Castillo homered leading off the sixth, but the Rockies appeared to 
be their own worst enemy, leaving 12 men on base. In the bottom of the inning, 
they  failed to push  a run across despite having men on second and third with 
one out. 

"I  felt  like that  game was  lost in  the sixth  or seventh inning," Rockies 
manager Walt Weiss said. 

The Cubs pushed  across three runs in  the seventh when the Rockies used four 
pitchers. Nick Masset walked Castillo with the bases full and Rex Brothers did 
the same to pinch-hitter Chris Coughlan. Pinch-hitter Chris Valaika lifted the 
go-ahead sacrifice fly. 

Arenado homered to left off Wesley Wright in the bottom of the seventh. 

                                   Game Notes 

To  make room for Baez, the Cubs optioned pitcher Blake Parker to Iowa ... The 
Cubs  are assured  of winning the season series against Colorado for the first 
time since 2008 ... The Rockies used a left-handed starting pitcher for a 20th 
straight  game, which  ties the most over  the last 100 years. That was set by 
the  1982 Kansas  City Royals. Righty Jordan Lyles will comes off the disabled 
list to start Wednesday's game for the Rockies. 

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