Correia Provides His Own Run Support As Twins Rock Rockies

DENVER -- Some run support at long last made all the difference for Kevin Correia.

Correia pitched six innings of one-run ball, Eduardo Escobar homered, and the Minnesota Twins pulled away late to beat the Colorado Rockies 9-3 on Saturday.

Correia (5-11) scattered seven hits and cooled the power-hitting Rockies, who stranded 10 baserunners and were kept in the yard after slugging eight home runs in their previous two games. He walked one and struck out one in snapping a hard-luck three-game losing streak during which he had received no run support.

"We haven't been doing a good job of scoring runs early for him," Twins second baseman Brian Dozier said. "He's probably leading the league in getting the fewest amount of runs so it was good to get him a lot of run support and get on a good-hitting team like Colorado early.

"Hats off to K-Co for doing a heck of a job."

The Twins were shut out in the last two losses for Correia, who helped the Twins offense break out against Colorado with a run-scoring double for his first hit of the season and first RBI in three years.

"I think everybody was excited about that," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "I know he was until he got to second base and had to breathe this light air. It's always exciting for a team when a pitcher gets a hit."

Correia welcomed the offensive show, including his own bit role.

"It's always nice having a lead, although 2-nothing in Colorado, you know you're not going to go out there and be like, `OK, let me hold this 2-nothing lead the rest of the game," Correia said. "But it was definitely nice to get that run support early, and it was nice to be able to mix in (his) hit."

Tyler Matzek (1-4) allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings in the loss, his fourth straight since winning his major league debut.

Up 4-1, the Twins secured the win with a three-run eighth inning. Pinch-hitter Chris Parmelee hit a bases-loaded single to drive in a pair, and the third run scored on Dozier's sacrifice fly.

Minnesota tacked on two more runs in the ninth on an RBI single by Kurt Suzuki and an obstruction call on Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado.

Correia worked out of trouble in the fifth. After giving up consecutive one-out singles, including a run-scoring basehit by Charlie Blackmon, Correia induced Troy Tulowitzki to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Blackmon finished 5 for 5 for his 29th multihit game of the season, including a career-best six-hit game against Arizona on April 4.

Matzek was in trouble from the outset, falling behind 2-0 three batters into the game. Dozier led off with a double, Escobar reached on a fielder's choice and Kendrys Morales followed with a double to score them both.

Escobar put the Twins up 3-0 when he started the third with a homer, his third of the season, and Correia, whose run support is lowest among Twins starters, helped himself with a two-out RBI double in the fourth that he drove down the third-base line.

Matzek walked one and struck out two.

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