Kyle Schwarber and Javier Báez homered, Kyle Hendricks was solid again through seven innings and the Chicago Cubs beat Colorado 6-3 on Tuesday night to end the Rockies' season-high eight-game winning streak.
Carlos González had two RBIs - on a double and sacrifice fly - as he started in right field for a second straight game after signing a minor league contract with Chicago on Saturday.
Schwarber's solo shot to the back of the right-center bleachers in the fifth was his 11th homer and put Chicago up 3-2. Báez hit a two-run shot to the batter's eye the next inning for a three-run lead. It was his 15th this season.
Hendricks (6-4) allowed three runs and six hits while striking out 10 - including five in a row over the second and third innings. The right-hander is 5-0 with a 2.09 ERA in seven starts since May 3. He also drove in a run with a bloop single in the second.
Steve Cishek followed with a perfect eighth. Pedro Strop, activated off the injured list before the game, pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his fifth save in seven chances.
Daniel Murphy hit a solo shot and drove in another run with a single. Nolan Arenado extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a single and Tony Wolters had an RBI, but the Rockies came up short in a rematch of last year's NL Wild Card game - Colorado beat Chicago 2-1 in 13 innings to advance.
Colorado's Jeff Hoffman (1-2) gave up five runs and six hits through six innings in this third start since being recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque on May 24.
With two outs in the first, consecutive singles by David Dahl, Arenado and Murphy put Colorado ahead 1-0.
The Cubs took a 2-1 lead in the second. González lined a double over Ian Desmond in center - that Desmond appeared to lose sight of - to drive in Báez from first. González scored on Hendricks' single.
Murphy lined a solo drive to left-center in the fourth to tie it at 2.
The Rockies closed to 5-3 in the seventh on Wolters' RBI single. González made it 6-3 with his sac fly in the eighth.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rockies: OF Charlie Blackmon, out since May 24 (right calf strain) was eligible to come off the IL on Tuesday but did not. Manager Bud Black said Blackmon would be evaluated after batting practice Tuesday, and it remained uncertain if Blackmon would go on a rehab assignment. ... RHP Wade Davis, on the IL since May 22 (oblique strain), will face live hitters off a mound Wednesday. Black said he didn't know if Davis would go on a rehab stint.
Cubs: Strop was activated from the 10-day IL (left hamstring strain) before Tuesday night's game and RHP Dillon Maples was optioned to Triple-A Iowa. The 33-year-old Strop went on the IL on May 8 and entered Tuesday's game 1-2 with a 5.06 ERA and four saves. He is one of several relievers manager Joe Maddon has shuffled into the closer's role as Brandon Morrow recovers from right elbow surgery.
UP NEXT
Rockies RHP German Márquez (6-2, 3.48) faces Cubs RHP Yu Darvish (2-3, 5.02) on Wednesday night. Marquez was 3-0 with a 4.12 ERA in six starts in May and is 3-1 with a 2.08 ERA on the road this season. Darvish hasn't won since April 27 but is coming off a solid start at St. Louis last Friday when he allowed one run on three hits in six innings.
