Cubs 7, Rockies 4

Cubs 7, Rockies 4
By NANCY ARMOUR
AP Sports Writer
CHICAGO (AP) -- Mark Bellhorn broke out of a slump, going 2-for-2 with three RBIs, and the Chicago Cubs picked on one of the NL's best pitchers for a 7-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Friday.
Sammy Sosa, Ramon Martinez and Shawn Estes also drove in runs for the sleep-deprived Cubs.
The Cubs didn't return from San Francisco until early Friday morning, then had to be back in the clubhouse just a few hours later. Most came in carrying large cups of coffee, and the clubhouse was quieter than usual.
But once the game started, they were wide awake. Shawn Estes (2-3) won for the first time since April 15, allowing four runs -- three earned -- and 10 hits in 7 1-3 innings.
Estes was bothered by a bad back when he got rocked by Colorado last weekend, and there was some question if he'd even make this start. But he breezed through the early innings, taking a shutout into the sixth before giving up an RBI single to Todd Helton.
He got into trouble in the eighth as the Rockies scored three runs and had runners at the corners. But Joe Borowski got the last four outs for his fifth save in as many chances.
While Estes was taking care of the Rockies, the Cubs offense tagged Shawn Chacon (4-1) for six runs and eight hits in just five innings, his shortest outing of the year.
Chacon more than doubled his ERA, going from an NL-best 1.04 to 2.27, and looked out of sync all day. He walked four, threw two wild pitches and also hit a batter.
Bellhorn led the way. Hitting just .111 in his last six games, he got things started with an RBI double in the second. Estes helped himself with a run-scoring single as Chicago took a 2-0 lead.
The Cubs tacked on three more runs in the third inning, taking advantage of Chacon's troubles. Alex Gonzalez led off with a single, taking second on Chacon's wild pitch. Sosa doubled to deep right, and Gonzalez hustled for home. Though Larry Walker rifled the ball in, Gonzalez slid underneath Charles Johnson's arm to beat the tag.
Chacon loaded the bases on back-to-back walks to Choi and Bellhorn and then forced in a run, giving Chicago a 5-0 lead. Bellhorn drove in Chicago's other two runs on a sacrifice fly and an RBI single.
Notes: Chacon was trying to match Brian Bohanan for the best start by a Rockies starter. Bohanan opened the 1999 season 5-0. ... For the first time in eight games, Colorado pitchers didn't allow a homer. ... Sosa had two doubles.