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Moss Homers Twice, A's Defeat Rockies

DENVER (CBS / AP) -- Bartolo Colon settled down after a rough start to pitch effectively for five innings, Brandon Moss hit two home runs and the Oakland Athletics beat the Colorado Rockies 8-5 on Tuesday night.

Cliff Pennington and Brandon Inge also homered for Oakland. Seth Smith, a former Rockies player, doubled twice and drove in a pair of runs to help the Athletics snap a three-game losing streak and keep the Rockies winless in seven interleague games this season. It was Colorado's sixth loss in a row overall, matching a season high.

Colon trailed 4-0 after a tough first inning that Tyler Colvin began with a home run, his seventh of the season and fourth in three games. Michael Cuddyer, Chris Nelson and Wil Nieves added run-scoring singles.

Colon (6-6) recovered to shut down the Rockies until the fifth when Todd Helton connected on a 2-2 offering that he drove into the Rockies bullpen behind the right field wall. Colon gave up five runs on nine hits, struck out four and walked three in winning consecutive decisions for the second time this season.

Ryan Cook walked Colvin and gave up a single to Marco Scutaro before striking out Carlos Gonzalez and Cuddyer. He then got Helton to bounce into a game-ending fielder's choice for his first career save in two chances.

Jeremy Guthrie was unable to hold the Rockies' early lead, allowing the A's to bat around in a six-run third inning. He hit Jemile Weeks with a pitch to start the inning and issued a one-out walk to Josh Reddick. Smith and Inge hit successive doubles and Moss followed with his first homer of the game, a two-run drive that smacked into a beer sign fronting the third deck. It was the first time this season and the 32nd time in the history of Coors Field that a homer had reached the third deck.

Pennington closed out the A's big inning with a solo shot, driving Guthrie's first offering over the center field wall for his second homer of the season. He nearly had a second homer in the eighth but Colvin made a leaping grab to rob Pennington, snaring the ball cleanly with his glove above the center field fence.

Inge homered off reliever Rex Brothers in the seventh to rebuild the A's three-run cushion.

Guthrie (3-5) allowed seven runs on eight hits in five innings. He struck out five and walked two in losing for the fourth time in five decisions.

NOTES: All 12 of the homers allowed by Colon this season have been solo shots. ... The Rockies swept a three-game series in Oakland the last time the teams played in 2009. ... Athletics RHP Brandon McCarthy was scratched from his scheduled start Wednesday against the Rockies. The A's moved up LHP Tommy Milone (6-5) in the rotation to take over for McCarthy. He'll face Rockies RHP Alex White (2-4). ... The Rockies traded RHP Esmil Rogers to the Cleveland Indians for cash considerations after designating him for assignment last week following the signing of LHP Jeff Francis.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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