DENVER (AP) – Todd Helton didn't need anymore motivation, especially two games removed from a dismal 2-for-20 road trip that lowered his batting average to .222.

Helton homered twice and drove in five runs, and Jeff Cirillo hit a ninth-inning sacrifice fly as the Colorado Rockies beat the Chicago Cubs 6-5 Wednesday night.

"After striking out with the bases loaded I was definitely upset," Helton said.

Helton fanned against Heredia in he fifth.

"Heredia is a tough lefty, and I don't think I have ever gotten a hit off of him up to that point," Helton said.

Helton, who also homered Tuesday, hit a three-run drive in the first inning. With the Rockies trailing 4-3 in the seventh, he hit a two-run homer off Heredia for his 17th multihomer game, his second this season.

"It's just our luck to catch Helton getting hot," Baylor said. "He really seems focused now."

Todd Hundley tied the score at 5 in the ninth with a solo homer off Jose Jimenez (1-0), who blew his second save in seven chances.

"Todd is going to hit just about anybody if he gets a pitch," Colorado manager Buddy Bell said. "The Cubs pitched him well last year."

Colorado then loaded the bases with one out against Courtney Duncan (1-1), who walked Terry Shumpert, gave up a single to Larry Walker and gave Helton an intentional walk.

Cirillo flied to center, and Damon Buford's throw was late and to the first-base side of home plate.

"I don't know if you can atone for an error." said Cirillo, whose error led to two unearned runs in the fourth. "The good thing about baseball is you always have a chance to atone and get the job done,"

Denny Neagle allowed four runs -- two earned -- and seven hits in six innings. He is 2-0 with an 3.21 ERA in three starts at Coors Field this year.

Jason Bere, 3-0 in four starts, gave up three runs and six hits in six innings with seven strikeouts. He worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth by fanning Helton and getting Cirillo to ground into a double play.

Joe Girardi was 1-for-3 with two RBIs for the Cubs.

Helton's first-inning homer came on a changeup and followed a one-out double by Shumpert and a walk to Walker.

Neagle worked out of minor jams in the first and third innings. but couldn't escape a bases-loaded jam in the fourth after Sosa walked, Cirillo booted Rondell White's grounder to third for an error and Ron Coomer singled. Two outs later Girardi singled to center to make it 3-2.

Chicago took a 4-3 lead in the fifth on White's RBI double and Coomer's sacrifice fly.

Game notes
Coomer was activated by Chicago after spending a three-game rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Iowa. Comer had been on the disabled list since April 3 with a torn medial meniscus ligament in his left knee that required surgery. ... The Cubs optioned OF Roosevelt Brown to Iowa. Brown had been limited to two starts in left field and was 0-for-5 at the plate in those starts. ... White had a 13-pitch at-bat in the fourth inning before reaching on Cirillo's error. ... Ben Petrick has struck 17 times in 35 at-bats this year.

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