Arenado hits 20th homer, leads Rockies over Yankees 5-3

DENVER (AP) Nolan Arenado tied for the major league lead with his 20th homer and drove in three runs, and the Colorado Rockies beat the Yankees 5-3 Wednesday to sweep a two-game series and send New York to its fourth straight loss.

A day after Colorado defeated the Yankees 13-10, Chad Bettis (5-5) allowed three runs - two earned - and seven hits in six innings. He had been 0-3 with an 11.66 ERA since winning at St. Louis on May 17. The Rockies have won four straight.

Rather than activate Jose Reyes following his domestic violence suspension, the Rockies said before the game they had cut the former All-Star shortstop from their 40-man roster. They almost certainly will be responsible for the $38 million remaining on his contract.

New York (31-34) has skidded again since Friday, when it moved over .500 for the first time since it was 4-3 during the second week of the season. The Yankees are 13-20 on the road.

Yankees starter Ivan Nova (5-4) gave up five runs and 10 hits in five innings.

Charlie Blackmon and DJ LeMahieu had three hits each for Colorado, who have won four straight. Carlos Estevez pitched the ninth for his third save, completing a pitching performance by the Rockies that induced 16 ground-ball outs.

LeMahieu was hit on the helmet with a pitch by Anthony Swarzak in the sixth and stayed in the game. Rockies reliever Miguel Castro threw two pitches near the head of Austin Romine in the seventh, prompting a warning to the pitcher and both benches from plate umpire Gabe Morales.

Bettis retired his first nine batters before the Yankees took a 2-1 lead in the fourth when Didi Gregorius singled in a run and Aaron Hicks reached on an infield hit, a slow roller that catcher Tony Wolters threw down the right-field for a run-scoring error.

Colorado went ahead for good in a four-run fifth after Nova walked Blackmon leading off. LeMahieu hit a tying single, Arenado followed with a two-run homer and Mark Reynolds capped the rally with an RBI single. Arenado tied Baltimore's Mark Trumbo for the major league home run lead.

LeMahieu added a run-scoring triple in the eighth against Aroldis Chapman.

DRAFT

Colorado agreed to a minor league contract with RHP Riley Pint, the fourth overall pick in last week's amateur draft. He gets a $4.8 million signing bonus, below the slot value of $5,258,700. The 18-year-old went 6-1 with a 0.50 ERA this season for St. Thomas Aquinas in Overland Park, Kansas.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Yankees: OF Carlos Beltran was scratched from the lineup with a sore left knee for the second straight game and said he had fluid drained Tuesday. ... 1B Mark Teixeira (torn right knee cartilage) could start a minor league injury rehabilitation assignment as early as next week. He went on the 15-day DL on June 4.

Rockies: LF Gerardo Parra was scheduled to have an MRI on his sprained left ankle. Parra was hurt Tuesday.

UP NEXT

Yankees: LHP CC Sabathia (4-4, 2.28) is to start Thursday's series opener at Minnesota, which goes with RHP Kyle Gibson (0-4, 6.49). Sabathia has pitched 12 consecutive scoreless innings.

Rockies: Jon Gray (4-2) is slated to start Friday's series opener at Miami and LHP Adam Conley (3-4, 4.13).