Bichette’s Cycle Leads the Rockies

DENVER — Dante Bichette became the first player in Colorado history to hit for the cycle, lining a long single with two outs in the 10th inning Wednesday night that gave the Rockies a 9-8 victory over the Texas Rangers.

It was the first cycle for Bichette, who doubled in the fourth, homered in the sixth and tripled in the ninth.

Bichette finished with five RBIs and scored twice.

John Vander Wal drew a one-out walk in the 10th from Eric Gunderson (0-1). One out and a pitching change later, Mike Lansing singled off Danny Patterson.

Bichette hit the first pitch he saw over Rusty Greer’s head in center field to score Vander Wal. The ball short-hopped the wall.

Jerry Dipoto (2-2) pitched the 10th inning for the Rockies, who ended a five-game losing streak. Each of the losses had come against American League teams. Colorado was swept by the Angels last week-end.

Juan Gonzalez, who leads the major leagues in RBIs and who earlier hit a 461-foot homer, gave the Rangers an 8-7 lead in the ninth as he drove in Ivan Rodriguez with a two-out single off Curtis Leskanic.

The Rockies tied the game in the bottom of the inning when Bichette greeted Texas closer John Wetteland with a triple off the right-field wall and scored on Vinny Castilla’s bloop single.

It was Wetteland’s second blown save in 20 chances this year and the second in 32 opportunities dating to last season.

Gonzalez’s 21st homer, a solo shot off Mike DeJean, tied the game at 7-7 in the seventh.

Gonzalez has 80 RBIs through 64 games and is on pace to drive in 200 runs, which would break Hack Wilson’s 68-year-old record of 190.

Bichette’s solo homer, his eighth, off reliever Al Levine, gave Colorado a 7-6 lead in the sixth, but it was short-lived as Gonzalez’s homer tied the game.

Domingo Cedeno’s run-scoring double enabled the Rangers to tie the score at 6-6 in the fifth. Cedeno had four hits for the second time in his career.

The Rangers have gone 80 games without being shut out, the longest streak in the majors.