Rockies Elbow Past Mets, 7-5

Once again, Todd Helton came through with a clutch hit for the Colorado Rockies. Only he got this one with his right elbow, rather than his bat.

Helton was in the middle of two late bursts and Brian Bohanon shut down his former team until the eighth inning Wednesday night as the Rockies beat the New York Mets, 7-5.

Helton went one for four, dropping his major league-leading average one point to .395. He was hit by a pitch in the sixth, setting up a three-run inning, and doubled during a three-run eighth.

“I was happy I got hit,” Helton said. “I wasn’t feeling particularly good at the plate.”

The score was 1-1 in the sixth when Neifi Perez singled with one out. Helton, who had already struck out and flied out, batted with two outs.

Left-handed Glendon Rusch dropped down on the left-handed hitting Helton and plunked him.

“I tried to come sidearm on him and it got away,” Rusch said. “That got it started.”

Jeffrey Hammonds followed with an RBI single for a 2-1 lead and Larry Walker hit a two-run single.