Rookie shortstop Kevin Newman had two solo homers among four hits and drove in a career-high four runs for the Pittsburgh Pirates in an 11-8 win against the Colorado Rockies in the opener of their four-game series in Denver on Thursday night.

Adam Frazier also had four hits, scored a run and drove in two for Pittsburgh, which built an 11-3 lead before holding off a late charge by the Rockies.

Colin Moran and Jose Osuna each contributed two hits, two runs and two RBIs for the Pirates, who have won five of seven following a 1-5 stretch.

Pirates starter Trevor Williams (7-6) took advantage of the early run support and went seven innings, allowing three runs and seven hits. He struck out six and did not walk a batter.

Daniel Murphy had two hits and drove in the first three runs for the Rockies, who have lost seven of eight. Charlie Blackmon had two hits and two runs, and Sam Hilliard also had two hits, including a two-run homer in the five-run eighth for the Rockies.

Newman's leadoff home run sparked a seven-run first inning off Rockies starter Chi Chi Gonzalez (0-6), who recorded just two outs before he was lifted by manager Bud Black. He gave up seven hits and a walk.

Newman also capped the first-inning scoring with a two-out, two-run single to make it 7-0.

The Rockies strung together three straight one-out singles to score two runs in their half of the first, but the Pirates got those runs back in the second on an RBI double by Osuna and a second straight RBI single by Frazier.

Osuna added a solo homer in the fourth, and Newman went deep in the fifth to make it 11-3.

Ryan McMahon had a two-run double in the eighth and scored on Ian Desmond's double. Hilliard then went deep to cut the deficit to 11-8.

The Rockies brought the tying run to the plate in the inning, but Francisco Liriano entered and struck out Yonder Alonso to end the frame.

--Field Level Media