Rockies 9, Cubs 3: Carlos Gonzalez belted his National League-leading 26th homer and Dexter Fowler drove in three runs as host Colorado evened the series at a game apiece.

Fowler snapped a 1-1 tie with a two-run triple into the right-field corner with two outs in the fourth inning, and Gonzalez blasted a shot over the bullpens in right-center to lead off the four-run fifth. Troy Tulowitzki added a two-run double in the eighth for Colorado, which pulled within 3 1/2 games of NL West-leading Arizona.

Juan Nicasio (6-4) held Chicago to one run on three hits over five innings to win his second straight start. His only blemish was Luis Valbuena's solo homer in the third, but he needed 93 pitches to get through five frames and had to hand the big lead over to the bullpen.

Carlos Villanueva (2-6) continued his struggles against Colorado, allowing seven runs on nine hits in four-plus innings. He yielded hits to the first four batters in the fifth before making an early exit.

Todd Helton went 3-for-4 with an RBI and scored twice for the Rockies. Valbuena added an RBI single in the seventh for the Cubs, who lost for only the fourth time in their last 11 games.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Rockies' nine runs were their most since a 9-5 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 4. … 3B Nolan Arenado was the only starting position player for Colorado who did not record a hit and score a run. … The Cubs have hit 19 home runs in July, the most in the National League.