MLB: Colorado 4, Arizona 1

DENVER, Sept. 6 (UPI) -- Jose Contreras struck out five and gave up just one run in 6 2/3 innings in his Rockies debut Saturday as Colorado beat Arizona 4-1.

Seth Smith went 3-for-4 and scored three times -- one of them when he blasted a shot over the right field fence to lead off the eighth inning.

For the Rockies, the fireworks at the plate started early when Carlos Gonzalez led off the first with a home run to center. Smith then doubled to right, and Todd Helton batted him in on a groundout, scoring all the runs the Rockies needed to stay a game ahead of the San Francisco Giants in the NL wild-car race.

Helton also drove in another run for the Rockies, who have won the first two games of the series.

The Diamondbacks, who have lost three straight, got their only run when Brandon Allen hit a solo homer to right in the second.

Contreras (1-0), acquired from the White Sox Monday, got the win. Rafael Betancourt pitched a perfect eighth, and Franklin Morales shut down the Diamondbacks in the ninth to get his third save of the season.

Losing pitcher Doug Davis (7-12) gave up three runs on seven hits over six innings.