DENVER (AP) — Dansby Swanson hit two homers and drove in a season-high six runs as the Chicago Cubs beat the Colorado Rockies 11-7 on Friday night to keep pace with NL Central-leading Milwaukee.

Swanson had the 10th multi-homer game of his career and first since Aug. 1, 2023, against Cincinnati.

Ian Happ homered and doubled twice and Michael Busch also went deep for Chicago, which ended a three-game skid and remained 6 1/2 games behind the Brewers, who beat Toronto 7-2 on Friday night.

Cubs rookie right-hander Cade Horton (9-4) allowed two runs on six hits in five innings with four strikeouts.

Colorado starter German Marquez (3-12) was activated from the 15-day injured list to make his first start since July 20th. He struggled through 3 2/3 innings, allowing eight runs on nine hits with three walks.

Swanson gave the Cubs a 2-0 lead in the second inning with his first homer and had a bases-loaded triple off the wall in right-center in a six-run fifth inning that made it 8-2.

Happ led off the fourth with his 17th homer of the season after Yanquiel Fernandez had pulled Colorado within 3-2 with his third homer of the season and second in two games.

Swanson led off the seventh with his 21st homer of the season and Busch hit his 26th two outs later to make it 11-3.

The Rockies scored twice in the seventh and Kyle Farmer hit a two-run homer in the eighth.

Key moment

After Fernandez led off the eighth with a double, Busch made an over-the-shoulder catch of Orlando Arcia’s blooper behind first base that saved a run later in the inning.

Key stats

The last time Swanson had six RBIs was Aug. 19, 2021, when he was with Atlanta.

Up next

Cubs righty Javier Assad (0-1, 3.86) will face rookie McCade Brown (0-1, 9.82), who makes his Coors Field debut for Colorado on Saturday night.

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