DENVER (Interstat) — The Colorado Rockies, defying pregame projections and erasing an early four-run deficit with an explosive eight-run fifth inning, outslugged the Houston Astros 9-7 on Monday night at Coors Field.

A crowd of 16,301 watched the Rockies snap a two-game skid and improve to 4-6, while the Astros fell to 6-5 after a seesaw battle that lasted 2 hours, 40 minutes.

The game’s defining and most important sequence arrived decisively in the bottom of the fifth inning. Trailing 3-0 and having mustered just three hits against Houston starter Cody Bolton through four frames, the Colorado offense erupted, sending 13 batters to the plate and turning a quiet night into a roaring comeback.

The inning began innocuously with a single by Willi Castro and a walk to Brenton Doyle. After a sacrifice bunt by Jake McCarthy moved both runners into scoring position, Bolton issued another walk to Kyle Karros to load the bases. Edouard Julien then delivered the key breakthrough, lacing a two-run single to right field to cut the deficit to 3-2 and end Bolton’s night.

The Astros’ bullpen provided no relief. Hunter Goodman greeted reliever Ryan Weiss with an RBI single to tie the game. Troy Johnston, the game’s top star, then ripped a double to center, scoring Julien and giving Colorado its first lead at 4-3. TJ Rumfield followed by launching a triple to left field, clearing the bases and extending the lead to 6-3. Castro, batting for the second time in the inning, singled home Rumfield. After an error and a walk reloaded the bases, Karros atoned for his earlier strikeout with a two-run single, capping the outburst and pushing the Colorado advantage to 8-3.

Johnston, who entered the game in a 1-for-12 skid over his previous three contests, finished 3 for 5 with a double, a solo home run in the sixth inning, two RBIs and two runs scored. His performance anchored the Rockies’ 12-hit attack.

Houston had built its early lead with two runs in the first inning off Rockies starter Ryan Feltner. Jose Altuve doubled and scored on a Carlos Correa double, who then came home on a Christian Walker single. Cam Smith added a solo home run, his third of the year, to center field in the fourth to make it 3-0.

The Astros chipped away at the large deficit, scoring single runs in the sixth and seventh innings and two more in the eighth. Altuve’s RBI single in the seventh and a sacrifice fly by Joey Loperfido and an RBI single by Yainer Diaz in the eighth brought Houston within two runs at 9-7. The Astros put the tying run on base in the eighth, but reliever Juan Mejia induced an inning-ending force out from Altuve. Mejia then worked a perfect ninth, striking out Smith to end the game.

Houston out-hit Colorado 13 to 12 but stranded nine baserunners. Altuve led the Astros with three hits, while Smith and Walker each had two.

Feltner (1-0) earned the win despite allowing four runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings. Weiss (0-1) took the loss, charged with five runs while recording just one out in the disastrous fifth. Mejia secured his first save of the season with 1 2/3 scoreless innings of hitless relief.

Bolton was sharp for Houston in a no-decision, allowing two runs on three hits with five strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings.

The victory was a stark reversal of pregame expectations. Interstat’s game simulator had projected an 8-2 Houston victory, and its ELO system gave the Astros a 70.1% probability to win. Houston had been installed as a 1.5-run favorite, and the total score of 16 far exceeded the over/under line of 10.

The two teams continue their three-game series on Tuesday at Coors Field.