ROCKIES 11, CUBS 10

Slugfest

The Cubs came back from an early deficit to take leads of 8-3 in the fifth inning and 10-5 in the eighth before the Rockies scored the final six runs – including five in the ninth – for a walkoff win. The Cubs fell to 5-7 in Cactus League play.

Q factor

Delayed for a week because of a bout with the flu, left-handed starter Jose Quintana gave up some hard contact in his first spring start – albeit with just one run scoring after a “double” off

Kyle Schwarber’s glove in left – but otherwise deemed the twoinning outing a success. He said he felt more in a bullpen mode in the three-run first, then “started to pitch and make some pitches and hit my spots” in a 1-2-3 second. “I felt great for the first time,” he said. “I enjoyed being back on the mound.”

Centerpiece

Switch-hitting Ian Happ was at it again, throwing down the gauntlet in the center-field battle with

Albert Almora Jr. by drawing a walk, hitting a homer and a single and making a nice catch in center to start the first. Almora, the better defensive player, is 8-for-15 (.533) with two walks and two homers; Happ is 7-for-15 (.467) with two homers and a walk.

Second chance?

Nico Hoerner, the rookie who skipped Class AAA and turned in an impressive emergency September for the Cubs at shortstop last year, had three hits, including a double, as Tuesday’s shortstop. He’s trying to win enough playing time as part of the second-base mix to justify a big-league job and avoid starting the year as an every-day player at Class AAA Iowa. One advantage for him: He’s one of the few infielders in camp qualified to back up Javy

Baez at short.

Injury update

Hard-throwing prospect Manuel

Rodriguez, who left the mound with an arm injury Sunday, was diagnosed with a Grade 2 biceps strain that’s expected to require rest and rehab.

On deck

Cubs at Reds, Goodyear, 2:05 p.m. Wednesday, MSN, Tyler Chatwood vs. Tejay Antone.