MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Kevin Jarvis and the Colorado Rockies took chances on each other last winter. So far, those risks are paying off.

Jarvis allowed five hits over seven innings and Todd Helton had a two-run double as the Colorado Rockies beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-1 on Sunday.

Jarvis (2-1) didn't allow more than one hit in any inning, and Milwaukee's only run came on Charlie Hayes' solo homer in the fourth. Jarvis won for the first time since April 21, his first start of the year -- but it was only the latest in a string of solid appearances for a journeyman who may have finally found a home.

"I think we can all be happy for a kid like this," said Colorado manager Buddy Bell, who also managed Jarvis in Detroit. "He has always had good stuff ... but now he's starting to put that stuff all together."

In a career that has included stops on six major league rosters, Jarvis never managed to become an everyday starter. During the offseason, he said he passed up a near-guaranteed spot in Florida's rotation to sign with the Rockies and compete for a roster spot.

"I think 'persisent' is an accurate adjective in my case," Jarvis said. "I've been around ... but I always felt if I could get the ball every fifth day, I could get a rhythm and pitch at this level. It's been hard to get an opportunity to do that."

Jarvis began the year in Triple-A, was in the bullpen three weeks ago and had no-decisions in his last three starts despite allowing just 10 runs over 18 innings.

"We didn't do much damage against him," Milwaukee manager Davey Lopes said. "He pitched a good game."

The Brewers are playing without starting shortstop Mark Loretta, out two months with a broken foot, and catcher Henry Blanco, who is in Venezuela with his seriously ill father. Santiago Perez made his first major league start in Loretta's place, but he couldn't get the ball out of the infield in three at-bats.

One night after a come-from-behind, extra-inning victory, the Brewers again struggled to score runs.

"They outhit us and outpitched us," Brewers outfielder Marquis Grissom said. "We should have been more aggressive, more pumped up after yesterday. We should have been the better team in this series."

Helton went 3-for-4 with an intentional walk to raise his average to a major league-leading .418. His fourth-inning double off Jimmy Haynes (6-4) scored Tom Goodwin and Terry Shumpert for the game's first runs.

Helton later scored on Jeffrey Hammonds' single. The Rockies, who won two of three in Milwaukee, added two runs in the seventh when Shumpert doubled in Jarvis and Jeff Cirillo added a sacrifice fly.

Hammonds had three hits for the Rockies. Helton drove in another run with a ninth-inning double, and he scored on Hammonds' single off Juan Acevedo.

Haynes, the Brewers' winningest starter, showed more of the inconsistency that has plagued him despite solid numbers. He allowed nine hits, five runs and three walks over 6 1/3 innings. The five runs allowed matched his season-high.

The game was the only non-interleague contest in baseball on Sunday. The Brewers play Cleveland at home for three games beginning Monday, while the Rockies travel to Seattle.

Game notes
Bell said Larry Walker won't be the Rockies' DH when they face Seattle on Monday. The Rockies are 15-5 since Walker went on the DL on May 11 with an injured right elbow. He had hoped to return to action this week, but Bell said Walker isn't yet 100 percent. ... Milwaukee's Jeromy Burnitz hit two doubles off the top of the outfield wall but was stranded by his teammates both times. "He's coming along, and hopefully he'll get hot like he has in the past," Lopes said of Burnitz. ... Haynes had an embarrassing moment in the third inning when he fielded a grounder near the first-base line and reached out to tag Darren Bragg _ but dropped the ball, allowing Bragg to scamper to first. Replays showed Bragg might have swatted the ball out of Haynes' mitt.