CINCINNATI -- Marlon Byrd was asked to describe his emotions when he saw third-base coach Jim Riggleman waving him home with the winning run on Tuesday night.

"Relief," Byrd said.

Skip Schumaker's pinch-hit double drove home Cincinnati's left fielder in the bottom of the ninth, lifting the Reds to a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on a rainy night at Great American Ball Park.

The win ended the Reds' nine-game losing streak, their longest since an 11-game skid in 1998.

"We needed a win in the worst way," Schumaker said. "We needed to smile for once around here."

Byrd walked leading off the ninth against right-hander Brooks Brown (0-2) and was sacrificed into scoring position by second baseman Kristopher Negron's bunt.

Schumaker then delivered Cincinnati's fourth walk-off hit this season, a line drive down the left-field line, setting off a wild celebration after halting the second-longest losing streak in the majors this season.

The Reds' utility man said he wasn't certain his liner would get past Rockies' third baseman Nolan Arenado, who's known for making such stops.

"I hit it to the wrong guy," Schumaker said. "Of all guys, I thought he was going to catch it."

Schumaker's heroics helped manager Bryan Price avoid continuation of the Reds' longest losing streak since Jack McKeon was their skipper.

"We were trying to do anything we can to win that game," Price said. "There were a lot of things that went into that game. It's a weight off our shoulders."

Rookie right-hander Michael Lorenzen performed well for Cincinnati (19-26) in his fourth career start, giving up just one run and two hits through seven innings.

Lorenzen had made three straight relief appearances. He was lifted after 90 pitches on Tuesday.

"That's as good as I've seen him," said Price. "He just kind of found his way. That's one of the hardest lessons young guys have to learn is when to challenge hitters. He did that today."

Catcher Nick Hundley homered for Colorado (18-26) and collected two of the Rockies' four hits. It was Hundley's fifth home run this season and his third in seven games.

Colorado wasn't sure what it would get from left-hander Chris Rusin, who was summoned into emergency service on Tuesday when scheduled starter Jorge De La Rosa was scratched with a cut on his left middle finger.

Rusin, who was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque prior to the game, delivered a bullpen-saving performance, allowing just one run and four hits in seven innings. He walked four and fanned five.

"It's a confidence booster," Rusin said. "I've been throwing well in Triple-A, but not like this. I hadn't been getting past the sixth. To get into the seventh inning was a confidence boost."

The Rockies had a chance to score the go-ahead run in the ninth against Reds closer Aroldis Chapman, who had yielded the eventual winning run in the ninth against Colorado on Monday.

Chapman (3-3) avoided allowing runs in three straight games for the first time in his career by fanning shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and Arenado to end the inning, leaving runners stranded at second and third.

Rusin was facing Cincinnati for the third time in his career and pitching barely an hour's drive from the University of Kentucky, where he starred.

He stranded runners at first and third in the first inning when catcher Brayan Pena lined to first for the third out, and mostly cruised from there.

"Rusin was outstanding," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "He had a good fastball with late movement. His secondary stuff was good. He was in control all the way."

Lorenzen induced inning-ending double plays in each of the first two frames.

The Reds scored first when Byrd singled leading off the second and raced home following center