Rox rout Bucs to snap losing streak
07/19/2006PITTSBURGH -- Colorado snapped its season-high eight-game losing streak by pounding Pittsburgh, 13-4, in front of 20,086 people on Tuesday night at PNC Park.
"We showed ourselves that we're capable of doing some good things," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "We put a nice package together tonight. The offense showed up."
The Rockies got a solid start from lefty Jeff Francis, who hurled seven innings and surrendered two runs (one earned run) on eight hits. Francis upped his record to 7-8 with the win.
"We got a big start again from Francis," Hurdle explained. "Another quality start from our rotation. He pitched strong effective baseball. He went through that lineup pretty effectively [and] followed his game plan very well. [He] mixed in his offspeed stuff with his fastball on both sides and elevated when he wanted to. It was just the start we needed."
Francis was pleased with the offensive explosion as well.
"To come out with seven runs in the first three innings helps you relax a little bit," Francis said. "But you've still got to go after guys and you've still got to get outs."
Left fielder Matt Holliday had high praise for another well pitched game by a Colorado starter.
"That's pretty much every day these days or it has been," Holliday offered. "We'll keep riding them as long as they'll carry us. They have pitched great."
Pittsburgh starter Tom Gorzelanny was tagged with the loss as he lasted just 2 2/3 innings, surrendering seven runs (five earned) on four hits. He issued five walks as he fell to 0-2 on the campaign.
The Rockies jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning. Garrett Atkins drew a walk and advanced to third on a double by catcher Yorvit Torrealba. Atkins scored on a sacrifice fly by Luis Gonzalez. Torrealba scored after Francis hit a grounder to Gorzelanny, who threw wide of third base for an error. Jamey Carroll delivered a sacrifice fly to right field knocking in Choo Freeman, who singled.
Colorado upped its advantage to 7-0 in the third inning when Torrealba hit a two-run double into the right-field corner after Gorzelanny issued a pair of walks. Gorzelanny walked two more to load the bases before making an early exit. He was replaced by right-hander Victor Santos, who was greeted by a two-run double by Carroll.
"A big night for Torrealba," Hurdle stated. "He strung together four [quality] at-bats. You don't envision the guy going 3-for-5 every night. His swings were real clean tonight. He hit the ball where it was pitched and he hit it hard."
Pittsburgh tagged Francis for his first run in the bottom of the third inning. Jason Bay's RBI double drove in Jack Wilson to make it 7-1 Colorado.
The Rockies added the eighth run in the fourth inning.
Then they tacked on four more in the sixth when Holliday crushed a two-run homer off Santos and Freeman smacked a two-run triple making it 12-1. It was Holliday's 17th home run on the season.
"It was a first-pitch curveball that I hit," Holliday said. "I was looking fastball, but when a breaking ball [hung] up a little bit, I just put a good swing on it and luckily I got enough of it."
The offensive pyrotechnics were just what the doctor ordered.
"It was a nice way for the offense to kind of break out of a team-wide slump that we'd been in," Holliday explained. "Hopefully, we've turned the page on what was a bad 10 days and we can now move forward."
"I think that win goes to the offense," Francis stated. "That's what we've been struggling to do the last couple of games. They came through big time."
Jason Smith rounded out the Rockies' scoring with a solo homer in the ninth.
"That might be the most pleasant part offensively speaking," Hurdle observed. "That so many people were able to participate, help out and have a hand in what we did tonight offensively up and down the lineup.
"We had good at-bats throughout the lineup. Guys were much more patient and more disciplined. We showed up good."
Rookie right-hander Manuel Corpas and closer Brian Fuentes tossed the final two frames for the Rockies.
"I think you got to see flashes of what Corpas can bring and that's a pretty exciting arm." Hurdle explained. "[Then with] Fuentes, we needed to get him back on the mound [to] let him air it out a little bit and get ready for a save tomorrow."
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
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