Recap: Colorado vs. Arizona
Sports Network | August 14, 2008
Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Brad Hawpe clubbed a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning and the Colorado Rockies withstood a ninth-inning charge from the Arizona Diamondbacks to hang on for a 6-5 win in the middle installment of a three-game set from Coors Field.
Hawpe finished 3-for-3 with two doubles and a walk for Colorado, which won for just the second time in its last seven contests. Ian Stewart and Clint Barmes each added a solo homer.
Colorado starter Jeff Francis allowed three runs on six hits in six-plus innings of work, but did not receive a decision. Taylor Buchholz (5-3) tossed a scoreless eighth to get the win. Brian Fuentes overcame a rocky ninth to nail down his 22nd save. The lefty gave up a run on two hits and walked two.
Chad Tracy belted a solo homer for the Diamondbacks, who have dropped five of their last seven games. Stephen Drew went 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. Drew has now hit safely in a career-high 15 straight games.
Arizona starter Doug Davis surrendered four runs -- three earned -- on six hits in five innings, but did not factor into the decision. Jon Rauch (4-3) was saddled with the loss after he gave up the home run to Hawpe.
With the score locked at four, Rauch came on for Arizona in the eighth and Chris Iannetta greeted him with a double to left-center. After Jeff Baker sacrificed the runner to third, Hawpe hammered a 1-0 pitch over the center- field wall for his 19th home run of the season and a 6-4 Rockies lead.
Fuentes was in charge of protecting the lead in the ninth and issued a one-out walk to Augie Ojeda. Consecutive singles by pinch-hitter Chris Burke and Drew plated a run. After Chris Young went down swinging, Fuentes intentionally walked Conor Jackson to load the bases for Adam Dunn, who grounded out to end the game.
The Rockies jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the opening frame. Barmes began the inning with a walk and Willy Taveras followed with a bunt single before Matt Holliday slapped an RBI single to left. Iannetta then hit a grounder to Tracy at first. He tossed a throw to Drew, who misfired on the throw back to first, allowing Taveras to cross the plate.
Stewart's lead-off home run in the second gave the Rockies a 3-0 lead.
Arizona got on the board in the top of the fifth as Tracy led off the frame with a blast to right. Colorado, though, countered in the bottom half when Barmes opened the frame with a shot to left.
After Mark Reynolds trimmed the deficit to 4-2 with a run-scoring single in the sixth, the Diamondbacks evened the score with a two-out rally in the seventh.
Chris Snyder led off with a double and later scored on a groundout by pinch- hitter Tony Clark. Drew ripped a two-out double and came around to score the tying run on a single by Young.
The Diamondbacks left eight men on base, while Colorado stranded five...Arizona has won nine of the 11 encounters between the clubs this season...Before the game, Arizona reinstated pitcher Doug Slaten from the 15- day disabled list and optioned pitcher Billy Buckner to Triple-A Tucson...Arizona's Dan Haren (12-6) and Colorado's Glendon Rusch (5-3) are scheduled to start the rubber match on Thursday.
