Denver, CO (Sports Network) – Jason Hammel pitched 7 1/3 scoreless frames and Colorado rolled over Houston, 5-1, in the first of four games at Coors Field.
Hammel (3-3) scattered six hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Clint Barmes drove home two runs for the Rockies, who have won two straight.
Wandy Rodriguez (3-8) was the loser, giving up three runs on nine hits with two walks and two strikeouts over seven innings. Geoff Blum’s ninth-inning single accounted for Houston’s lone run. The Astros have lost two of three.
Colorado put up a two-spot in the home second as Miguel Olivo led off with a single and raced to third on Melvin Mora’s one-out single. Barmes then doubled both runners home with a two-bagger to left.
In the home third, Ryan Spilborghs doubled, scampered to third on Troy Tulowitzki’s single and scored on Brad Hawpe’s force out on a grounder to second.
Colorado added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of eighth. Hawpe’s 11th double of the campaign started the proceedings then Olivo drilled a pitch into the right-center-field gap for an RBI triple. Todd Helton then skied a sacrifice fly to left for a 5-0 advantage.
Geoff’s Blum’s RBI single in the ninth put Houston on the scoreboard, but Manny Corpas struck out Jason Michaels with the bases loaded to end the contest.
Olivo hit his fourth triple of the season…Hammel lowered his earned run average to 5.23…Corpas saved his seventh contest of the season.