Wed Apr 30 01:30:21 2008

Comment | Email | Print

Iannetta's fill-in job lifts helps Rockies end skid against Giants

---

San Francisco, CA (Sports Network) - Chris Iannetta stepped in for injured shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and went 2-for-3, homered and scored the game- winning run in the seventh as the Colorado Rockies topped the San Francisco Giants, 3-2, in the second of a three-game set at AT&T Park.

Tulowitzki suffered a quad strain reaching for Aaron Rowand's RBI single in the bottom of the first. Iannetta came in to play third base, Garrett Atkins moved from third to second and Clint Barmes shifted from second to shortstop.

Aaron Cook (4-1) picked up the win after allowing two unearned runs on 10 hits in seven innings, while Brian Fuentes earned his second save. Matt Holliday went 2-for-4 for the Rockies, who snapped a four-game losing streak. Willy Taveras scored the other Colorado run.

Rowand went 2-for-4 with a run batted in for the Giants, who won the opener 4-0 after four pitchers combined on an eight-hit shutout. Fred Lewis went 2- for-4, while Bengie Molina added an RBI double.

Tim Lincecum (4-1) dropped his first decision of the season after allowing three runs on eight hits in seven frames.

Tied 2-2 heading to the seventh, Iannetta provided the winning margin with a solo effort. Iannetta started the inning by ripping a double off the wall in center and was bunted to third by Barmes. With Yorvit Torrealba at the plate, Lincecum was called for a balk that brought Iannetta in to score.

Pinch-hitter Randy Winn led off the bottom of the seventh with a double, but was thrown out at third on Lewis' grounder. With Eugenio Velez at the plate, Lewis swiped second, then moved to third when Velez rapped a single to left. But Cook picked off Velez at first, then struck out Ray Durham to escape the inning.

The bullpens settled down into the ninth, when Jose Castillo worked a leadoff walk against Fuentes. Brian Bocock moved Castillo to second with a bunt, but Fuentes got Winn to pop up, then fanned pinch-hitter Daniel Ortmeier to end the game.

Colorado threatened in the first when singles by Taveras and Todd Helton put runners on the corners with nobody out. Taveras scored when Holliday grounded into a double play, but the Rockies wasted an opportunity for a big inning.

The Giants struck back in the bottom half, as Velez reached on an error and scored on Molina's two-out RBI double. Rowand's single resulted in the injury to Tulowitzki and scored Molina to put the Giants on top.

Iannetta tied the game in the second, leading off with a homer.

Neither team mustered a serious threat until Iannetta once again came through in the seventh.

Game Notes

Ubaldo Jimenez (1-2) takes the mound for Colorado against Jonathan Sanchez (2-1) in the series finale on Wednesday...Tulowitzki, who is hitting just .152 for the season, was originally scheduled to have the day off. But, scheduled starter Jeff Baker was scratched after rupturing a blood vessel in his hand during warmups...Giants manager Bruce Bochy was ejected for arguing the balk.