Wed May 7 23:52:44 2008

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Rockies' rally ruins rout for Redbirds

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Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Chris Iannetta's two-run triple off Jason Isringhausen in the bottom of the eighth capped off a four-run rally that pushed the Colorado Rockies past the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-3, in the third of a four-game series at Coors Field.

Matt Holliday also had a run-scoring triple and scored a run for the Rockies, while Omar Quintanilla was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Ryan Spillborghs drove in the other Colorado run with a pinch hit single.

Ryan Speier (1-0) earned the win with a scoreless eighth inning, and Brian Fuentes notched his third save. Jeff Francis' struggles continued, as the lefty allowed three runs on six hits in five innings while issuing five walks.

It was just the fourth win in 17 games for the defending National League champions, who dropped the first two games of the series by identical, 6-5, margins.

Ryan Ludwick went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and two runs batted in for the Cardinals, who had a three-game win streak snapped. Aaron Miles went 2-for-4 and scored a run, while Albert Pujols singled and has reached base safely in all 35 games this season.

Isringhausen (1-3), Randy Flores and Kyle McClellan combined to allow the four-run eighth, allowing four hits and walking two. The loss spoiled a brilliant outing by Adam Wainwright, who shut out Colorado on four hits over seven frames.

With McClellan on for Wainwright in the eighth, Quintanilla singled up the middle, then scored when Holliday lined a triple to deep right. Flores came on to retire Todd Helton on a popup, then walked Garrett Atkins before ceding the mound to Isringhausen. But, Spillborghs yanked a single through the left side to plate Holliday.

Iannetta then slapped a line drive down the line in right that bounced all the way to the fence, scoring Helton and Spillborghs to give the Rockies the lead on Iannetta's first triple of the season.

Fuentes allowed a pinch hit leadoff single to Skip Schumaker in the ninth, but retired Miles on a weak liner to right, got Pujols when he was robbed by Clint Barmes on a line smash to short, then fanned Ludwick to finish off the Cards.

The Redbirds loaded the bases in the first and picked up two runs on a sacrifice fly by Ludwick and an RBI single from Rick Ankiel.

Wainwright avoided trouble through the early innings, working around a single by Atkins and a double from Brad Hawpe with two outs in the fourth by fanning Iannetta to keep the Rockies off the board.

Neither team could push another run across until the fifth, when Ludwick led off by slamming a long home run to the back of the left field seats.

Pujols and Ludwick picked up back-to-back singles off Alberto Arias with one out in the seventh, then walked Troy Glaus to load the bases. But, Arias got Ankiel to slap a sharp grounder to Todd Helton at first, who started an inning-ending double play.

Game Notes

Wainwright lowered his earned run average to 2.25...Isringhausen blew his fourth save of the season...The Cardinals stranded 10 men on base, while the Rockies left eight...Kyle Lohse (3-1) opposes Rockies lefty Jorge De La Rosa (0-1) in the series finale on Thursday...Attendance was 25,432.