Sun Apr 13 20:10:23 2008

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Rockies use homers to end Arizona's eight-game streak

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Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Colorado's Clint Barmes, Matt Holliday and Garrett Atkins each had three hits and a home run to assist in snapping Arizona's eight-game winning streak, as the Rockies' 13-5 victory avoided a second straight three-game sweep at the hands of the Diamondbacks.

Barmes tallied four runs batted in, while Holliday and Atkins both plated three, as Colorado snapped a five-game losing streak to their division rival. Yorvit Torrealba added two runs batted in, and starter Aaron Cook (1-1) was awarded the win after allowing three runs on eight hits and three walks through six innings.

Arizona starter Edgar Gonzalez (0-1) failed to reach the fourth inning after being touched for three runs on five hits, two walks and two hit-batters. Four of the five Arizona relievers allowed at least two runs, while Jeff Salazar provided much of the DBacks offense with a single, triple and three RBI. Stephen Drew and Chris Snyder each had three hits, two runs scored and an RBI in the loss.

The Rockies put two quick runs on the board with Barmes' first-inning shot. Willy Taveras opened the game with a line drive up the middle, and Barmes followed by taking a 1-2 slider into the left field seats for his first round- tripper of the season.

The DBacks brought one back in the second with a two-out single by Salazar, but Atkins' RBI double restored the two-run differential the next inning.

Torrealba extended the lead to 5-1 with a two-run double in the top half of the fifth, but Arizona responded an inning later with a two-spot of its own.

Salazar tripled to deep center field to plate a pair of Diamondbacks with two outs. The inning could have been bigger, however, as Cook picked off Justin Upton at first before allowing two walks and Salazar's three-bagger.

Reliever Juan Cruz couldn't hold the Rockies off the board in the seventh, walking the bases loaded and surrendering a two-run single to Barmes for a 7-3 Colorado lead.

Atkins' two-run, one-out homer in the eighth off relief pitcher Doug Slaten padded the lead to seven.

Back-to-back doubles by Stephen Drew And Chris Snyder accounted for a Diamondbacks' run in the bottom of the inning, but the squad still trailed 9-4.

Holliday poured it on in the ninth with a three-run shot to left, and Arizona could only muster one run in its final at-bat.

Game Notes

Sunday marked just the second game all season Arizona failed to hit a home run...Holliday extended his hitting streak to eight games...Before his rough seventh inning, Cruz had allowed no runs and just one hit in 4 2/3 innings of relief this season...Colorado opens a three-game series at San Diego on Tuesday, while the Diamondbacks head to San Francisco for a three-game set starting Monday with Randy Johnson making his 2008 debut...Taveras had two hits for Colorado.