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Rockies report

Published June 28, 2007 at midnight

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Three keys

Key moments in the Rockies' 6-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday afternoon at Wrigley Field:

1 Right-handed pitcher Jason Hirsh gave up five runs, all of them on two-out hits, including a three-run home run by Mark DeRosa in the third inning after striking out Angel Pagan.

2 After the Rockies loaded the bases with one out in the sixth, Garrett Atkins struck out on three pitches. After Brad Hawpe's two-run single, Troy Tulowitzki struck out against Carlos Zambrano.

3 Left-handed reliever Jeremy Affeldt came on in the seventh and gave up a leadoff double to left-handed-hitting Mike Fontenot. Affeldt also walked left-handed-hitting Cliff Floyd ahead of Pagan's sacrifice fly. Left-handed hitters were 7-for-34 against Affeldt entering the game.

Etc.

Rockies starters have allowed five runs or more in each of the past six games, the longest such slump since they did it seven games in a row from July 7-17, 2000. They also have allowed 11 home runs in the six games on this trip, one more than they had given up in their previous 17 games. . . . Center fielder Willy Taveras has established a franchise record with 26 bunt singles, two more than Juan Pierre in 2002. Taveras had 21 bunt hits last year and 30 in 2005, when he played for Houston. The highest bunt-single total in the majors since 1974 was 42 by Brett Butler of the Dodgers in 1992. . . . Hirsh is 1-6 in his past 12 starts, and the Rockies are 4-8. . . . Catcher Yorvit Torrealba has started 10 of the past 14 games and is 16-for-50, raising his average from .210 to .241. . . . After hitting a three-run home run in the ninth Monday, Tulowitzki was 1-for-9 with six strikeouts in the final two games of the Cubs series. . . . Kazuo Matsui has committed errors in each of his past two games, his first two errors this season. . . . Right-hander Manny Corpas, who hasn't allowed a run in nine of his past 10 appearances, made his team-high 39th appearance Wednesday.

Scouting report: Houston Astros

Series history: Teams are tied 61-61, but the Astros have a 41-21 edge in Houston, with the Rockies losing 17 of 21 at Minute Maid Park, which opened in 2000. The Rockies took two of three from the Astros earlier this month at Coors Field.

Roster report: Right-handed pitchers Brad Lidge (strained left oblique) and Brandon Duckworth (right elbow surgery), and shortstop Adam Everett (fractured right leg) are on the disabled list. Lidge just had returned to the closer role when he was injured.

Quickly: The Astros lost seven of nine games on their trip that ended Wednesday, including six of their final seven games. They were 4-2 on their last homestand, but have lost seven of 12 home series this season. . . . Left fielder Carlos Lee hit his 235th home run Tuesday, matching Ben Oglivie for the most home runs by a Panamanian major leaguer. . . . Second baseman Craig Biggio, three hits short of becoming the 27th player in history with 3,000, has 665 doubles, the most in a career for a right-handed hitter and sixth all time. George Brett is fifth, at 665, and Tris Speaker is the all-time leader, with 793.