Colorado finally hitting its stride

Duo of Torrealba, Spilborghs key in win over Braves

By Jack Etkin, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Originally published 09:22 p.m., April 9, 2008
Updated 11:56 p.m., April 9, 2008

David Zalubowski / Associated Press

Yorvit Torrealba went 3-for-4 with four RBI in the Rockies' 12-6 win against Atlanta on Wednesday at Coors Field.

The Rockies offense was bound to come alive after wheezing, sputtering and not doing much of anything for eight games. While scoring no more than four runs in a game, they had eked out three one-run victories.

The inevitable outburst finally occurred Wednesday when the Rockies battered the Atlanta Braves 12-6. Ryan Spilborghs and Yorvit Torrealba each hit three-run home runs, with Spilborghs driving in five runs and Torrealba netting four RBI.

The Rockies came in last in the National League with 16 runs and tied for last with a .221 average. They banged out 13 hits, reaching double figures for the first time, and five of the hits went for extra bases.

"I think our approaches are a little better," Spilborghs said. "We're not trying to swing for the fences every time. That's a huge improvement."

After a shaky outing in the home opener Friday, Mark Redman made a huge improvement against the team that released him in May, working five innings as the Rockies won their third straight game over the Braves.

They never have swept a four-game series from the Braves and will try for that feat today, weather permitting. With snow in the forecast, the players were told to stay home until 9:30 a.m., then head to Coors Field if they have not received a call.

Undoubtedly, the Rockies will be hoping for the opportunity to play after pounding the Braves. For 65 innings this season, the Rockies scored no more than two runs in any inning, twice reaching that paltry output.

They exceeded that total when Spilborghs, who went 3-for-5 and finished a triple short of the cycle, singled home the third, which grew into a six-run inning when Torrealba hit a three-run home run off Chuck James.

The Braves left-hander was activated for the start, having missed the first eight games of the season with a shoulder impingement. Rusty, he hit three batters while toiling three innings and throwing 65 pitches.

"Any time you got a guy struggling, you want to make sure he struggles more and make it a lot more difficult for him to feel comfortable on the mound," Spilborghs said. "And that's what we did."

The Rockies batted around while finishing off James as Matt Holliday tripled in two runs before Spilborghs and Torrealba added to the damage.

Spilborghs, who was in the lineup because he had gone 3-for-5 with two homers against James, doubled home a run in the seventh, then launched a three-run homer to straightaway center field in the eighth, a blast off Chris Resop that traveled an estimated 435 feet.

"I hit that one as well as I could ever hit a ball," Spilborghs said.

Redman gave up a run in the second when Jeff Francoeur led off with a triple and Brian McCann doubled. With one out, Redman took Mark Kotsay's liner off his left foot, a painful single that moved McCann to third.

James tried to sacrifice but bunted in the air, and Redman charged off the mound, caught the ball just before it hit the ground and doubled up McCann.

Redman went 0-4 with an 11.63 ERA in six games last season, including five starts, before the Braves released him.

Redman is 3-1 with a 3.86 ERA in seven games (five starts) with the Rockies. He kept his former teammates off balance with a repertoire that ranged from 83- to 84-mph fastballs down to 69-mph curveballs.

"Very businesslike," manager Clint Hurdle said. "He pitched aggressive with his fastball and changed speeds off of it, cut the ball in and tried to sink the ball away, used his changeup and slow breaking ball and he got outs when he needed them."

Spilborghs and Torrealba each finished one RBI short of their career highs. Torrealba went 3-for-4 with singles in his final two at-bats after breaking open the game with his home run.

If the Rockies play today, they'll face a formidable pitcher in Tim Hudson. And if they don't, they'll head off for six games at Arizona and San Diego at least knowing their offense had come alive while beating the Braves.

"I don't think anybody figured it wasn't going to happen, but, obviously, to win three games is good," said Holliday, sounding as though he expected the worst weatherwise. "Hopefully, it gets us going. We've got kind of a tough road trip coming up, and we're going to have to play well to win some games."

NUMBERS GAME

41 consecutive games in which Todd Helton has reached base, a streak that began Aug. 28. It's the longest active streak in the majors and the longest such streak in Helton's career.

*Of note: Matt Holliday holds the Rockies single-season record by reaching base in 38 consecutive games July 22 to Sept. 2, 2007.

NIGHT AND DAY

Jeff Francis, who is scheduled to start today, went 8-0 with a 2.48 ERA in nine day starts last year and is 17-6 with a 3.88 ERA in 32 career day starts. He started the day of March 31 in St. Louis, threw 17 of his first 19 pitches for balls and gave up five runs in 2 1/3 innings, statistics that didn't count when the game was rained out.

Saturday, Francis started a night game and allowed five runs and 12 hits in 6 1/3 innings against visiting Arizona and lost 7-2.

"I threw more strikes," Francis said. "I did a lot of things better than the first time out. But I still didn't make a lot of good pitches. It was like normal, making adjustments, but at least I wasn't missing a ton like the first time."

HE SAID IT

"I'm by no means a finished product. I'm going to have some good games and I'm going to have some rough games. I'm going to have to figure out a way to get better as we go through this. But I feel comfortable enough to compete and to perform well."

Jeff Baker, who made his second career start at second base.

THREE KEYS

Three keys to the Rockies' 12-6 win against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night at Coors Field:

* 1 The Rockies batted around and scored six runs in the third as Matt Holliday tripled home two runs and Yorvit Torrealba hit a three-run homer.

* 2 Mark Redman took a Mark Kotsay line drive off his left foot, which put runners on first and third with one out in the second after the Braves had scored once. Pitcher Chuck James, the next batter, tried to sacrifice, but Redman caught the bunt just before it hit the ground and completed an inning-ending double play by getting Brian McCann at third base.

* 3 Micah Bowie, who has stranded all seven runners he has inherited, relieved Ryan Speier with one out in the seventh, a runner on second and the Rockies leading 7-3. After giving up an infield single, Bowie got Yunel Escobar to ground into a double play.

ETC.

Errors by third baseman Garrett Atkins and Spilborghs in the fourth broke the Rockies' string of 22 consecutive errorless innings. ... Spilborghs batted fifth, something he did only four times last year, and started because he was 3-for-5 with two home runs against James. "I don't know what you read into that, but I know what you don't read into that," manager Clint Hurdle said. "Chuck James knows what he's done against him. That's as important as anything." ... James, who had been sidelined with a left shoulder impingement, was activated from the disabled list to make his start. The Braves waited until just before the game began to make sure inclement weather didn't delay or postpone matters before placing closer Rafael Soriano on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to Monday with right elbow tendinitis. ... Fifteen years ago Wednesday, Eric Young homered leading off the bottom of the first at Mile High Stadium before a crowd of 80,227 in the first home game in Rockies history. ... Rockies special assistant Marcel Lachemann will be the pitching coach for the U.S. Olympic team this summer in Beijing. Lachemann's history with USA baseball dates to 1999, and his recent service includes pitching coach with Team USA at the 2006 World Baseball Classic and the United States' entry last fall at the World Cup in Taiwan.