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Fowler has two triples for Rockies in 10-5 win

Aug 30, 2010 - 12:41 AM DENVER(AP) -- Carlos Gonzalez is making quite an impression on his manager Jim Tracy.

"What is it that we've seen that he can't do very well?" Tracy asked. "He's as graceful a player as I've ever seen on the baseball field."

On Sunday, Gonzalez homered twice and drove in four runs and helped the Colorado Rockies beat Los Angeles 10-5 for their first series win over the Dodgers in two years.

Gonzalez, who has 29 homers and 90 RBIs, had help in this win. Dexter Fowler hit two triples, giving him a franchise-record 12 this season, and drove in three runs.

"It's awesome," Fowler said of the record. "Especially to do it here. All the fans have been good to me."

Dodgers pinch-hitter Manny Ramirez, booed loudly when he was announced in the sixth inning, disputed a first-pitch strike from rookie left-hander Matt Reynolds, saying it was outside, and was ejected by home plate umpire Gary Cederstrom.

Dodgers manager Joe Torre said he went and asked Ramirez what he said to Cederstrom, and Ramirez said he told the umpire the pitch was outside.

"And then I realized Manny doesn't curse. That's not his style," Torre said. "I wound up coming up and apologizing to Manny for initially getting mad at him."

Jason Hammel (9-8) hung on long enough to win for the first time in four starts since Aug. 6 as the Rockies completed a 5-1 homestand against Atlanta and the Dodgers with their sixth win in seven games. The Rockies, trying to make up ground in the wild-card race, head out on a six-game road trip to San Francisco and San Diego. Colorado is 25-40 on the road.

"We have to forget about the past," said Gonzalez, who has at least one extra-base hit in six straight games and a total of 61 this season. "This is an opportunity for us to change everything and play well on the road. We all know we're running out of time. This is the time for us."

The Rockies took two of three from the Dodgers after losing 10 consecutive series. Colorado's previous series win against Los Angeles was Aug. 19-21, 2008, at Dodger Stadium, a three-game set. The Rockies last won a series from the Dodgers at Coors Field on July 21-23, 2008, winning two of three.

The Rockies built an 8-1 lead in the fifth but the Dodgers scored a run in the sixth when they knocked out Hammel and three in the eighth against three relievers. The last was Rafael Betancourt, brought on to face cleanup hitter Matt Kemp with two outs and runners on first and second.

Kemp singled to shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who saved a run with a diving stop in the hole. With the bases loaded, Betancourt fell behind James Loney 3-0 but got him to ground out to Tulowitzki, who was removed for a pinch hitter in the ninth because of groin tightness.

The Rockies countered with two runs in the bottom half to give closer Huston Street breathing room in the ninth. He retired the side in order on nine pitches.

Tracy said he turned to Street because he wanted a reliever who could throw strikes and the Rockies couldn't afford a Dodgers comeback.

Hammels' problems in the sixth began with back-to-back doubles by Kemp and Loney to begin the inning. Hammel left after issuing a one-out walk to Jamey Carroll on his 114th pitch.

Reynolds, making his fifth appearance in the big leagues, had walked Brad Ausmus, the first batter he faced after relieving Hammel, but got Reed Johnson, who pinch-hit for Ramirez, to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Tracy praised Reynolds for his poise and said, "I don't think there are going to be a whole lot of things that faze him."

"I struggled with command," Hammel said. "I was behind too many hitters, threw way too many pitches and that's what basically caused me not to get deep (in the game)."

After winning his first five starts and giving up seven runs in 34 1-3 innings since being traded to the Dodgers from the Chicago Cubs on July 31, Ted Lilly (8-9) yielded seven runs in four innings, including five with two outs in the fourth.

"That's really the first clunker that Teddy's had," Torre said. "He was up with a lot of stuff. He is all about location and changing speeds, and he just didn't have good counts and he was fighting with himself on location."

Jonathan Herrera began the fourth-inning rally with a triple and scored on the first of Hammel's two singles. After Eric Young Jr. walked, Fowler tripled home both runners. Gonzalez, who had homered with two outs in the third, followed with a two-run shot. It was the second mutihomer game of Gonzalez's career, the other coming Aug. 4 against San Francisco.

The Rockies took a 1-0 lead in the second when Todd Helton led off with his 524th double, tying him with Ken Griffey Jr. for 36th place all-time. Helton scored on Chris Iannetta's one-out double.

NOTES: Tulowitzki and Ryan Theriot extended their hitting streaks to 10 games. ... Hammel's outing was his shortest since he lasted four innings June 24 against Boston. ... Reynolds has pitched 6 1-3 scoreless innings in his first five games in the majors. ... Herrera started at third base for the Rockies because Melvin Mora was 3 for 31 against Lilly. Third baseman Ian Stewart was still unavailable after straining his right oblique in the batting cage during Friday's loss.