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Rockies pound out 20 hits, finally win at Shea Stadium

Apr 25, 2007 - 9:07 PM FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) -- The Colorado Rockies took out years of frustration at Shea Stadium in one afternoon.

John Mabry hit the first homer by a Rockie in eight games, a three-run blast, and drove in four runs as Colorado salvaged the finale of a three-game series with an 11-5 victory over the New York Mets on Wednesday.

The Rockies pounded out a season-high 20 hits, including five by Willy Taveras and four by Todd Helton, to win at Shea Stadium for just the second time in the last 17 games, dating to the 2003 season.

"We've had lots of pent-up disappointments here," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle. "We needed to come out with a good game. It was much needed. We busted out with the bats."

Helton and Matt Holliday each had three RBI for Colorado, which had combined for just 11 runs in losing five of its last six games.

Taveras sat out the first two games of the series after his batting average dipped to .192. But he stroked five singles in six at-bats on Wednesday, including a pair of bunt hits.

"It's about winning," Taveras said. "Every decision was made for the best interest of the club. I worked hard with the coaches and came out ready to play."

Colorado built a 6-0 lead by the third inning, which would be more than enough for Josh Fogg (1-1), who retired the first nine batters and allowed three runs and eight hits in seven innings.

"Having that five spot in the third inning allowed me to attack the strike zone and avoid the big inning," Fogg said. "I was able to throw strikes with all four of my pitches."

The Rockies did most of their damage against rookie Mike Pelfrey (1-1). One night after the Mets' bullpen was taxed by a 12-inning game, Pelfrey lasted just three innings for his shortest outing. The righthander allowed six runs and eight hits, the most in both categories for any of his seven major league starts.

Rockies hitters were waiting on Pelfrey's fastball, and the young pitcher knew it.

"They just kept hitting it and I kept throwing it and throwing it," Pelfrey said of his fastball. "Maybe I'm too stubborn, I don't know."

Seven of the hits came in a five-run third inning. Fogg singled and Taveras bunted for a hit. One out later, Holliday and Helton delivered back-to-back run-scoring singles. Mabry followed by belting a 1-0 pitch over the right-center field fence to increase the lead to 6-0.

The Rockies had gone a franchise-record seven straight games without a homer. Colorado has hit a major-league low eight home runs, six less than Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees has all by himself.

Reliever Aaron Sele allowed a two-run single to Holliday and a run-scoring double to Helton in the fourth. An RBI single by Taveras in the fifth inning made it 10-0.

Mabry drove in his fourth run of the game with a single in the sixth.

"We've got a good team but we can't win them all," Mets first baseman Carlos Delgado said. "It got to the point where it got out of reach."

Jose Reyes had four hits and Shawn Green drove in three runs for the Mets with a bases-clearing double in the sixth inning.

New York had threatened in the fifth but slow-footed Ramon Castro was thrown out at the plate trying to score from first on a double by pinch hitter Damion Easley.

Endy Chavez added a two-run double in the ninth inning for the Mets.