• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Eighth-inning heroics lift Rockies over Padres

Jul 24, 2007 - 5:51 AM DENVER (Ticker) -- Matt Holliday tied it and Brad Hawpe put it away.

Holliday and Hawpe both homered in a five-run eighth inning that lifted the Colorado Rockies to a 7-5 victory over the San Diego Padres on Monday.

Taylor Buchholz (5-3) and Manny Corpas combined for three innings of scoreless relief for the Rockies, who moved a game above .500 (50-49) after a brief two-game losing streak.

Colorado looked down and out in the eighth inning, facing a Padres bullpen that came into the game carrying a major league-best 2.89 ERA and had allowed just 19 homers in 311 1/3 innings this season.

"They don't ever just cash it in," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "They're definitely not going to stop playing until the game is over."

Scott Linebrink (3-3) opened the frame on the rubber for San Diego and hit Cory Sullivan to lead off the inning. Kaz Matsui drew a one-out walk before Holliday tied the game with his 17th homer of the season, deep into the left field seats.

"It was a changeup," Linebrink said. "He usually doesn't hit them that well but he sure got that one."

"I was hoping he'd leave it up so I had time to see it and get the barrel through," Holliday said. "It's nothing more than a come-from-behind win that helps us in the standings against a team that's ahead of us."

After getting Todd Helton top fly out for the second out of the frame, Linebrink surrendered a single to right to Garrett Atkins.

Sidewinding righthander Cla Meredith came on to face Hawpe, who launched an 0-1 pitch over the wall in left to give the Rockies a 7-5 lead. It was Hawpe's 18th homer of the season and marked the second straight appearence in which Meredith has gotten knocked around after yielding five runs in an inning Saturday against Philadelphia.

"I knew it was in the gap and if it didn't go out the outfielders weren't close enough to catch it," Hawpe said. "I looked at their bullpen list in the fifth or sixth inning to see all they had who could be coming in, just thinking ahead. They're tough. They can come at you with anything."

The bullpen's collapse overshadowed a strong performance from Greg Maddux, who was masterful in allowing just two runs in six innings. The future Hall-of-Famer struck out two and did not issue a walk in search of his 341st career victory.

"He pitched great, that's what he expects," Padres manager Bud Black said. "He's doing a good job of location the last two starts. It was good to see him back on track, repeating what he did on his last start."

Maddux allowed single runs in the second and the fifth, but could not help the Padres avoid their fifth consecutive loss.

"I just feel bad for (Linebrink) and Cla (Meredith) coming in," Maddux said. "You know it happens, weird stuff happens in this ballpark from time to time. You just kind of feel bad for the guys and the team."

The 41-year old pitcher also had a single and stole the 10th base of his career in the top of the fifth inning, his first since September 30, 2006.

Milton Bradley's third homer since being traded to San Diego gave the Padres a 4-1 lead in the fifth, and after Maddux allowed a run in the bottom half, rookie Kevin Kouzmanoff got the run back with a solo blast in the sixth.

Rockies starter Jeff Francis avoided his first loss since June 8 at Baltimore when Holliday homered. The tall lefthander went six innings and allowed 10 hits and five runs. His two home runs allowed were the second-most he's given up this season.