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Carroll hits grand slam as Rockies crush Cubs

Aug 12, 2007 - 4:37 AM DENVER (Ticker) -- Colorado Rockies manager Clint Hurdle made the right choice.

Jamey Carroll hit a go-ahead pinch-hit grand slam in the sixth inning as the Colorado Rockies coasted to a 15-2 triumph over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday.

In the decisive frame against Cubs starter Rich Hill (6-7), the Rockies put runners on first and second with two outs. Hill then hit rookie Ian Stewart with a pitch to load the bases for Carroll, who drilled a 1-2 fastball over the left field fence to snap a 2-2 tie.

Carroll was pinch hitting for Rockies starter Josh Fogg (7-7), who yielded two runs and five hits with three strikeouts in six innings for his third straight win at Coors Field.

"I was just trying to put the ball in play," Carroll said. "(Hill) had two strikes on me and even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while."

"He's a good baseball player," Hurdle said. "He's the kind of guy that you take your kid to the ballpark to see that Carroll guy play. He made the big hit for us tonight to help us win the ballgame."

After the slam, Kaz Matsui singled to chase Hill, stole second and came around when Troy Tulowitzki greeted reliever Michael Wuertz with an RBI single to cap Colorado's five-run sixth inning for a 7-2 edge.

"The bats were not on," Chicago manager Lou Piniella said. "You are not going to win games without hitting the baseball and we didn't."

Fogg struggled in the first, throwing 37 pitches and walking in Derrek Lee for the opening run of the game. But Fogg bounced back to retire the next nine batters.

"It was a tough first inning, I'll give it that much," Fogg said. "I just needed to reset myself and settle down. I got some nice help behind me too."

"It's a blue-collar night when Josh is out there," Hurdle said. "He doesn't light up the gun. He just gets outs. He stays within his skill set and doesn't get frustrated and doesn't let the game get away from him. He doesn't let things get under his skin."

Hill was hammered for a season-high seven runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 frames to remain winless since July 16.

"I was pitching well early then they jumped on me," Hill said. "They took advantage of the walk and the hit by pitch in the sixth. I missed my spot to Carroll. It got up a little bit."

"We'll be back," Piniella said. "If we win Sunday it will be three out of four. No matter how many runs they score it's only one loss, you don't want to get blown out like that, but it's only one loss."

An inning later, Hawpe made up for his missed opportunity with a two-run blast - his 21st - off Chicago righthander Sean Gallagher. Tulowitzki added two more runs with a single.

"I knew we had it in us to get back on track offensively," Hawpe said. "It's been like that all year. Once someone gets going, it trickles down to all of us. It's fun baseball when that happens."

"The last two nights were ugly, no doubt about it, but this is the mark of this team that we keep coming back every day," Tulowitzki said. "We were not happy about the last two nights but baseball is a funny game."

Ryan Spilborghs had a run-scoring single in the first and Matsui added an RBI single of his own as the Rockies built an early 2-1 lead. But Hill tied the game at 2-2 in the fourth with an RBI single.