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Young goes deep twice as Diamondbacks rout Rockies

Apr 6, 2008 - 5:43 AM By Brady Delander PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

DENVER (Ticker) -- Chris Young grabbed everyone's attention with a home run to lead off the game Saturday night against the Colorado Rockies. He then grabbed the game by the throat with a two-run blast in the sixth inning to put the game away.

Young's two homers led a 15-hit attack as the Diamondbacks cruised to a 7-2 victory over the Rockies at Coors Field.

Conor Jackson finished 3-for-5 with a double and right fielder Justin Upton hit a home run for the third consecutive game for the Diamondbacks, who have recorded 28 hits in two games against defending National League champion Colorado.

They also have belted a major-league best 10 homers through five games with three each from Young and Upton.

"(Young) affects the game in the leadoff spot a little differently than most guys do," Arizona manager Bob Melvin said. "He can run and do all those things. His on-base (percentage) is better. He's getting more walks, but a leadoff homer - a lot of times - has a significant impact on a game. ... He's got a good chance to be a special player."

In this contest, Arizona's youthful lineup had a field day with three more home runs and two doubles against four Colorado pitchers. All told, five Diamondback hitters recorded multiple hits.

With Young and Upton each posting solo shots, Arizona rattled Colorado starter Jeff Francis (0-1) early and chased him from the game after 6 1/3 innings.

"(Jeff Francis has) actually gotten me out quite a bit," Young said. "He's pitched me well, gets ahead and goes to his off-speed stuff. Tonight, I tried to make an adjustment. I understood he was going to try to get me to chase."

"We need to play better; we know that," Colorado manager Clint Hurdle said. "We're not clicking really on any specific area right now. That's always going to raise your eyebrows."

Meanwhile, righthander Brandon Webb (2-0) showed superb command in yielding two runs - one earned - and five hits over seven innings. He struck out five and walked one.

After Young got Arizona going in the top of the first, the Rockies kept pace in the bottom half, with Todd Helton lifting a two-out pitch deep over the right field fence in the bottom of the first to knot the game at 1-1.

Shortly after Upton homered for the Diamondbacks to start the second inning, Colorado benefited from a two-error inning by Arizona third baseman Mark Reynolds that led to Chris Iannetta's RBI groundout that tied the game at 2-2 after two.

Following their poor show of defense, however, the Diamondbacks settled down in the field as Webb found a groove on the mound.

On the other hand, for the Rockies' Francis, his second chance at a first start this season was not what he hoped it would be.

After permitting five runs in 2 1/3 innings in the season opener that was washed out by rain against St. Louis, Francis struggled in his official 2008 debut. He surrendered 12 hits and three home runs with just three strikeouts.

Arizona took advantage of some Colorado miscues late in the game, loading the bases in the eighth and scoring the first of two unearned runs when Rockies reliever Kip Wells botched a force play at home plate with a poor throw. A wild pitch by Wells plated another run to bring Arizona's lead to 7-2.

Colorado loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the eighth but was turned away by Arizona reliever Tony Pena without scoring a run.

Helton continues to be the lone bright spot for Colorado. He hit a home run for the second game in a row and finished 2-for-4 with a ground-rule double. Matt Holliday also went 2-for-4 with a double after striking out four times on Friday.

"We still didn't play the way we should," Helton said. They (the Diamondbacks) swung the bats very well and you've got to give them some of the credit. They took it to us. They didn't let up once they got the lead, and we weren't able to respond."