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Atkins, Rockies blast Brewers

Jul 10, 2008 - 3:53 AM By Nick Berenz PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MILWAUKEE (Ticker) -- After Ben Sheets appeared to be in complete control, Glendon Rusch and Garrett Atkins took over.

Atkins hit a pair of home runs and Rusch pitched his best game of the season to lead the Colorado Rockies to an 8-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday.

Rusch lasted six innings, giving up just one run and striking out four for the Rockies, who have won seven of their last nine games. It was the lefthander's second start of the season after making 12 relief appearances for the San Diego Padres and one for the Rockies.

"You know you're going to have a tough time when you face him (Sheets), I knew that from being here with him for two years," said Rusch, who upped his record to 2-3. "I'll enjoy this for a couple days and then get ready for whatever comes next."

One night after showing off their other ace, C.C. Sabathia, the Brewers hoped the other half of their dominant duo would lead them to victory.

Through five innings, Sheets (10-3) looked the part, striking out 10 - including six in the first two innings.

"Benny pitched a great game, he was on top of his game, 11 strikeouts," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "He had one two-seamer that Atkins got over the plate."

In the sixth, Sheets walked Matt Holliday before Atkins blasted that two-seamer for his first home run of the game, giving Colorado a 3-1 lead.

"I didn't make many mistakes but they hurt," Sheets said. "Last game, I made a lot of mistakes but they didn't hurt. It's weird, but it's baseball."

The Brewers scored a pair of runs in the seventh as Mike Cameron and Russell Branyan delivered RBI singles off Manny Corpas to draw within 4-3. The Rockies put the game out of reach in the eighth with home runs by Atkins and Joe Koshansky off Guillermo Mota.

"We've been able to go at it without our so-called regular lineup," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "Those two swings of the bat to square up the two guys he (Atkins) did, this guy can swing the bat."

Koshansky's homer was a two-run shot, while Atkins' blast capped the fourth multi-homer game of his career and first since August 9.

"Facing CC (Sabathia) last night and Ben today, we have to tip our cap to the offense because those two were electric," said Scott Podsednik who went 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI. "On offense we did what we wanted to do."

Bill Hall hit his 12th home run for Milwaukee, which has homered in nine consecutive games.

Holliday extended his hitting streak to a season-high 13 games with a first-inning single.