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Iannetta, Cook spur Rockies past Pirates

Jul 31, 2008 - 4:17 AM By Chris Adamski PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- The Colorado Rockies finally built a lead so large the Pittsburgh Pirates couldn't overcome it.

Chris Iannetta hit a three-run homer and Troy Tulowitzki went 3-for-4 with a run and a RBI as the Rockies built an early advantage and held on for a 7-4 win on Wednesday to avoid a three-game sweep.

Colorado entered the series having won nine of 10 since the All-Star break, but dropped the first two games of this series after holding large leads in both contests. The Rockies took a 6-0 lead in the fifth inning of the finale against beleaguered starter Zach Duke (4-9).

"We scored a few more runs than we did in the other games, and we pitched a little better down the stretch," Iannetta said. "That's pretty much it. Two games (blowing an early lead) over the course of the season ... it's going to happen.

"This is not going to be the last time it happens this year. You just have got to take them when you can (and) not let things snowball, and we did that tonight."

After Garrett Atkins' single to center scored Jeff Baker, Iannetta followed by hitting 12th home run to center, driving in Matt Holliday and Atkins and giving him 17 RBI over his past 15 games.

"That was a big swing of the bat for us," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "He (Iannetta) is finding a way to do those things. He's put the thump on left-handed pitching this year. He's found a way to (homer) in crucial situations when we've needed them. Any time you have a three-run home run, it's a big shot in the arm for an offense."

But Colorado, which blew a three-run lead after two innings in the series opener and a four-run advantage on Tuesday, appeared to be headed for the same fate after the Pirates' four-run fifth pulled them to within 6-4.

The first four batters reached against Rockies starter Aaron Cook (14-6), with Ryan Doumit driving in Nate McLouth on a RBI double and Jason Bay singling home Luis Rivas and Doumit.

But Colorado added an insurance run in the seventh when Tulowitzki's two-out single scored Atkins.

Tulowitzki is batting a sizzling .555 (20-for-36) since coming off the disabled list for the second time this season on July 21.

"I believed in myself even if there were a lot of people out there who didn't believe in me," Tulowitzki said. "I knew my swing was moving in the right direction; it was just a matter of going out there and getting results."

Bay, the subject of intense trade rumors, understood that the law of averages was bound to catch up with the Pirates if they kept falling behind early.

"Yesterday, we knew it was going to be tough if we keep putting ourselves in that position, eventually we are not going to come through," Bay said. "It's not the best recipe to keep going at it that way. It's worked out, but this time it was a little too much to overcome."

Cook won his third consecutive start to move into a tie with Arizona's Brandon Webb atop the National League with 14 victories, allowing four runs and nine hits with three walks and a strikeout over seven innings.

"I guess the term for me is that I was effectively wild tonight," Cook said. "It wasn't my best stuff, but I was able to battle and I got some runs early, which made it look easier."

In doing so, he improved to 8-2 following a Rockies loss.

Taylor Buchholz tossed a scoreless eighth before Brian Fuentes worked a perfect ninth for his 18th save of the season and 103rd of his career with Colorado, moving him past Jose Jimenez for the club's all-time lead.

"It's wonderful because there's longevity, there's success, there's talent and there's commitment," Hurdle said. "He's dealt with some adversity and he's come on top of it, so good for him."

Duke dropped his fifth consecutive decision and is winless since June 9. The lefthander surrendered six runs and eight hits with two walks over five innings, striking out three.