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Nolasco brilliant as Marlins drop Rockies

Aug 3, 2008 - 2:49 AM By Christopher Stock PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MIAMI (Ticker) -- Ricky Nolasco struck out a career-high 13 and rookie John Baker drove in three runs to lift the Florida Marlins past the Colorado Rockies, 5-3, on Saturday.

Nolasco (11-6) pitched eight strong innings, giving up three runs. He allowed four hits and did not walk a batter. The righthander threw 67 of his 93 pitches for strikes.

"As a pitcher you always want a complete game, but skip (manager Fredi Gonzalez) makes the decisions and felt whatever the best choice was to get a win - that's all that matters," Nolasco said. "Of course, I wanted to pitch the ninth."

Kevin Gregg picked up his 24th save by striking out two Rockies in a scoreless ninth.

"We were tempted to run Nolasco back out there, but I didn't want him to run through the meat of the lineup again for the fourth time," Gonzalez said.

Colorado All-Star slugger Matt Holliday homered twice for the second time against the Marlins this season. In seven games against the Marlins, he has five home runs.

"Matt Holliday is a (heck) of a baseball player," Gonzalez said. "Everybody sees the .345 and the home runs, but you should see him run the bases. For me, he's a complete baseball player. He can play defense, steal you a bag, and he's nice guy to watch."

With Florida (59-52) winning, it stayed on pace with the division-leading Philadelphia Phillies (60-50) in the National League East.

Baker homered -- his fourth of the year -- in the second inning to give the Marlins a 2-1 lead. After Rockies starter Valerio de los Santos (0-1) walked the bases loaded in the third, Baker grounded out to first to drive in another run.

"I feel sometimes you overswing when you want a result out of it, but I took a nice easy swing," Baker said.

Holiday hit a solo home run to deep left field to pull the Rockies within a run in the fourth.

De los Santos pitched four innings, giving up three runs. He struck out a career-high eight batters before being pulled in favor or Jason Grilli.

"I wasn't able to throw my fastball for a strike - that was the problem," De los Santos. "I wasn't really for strikeouts, I was trying to get ground balls and stay ahead of the count."

Grilli gave up triples to Josh Willingham and Mike Jacobs in his first inning of work as the Marlins stretched their lead to 4-2.

Nolasco retired the next eight batters, including five consecutive strikeouts, but Holliday took him deep for the second time with his 20th homer to bring the Rockies within 4-3.

"I challenged Holliday a couple times and he got me," Nolasco said. "A lot of guys miss those pitches, but he didn't and that is why he is a good hitter."

Willingham hit an RBI double in the sixth to cap the scoring.