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Atkins leads Rockies past Padres

Aug 9, 2008 - 7:13 AM DENVER (Ticker) -- Rookie Ian Stewart homered, Garrett Atkins hit the go-ahead RBI single and Glendon Rusch got a bit of revenge against his former team as the Colorado Rockies thumped the San Diego Padres, 6-3, on Friday night.

Atkins finished with three hits and three RBI - including a two-run double in the seventh inning - in the opener of a three-game series between the National League West opponents at Coors Field that was delayed for 54 minutes in the second inning due to rain.

Rusch (5-3) started the season with the Padres and posted a 1-2 record with a 6.41 ERA. However, since joining the Rockies, the lefthander is 4-1 while allowing 18 runs in 37 2/3 innings.

"I didn't feel like it was anything different than any other start, other than I faced some guys that you shared the locker room with earlier this year," Rusch said.

In this one, Rusch yielded two runs and seven hits in six frames, striking out three without a walk. Two relievers bridged the gap to Brian Fuentes, who picked up his 21st save in 25 opportunities with a perfect ninth.

"No fireworks," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said of Rusch's outing. "No bright lights. Real business-like."

Padres starter Jake Peavy has struggled against the Rockies, and Friday was no different. Peavy (8-8), who is 0-4 in his last eight starts against Colorado, surrendered three runs, five hits and a season-high five walks in this one.

"I knew getting two off Peavy was hard enough as it was," Rusch said. "If they were to go ahead there, we could be in trouble."

Stewart opened the scoring for the Rockies in the second inning with a two-run homer before the Padres tied it in the fifth.

Chase Headley led off the frame with a double and Nick Hundley smacked an RBI triple that skipped in the wet grass and fooled Willy Taveras in center field. Tadahito Iguchi then drove home Hundley with a single to right.

The Rockies regained the lead in the sixth as Matt Holliday drew a walk and stole second base before scoring on Atkins' single.

"I didn't do much pitching today," Peavy said. "I didn't have a good feel for anything. That's a frustrating feeling. I did a lot better after the delay but was not close to being where I wanted to be."

Colorado put up three more runs in the seventh, an inning in which the Padres used three different relievers.

"It's kind of a reversal of last year," Padres manager Bud Black said of his team's bullpen woes in 2008. "We have done some things, trying to get the right fit of guys out there. We've moved some guys in and out, trying to get solidarity and consistency, but it hasn't happened."

Brian Giles hit a solo home run in the eighth inning and Kevin Kouzmanoff collected three hits for San Diego.