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Reynolds, offense lead Rockies in rout of Indians

Jun 18, 2008 - 5:49 AM DENVER (Ticker) -- Matt Holliday collected three hits and was one of five players with two RBI as the Colorado Rockies rolled to a 10-2 interleague victory over the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday.

Willy Taveras, Jeff Baker, Garrett Atkins and Brad Hawpe also drove in two runs apiece for the Rockies, who have won three of four.

Baker hit a two-run, inside-the-park home run and Hawpe launched a conventional two-run shot while Omar Quintanilla added three hits for Colorado.

Greg Reynolds (2-4) tossed six strong innings, allowing one run and five hits with four strikeouts. The righthander also handled himself well at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored.

"He made some improvements tonight, without a doubt," Colorado manager Clint Hurdle said. "He stayed away from the big inning again and pitched efficient. There was some positives to work off from for Greg, definitely."

Paul Byrd (3-7) was tagged for five runs and nine hits in four-plus frames, walking one and striking out four.

"I thought he had pretty good stuff early on, but he left a couple out and over (the plate)," Indians manager Eric Wedge. "He missed a little bit tonight, and when he missed, (the Rockies) didn't miss."

With one on and two out in the third inning of a scoreless game, Baker thrilled the crowd by hitting Byrd's first offering off the top of the wall in right-center field. The ball bounced back into center field as Taveras scored easily from first.

Baker was waved home and crossed the plate well ahead of a throw that was off the mark, giving Colorado a 2-0 lead. It was Baker's second home run of the season and the 10th inside-the-parker in club history.

"I hit it hard and saw them chasing the ball, so I put my head down and ran as hard as I could," Baker said. "You always like to hit them where you can jog rather than sprinting and collapsing at the plate."

Hawpe doubled the advantage an inning later with his eighth blast of the year, but Casey Blake got the Indians on the board in the fifth with a sacrifice fly that plated Jhonny Peralta, who led off the frame with a triple.

The Rockies got back the run in the bottom half as Baker hit a leadoff single and scored on Holliday's double.

Cleveland threatened to close the gap in the sixth, loading the bases with none out. But Reynolds struck out Ryan Garko before Shin-Soo Choo lined a shot to diving shortstop Quintanilla, who tossed to second to double off former Rockie Jamey Carroll and end the inning.

"Strikeout and ground ball were the two things I was thinking about with no outs," Reynolds said. "(Choo's liner) didn't turn out to be the play I wanted, but Omar made a great grab."

Atkins delivered a two-run base hit in the sixth for a 7-1 cushion and, an inning later, Taveras hit a two-run triple and scored on a single by Holliday for a nine-run bulge.