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Atkins' HR, 4 RBIs lead Rockies past Phillies, 8-3

Aug 5, 2009 - 3:26 AM PHILADELPHIA(AP) -- The Colorado Rockies have made themselves right at home on the road again this season.

Garrett Atkins homered and had a season-high four RBIs, Jason Hammel pitched into the seventh inning and the Colorado Rockies beat the Philadelphia Phillies 8-3 Tuesday night for their fifth straight win.

The Rockies earned their 32nd road win, topping last year's total, and putting them within six of 2007's franchise-best 38 wins away from home.

"Our style of play hasn't changed whether we're at Coors Field or on the road," Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. "We don't have to do a lot of things drastically different. Our approach offensively has not changed. I remember back in the day, when the Rockies would get out of Coors Field, I'd see a lot of fly balls on the warning track."

Atkins, starting for just the 18th time since June 14, easily cleared the warning track with a two-out, two-run homer off Jamie Moyer (10-8) in the second inning. Atkins then laced a two-run double in the sixth after the Phillies cut the lead to 4-2 on Jimmy Rollins' home run.

"When you're playing every day, if you have one bad game, there's always tomorrow," Atkins said. "When you're a bench guy, you put more pressure on yourself to prove that you deserve to be playing. The key is not trying to do too much."

Colorado added two more runs in the inning to put the game out of reach. The Rockies finished with 11 hits, and every starter except for second baseman Clint Barmes had at least one.

Atkins improved to 17 for 46 (.370 average) against left-handers and helped send the suddenly struggling World Series Champions to their fifth loss in six games. The Rockies are 41-19 under manager Jim Tracy.

Hammel (6-6) gave up three runs and nine hits in 6 2-3 innings. He struck out six and walked none. The right-hander, who also had a hit and scored a run, recovered well from last Thursday's outing against the Mets, when he allowed five runs in 1 1-3 innings. He won his first game since beating Oakland on June 26.

"My confidence wasn't shaken," Hammel said. "The results that were bugging me. I felt good, but things weren't happening. It was nice to start August off right."

Hammel got out of a jam in the third inning, when a pair of two-out hits and a hit batter loaded the bases for Ryan Howard. The righty went to a 3-2 cout, then struck out the Phillies slugger with a slider.

"That inning, there wasn't a hard-hit ball," Hammel said. "They were finding holes, so I wasn't in panic mode. I was one pitch away. I executed those pitches to Howard."

Moyer extended his 10-start pattern of alternating good starts and bad ones, with a subpar effort. The 46-year-old lefty allowed six runs in five innings, and left after walking Troy Tulowitzki and Brad Hawpe to start the sixth. His 5.55 ERA is the second-worst among National League starters, ahead of St. Louis' Todd Wellemeyer.

"I don't have an answer for that," Moyer said. "I'm working as hard as I can to improve my consistency."

The Phillies will soon have to make room for veteran right-hander Pedro Martinez, who is scheduled to make a rehab start at Double-A Reading on Wednesday. J.A. Happ or Moyer may be removed from the rotation.

"We haven't talked about that yet," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said, emphatically.

Atkins had four RBIs for the first time since driving in five last Aug. 29. The veteran third baseman, coming off a .286 season with 21 homers, has found limited opportunities this season. He has been supplanted as the starter by Ian Stewart and though the two have similar batting averages, Stewart is defensively superior and has 18 home runs.

Atkins appeared to recapture his hitting stroke in June, when he batted .327 in 55 at-bats, with three homers, eight RBIs and a .393 on-base percentage. He hit .195 with five RBIs in 41 at-bats last month.

Rockies catcher Chris Ianetta, who followed Atkins and batted eighth, drew a bases-loaded walk and had an RBI single.

"When you get three hits and six RBIs from your seven and eight-hole, you'd like to think some very good things are going to happen," Tracy said. "We played great. We took good at-bats all night long and we pitched very well. We played a very good ballgame tonight."

NOTES: Tulowitzki and Rollins both extended their hitting streaks to 10 games. ... Phillies RHP Brett Myers (hip) is scheduled to throw a simulated game on Thursday in Clearwater , Fla. ... RHP Pedro Martinez is headed to Double-A Reading to start against the Trenton Thunder, in what could be his final rehab start before joining the Phillies. ... CF Shane Victorino, who missed four games when he bruised his left knee make a diving catch against the D-backs, returned to the Phillies' starting lineup on Tuesday.