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Rockies break 7-game road skid, 6-3 over Pirates

Aug 7, 2010 - 4:10 AM PITTSBURGH(AP) -- Talk about a productive pregame meeting.

Troy Tulowitzki hit a tiebreaking RBI single with two out in the seventh inning and the Colorado Rockies beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-3 on Friday night to snap a seven-game road losing streak.

Rockies manager Jim Tracy had a 20-minute meeting with his position players to discuss the team's lack of offense away from Coors Field, and the lineup responded with 15 hits and by scoring more than four runs in a road game for the first time since the losing streak began.

"That was one of our better offensive games on the road this year," Tracy said. "The approach taken by the entire lineup was very, very impressive tonight.

"That's the type of offense we want to see as we move forward through the remainder of the season. It was terrific."

Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez and Clint Barmes each had three hits for the Rockies, who have won six of eight overall as they fight to stay in the National League playoff race. Jason Hammel pitches six solid innings to win for the first time since July 10.

"It's a big help when the guys come through and score some runs for me," Hammel said. "It allows you to make some mistakes, and tonight I got away with a few. But it was a hitter's night tonight."

Rookie Pedro Alvarez hit a three-run homer for the last-place Pirates, who have lost 11 of 15.

Hammel (8-6) allowed three runs and three hits. He was 0-3 with a 5.33 ERA in his previous four starts.

Matt Belisle, Joe Beimel and Huston Street combined to finish up, with Street earning his seventh save in eight opportunities.

Gonzalez hit a two-out single and advanced to second on a wild pitch before Tulowitzki's hit off Chan Ho Park (0-1) made it 4-3.

Colorado added two more in the ninth. Dexter Fowler tripled and scored on Gonzalez's sacrifice fly, and pinch-hitter Jason Giambi added an RBI single.

Gonzalez has 24 homers, 74 RBIs, 72 runs, a .320 average and 15 steals to lead the Rockies in every major offensive category.

"He wasn't an All-Star, and that's a shame, isn't it?" Tracy said. "As we continue to see what's unfolded since post-All-Star break. But you know something, the numbers strongly suggest (MVP) consideration."

The Pirates tied it in the sixth. Jose Tabata hit a one-out single and Neil Walker was hit by a pitch. After Garrett Jones struck out, Alvarez hit a 2-0 pitch deep into the elevated seats in right field.

It was Alvarez's second homer in three games and eighth since July 3. He has nine overall.

"That got us right back into the game," manager John Russell said. "We were being out-hit pretty substantially to that point, and it seemed like it came out of nowhere. We came back and tied it, and there was a lot of energy right there."

Gonzalez hit a solo drive in the first for his seventh homer in his past nine games and No. 24 overall.

Tulowitzki went 3 for 5 and is 9 for 13 in his last three games. He has a .488 career batting average (21 for 43) over 11 games in Pittsburgh.

Zach Duke allowed three runs and 10 hits in six innings for the Pirates.

"The main thing is I didn't walk anybody and limited the damage and got the outs when I needed to," Duke said. "Most of their hits came with two outs and nobody on. I can take that."

NOTES: Fowler's triple was initially ruled a home run, but a replay showed the ball hit off the top of the wall in center and bounced back into play. ... Park made his Pirates debut after being claimed off waivers from the New York Yankees earlier this week. He became the 25th pitcher the team has used this season, one off the club record. ... All but one of Alvarez's nine homers have come at PNC Park.