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Torrealba caps comeback as Rockies edge Phillies

Jul 7, 2007 - 7:08 AM DENVER (Ticker) -- Brad Hawpe hit a dramatic homer to keep alive the Colorado Rockies' hopes of a seventh consecutive home win. Yorvit Torrealba made it a reality in extra innings.

Hawpe homered with two outs in the ninth and Torrealba delivered an RBI single with two outs in the 11th as the Rockies extended their home winning streak to seven with a 7-6 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday.

Coming off a three-game sweep of the National League East Division-leading New York Mets, the Rockies immediately fell into a hole as the Phillies tagged starter Jeff Francis for three runs on six hits in the first inning.

Philadelphia tacked on another run in the second and two in the fifth to push its lead to 6-1. But that was all the Phillies would get as five relievers combined to toss six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits in the process.

"We should've scored more, but they had two pretty good lefties that held us, and (Jorge) Julio was throwing 96 (miles per hour) for them," Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel said. "Makes it tough to score when they do that."

Colorado began its comeback in the sixth, when Cory Sullivan - who entered the game as a pinch-hitter for Francis in the fifth and went 3-for-3 - hit a two-run single. Sullivan was playing for the first time since his wife gave birth early Thursday morning.

"Sullivan threw a big game up his last start against the Mets," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "Then his wife gives birth to a baby yesterday. His first game as a father was a pretty good one. He's doing a real fine job for us."

Matt Holliday belted a 460-foot solo homer in the seventh and Ryan Spilborghs plated Torrealba with a sacrifice fly an inning later, drawing the Rockies within 6-5.

Lefthander J.C. Romero started the ninth for Philadelphia and did his job, getting the lefthanded-hitting Todd Helton to ground out to first. Antonio Alfonseca came on to retire Garrett Atkins and had a 1-2 count against Hawpe before the 28-year-old deposited a shot over the center field wall, sending the game to extra innings.

"I got a sinker that stayed over the plate and I just tried to drive the pitch," Hawpe said. "I think our team's playing with a lot of confidence right now. Not just confidence in ourselves, but confidence in others."

J.D. Durbin (0-2), who worked around a leadoff walk in the 10th, was not as fortunate in the 11th. After Helton led off the inning with a lineout, Atkins walked and Hawpe singled.

Durbin recorded a big out by striking out Troy Tulowitzki, but Torrealba followed with a single up the middle, plating Atkins from second to complete the comeback.

"I basically was just thinking, 'Wait for your pitch and hopefully hit it back through the middle,'" Torrealba said. "I was just trying to use the big part of the field, and he threw me a slider. I didn't really hit it that hard, but it was hard enough to get a base hit."

Manny Corpas (3-2) picked up the victory after tossing a perfect top of the 11th.

Francis was on his way to just his second loss in 12 starts after surrendering six runs and 12 hits in five frames. But the lefthander remained 7-1 since a setback against San Francisco on May 2 thanks to Hawpe.

"He was wild in the zone," Hurdle said. "It's a good offensive club and he made a lot of mistakes. He kept the ball up a lot and he didn't have too many weapons tonight. You don't see that very often out of him."

Phillies rookie Kyle Kendrick lasted six innings, yielding three runs and 10 hits while striking out two and walking one.

"I felt pretty good out there," said Kendrick, who is 3-0 in five starts. "I hung some pitches and they hit them. I've just got to work on keeping the ball down. I can't believe we lost."