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Hawpe, quick start propel Rockies past Brewers

Aug 7, 2007 - 4:38 AM DENVER (Ticker) -- Brad Hawpe helped the Colorado Rockies take an early lead that they would not relinquish.

Hawpe blasted a three-run homer in the first inning and Josh Fogg hurled seven solid innings to lift the Rockies to a 6-2 triumph over the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday in the opener of a three-game series.

Hawpe sent a 1-1 offering from Brewers starter Claudio Vargas (9-4) over the right-field wall to open a 4-0 advantage in the opening frame.

"It's good to get ahead early, especially here," Hawpe said. "If you get ahead early the pitchers can go to work. We just have a good offense, whenever we can get some runs early it gives our pitchers a chance to go out there and have fun with it."

After Todd Helton's RBI single, Garrett Atkins delivered a two-out base hit to left field, setting the stage for the 28-year-old Hawpe to belt his 19th home run of the season.

Hawpe, who entered the game in a 2-for-21 slump, added a single in third.

"It's nice to hit it like that, of course," Hawpe said. "In a season you go through times where you don't feel good at the plate, where your swing isn't quite where you want it to be. When that happens to me I think I try to do too much. Today I did some work and thought it was a new series and hit one out there."

The 30-year-old Fogg (6-7) allowed just two runs and six hits with a walk and two strikeouts. After winning just one of his first 10 starts, Fogg won for the fifth time in his last seven decisions to help the Rockies avoid a three-game losing streak.

"My job is to go out there and keep the team in it," Fogg said. "Getting six in the first two innings you have to go out there and hold that together, it has to be a win for your team. The offense did a great job early on."

The Rockies created more fireworks in the second inning. Kazuo Matsui reached on a two-out infield single and Matt Holliday followed with his team-leading 21st home run of the year, a line shot to left field that barely cleared the wall.

Holliday has scored a run in nine of his last 10 games, batting .475 with four home runs, 13 RBI and 15 runs scored in that span.

Vargas settled down after the first two innings but still suffered the loss. The Dominican righthander yielded six runs and 12 hits in his second straight loss.

"In the first I was struggling with my location," Vargas said. "The first home run was a breaking ball over the plate and the second one was a slider that went back over the plate. After that I felt good. I located better after the second inning."

The 29-year-old Vargas has now surrendered 13 runs over 9 2/3 innings in his last two starts.

Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun each hit solo home runs in the second and fourth innings, respectively, to account for the Brewers' runs.

Milwaukee will maintain its one-game lead in the National League Central over the Chicago Cubs, who suffered a 2-1 loss to the Houston Astros.