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Maddux sharp as Padres shut out Rockies

Aug 15, 2007 - 5:51 AM By Tim Powers PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

San Diego (Ticker) -- Greg Maddux showed vintage form and the San Diego Padres used a six-run second inning to cruise to an easy 8-0 win over the Colorado Rockies in the series opener Tuesday.

Kevin Kouzmanoff homered and drove in three for the Padres, who won for the third time in four games.

Maddux (8-9) tossed 5 2/3 shutout innings in picking up his 341st career win, one shy of Tim Keefe for ninth place on the all-time list. The 41-year-old righthander struck out six and did not walk a batter.

"The mistakes I made, they hit at somebody," Maddux said. "We got a lot of runs and that changes things when you get a lot of runs. We got a couple of bounces and they didn't. It's just one of those things."

Cla Meredith retired the only batter he faced in the sixth before Joe Thatcher tossed two scoreless innings. Doug Brocail retired the side in the ninth as San Diego won its fifth straight at home.

"I think it's good momentum going into the rest of the series," Kouzmanoff said. "It's a big win for us tonight. Definitely, some positive things happened for us."

Colorado's best scoring chance against Maddux came in the third as they put runners on second and third with two outs, but the veteran Maddux got Todd Helton to fly out to left and escaped unscathed.

Riding a franchise-best eight-game winning streak, Colorado starter Jeff Francis (13-6) was hit hard on Tuesday, surrendering eight runs in just 3 1/3 innings. The lanky lefthander walked six and struck out four, throwing 84 pitches - just 44 for strikes.

"Mechanically I felt good, and physically I felt strong," Francis said. "I let it get piled up on me pretty quick. I started walking a couple of guys, and instead of taking a step back, I tried to force it and it just made things worse."

San Diego took Francis apart in the second, drawing five walks en route to building a 7-0 advantage. Kouzmanoff led off the frame with his 13th home run and drove in two more with a single as the Padres sent 10 batters to the plate in the inning.

"We're just going to wash it off," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "I'm going to wash it off, he's going to go wash it off. We're all going to wash it off and show up tomorrow."

Morgan Ensberg belted a solo shot in the first, rewarding Padres manager Bud Black for going with the platoon advantage against Francis and slotting Ensberg - a long-time third baseman - at first base in place of regular Adrian Gonzalez, who bats lefthanded.

"I've said it 1,000 times - it's going to take everyone on the roster," Black said. "We talked about it as a staff, about giving (Gonzalez) a day here and there and using Morgan at first base. We just thought tonight was a good night to do it."

The home run was Ensberg's third for San Diego - 11th overall - in 12 games since coming over via a trade with Houston on July 31.

"I feel good," Ensberg said. "If I hit a ball to left, generally it's going to go out. If I get a good pitch to hit and can drive it, it's going to go out of here."

Helton had a pair of singles for the Rockies, who had won two in a row and were shut out for the seventh time this season.