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Holliday, Hawpe power Rockies over Pirates

Jul 19, 2008 - 5:36 AM By Brady Delander PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

DENVER (Ticker) -- Seth Smith figured he had an easy double, and he started to think triple as the ball rolled across the outfield. When Smith crossed home plate for an inside-the-park home run, he was half surprised he made it the full 360 feet.

Making things easier, Matt Holliday and Brad Hawpe added home runs the natural way - out of the park - as the Colorado Rockies defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates, 5-2, on Friday night.

Pinch hitting to open the seventh inning, Smith raked a line drive to right-center field that caromed off the bottom of the wall and rolled all the way to left-center with center fielder Nate McLouth in chase.

"I felt really slow," Smith said. "I rounded second and saw (third-base coach Mike Gallego) was waving me pretty emphatically. So when I got to third, I was just hoping I wouldn't trip over the bag."

Smith crossed home standing up for the seventh inside-the-park home run in Coors Field history and first given up by the Pirates since October 2001.

"He was chugging pretty good," Hawpe said of Smith.

Holliday and Hawpe each have 15 home runs. Willy Taveras stole two bases for the Rockies to improve his major league-leading total to 41.

Veteran Glendon Rusch (3-3) allowed two runs and six hits over 5 2/3 innings.

"We won, and that's all that is important this time of the season," Rusch said.

Relievers Jason Grilli and Manny Corpas bridged the gap to Brian Fuentes, who collected his 16th save of the season and 101st of his career despite talks of a looming trade.

"I don't understand why we keep fanning this fire," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "We're not putting anybody out on a clothesline and saying, 'Come look at our laundry.'"

Despite a lethargic 41-57 record, the Rockies are only eight games out of first place in the National League West. The Pirates (44-52) have a better win-loss mark but are sitting alone in the cellar of the NL East, 13 games behind the leading Cubs (57-39).

"I don't understand why their record is the way it is," Pirates starter Ian Snell said of the Rockies. "They are a good hitting team and they play good baseball."

Jose Bautista hit a solo home run and Ryan Doumit finished with two hits and a double for the Pirates, who posted their fourth loss in five games.

Taveras led off the first with a triple and Holliday then delivered a two-run homer.

Taveras increased the lead in the second after drawing a two-out walk from righthander Snell (3-8). Taveras stole second and scored after catcher Doumit's throwing error trying to catch Taveras stealing third.

"I thought (Taveras' speed) showed up significantly in that inning," Hurdle said. "That's a throwback-Joe Morgan run right there."

Bautista put Pittsburgh on the board in the third with a solo homer to left field, his 11th. The Pirates inched closer in the sixth after Jason Bay drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to deep right, cutting the deficit to 3-2.

Hawpe responded for the Rockies with solo shot to lead off the sixth. His trot around the bases was starkly different than Smith's sprint in the seventh.

"It's unfortunate that three of their hits were home runs," Pittsburgh manager John Russell said. "Offensively we're not doing it. We're not taking advantage of the opportunities we're given and having too many quick innings."