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Early rally leads Rockies over Pirates

Jul 20, 2008 - 4:22 AM By Brady Delander PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

DENVER (Ticker) -- Any fans arriving late to Coors Field on Saturday missed most of the action.

Scott Podsednik collected four hits, including a career-best three doubles, as the Colorado Rockies scored seven runs in the first two innings en route to a 7-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night.

"I'm not used to batting in the first inning," Omar Quintanilla said of hitting in the eighth slot in the Rockies' lineup. "Usually I hit in the second or third inning, but our offense got going and hitting got contagious that one inning. We got rolling, scored a couple of runs and (starter Jorge) De La Rosa did the rest."

Brad Hawpe had a RBI double among his three hits and Quintanilla added a pair of two-base hits and two RBI for Colorado, which hopes to complete a four-game sweep of Pittsburgh on Sunday.

"It's only three games and this pendulum swings big both ways," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "We won the series and that was objective number one."

Podsednik recorded the eighth four-hit game in his career, and the part-time starter is hoping to keep it going.

"All hitters go through hot streaks and cold streaks and it seems like I've been cold for quite some time," Podsednik said. "I'm hoping it's just because of the inconsistent at-bats. Tonight was a real confidence boost. A few games ago, I really had no feel at the plate.

"Something clicked and I had a good feeling up there and hopefully that will carry on."

The Pirates have now lost four of their last five games.

"We're just not getting anything going offensively," Pirates manager John Russell said. "It seems like we can't jump out into the lead. Tonight we did, then the next thing you know it's 5-1, 7-1."

The lefthander De La Rosa (4-5) fell behind early, as Ryan Doumit delivered an RBI single in the first. Pittsburgh loaded the bases later in the inning, but De La Rosa struck out Jose Bautista to avoid further damage.

De La Rosa lasted six innings, allowed one run, seven hits and two walks while striking out seven.

"I calmed after the first inning, threw more strikes and pitched much better," De La Rosa said. "I tried to keep the ball down and throw quality pitches."

After spotting the Pirates a run, the Rockies erupted for five runs in the bottom of the first. With the bases loaded, Garrett Atkins began the outburst with a sacrifice fly, and Yorvit Torrealba and Ian Stewart hit back-to-back RBI singles later in the frame before Quintanilla capped the uprising with a two-run double.

The 5-1 lead was extended in the second, when Atkins drove in Podsednik with a two-out single and scored on Hawpe's double.

That ended the night for Yoslan Herrera (0-1), who surrendered seven runs and eight hits in just 1 2/3 innings. The rookie righthander has given up 13 runs and 19 hits over six innings in two big-league starts.

"He got behind the eight ball quick and couldn't stop it," Russell said. "He was yanking pitches, then he got behind in the count. It was one of those starts where he really had nothing going for him."

Freddy Sanchez went 3-for-4 for the Pirates.