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Hernandez earns first win as Rockies rip Nationals

Aug 17, 2008 - 3:48 AM By Jeff Campbell PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- Livan Hernandez notched his first win with the Colorado Rockies in a 13-6 rout of the Washington Nationals on Saturday.

Making his second start for the Rockies after being released by the Minnesota Twins on August 1, Hernandez (1-1) gave up six runs and 10 hits in six innings. The righthander struck out two and walked one against the club he played for from 2003-06.

"I feel very good. I felt a little tired in the sixth inning," Hernandez said. "It's difficult to pitch when you are tired. I think I'm not used to running the bases. I had a bad inning, but that's ok, we won the game."

Matt Holliday walked three times, scored three runs and added a pair of stolen bases for the Rockies. Troy Tulowitzki, who has hit safely in 12 of his last 14 road games, collected three hits and three RBI.

"I've been feeling real comfortable at the plate, I started out real slow and it was frustrating," Tulowitzki said. "I feel like I'm back to where I was last year."

The Rockies used their speed to grab a 2-0 lead against John Lannan (6-12). With one out in the first inning, Willy Taveras singled and stole second before Holliday walked.

After a double steal, Garrett Atkins drove in both runners with a line single to left field. Lannan avoided further damage by inducing Yorvit Torrealba to hit into a double play.

With the two stolen bases, Taveras extended his franchise single-season record to 58.

The Nationals scratched across two runs in the second to even the contest. After three straight singles loaded the bases, Ronnie Belliard plated Lastings Milledge with a grounder and Austin Kearns scored on a double play.

After an RBI groundout by Brad Hawpe in the third inning gave Colorado a 3-2 edge, Tulowitzki drove in a run with a two-out double and scored on Torrealba's single to push the advantage to three.

"We were real good at situational hitting opportunities tonight, very efficient, two-out RBI," Rockie manager Clint Hurdle said. "(We) answered early. They came back. We answered again. A big fifth inning. We kept grinding it out with a couple of runs late. A real good night for us offensively. We needed to have one of those."

Lannan was knocked out of the game after walking the first two batters and yielding an RBI single by Hawpe during the Rockies' six-run fifth. Garrett Mock came on and allowed five consecutive batters to reach base before Taveras ended the run with a sacrifice fly.

Lannan yielded eight runs, seven hits and four walks in four-plus frames.

"I don't even know what was going on," Lannan said. "It was definitely a start you've got to forget about."

Milledge collected three hits for the Nationals, including a two-run double in the sixth inning.