Colorado Springs, L 2-7 - Ian Stewart hit his 15th homer. Franklin Morales allowed six runs and walked five in 5 1/3 innings. Two of the six runs scored as inherited runners after Matt Daley relieved. Morales had two errors on pickoff attempts.

Tulsa, L 3-9 - Todd Ritchie allowed eight runs in 5 2/3 IP, Casey Weathers struck out one in his one inning of work, and Eddie Cornejo hit a two-run homer.

Modesto, W 7-4 - Travis Becktel had a three-run triple in the eight as part of a five-run inning for the Nuts. Entering that inning, the Nuts had been trailing 2-5 to San Jose. Nelson Robledo had a sac fly earlier in the inning, and Anthony Jackson scored Becktel on a bunt ground hit immediately after Becktel's triple.

Aneury Rodriguez allowed four runs over 4 2/3 innings, but Tommy Baumgardner, Will Harris, and Andrew Johnston held San Jose scoreless over the final 4 1/3 innings. Johnston did walk two on his way to his 15th save.

Jhoulys Chacin will make his first start for Modesto on Tuesday, and here's Sunday's Q&A with Jason Van Kooten.

Asheville, L 1-4 - Mike Mitchell's double was one of three hits by the Tourists. He also stole two bases, with 33 for the season. Helder Velazquez racked up his 23rd error, while Darin Holcomb had his 10th and Cory Riordan his third. Riordan ("pitching with a sizeable blister on his middle finger") went 7 2/3 innings, allowed all four runs (three earned), and struck out four.

Tri-City, L 5-7 - Kenny Durst failed to make it out of the fourth, allowing six runs in 3 1/3 innings. Andy Groves allowed one more runs and three hits, but Jeff Murphy, and Carlos Luna held Spokane hitless over the final three innings. Austin Rauch had a double, a triple, and an RBI.

Casper, W 10-7 in 13 innings - Jeff Fischer still can't record his first pro victory. Casper pitchers blew the game three times. A 3-2 game in favor of Casper, Fischer left the game in the seventh with two men on and one out to go. Adam Jorgenson came in and saw both runners score. One scored on Jorgenson's wild pitch and the other scored on double (after the runner moved to third on a passed ball by Wilin Rosario). After Zack Murry doubled and scored on a Shane Lowe triple in the eighth, the score remained the same until the 10th. Casper scored a run, but Isaiah Froneberger gave it right back on a wild pitch. In the 11th, Mike Zuanich drove in Wilin Rosario on a double, and Zack Murry tipled in Zuanich. Yes, Casper blew the game again. Juan Rodriguez allowed a single and a walk in the 11th before Kyle Walker relieved him. Walker walked the bases loaded and then allowed a run on another walk. The second run came on a sac fly. After no runs scored in the 12th, Casper scored three on a double, a wild pitch, and a single in the 13th.

Ronny Lopez pitched the final two innings to pick up his first win. Andres Marrero struck out four between the eighth and ninth innings. Zack Murry went 4-for-5 with three runs scored, a double, a triple, and an RBI. Carlos Martinez and Wilin Rosario each had three hits in seven ABs.

Colorado Springs, W 13-1 - Christian Colonel went 4-for-5 with three runs scored, a double, a home run, and two RBI. Doug Bernier went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, a home run, and two RBI. Edwin Bellorin had three RBI, two on a home run. Sean Barker had a two-run triple as a pinch-hitter for Mark Redman in the sixth. Jonathan Herrera, Seth Smith, and Joe Koshansky picked up one RBI each.

Mark Redman held Fresno scoreless over six innings and allowed only two hits. Juan Morillo pitched hte final 1 2/3 innings, striking out two, and walking none.

Tulsa - Postponed due to wet grounds. Todd Ritchie is now part of the rotation.

Modesto - All-Star Break.

Asheville, L 3-8 - Darin Holcomb hits his 10th homer, a solo shot, and scored twice. Everth Cabrera and Cory Riordan both committed two errors last night while David Christensen had one to place the team's total at five. Riordan allowed five runs (one earned) over five innings. He walked two and struck out four.

Tri-City, W 3-1 - After Salem-Kaizer's sac fly in the top of the second, Tri-City answered with a Patrick Rose sac fly and a Scott Robinson run scored on a Thomas Field ground out. In the eighth, Patrick Rose started the inning with a triple and scored two batters later when Leonardo Reyes put down a sac bunt. Reyes wound up on first after a missed catch by the second baseman.

Kenny Durst held Salem-Kaizer to three hits and one run (zero earned) in five innings. He walked four and struck out three. Michael Marbry, Ethan Katz, and Austin Chambliss allowed two hits over the next four innings, both by Marbry. Chambliss picked up his second save.

Casper - Postponed due to rain.

Colorado Springs. L 2-3 - Jayson Nix had his eighth homer and Dustan Mohr hit an RBI double to score the runs.

Glendon Rusch made the start for the Sky Sox and picked up the loss. He allowed three runs over seven innings. Micah Bowie pitched the other inning and allowed two hits.

Tulsa, W 12-3 - In the bottom of the first, the Drillers countered NW Arkansas' sac fly with five runs. Matt Miller and Jeff Kindel had RBI singles before Daniel Carte hot a three-run homer (7). In the bottom of the fourth Miller had another RBI, and Kindel had a sac fly. No, Daniel Carte did not have another home run. Jeff Dragicevich hit a grand slam (9) instead. Kindel (4) homered in the sixth to score the twelfth run. Dexter Fowler had three hits, Eric Young Jr. stole his 14th base, and Corey Wimberly swiped his 28th base.

Brandon Hynick allowed all three runs (two earned) in seven innings. The last two came in his final inning. He walked two and struck out three.

Modesto. L 3-4 in 11 innings - In regulation innings, this game was tied at one. Travis Becktel had an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth. In the bottom of the 10th, Nick Haley's RBI single put the game into another inning of baseball, but Stockton scored two in the top half of the inning. With two outs, Anthony Jackson scored in the bottom of the 11th on a fielding error by the center fielder, followed by a Victor Ferrante strikeout to end the game.

Simon Ferrer made the start and did well. In five innings, he held the Ports to only a run on five hits and a walk. Chris Malone and Will Harris each had two innings of no-run ball before giving way to other pitchers in extra innings. Andrew Johnston allowed one run on three hits in the 10th, and Andy Graham allowed two runs in the 11th on a three hits (the runs scoring on a double and a single).

News and notes from Brian VanderBeek's latest blog entry: Aneury Rodriguez received a five-game suspension, and the others three games; Troy Tulowitzki is rehabbing with the Nuts; Geoff Strickland was released; Todd Ritchie starts for the Nuts tonight.

Asheville - No game scheduled. The Tourists can clinch a spot in the playoffs this week.

Dave Krieger explains why we saw Yorvit Torrealba pinch hit for Scott Podsednik:

Sometimes, National League managers seem to love the double switch so much it becomes an end in itself. With Taveras having run for Iannetta earlier in the inning - a center fielder for a catcher - it was just so symmetrical to hit Torrealba for Podsednik - a catcher for a center fielder - even though Podsednik was hitting 70 points higher than Torrealba.

So much for a symmetrical move working out. A little asymmetry is not going to kill anyone.

The Rockies signed Todd Ritchie to a minor league contract and sent him to extended spring training. He last pitched in the majors during the 2004 season for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. It doesn't hurt to see what Ritchie can do, but really? Ritchie's had one good season and that was in the last century. He was a 15-game winner for the Pirates in 1999 with 3.49 ERA that season, his career low. Nice to see a guy attempt a comeback, but at 36 (37 in November) what can we expect out of him? Yes, I already know the responses to that question.

There's also a bit in the last link on Kip Wells, his surgery, and the surgery his daughter recently had.

If Todd Ritchie isn't the solution to the Rockies' pitching woes, maybe the Dragonslayer is? Or Julian Tavarez? Or Rich Harden? Or Joe Blanton? Or Kevin Millwood? The first two names are the most likely candidates to don Rockies uniforms as the club waits for Morales to show improvement, for Reynolds to be ready in a month, and for Hirsh to return from his injury. As O'Dowd says, he's looking for a guy to make a few starts between now and sometime in June. Morales makes his first Triple-A start Sunday in the meantime.