Dexter Fowler, Ryan Spilborghs, and Garrett Atkins had two hits apiece, and Jason Hammel tossed 6.2 innings of solid baseball as the Rockies defeated the Phillies 8-3.
Atkins had four runs batted in to go with his two hits and a walk. On an 0-2 pitch, he followed Spilborghs' 2-out single with a home run that stayed just inside the left field foul pole in the second inning. Then in the sixth inning, after Jimmy Rollins hit a 2-run blast of his own to cut the Rockies' lead to 4-2, Atkins smacked a double over the head of Shane Victorino that plated Spilborghs and Troy Tulowitzki. Two singles (by Chris Iannetta and Hammel) and a double (by Fowler) later, the Rox found themselves ahead by six runs. All of the hits in that big inning came at the expense of former Rockie Rodrigo Lopez, who is fighting to keep his job.
Hammel (6-6) allowed 3 runs on 9 hits and struck out 6 in a good bounce-back effort, after he failed to make it out of the second inning in his last outing. After allowing a couple of baserunners in the 7th, Jim Tracy called upon Joe Beimel to get out of the inning and he did just that, getting Chase Utley to fly out. He stayed in to pitch the 8th, and retired the Phillies in order. Jhoulys Chacin handled the ninth, and walked a batter, but he made two good hitters in Pedro Feliz and Jimmy Rollins look pretty silly while striking them out.
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Tomorrow: Jorge De La Rosa (9-7) vs. J.A. Happ (7-2). Same time, same place. GO ROCKIES!!!!!!