Rockies blast Cardinals 9-3; De La Rosa picks up win

[May 09, 2008]  DENVER (AP) -- Matt Holliday had four singles, Jorge De La Rosa scattered five hits over 5 2-3 innings and the Colorado Rockies beat the St. Louis Cardinals 9-3 Thursday to salvage a split in their four-game series.

Omar Quintanilla added a career-high three hits and Garrett Atkins finished 2-for-3 with a double, triple and two RBIs for the Rockies.

De La Rosa (1-1) was making his second start for Colorado since being acquired April 30 from the Triple-A Omaha Royals. He gave up two runs while striking out five.

Kyle Lohse (3-2) struggled for a second straight outing, allowing seven runs and eight hits in four innings. Lohse was coming off a sensational April in which he allowed just nine runs in 34 1-3 innings. So far in May, though, he's surrendered 15 runs and 17 hits in 10 innings.

The Rockies have now won two in a row at home at Coors Field for the first time since early April, when they took three from Atlanta.

Ryan Ludwick continued his torrid hitting this series with two solo home runs Thursday. He went 9-for-13 in the four-game series with three doubles, three home runs and six RBIs. Ludwick entered Coors Field with a .308 average and departed at .363.

Albert Pujols had a single in the sixth, running his streak of reaching base to 36 straight games. It's the longest streak to start a season since 1999, when Derek Jeter reached in 53 straight games and Jim Thome in 37.

Third baseman Brendan Ryan's misplay of Holliday's grounder opened the door for a four-run first inning. Ryan waited back on the ball only to have it hop over his glove for what originally was ruled an error and later switched to a hit.

Todd Helton followed with an RBI double that hit off the top of the right-field wall. Rockies manager Clint Hurdle argued with first plate umpire Bob Davidson that it should have been a homer since it hit above the yellow line on the fence, but Helton remained on second.

It didn't matter. Atkins and Ryan Spilborghs drew walks and Chris Iannetta laced a two-run single to right. Clint Barmes followed with an RBI double just past the diving Ryan.

Notes: It's the 11th time in Holliday's career he's tied his high of four hits. He also scored three runs. ... Cardinals OF Rick Ankiel was given the day off. ... 3B Troy Glaus didn't start but entered the game in the fifth to pinch hit and drew a walk. ... Cardinals manager Tony La Russa remains three wins shy of No. 2,400 in his career. ... Iannetta started behind the plate for a career-best fifth straight game.

[Associated Press; By PAT GRAHAM]

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