Rockies beat Cards 4-3 on diving catch by Barmes

[September 28, 2009]  DENVER (AP) -- Second baseman Clint Barmes made a diving catch to start a game-ending double play, preserving the Colorado Rockies' 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.

Huston Street earned his first six-out save in three years and the Rockies remained 2 1/2 games ahead of surging Atlanta in the NL wild-card race. The Braves beat Washington 6-3 in 10 innings.

Colorado's victory also kept the Los Angeles Dodgers' magic number at two for clinching the NL West title.

One day after St. Louis wrapped up the NL Central crown, the Rockies received four scoreless innings of work from four relievers to preserve the win for Jorge De La Rosa, who was removed after the fifth.

Street was called on for his first six-out save since Aug. 2, 2006, with Oakland. He allowed leadoff hits in both the eighth and ninth, but worked his way out of it.

He needed some help in the ninth, though.

With runners on first and third and one out, Barmes sprinted out to the outfield grass on Ryan Ludwick's flair. He dove headfirst for the ball, snaring it and firing to first base to double up Albert Pujols, who ran on contact.

It was Street's 34th save in 35 chances this season.

Soon after the play, Barmes was swarmed by teammates in the outfield.

Colorado trailed 3-2 heading into the fifth, but an RBI double by Carlos Gonzalez tied the game and Todd Helton's single put the Rockies up for good.

St. Louis went with a patchwork lineup a day after celebrating the NL Central title. Yadier Molina (sore knee) and outfielder Matt Holliday (sickness) were held out for precautionary reasons.

The Cardinals still have plenty left to play for as they eye home-field advantage in the NL playoffs. They trail the Dodgers by percentage points for the best mark.

De La Rosa (16-9) became just the second lefty in team history to reach 16 wins. He gave up three runs and four hits.

He wiggled out of a bases-loaded predicament in the fourth, striking out Pujols and Ludwick.

De La Rosa couldn't escape a jam in the third, though. Pujols drilled a one-out double into the right-center gap, clearing the bases.

After walking the next two, De La Rosa settled down, striking out David Freese and getting Jason LaRue to pop out in foul territory.

Kyle Lohse (6-9) gave up four runs (three earned) and six hits in five innings. The righty is trying to make a case to be in the rotation come playoff time.

Pujols recorded his 181st assist of the season in the fourth, setting a National League record for first basemen. He surpassed the mark held by Mark Grace, who had 180 assists with the Chicago Cubs in 1990.

Bill Buckner holds the major league record with 184 assists in 1985 for the Boston Red Sox.

The Rockies pushed across two runs with two outs in the opening inning as Troy Tulowitzki laced an RBI triple to left-center and Brad Hawpe brought him home with a single up the middle.

NOTES: Molina is still hobbled after being struck on the left knee by a foul ball Saturday. He will be re-evaluated in Cincinnati. ... A young fan was taken to a first-aid station at Coors Field after Pujols' bat sailed into the stands on a swinging strike in the fourth. Rockies club officials declined to release any information, citing federal privacy laws. The team wouldn't say if the bat struck the young fan. ... Cardinals INF Brendan Ryan left the game in the sixth with a bruised right index finger after he was struck on the hand while bunting.

[Associated Press; By PAT GRAHAM]

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