Forgot Log-in or  Password? |  Help  Not a member, Register Now!

Montreal at Colorado

Scoreboard
Montreal001000010282
Colorado «00000400x4100
Rockies 4, Expos 2
 

  •  

DENVER -- The Colorado Rockies kept their composure on a bizarre night that featured two long rain delays and a crowd so small whistles were echoing off the empty seats.

Greg Norton and Ronnie Belliard each had two-out, RBI singles during Colorado's four-run sixth inning as the Rockies beat the Montreal Expos 4-2 Thursday night.

"There's a level of professionalism you've got to take out there with you regardless of the situations, the weather or the crowds," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "We were able to stay focused and pull it off tonight."

Colorado won its third straight and improved to 14-5 at Coors Field, the best home record in the National League.

Vladimir Guerrero hit his eighth homer of the season for Montreal, which couldn't get much going after the second rain delay. The Expos, coming off their first three-game sweep in San Francisco in nearly eight years, lost for just the third time in 10 games.

"It's really tough on players when you have a delay that long," Expos manager Frank Robinson said. "Surely, it is tough to go back out there with the same intensity."

Colorado scored all of its runs in the sixth inning without getting a ball out of the infield.

Montreal's T.J. Tucker (0-1), who relieved starter Javier Vazquez, intentionally walked Larry Walker with two outs and a runner on third. He then walked Jose Hernandez and Charles Johnson, forcing in Jay Payton and tying the game at 1.

Norton knocked in another run with a single off first baseman Jeff Liefer's glove, then Joey Eischen hit Chris Stynes on the foot. Belliard made it 4-1 with an infield single up the middle.

"I pretty much lost the game," Tucker said. "Everything was working. My problem was I tried to pinpoint every pitch."

Both starters were gone before the end of the fourth inning after two rain delays that lasted a total of 2 hours, 15 minutes. Most of what was already a small crowd left, too.

The few fans that remained were particularly rowdy and individual heckles could be heard even from the upper decks. During the top of the fifth inning, one group of fans in the middle deck started whistling just so they could hear it echo off the empty seats.

"I've played in front of less," Hurdle said. "I played in Oakland, Calif., when I think they had the lowest. That has nothing to do with it. You're going out and playing a game."

Todd Jones (1-1) got the win after replacing Colorado starter Jason Jennings in the fifth inning. He allowed two hits in two innings after allowing 10 runs his previous seven innings.

Guerrero made it 4-2 in the eighth with a solo homer to left off Brian Fuentes, but Jose Jimenez pitched a perfect ninth for his 11th save in 12 chances.

"Everybody that got the ball on the hill today threw well," Hurdle said.

Colorado had a runner at third with none out in the second inning after Guerrero dropped Preston Wilson's fly ball against the wall in right for an error, but the game was halted due to rain before the next hitter.

Vazquez stranded Wilson 58 minutes later, striking out Walker and Hernandez and getting Norton to pop out to left. He allowed two hits in 3 1/3 innings.

"I couldn't have come back," Vazquez said. "I had thrown 54 pitches and I was pretty much done."

Jennings was also bothered by the rain delay. He threw just 22 pitches through the first two innings, but gave up a pair of singles to start the third before Endy Chavez knocked in a run with a groundout.

Jennings gave up three hits and a run in four innings.

"The rain was frustrating because I think that is the best rhythm I have had all year," Jennings said. "Having it cut short due to the weather was frustrating, but it was something positive to build on."

Colorado's Todd Helton reached on a single to open the fourth, but more rain led to a delay of an hour and 17 minutes. Tucker then struck out Wilson and got Hernandez to ground into a double play.

Notes: Montreal 2B Jose Vidro was back in the lineup after missing two games with a strained right groin. He went 0-for-4. ... Both teams took batting practice indoors due to storms in the area. ... The Expos failed to score in the seventh inning for the first time in nine games. ... Wilson was 0-for-3 to end an 11-game hit streak.


AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2003, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
 
 
 

CBSSports.com Shop

Endy Chavez, CF300100 .265
   a- Jose Macias, PH-CF101000 .238
Orlando Cabrera, SS300011 .284
Jose Vidro, 2B400000 .324
Vladimir Guerrero, RF412100 .287
Jeff Liefer, 1B401000 .203
Fernando Tatis, 3B400000 .220
Ron Calloway, LF411001 .242
Michael Barrett, C302001 .161
   b- Brian Schneider, PH100001 .214
Javier Vazquez, P000000 .176
    T.J. Tucker, P100000 .000
    Joey Eischen, P000000 .000
   c- Jamey Carroll, PH101000 .350
    Dan Smith, P000000 .000
   d- Henry Mateo, PH100000 .333
Totals3428214 
a-singled for Chavez in the 7th
b-struck out for Barrett in the 9th
c-singled for Eischen in the 7th
d-grounded out for Smith in the 9th
Batting
2B - Vladimir Guerrero (7, T. Jones), Jeff Liefer (3, J. Jennings)
HR - Vladimir Guerrero (8, Fuentes)
SH - Javier Vazquez (2)
RBI - Endy Chavez (10), Vladimir Guerrero (29)
SB - Endy Chavez (6, 2nd base off T. Jones/Johnson)
Team LOB - 7
Fielding
Outfield Assists - Vladimir Guerrero 2
DP - Tatis-Vidro-Liefer, Vidro-Cabrera-Liefer, Tatis-Cabrera-Liefer
E - Vladimir Guerrero (4, Dropped fly), T.J. Tucker (1, Wild throw)
Javier Vazquez 3.1200130 3.42
T.J. Tucker (L,0-1) 2.1444300 4.22
Joey Eischen 0.1200000 1.84
Dan Smith 2200120 3.80
IBB - Walker by T.J. Tucker
HBP - Stynes (by Joey Eischen)
WP - Dan Smith (5)
Pitches-Strikes - Javier Vazquez 54-34, T.J. Tucker 38-16, Joey Eischen 12-6, Dan Smith 26-14
Ground Balls-Fly Balls - Javier Vazquez 2-5, T.J. Tucker 5-0, Joey Eischen 1-0
Batters Faced - Javier Vazquez 13, T.J. Tucker 12, Joey Eischen 4, Dan Smith 8
Ron Belliard, 2B503100 .289
Jay Payton, LF411000 .316
Todd Helton, 1B402000 .318
Preston Wilson, CF300011 .335
Larry Walker, RF310011 .262
Jose Hernandez, SS310012 .280
Charles Johnson, C212120 .248
Greg Norton, 3B402100 .175
Jason Jennings, P100000 .357
    Todd Jones, P100000 .000
   a- Chris Stynes, PH000100 .243
    Brian Fuentes, P000000 .000
   b- Mark Sweeney, PH100001 .273
    Jose Jimenez, P000000 .000
Totals31410455 
a-hit by pitch for T. Jones in the 6th
b-struck out (wild pitch) for Fuentes in the 8th
Batting
2B - Charles Johnson (7, Tucker)
RBI - Ron Belliard (15), Charles Johnson (17), Greg Norton (5), Chris Stynes (22)
2-OUT RBI - Ron Belliard (5), Charles Johnson (12), Greg Norton (2), Chris Stynes (13)
SB - Larry Walker (3, 2nd base off Tucker/Barrett)
Team LOB - 9
Jason Jennings 4311110 5.55
Todd Jones (W,1-1) 2200000 7.59
Brian Fuentes (H,3) 2311021 4.42
Jose Jimenez (S,11) 1000010 6.64
Pitches-Strikes - Jason Jennings 58-39, Todd Jones 34-27, Brian Fuentes 33-23, Jose Jimenez 16-11
Ground Balls-Fly Balls - Jason Jennings 6-5, Todd Jones 3-3, Jose Jimenez 2-0
Batters Faced - Jason Jennings 16, Todd Jones 8, Brian Fuentes 9, Jose Jimenez 3
Attendance - 23197
Game Time - 2:35
Temperature - 64
Umpires - Home - Doug Eddings, First Base - Ron Kulpa, Second Base - Mike Winters, Third Base - Bruce Froemming
Other Games
TB 9 Final
Tor 5
KC 9 Final (14)
Min 5
Sea 9 Final
Cle 1
Oak 11 Final
Det 2
Tex 3 Final
Bos 12
Ana 4 Final
NYY 10
Balt 2 Final
CHW 8
Hou 6 Final
Pitt 2
CHC 4 Final (17)
Mil 2
Cin 3 Final
StL 6
Ariz 4 Final
Phi 6
Atl 15 Final
SD 6
NYM 3 Final
SF 11