SAN DIEGO -- The bad news for Shawn Chacon is he's not going to get another chance to face the San Diego Padres until September.
 | |
| Shawn Chacon (11-3) lowers his ERA to 3.91 by allowing one run in seven innings.(AP) |
Chacon (11-3) held the Padres to four hits in seven innings to win his third straight start and seven of eight. He tied his season-high with eight strikeouts and walked one in beating the Rockies' NL West rivals for the third time in as many starts this year.
Chacon has pitched 20 2/3 innings against San Diego this year, holding the Padres to three runs on 13 hits while striking out 18 and walking five. His ERA in those three starts is 1.31.
"Tonight I had all four pitches working so I think it does work to a certain point to your advantage," Chacon said. "They're a good ballclub and I think it's a team we can beat and we should beat, and hopefully we'll win this series."
Chacon, who was 5-11 with a 5.73 ERA last year, had command of his fastball, change-up, curveball and slider.
"Anytime there's a pitcher out there with command of four pitches and he's hitting his spots, it's a tough night to hit," manager Clint Hurdle said.
Chacon held the heart of the Padres' order hitless until Ryan Klesko drove his first pitch of the seventh over the 405 sign in center field for his 15th homer.
Chacon beat the Padres 5-3 on Wednesday night at Coors Field. San Diego's Kevin Jarvis (0-2) lost both games.
"Chacon has our number," Padres manager Bruce Bochy said. "We just can't figure him out. He's having a heck of a season, and he continued that tonight."
San Diego's Gary Bennett, who caught Chacon with the Rockies for parts of the previous two seasons, said the right-hander has more confidence this year.
"Last year he could come out and throw a gem, then come out the next game and be inconsistent," Bennett said. "This year, he's trusting his stuff more and he's consistently hitting his pitches."
Larry Walker hit a solo homer and Chris Stynes a two-run single for the Rockies, who have won three straight and five of six.
Jarvis fell behind 2-0 after facing six batters. Juan Uribe hit a leadoff double and Todd Helton was intentionally walked with one out. That backfired when Jarvis walked Preston Wilson to load the bases. Stynes hit a two-run single with two outs.
With one out in the sixth, Walker reached the seats in right-center with his seventh homer. Charles Johnson added a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0, and Wilson had an RBI single in the seventh.
Jarvis allowed four runs and six hits in six innings, struck out six and walked four.
The Rockies turned a 1-5-3 double play to end the eighth. Mark Kotsay's liner hit reliever Nelson Cruz on the right hip and caromed to third baseman Stynes, who doubled off Gary Matthews Jr. at first.
Notes
- Chacon joins Toronto's Roy Halladay as the only 11-game winners in the majors.
- Klesko's homer was his 100th with the Padres.
- Chacon set the Rockies' record for wins before the All-Star break. He had been tied with Kevin Ritz, who was 10-5 during the first half of 1996.
- Padres slugger Phil Nevin took batting practice Monday for the first time since dislocating his left shoulder diving for a fly ball in left field on March 7 during a spring training game. When he was hurt, it was thought that Nevin might miss the whole season, but the team's medical staff never ruled him out, and his rehab has gone well. Nevin thinks he might return to action around Aug. 15. "I felt great," Nevin said.
- 3B Sean Burroughs missed his second straight start with a groin injury. He pinch-hit for reliever Luther Hackman in the eighth.
AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service
Copyright 2003, The
Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
