Road-warrior Rockies extend win streak to eight
The Colorado Rockies are learning to love life on the road under new manager Jim Tracy. Aaron Cook pitched shutout ball into the seventh inning and closer Huston Street shook off a ninth-inning home run by Ryan Braun to earn his fourth save in as many games, lifting the Rockies to a 5-4 victory and three-game sweep at Milwaukee yesterday.
The Colorado Rockies are learning to love life on the road under new manager Jim Tracy.
Aaron Cook pitched shutout ball into the seventh inning and closer Huston Street shook off a ninth-inning home run by Ryan Braun to earn his fourth save in as many games, lifting the Rockies to a 5-4 victory and three-game sweep at Milwaukee yesterday.
That's eight straight wins, all on the road, for the Rockies, who completed a four-game sweep of St. Louis earlier this week - shredding two of the NL Central's best over 7 days.
"I think we should just go straight to Seattle," Cook said.
Instead, the Rockies will face the Mariners at home, where they're 9-14 this season.
"Now we have to take this home with us to our fans and get our house in order," Tracy said. "Because we're a much better team at home than 9-14."
Colorado is 10-4 under Tracy, who took over for the fired Clint Hurdle on May 29.
But it's not like the Rockies were completely adversity-free: Catcher Paul Phillips nearly got run over by the Miller Park "Racing Sausage" mascots as he walked out of the dugout.
And Phillips got booed for it!
"I said, 'Jeez, tough crowd,' '' said Phillips, whose two-run single in the eighth proved to be the difference for the Rockies. "They were more into the sausage race, obviously, than they were the game."
The Rockies selected Tracy's son, Mark, a catcher at Duquesne University, in the 49th round of the first-year player draft.
"We didn't ask for any favors, but I'm proud of him," Jim Tracy said.
In other games:
* At Atlanta, Andy LaRoche delivered a two-out, two-run single in the ninth inning and Pittsburgh defeated the Braves, 3-1.
The game was tied, 1-1, after eight innings, when Atlanta replaced starter Javier Vazquez with Rafael Soriano.
Braves manager Bobby Cox was ejected by first-base umpire Brian Knight in the bottom of the ninth for a call that Kelly Johnson was out at first. The ejection was the first of the season for Cox and the 144th of his career, extending his major league record.
* At Washington, Cristian Guzman scored the go-ahead run on a throwing error by Cincinnati second baseman Brandon Phillips in the eighth inning and the Nationals beat the Reds, 3-2.
With the bases loaded and one out, Ryan Zimmerman bounced a slow grounder to shortstop Alex Gonzalez, who flipped to Phillips to force Alberto Gonzalez. As Anderson Hernandez crossed the plate with the tying run, Phillips threw wildly to first, allowing Guzman to score.
* At Miami, pinch-hitter Colby Rasmus hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning after a costly error by centerfielder Cody Ross, sending St. Louis over the Florida Marlins, 6-5.
* At Houston, Geoff Blum drove in the winning run for the second straight game, hitting an RBI single in the 13th inning that led the Astros over the Chicago Cubs, 2-1.
* At Phoenix, Max Scherzer allowed three hits over 7 2/3 dominant innings and Justin Upton drove in two runs with a homer and RBI single, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks over San Francisco, 2-1.
Noteworthy
* The New York Mets have decided to move achy righthander John Maine back a day and start Livan Hernandez against the New York Yankees tonight.
Maine said he has some discomfort in the back of his shoulder. *