Helton, Rockies blast Phils

Sep 13, 2007, 2:30 GMT

Philadelphia, PA - Todd Helton went 3-for-4 with three RBI, and Matt Holliday belted a three-run homer as the Colorado Rockies ripped the Philadelphia Phillies, 12-0, in the third of a four-game set.

The game got off to a great start for the Phils, as they turned a triple play in the top of the first and loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom half. They failed to score, though, and soon saw starter Kyle Kendrick limp off after taking a line drive from Garrett Atkins to the knee, before their bullpen imploded, allowing eight runs on eight hits.

Troy Tulowitzki added two hits, two RBI, and scored twice for the Rockies, who have won three of four to pull dead even with the Phillies and Dodgers at 2 1/2 games behind the Padres for the NL wild card.

Mark Redman (1-4) threw five innings of two-hit ball, fanning four in relief of fellow reliever Denny Bautista, who pitched the first two shutout innings.

Kendrick (8-4) gave up seven hits and four runs in three-plus innings for the Phils, who have dropped two in a row after winning three straight. The Phillies managed only four singles in the game.

Cory Sullivan led off the game with a looping fly ball to shallow left that Phils leftfielder Pat Burrell misplayed into a single, and Troy Tulowitzki followed with a bunt single. Holliday followed by ripping a liner that third baseman Greg Dobbs speared for the first out. Dobbs threw to Chase Utley at second, doubling off Sullivan, and Utley ran over and tagged out Tulowitzki to complete the triple play, ending the inning.

The Phils squandered their bases-loaded, no-outs chance in the first, though, as Ryan Howard struck out, Aaron Rowand fouled out, and Dobbs flied out. Things immediately went south for Philadelphia after that.

Holliday's three-run blast to left with two outs in the third put the Rockies on the board, and then Atkins knocked Kendrick out of the game to start the fourth. Atkins led off by ripped a liner back up the middle that deflected off Kendrick's knee and straight up in the air. Atkins reached safely on the hit, while Kendrick crumbled to the field in pain. After a few minutes he was able to walk off the field with assistance from team trainers.

X-Rays taken on Kendrick's knee during the game were negative, and he is listed as day-to-day with a right lateral knee contusion.

John Ennis came out of the bullpen for the Phillies and was ripped for two hits and five runs in two-thirds of an inning, on an Omar Quintanilla RBI single and a two-run single by Tulowitzki. Ennis left with the bases loaded and two outs, and Clay Condrey allowed a bases-clearing double to center by Helton, staking the Rockies to a 9-0 lead on three runs that were all charged to Ennis.

Sullivan added a solo homer to left in the sixth, and Ian Stewart laced a pinch-hit RBI double in the eighth. Chris Iannetta's RBI single in the ninth capped the scoring.

Game Notes

Holliday has homered in four straight games for the first time in his career...Rockies catcher Yorvit Torrealba was ejected after striking out looking to end the second, for arguing balls and strikes with home plate umpire Bill Welke...The triple play was the 30th in Phillies history, and the second this season; the Phils also turned a triple play on April 21 at Cincinnati.

© 2007 The Sports Network

Game Notes

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