Sep 16, 2007, 22:49 GMT
Denver, CO - Franklin Morales combined with three relievers on a five-hit shutout as Colorado routed Florida, 13-0, to avoid a sweep in the finale of a three-game set Coors Field.
Morales (2-2) allowed just three hits and fanned five for the Rockies, who snapped a three-game skid and stayed 4 1/2 games behind San Diego in the NL wild card race. Jorge Julio, Brian Fuentes and Manny Corpas combined to finish things with an inning of scoreless relief apiece.
Garrett Atkins, Chris Iannetta, Matt Holliday and Todd Helton all homered for Colorado, which pounded out 20 hits in the win.
Hanley Ramirez finished 1-for-3 for the Marlins, who lost for the first time in five games.
Scott Olsen (9-14) was touched for six runs on eight hits in just two-plus innings of work en route to the loss.
The Rockies jumped on top with a four-run second inning. Atkins led off by belting his 23rd home run of the year over the wall in left. Ryan Spilborghs and Jeff Baker followed with consecutive singles and both advanced when Olsen uncorked a wild pitch. Iannetta then crushed a three-run homer over the wall in right-center.
Colorado added two more runs in the third. Consecutive singles by Holliday, Helton and Atkins loaded the bases before Olsen issued a walk to Spilborghs to force in a run. The Marlins mercifully lifted Olsen at that point for Ross Wolf, who managed to keep the damage to a minimum although Helton did score on Jason Wood's fielding error, however, to make it 6-0
The Rockies kept pulling away in the fourth. Troy Tulowitzki singled and Holliday followed by blasting his 32nd homer of the year over the wall in left to put Colorado on top 8-0.
The rout was on in the fifth. Morales greeted Mauro Zarate with a single. Two batter later Holliday doubled to left and Helton followed with a two-out, three-run homer to right and the Rockies led 11-0. It was the 14th homer of the year for Helton and the 300th in his brilliant career.
'That's a lot of home runs, I'm very proud of it,' said Helton. 'I wish I had more than this, but you just got to do the best with what you've got.'
The Rockies finished the scoring with two more runs in the eighth. After Spilborghs and Baker singled, Omar Quintanilla slapped a run-scoring double to right and Baker scored when Cody Ross booted a Jamey Carroll grounder.
'Winning today was huge,' said Spilborghs. 'We're not scoreboard watching yet, but winning today was huge because we have to win every game.'
Game Notes
The game was delayed for 30 minutes by rain after the bottom of the fifth inning...The Rockies purchased the contract of outfielder Seth Smith from Triple-A Colorado Springs before the game. To make room on the 40-man roster for Smith, the club transferred pitcher Aaron Cook from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list.
© 2007 The Sports Network
Game Notes.
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