April 16, 2000
Colorado Rockies 14, St. Louis Cardinals 13 (Game 2)
DENVER (AP) - Jeff Manto hit a go-ahead double during an eight-run sixth inning that propelled the Colorado Rockies to a 14-13 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in the second game of a split doubleheader Sunday night. The sixth inning of Game 2 lasted an hour as the Cardinals took a 9-5 lead on a run-scoring groundout by Fernando Tatis and an RBI single by Eric Davis. Jeff Cirillo started the Colorado comeback with a two-run double off ex-Rockies reliever David Wainhouse. Mike Mohler (0-1) relieved, two batters later, but promptly walked Larry Walker to load the bases. Todd Helton tied it at 9 with a two-run single. Manto followed with a pinch double that gave the Rockies their first lead of the day. Jose Jimenez (3-0), who threw a no-hitter for the Cardinals last year, retired both hitters he faced in the sixth. The Cardinals scored four times in the ninth, but fell just short.
St. Louis Cardinals 9, Colorado Rockies 3 (Game 1)
DENVER (AP) - J.D. Drew had a three-run double Sunday to help the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Colorado Rockies 9-3 in the first game of a day-night doubleheader caused by a snowout the previous afternoon. Placido Polanco and Thomas Howard hit solo homers for the Cardinals, who gave starter Pat Hentgen (3-0) plenty of room for error in his first Coors Field appearance by roughing up Rolando Arrojo (1-1), who allowed a career-high eight runs in four innings. Hentgen gave up three runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. He left after Todd Helton's two-run single pulled Colorado to 8-3. Polanco, who went 3-for-5, and Howard each homered in the first, and Drew put the Cardinals ahead 7-1 with a two-out, bases-loaded double into the right-center field gap.
April 15, 2000
St. Louis Cardinals at Colorado Rockies, Postponed
DENVER (AP) - Saturday's game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Colorado Rockies was postponed because of snow. The game, which never got underway, will be made up Sunday as part of split doubleheader. The first game will begin at 3:05 p.m. ET with Pat Hentgen (2-0) pitching for St. Louis against Colorado's Rolando Arrojo (1-0). The second game will start at 8:05 p.m. Garrett Stephenson (2-0) of the Cardinals will oppose the Rockies' Brian Bohanon (0-1). Colorado has won its past three in a row -- including the first two from St. Louis -- while the Cardinals have lost three straight.
April 14, 2000
Colorado Rockies 6, St. Louis Cardinals 2
DENVER (AP) - Pedro Astacio pitched 7 1/3 solid innings and the Colorado Rockies backed him with three home runs to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-2 Friday night for their third straight victory. Astacio (1-2) allowed just four hits and two runs. He struck out eight against a lineup missing Mark McGwire. McGwire was examined for lingering back pain by team physician Dr. George Paletta, and no new disc injury was discovered. Home runs by Jeff Cirillo, Scott Servais and Mike Lansing -- all off Rick Ankiel (1-1) -- gave the Rockies an early 4-1 lead. In the Cardinals' second, J.D. Drew and Craig Paquette both singled and Eli Marrero had a sacrifice fly. Eric Davis hit a 446-foot solo homer to center in the Cardinals fourth.
April 13, 2000
Colorado Rockies 12, St. Louis Cardinals 6
DENVER (AP) - Todd Helton and Mike Lansing each drove in three runs in a 10-run second inning to lead the Colorado Rockies to a 12-6 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night. Colorado shelled former Rockie Darryl Kile (2-1) for eight hits and 11 runs in just 1 2/3 innings. Reliever Rick Croushore (1-0) pitched three hitless innings to earn the victory after starter Scott Karl struggled into the fourth. The Rockies sent 15 men to the plate in the second, collecting a club-record nine hits. During the flurry, eight straight batters reached base safely. The Cardinals chipped in with two errors, and Kile hit two batters. Helton, Darren Bragg and Neifi Perez homered for Colorado. The Cards hit three solo homers off Karl in the first.
April 12, 2000
Colorado Rockies 7, Cincinnati Reds 5
DENVER (AP) - Todd Helton and pitcher Masato Yoshii each hit two-run singles, leading the Colorado Rockies over the Cincinnati Reds 7-5 Wednesday. Yoshii allowed three runs and six hits in six innings. Reliever Jose Jimenez (2-0) pitched one inning as the Rockies took two of three games from the Reds for their first series win of the season. Ken Griffey Jr. was 2-for-4 with a pair of singles, driving in a run for the eighth straight game. With the score 4-all in the seventh, Dennys Reyes (0-1) walked Brian Hunter, who was sacrificed to second and scored on Mike Lansing's single. Larry Walker singled, Jeff Cirillo was walked by Scott Williamson and Helton followed with a two-run single for a 7-4 lead. Julian Tavarez picked up his first save of the season.
April 11, 2000
Cincinnati Reds 10, Colorado Rockies 3
DENVER (AP) - Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 13th career grand slam Tuesday night to lead the Cincinnati Reds over the Colorado Rockies 10-3. Griffey, who on Monday became the youngest player to hit 400 home runs, was 2-for-4 with five RBIs. He has homered in three straight games. Griffey is 10th on the career slam list, tied with Harold Baines, Robin Ventura and Mark McGwire for the lead among active players. His previous slam was last April 30. Dmitri Young added four hits, including a three-run homer for the Reds, who have at least one home run in each of their first nine games. That was plenty for Ron Villone (2-0) as the left-hander held the Rockies to two runs and four hits in seven innings. Brian Bohanon (0-1) gave way to former Reds reliever Gabe White, but Griffey hit an 0-1 pitch into the second deck beyond right-center field.
April 10, 2000
Colorado Rockies 7, Cincinnati Reds 5
DENVER (AP) - Ken Griffey Jr. became the youngest player to hit 400 career homers, but the Colorado Rockies beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-5 in their home opener Monday behind two-run homers from Mike Lansing and Todd Helton. The Rockies got six strong innings from Rolando Arrojo (1-0), who became the first Rockies starter to win this season. Griffey tied the game 1-all in the fourth with an opposite-field homer off Arrojo. At 30 years, 141 days, Griffey beat the previous mark, set by Jimmie Foxx, who was 30 years, 248 days old. Arrojo allowed two runs and six hits. Monday's game was the first at Coors Field for new manager Buddy Bell. Steve Parris took the loss (0-2). Stan Belinda got the final out for his first save. David Cromer hit his first major league home run for Cincy.
Reds-Rockies game delayed by power surge
DENVER (AP) - Play was suspended for 13 minutes during Colorado's
homer opener Monday against Cincinnati because of a power surge
that knocked out the stadium lights on the cloudy afternoon. The
Rockies were leading 5-2 and had two runners on with one out in
the sixth when a generator apparently short-circuited. The large
scoreboard in left field momentarily went blank, and most of the
stadium lights, which had been turned on in the top of the
inning, went out. Umpire crew chief Tim McClelland ordered the
teams off the field until the power could be restored.
April 9, 2000
Florida Marlins 7, Colorado Rockies 6
MIAMI (AP) - Preston Wilson hit a controversial home run and Mike Lowell drove in four runs to give the Florida Marlins a 7-6 win over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday. Wilson's two-run homer down the left-field line off Pedro Astacio (0-2) in the first inning appeared to be foul by about six feet. But third-base umpire John Shulock called the ball fair. After an argument from Rockies manager Buddy Bell and third baseman Terry Shumpert, home plate umpire Ed Rapuano did not reverse the call and the Marlins led 2-0. Lowell hit a three-run double in the fifth and a solo homer in the eighth to lead the Marlins. Ryan Dempster (1-1) pitched 7 1/3 innings, giving up five hits and three runs with nine strikeouts. Antonio Alfonseca earned his third save.
April 8, 2000
Colorado Rockies 4, Florida Marlins 2
MIAMI (AP) - Florida shortstop Alex Gonzalez's eighth-inning error allowed the tying and go-ahead runs to score as the Colorado Rockies beat the Marlins 4-2 on Saturday night. Marlins starter Alex Fernandez (1-1) had been cruising with a 2-1 lead when the trouble started. With one out, he loaded the bases before Mike Lansing hit a hard grounder that appeared to be an inning-ending double play. Instead the ball skipped under Gonzalez's glove into center field, allowing two runs to score. Vic Darensbourg replaced Fernandez and later walked Todd Helton to give the Rockies a 4-2 lead. Jose Jimenez (1-0) pitched a scoreless seventh inning for the win. David Lee pitched the ninth for his first career save. Mike Lowell homered for the Marlins.
April 7, 2000
Florida Marlins 4, Colorado Rockies 3
MIAMI (AP) - Brad Penny, backed by Kevin Millar's tiebreaking three-run triple, won in his major league debut as the Florida Marlins beat the Colorado Rockies 4-3 Friday night. Masato Yoshii (0-1), acquired from the New York Mets during the offseason, made his Colorado debut and led 1-0 until the sixth when Luis Castillo and Alex Gonzalez walked, and Preston Wilson hit a game-tying, double. Stan Belinda relieved and walked Mike Lowell, loading the bases. Millar then drove the ball into the right-center field gap. Mike Lansing homered twice for Colorado, including a two-run shot off Dan Miceli in the eighth that pulled the Rockies within a run. Antonio Alfonseca pitched a hitless ninth for his second save in three chances. Yoshii gave up three runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings, struck out five and walked three.
Reds send White to Rockies for Aybar
CINCINNATI (AP) - The Cincinnati Reds swapped relievers with
Colorado on Friday night, sending left-hander Gabe White to the
Rockies for right-hander Manny Aybar. White, 28, got hit hard in
spring training and his one appearance this week. He gave up a
two-run homer to Tyler Houston in an 8-5 loss to Milwaukee on
Wednesday. Aybar, 25, went 4-5 with a 5.47 ERA in 64 relief
appearances and one start for the St. Louis Cardinals last
season. He went to the Rockies in the deal for pitcher Darryl
Kile last November.
Rockies pitcher under investigation after driving into house
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - Authorities are investigating two Colorado
Rockies pitchers whose car plowed into a house. John Thomson
drove his car through the picture window of the house after
striking a parked car Thursday, according to authorities.
Thomson, 26, sustained bruises but did not need to be
hospitalized, and Jeff Tabaka, 36, his passenger, was treated at
a hospital for cuts on his head and was released. A woman and her
son sleeping in the house were not hurt, police said. Police
spokeswoman Sgt. Judy Altieri said it was likely the police
investigation would not be completed before late next week. Their
findings will be presented to the Pima County Attorney's office
to decide whether to bring charges, she said. Thomson's
blood-alcohol level tested above Arizona's legal limit of .10,
but authorities did not release the exact level.
April 6, 2000
Rockies' Thomson involved in accident in Tucson
DENVER (AP) - Colorado Rockies right-handed pitcher John Thomson
was arrested after driving his Corvette into a house in Tucson,
Ariz., Denver station KUSA-TV reported Thursday. Thomson, 26, was
alone and nobody was hurt, the Rockies said in a statement
Thursday. The team said the accident may be alcohol related.
Rockies spokeswoman Charity Stowell would not confirm that
Thomson has been arrested or that he drove his car into a house.
KUSA aired home video of a Corvette sticking out of a
single-story house. Thomson underwent shoulder surgery to repair
a torn labrum in October and was placed on the Rockies' 60-day
disabled list on March 23. He was the Rockies' seventh-round
draft pick in 1993.
April 5, 2000
Atlanta Braves 9, Colorado Rockies 6
ATLANTA (AP) - After homering in his first game following a one-year layoff, Andres Galarraga hit a go-ahead, three-run homer Wednesday night that rallied the Atlanta Braves past the Colorado Rockies 9-6. Kerry Ligtenberg, who missed all of last season because of elbow surgery, made his first appearance since a playoff appearance against San Diego on Oct. 12, 1998. He pitched a perfect ninth for his first save since recording 30 as a rookie two years ago. Galarraga, who missed last season for cancer treatment, was 2-for-3 with a walk and was hit by a pitch for the third straight game. Bruce Chen (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings for the win. Tom Goodwin hit a two-run inside-the-park home run, while Manny Aybar (0-1) took the loss for Colorado.
April 4, 2000
Colorado Rockies 5, Atlanta Braves 3
ATLANTA (AP) - Jeff Cirillo hit three doubles, but it was the softest one -- a broken-bat three-run drive in the seventh inning off John Burkett -- that rallied the Colorado Rockies to a 5-3 win over the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night. Cirillo also made several nice plays at third base to help manager Buddy Bell earn his first victory with the Rockies. The crowd of 26,132 was the smallest ever at Turner Field, which opened for the 1997 season. Burkett (0-1), in relief of Tom Glavine and making his first appearance with the Braves, managed to get only one out before being hammered by the Rockies in the seventh. Bobby Bonilla hit a two-run homer off Colorado starter Rolando Arrojo in the fourth. Julian Tavarez (1-0) got the win and Jose Jimenez pitched three scoreless innings of one-hit ball for a save.
April 3, 2000
Atlanta Braves 2, Colorado Rockies 0
ATLANTA (AP) - Andres Galarraga quickly showed the Atlanta Braves what they were missing last year. Galarraga, out last season because of a cancerous tumor in his back, hit a go-ahead solo homer in the seventh inning Monday that led the Braves to a season-opening 2-0 win over the Colorado Rockies. Andruw Jones followed Galarraga's 400-foot drive with another homer off Pedro Astacio (0-1). Greg Maddux (1-0) improved to 6-0 on Opening Day, allowing five hits in 7 2/3 innings. The four-time Cy Young winner struck out six and walked two -- both intentionally, and is 9-2 against Colorado. Mike Remlinger pitched 1 1/3 innings for his fourth career save. Atlanta had just two hits in the first six innings off Astacio, who allowed six hits in 7 1/3 innings.