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Wednesday, May 3 3:05pm ET
Rockies set team record for hits in 16-7 romp | |||||
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GAME LOG
DENVER (AP) -- Even without a home run, the Colorado Rockies found a way to bludgeon the Montreal Expos. Todd Helton and Jeff Cirillo combined to go 9-for-9 with nine singles as the Rockies set a team record with 24 hits Wednesday in a 16-7 victory over the Montreal Expos. "When I go to the plate, I feel like I should get a hit every time up in this park," said Cirillo. "It's like a windy day at Wrigley. When the wind's blowing out at Wrigley Field, you just go up to the plate knowing you have a distinct advantage." Helton went 5-for-5 for his first career-five hit games, and all nine starters, including pitcher Pedro Astacio (3-2), had at least one hit and drove in a run for Colorado. Tom Goodwin, Larry Walker, Helton and Cirillo combined to go 14-for-16 with seven RBI and 10 runs scored. "It wasn't respectively a Coors Field day here," Colorado hitting coach Clint Hurdle said. "There were no home runs, but 24 hits are 24 hits. Sixteen runs are 16 runs and it was from the top to the bottom of the lineup. Everybody participated." Colorado needed only six innings to break its previous hit record of 21 hits as Darren Bragg singled to right field off reliever Mark Johnson. It was the 18th single of the game for the Rockies, and they finished with 20. "They just bled to death today," said outfielder Jeffrey Hammonds, the last Colorado starter to get a hit. The record-setting day was a fitting way to end Colorado's high-scoring homestand. The Rockies scored 72 runs in six games against the Expos and New York Mets, hitting double figures five times. In all, the three teams combined for 125 runs, an average of 20.8 per game, and 177 hits. "Murphy's Law? You saw it this series. Anything that can go wrong will go wrong in this ballpark," Montreal manager Felipe Alou said. "How many runs and hits did they get -- 43 runs and 55 hits? And that was for one team only. I know we scored, enough." Astacio was the benefactor Wednesday as Colorado built a 14-2 lead after four innings. The Rockies batted around for six runs in both the third and fourth against Hideki Irabu (1-3) and Felipe Lira. "I want to forget about this," Irabu said. "My breaking ball stayed up. I had been told that breaking balls don't break here and they don't." Helton, who leads the majors with 32 RBI, drove in two runs and set a team record with five singles. He finished the homestand 15-for-23 with four homers and nine RBI. "I think that's great that we're scoring runs without hitting home runs, and doing the little things it takes to win," Helton said. "I love that." Cirillo, batting in front of Helton went 4-for-4 to complete a 12-for-25 homestand. He also extended his hitting streak to 11 games. Lee Stevens and Mike Mordecai hit home runs for the Expos, but it wasn't nearly enough as Montreal's pitchers never got comfortable in the series. "Helton impresses me the most," Johnson said. "I think he is hitting 2.000 off me if that is possible." After watching the Rockies, Mets and Expos turn baseball into slo-pitch softball for six days, anything seems possible. "What can I say?" Colorado manager Buddy Bell said. "We're swinging the bats great and taking walks, running the bases well. Offensively we're doing about as well as any team possibly can with confidence." Game notesCirillo improved to 12-for-23 with runners in scoring position, tops in the NL. ... Rockies C Scott Servais, who missed 14 games with a sprained right ankle, was activated from the DL and went 2-for-5 in his first game since April 17. ... Montreal OF Rondell White did not play Wednesday and might not return until Saturday because of a sore left knee. He has been playing in pain since being hit by a pitch April 20. ... The 24 hits against the Expos broke a 29-year-old team record for an opponent. The Cincinnati Reds had 23 hits against Montreal on June 29, 1971. ... Goodwin left the game in the fifth inning with a strained left adductor muscle. ... Colorado set a club record by scoring 16 runs without a homer. The previous high was 14 runs April 16 against St. Louis. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Montreal Clubhouse Colorado Clubhouse RECAPS Anaheim 6 Baltimore 5
Colorado 16
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