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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, May 27, 2008

BASEBALL
Phillies pound Rockies

Photo gallery: Major League Baseball

Associated Press

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Philadelphia's Chase Utley breaks his bat in the third. He had 6 RBIs in the 20-5 win over Colorado.

TOM MIHALEK | Associated Press

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PHILADELPHIA — Whenever Jamie Moyer takes the mound, the Philadelphia Phillies' batters seem to make it easy for their veteran pitcher.

Chase Utley drove in a career-best six runs, Moyer had a season-high seven strikeouts and the Phillies scored their most runs in nearly a decade in a 20-5 rout of the Colorado Rockies last night.

"It's always good to get runs for your pitcher," said Utley, who hit a three-run homer to tie Lance Berkman and Dan Uggla for the major league lead with 16.

Utley finished 3 for 6, while Chris Coste added a three-run homer and Pedro Feliz had four hits and four RBIs.

Philadelphia scored its most runs since a 21-8 win over the Chicago Cubs on July 3, 1999, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The Phillies batted around three times and had season-highs in hits (19) and runs a day after beating Houston, 15-6.

The 20 runs were the most the Rockies have ever surrendered on the road. They previously gave up 17 runs twice — at Arizona in 2002 and at San Francisco in 1993.

Moyer (5-3) allowed four runs and six hits in seven innings to earn his 235th career victory. The 45-year-old left-hander is one shy of tying Whitey Ford and Clark Griffith for 56th on the all-time list.

"As quickly as you have it, you can lose it," Moyer said. "It's pleasant to see not so much the number, but to see guys get good swings. It's not about run support, it's about winning. My goal is to make it stand up."

Ryan Spilborghs had a three-run homer for struggling Colorado (20-31), which is 11 games under .500.

The injury-depleted Rockies hardly resembled the team that swept the Phillies in the NLDS last October. They had six different players in the starting lineup after placing left fielder Matt Holliday, shortstop Clint Barmes and right fielder Brad Hawpe on the DL over the weekend.

"You've still got to play the game," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "Guys are getting opportunities to play. We're a no-excuse ballclub. We've just got to find a way to get things done."

Jorge De La Rosa (1-3) couldn't protect the early three-run lead and lasted 3 1/3 innings, allowing seven runs and four hits.

Phillies center fielder and Maui-born Shane Victorino was hit by a pitch batting from each side of the plate.

Braves 7, Arizona 3: Mark Teixeira drove in four runs to help host Atlanta beat Brandon Webb and Arizona. Webb (9-2) allowed seven runs — four earned — and a season-high 10 hits in 4 1/3 innings, his shortest start since Oct. 1, 2006.

Cubs 3, Dodgers 1: Chicago's Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez homered to back Ryan Dempster (6-2) against visiting Los Angeles. Lee hit a two-run drive in the first inning off Chad Billingsley (4-6) and Ramirez added a solo homer against Scott Proctor in the eighth.

Brewers 4, Nationals 3: Pinch-hitter Gabe Kapler singled home a run in the 11th inning to lift visiting Milwaukee over Washington. Prince Fielder led off the 11th with a double, then moved to third on Corey Hart's sacrifice bunt. After Russell Branyan struck out, Kapler lined the first pitch from Saul Rivera (3-2) to center for an RBI single.

Marlins 7, Mets 3: Luis Gonzalez hit a three-run double for NL East-leading Florida (30-20), which overcame two home runs from Jose Reyes, who committed a two-out error at shortstop in the first that led to two unearned runs in New York.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Orioles 6, Yankees 1: Garrett Olson (4-1) pitched seven innings of three-hit ball, Nick Markakis went 3 for 4 with a home run, and host Baltimore ended the New York's five-game winning streak.

Blue Jays 7, Royals 2: Shaun Marcum (5-3) gave up two runs — one earned — and five hits in 7 1/3 innings, Gregg Zaun hit a two-run homer and host Toronto completed its first four-game sweep of Kansas City.

Rays 7, Rangers 3: Scott Kazmir (4-1) won his fourth straight start, striking out 10 in seven innings against visiting Texas, and Eric Hinske hit a three-run homer for the East-leading Rays, who have won 16 of their last 17 home games, and at 31-20 have the best record in the major leagues.

White Sox 6, Indians 3: Orlando Cabrera's fourth hit drove in the go-ahead run in the 12th inning and Chicago beat host Cleveland, handing the Indians their ninth loss in 10 games. Boone Logan (2-1) pitched a perfect 1 1/3 innings for the win.

Red Sox 5, Mariners 3: Bartolo Colon (2-0) allowed one run and struck out four in seven innings in his second start with Boston, and Dustin Pedroia's ground-rule double scored the go-ahead run as Boston scored four times in the eighth for a win over host Seattle.

Angels 1, Tigers 0: Detroit's Bobby Seay walked Garret Anderson on four pitches with the bases loaded and one out in the 12th inning to force home the winning run at Los Angeles. Jose Arredondo (1-0) retired all six batters he faced in the 11th and 12th innings to earn his first major league win.