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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
DENVER (AP) – Good pitching, heretofore contagious in places like Atlanta, may finally be taking root in Colorado, too.
After an offseason of stockpiling high-priced pitching talent, the Colorado Rockies got their third straight solid outing on Thursday.
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Cards' slow starters
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IP
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H
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R
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ER
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HR
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Kile
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5
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11
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6
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6
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1
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Benes
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2.2
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9
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10
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10
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2
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Morris
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3
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11
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10
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6
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2
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Totals
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10.2
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31
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26
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22
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5
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Pedro Astacio went eight innings as the Rockies routed the St. Louis Cardinals 11-2 to sweep a season-opening three-game series.
Astacio (1-0), following the lead of Mike Hampton and Denny
Neagle, allowed one run and six hits with no walks and 10 strikeouts.
"That was a great performance," manager Buddy Bell said.
"Just from a stuff standpoint and a command standpoint, it was
probably on a par with what Mike did on Monday (8 1-3 scoreless
innings). It's the third very good start that we've had in a row.
You're not going to get that all the time, but with these guys it's
kind of contagious."
Astacio, demoted from No. 1 to No. 3 in the Rockies' rotation after the acquisitions of Hampton and Neagle, said his slot is not a concern.
"The only thing I worry about is pitching every five days,"
Astacio said. "It doesn't matter if I'm the fifth guy or the first
guy. It doesn't matter what position I'm in. I go out every start
and try to give them everything I have.
"We have a good starting rotation. It was my time today, and I
pitched a good game. I hope it continues."
In the series, Colorado's three starters combined for a 1.69 ERA.
The Cardinals, who were swept just twice all last season (both
by the Mets), gave up 32 runs in the series, and their three
starting pitchers -- Darryl Kile, Andy Benes and Matt Morris -- have
a combined ERA of 18.56.
The Rockies pounded Morris, who was making his first start since Sept. 27, 1998. Morris lasted three-plus innings, surrendering 11 hits and 10 runs -- six earned -- and departed with a 10-1 deficit.
"They outpitched us, outplayed us, outmanaged us, outcompeted
us," St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said. "They outdid us in
every area. Matt's stuff was there, but it wasn't enough. His
location wasn't where it should be. Whenever he was over the plate,
they found it."
|  | | Pedro Astacio continued Colorado's season-opening run of good pitching with eight innings of one-run, six-hit work. |
Ron Gant and Todd Helton each hit three-run homers for Colorado.
Shortstop Edgar Renteria's error kept the Rockies' first inning alive. With the bases loaded, Jeff Cirillo hit a sacrifice fly, and
Gant followed with a homer, the 1,500th hit of his career.
"The fan returned the ball to me," Gant said. "It's a special day. I'm very proud of the moment. That means you've been around the game a long time to be able to get 1,500 hits.
"I knew I did the right thing by signing here. Good things are
happening already for this ballclub and for myself."
Brent Mayne doubled to lead off the second and scored on Juan
Pierre's single. After a single by Todd Walker, Pierre scored on
Larry Walker's fielder's-choice grounder for a 6-0 lead.
St. Louis' Mike Matheny led off the third with a 424-foot homer.
But Colorado countered with five runs in its half. Pierre and Todd Walker singled, and Larry Walker hit an RBI double. Helton then lined a three-run homer to the opposite field, chasing Morris
(0-1). With two outs, Neifi Perez tripled off Mike Timlin and
scored on Mayne's single.
Ray Lankford homered off Mike Myers in the ninth, his third
homer in two days.
Game notes
Mark McGwire and Jim Edmonds of the Cardinals were given
the day off. McGwire complained of soreness in his knees after
lifting weights on Wednesday, and Edmonds has a sore foot. ...
Gant's first-inning homer was both the 1,500th hit of his career
and the 1,500th homer in Rockies' history. ... Morris missed the
entire 1999 season after undergoing elbow surgery. He worked 31
games out of the bullpen in 2000. ... Colorado pitchers have had 19
double-digit strikeout games, and Astacio has accounted for 14 of
them. ... Cardinals Hall of Famer Stan Musial threw out the first
pitch to a standing ovation from the Coors Field crowd. ... Todd
Helton made a diving stop at first to rob Fernando Vina of extra
bases in the third. ... Colorado hadn't swept St. Louis since a
three-game set at Coors Field from Aug. 20-22, 1996.
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RECAPS
Toronto 11
Tampa Bay 0
Minnesota 9
Detroit 5
NY Yankees 1
Kansas City 0
Baltimore 2
Boston 1
Anaheim 10
Texas 3
Cincinnati 4
Pittsburgh 1
Chicago Cubs 2
Montreal 1
Colorado 11
St. Louis 2
NY Mets 7
Atlanta 1
Houston 8
Milwaukee 2
Los Angeles 7
Arizona 5
San Francisco 8
San Diego 2
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