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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
DENVER (AP) – Refusing to be swept at home, the Colorado Rockies
rebounded from two-run and four-run deficits thanks to an 18-hit attack and
a gutty debut by rookie pitcher Shawn Chacon.
|  | | Colorado's Neifi Perez slides safely into home and into Cincinnati catcher Jason LaRue. |
Larry Walker's two-run double highlighted a six-run sixth inning
as the Rockies beat the Cincinnati Reds 14-7 Sunday to salvage the
final game of a three-game series.
Walker finished with three RBI, and Neifi Perez had three hits
and two RBI. Todd Helton also had three hits.
The Reds, who put Ken Griffey Jr. on the 15-day disabled list
Sunday because of a left hamstring injury, had won nine consecutive games on the road and five in a row overall.
"We needed this one," said second baseman Todd Walker, one of
six Rockies with at least two hits. "We couldn't lose a third game
to Cincinnati. That would have been tough to swallow. This gives us
something positive to take on the road."
Cincinnati's Aaron Boone had a three-run homer and Donnie Sadler
hit a two-run shot, both off Chacon, who had eight strikeouts in
his first major league appearance.
Boone went 4-for-5.
Chacon, promoted from Triple-A Colorado Springs when Mike
Hampton was scratched from his scheduled start because of lingering
stiffness in his neck, allowed only Boone's homer through five
innings. But the Reds chased Chacon with four runs in the sixth.
Reds starter Jim Brower went 5 2/3 innings and helped his cause
with a two-run single.
John Wasdin (2-0) got two outs for the victory. Jose Jimenez earned
his sixth save.
"I thought the kid (Chacon) really threw pretty well," Rockies
manager Buddy Bell said. "He threw strikes, and stuffwise he was
very good.
"Overall, we had a great effort. We got key hits, especially
when we were down 3-1 and 7-3, and everybody contributed to it."
Chacon said he learned "not to hang any breaking balls at Coors
Field. Other than those two innings (second and sixth) and those
two pitches (to Boone and Sadler), I thought I threw a pretty solid
ballgame. I will have that to build on."
Bell said Chacon will return immediately to Colorado Springs,
but expects him to be back in the big leagues.
"He's an important guy for us," Bell said.
Reds manager Bob Boone said he "tried to get a little bit more
out of (reliever Hector) Mercado that wasn't there after 3 1/3
(innings) on Friday. My other guys couldn't do it, either."
Mercado (1-1) took the defeat after allowing five hits and three
runs in one-third of an inning.
Colorado went up 1-0 in the first when Perez singled, went to
second on a groundout and scored on Helton's single.
In the second, Cincinnati took a 3-1 lead on Boone's third homer
of the season. Sean Casey was hit by a pitch, Alex Ochoa doubled
and Boone unloaded a 442-foot shot to left. Chacon then struck out
the next three batters.
The Rockies tied it in the fifth on run-scoring singles by Perez and
Walker, but the Reds made it 7-3 in the sixth.
Boone singled, Pokey Reese doubled and, with one out, Brower
lined a two-run single to center. Sadler then hit his first National League homer.
The Rockies countered with six runs in their half to take a 9-7
lead. Colorado scored its first two runs on a sacrifice fly and
Brower's wild pitch. Perez had a run-scoring single, Walker his two-run
double and Greg Norton an RBI single -- all off Mercado.
The Reds loaded the bases with one out in the seventh, but Gabe
White got Sadler to ground into a double play.
Colorado pushed across another run in its half when Ron Gant
scored from third on Terry Shumpert's double-play grounder.
Juan Pierre's two-run single sparked a four-run Colorado eighth
off Mark Wohlers.
Game notes
Before the game, the Rockies recalled Chacon from Triple-A
Colorado Springs and placed right-hander Juan Acevedo on the 15-day
disabled list because of a strained left groin. ... Casey bruised
his left foot when he was hit by a pitch and was replaced by a
pinch-runner. ... Colorado's Todd Hollandsworth extended his
hitting streak to 14 games, longest in the NL this season. ...
Chacon, Colorado's third-round choice in the June 1996 draft and a
native of Greeley, Colo., was 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA in four starts
with Colorado Springs. ... The Rockies made it through their April
schedule without a single delay or postponement for the first time.
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RECAPS
Kansas City 11
Boston 8
Cleveland 9
Texas 2
Detroit 6
Tampa Bay 1
NY Yankees 3
Oakland 1
Toronto 2
Anaheim 0
Chi. White Sox 2
Seattle 1
Minnesota 4
Baltimore 0
Milwaukee 10
Montreal 0
St. Louis 12
NY Mets 1
Florida 11
Houston 5
Colorado 14
Cincinnati 7
Chicago Cubs 11
San Francisco 2
Los Angeles 4
Philadelphia 1
San Diego 6
Pittsburgh 1
Arizona 7
Atlanta 5
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