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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
DENVER (AP) – Shawn Chacon made a name for himself Thursday at
Coors Field.
The Colorado rookie earned his first major league victory,
pitching eight impressive innings to lead the Rockies over the New
York Mets 8-2.
|  | | Bobby Valentine's Mets lost three out of four at Coors this week. |
Called up two weeks ago from Triple-A, Chacon still has no
nameplate over his locker, though.
"I've been up since April 29 and still waiting," he said.
"They told me it was in the mail."
The 23-year-old right-hander allowed one run -- it was unearned --
and four hits.
Chacon (1-1), who struck out five and walked one, lowered his
ERA from 17.55 to 7.98. He had given up 13 earned runs in his
previous two career starts.
"I had to put the past behind me," said Chacon, who was tagged
for six runs in 1 1/3 innings in his most recent outing against
Pittsburgh. "If I had dwelled on the Pittsburgh game, it would
have been more damaging than good.
Neifi Perez, Ron Gant and Todd Helton hit solo homers in a
four-run sixth inning.
"Chacon had a tough go at Pittsburgh. You have to look at it as
him being a young pitcher," Colorado manager Buddy Bell said. "We
really needed something from Chacon and he gave it to us."
With the score 1-all, Perez homered off Glendon Rusch (2-2)
leading off the sixth. One out later, Gant and Helton hit
consecutive homers.
"We wanted to give him a lift," Gant said. "The kid was
pitching well and we wanted to make it easier for him."
Colorado had three homers in an inning for the 16th time in its
nine-year history. Todd Walker added an RBI single later in the
inning for a 5-1 lead.
Rusch allowed five runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings. He is
0-2 with a 12.60 ERA in four road starts and 2-2 with a 0.00 ERA at
home.
"I thought he pitched really well," New York manager Bobby
Valentine said. "Gant's ball was on the ground, he popped it up
and it went over the fence,"
Alex Escobar had two hits for the Mets, who have lost three
straight after winning five of their previous seven.
Mark Little's RBI single put Colorado ahead in the third, but
New York tied it in the fifth on an RBI double by Escobar following
a passed ball by Ben Petrick.
Colorado made it 8-1 in the seventh on Terry Shumpert's RBI
single off Tom Martin and a two-run error by Escobar, who misplayed
Walker's fly ball to center.
"It was a tough ball that was hard hit," said Escobar of the
error. "I was running hard to it and when I got there I either
overran it or the ball went to the other side."
Mike Piazza had an RBI double in the ninth off Jose Jimenez, who
completed the six-hitter.
"I've dreamed about this for a long time," Chacon said of his
first win. "You never know how it really is until you realize the
dream."
Game notes
Mets LHP Al Leiter is expected to throw batting practice
Friday. ... OF Jay Payton, on the 15-day DL with a strained right
hamstring, returned to New York to be examined by Dr. Andrew Rokito
on Friday. ... The last Mets pitcher to give up three home runs in
an inning was Pete Harnisch, on April 1, 1997, at San Diego. ...
Colorado RHP John Thomson is expected to be activated Saturday for
a start against the Montreal Expos. ... Perez's first-inning
strikeout was the 7,500th in Rockies' history.
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RECAPS
Detroit 6
Texas 5
Seattle 5
Boston 2
Kansas City 8
Cleveland 3
Minnesota 5
NY Yankees 4
Oakland 14
Toronto 8
Baltimore 9
Tampa Bay 5
Anaheim 7
Chi. White Sox 6
Milwaukee 11
Chicago Cubs 1
St. Louis 11
Pittsburgh 5
Colorado 8
NY Mets 2
San Francisco 13
Montreal 0
San Diego 6
Atlanta 5
Los Angeles 4
Florida 3
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