Holliday Helps Rockies Rally Past Marlins

Thursday, August 2nd 2007, 9:30 pm

By: News On 6

MIAMI (AP) _ Matt Holliday doubled home the tying run in the eighth inning and scored on Garrett Atkins' sacrifice fly, helping the Colorado Rockies beat the Florida Marlins 4-3 Thursday night.

Holliday and Garrett had two RBIs each.

The Rockies trailed 3-2 when Kaz Matsui led off the eighth with an infield single against Armando Benitez (2-7) and scored on Holliday's double. Holliday took third on the throw home, then scored easily on Atkins' fly.

Four Colorado relievers shut out Florida over the final 3 2-3 innings. LaTroy Hawkins (2-5) pitched the seventh, and Manny Corpas closed out the win for his eighth save in as many chances since Brian Fuentes went on the disabled list.

The Rockies won despite striking out 12 times, hiking their two-game total to 28. The Marlins struck out 12 times and stranded nine runners.

Dan Uggla drove in two runs with his 22nd home run for Florida, and Josh Willingham hit his 16th.

Colorado starter Jason Hirsh, activated from the disabled list before the game, tied a career high with eight strikeouts but allowed three runs in 5 1-3 innings. Hirsh, who struck out NL batting leader Miguel Cabrera three times, had been sidelined since July 2 with a sprained right ankle.

Marlins starter Rick VandenHurk left with a 3-2 lead after throwing 100 pitches in 4 1-3 innings. VandenHurk needed 41 pitches to get through the first inning _ one night after teammate Byung-Hyun Kim threw 37 in the first.

VandenHurk is filling the rotation spot vacated by Josh Johnson, who will undergo elbow surgery Friday that's expected to sideline him through the 2008 season.

Florida used five relievers, including Renyel Pinto, who threw only five pitches before leaving the game with a shoulder strain.

VandenHurk threw 36 pitches before the Rockies put a ball in play. He struck out the first two batters, walked the next two and gave up an RBI single to Atkins.

Colorado's lead didn't last long. Hanley Ramirez walked to start the Marlins' first, and Uggla hit a drive that bounced off the top of the scoreboard for a homer.

The Rockies made it 2-all in the third when Matsui singled, stole second and came home on Holliday's single.

Willingham homered in the third to put Florida ahead 3-2.

Notes: Marlins 1B Mike Jacobs, mired in an 0-for-11 slump, was held out of the starting lineup. ... The game was the first for VandenHurk since a change in the spelling of his name. He had been previously referred to as Vanden Hurk, a mistake dating to when he was a 16-year-old minor-league pitcher, and he recently spoke up about the error. ... Announced attendance was 11,927, but the actual turnout for each of the three games in the series was 3,000 or less.