Helton Helps Rockies Hand Phils Fourth Straight Loss

DENVER -- So far, the Colorado Rockies are taking a liking to Clint Hurdle.

Todd Helton delivered a bases-loaded triple in the sixth inning as the Rockies won for the second time in as many games under their new manager, holding on for an 8-6 victory over the struggling Philadelphia Phillies.

The club's hitting coach, Hurdle replaced Buddy Bell as manager Friday with the Rockies mired in a five-game losing streak and in the midst of the worst start in club history.

After watching John Thomson pitch a strong game in his debut, Hurdle caught a glimpse of his club's best hitter coming through at an opportune time.

Helton's bases-clearing hit in the sixth off David Coggin gave the Rockies an 8-3 lead.

"It was a good ballgame for us to win," Hurdle said. "Right now, any win is good for us. We've got more work to do tomorrow, but guys are feeling good about themselves, obviously."

Rockies starter Shawon Chacon (2-3) picked up the win after allowing three runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Four relievers combined to yield three runs in 2 2/3 innings before Jose Jimenez made things interesting in the ninth before striking out Travis Lee with the bases loaded to nail down his sixth save.

Phillies starter Brandon Duckworth (1-2) was roughed up for four runs and six hits in five innings.

Jimmy Rollins had three hits for Philadelphia, which lost for the eighth time in its last nine games while falling to 8-16 overall this season.

"The only thing keeping me going is my first year in San Diego (a 12-32 start)," Larry Bowa said. "If that happens here, I think you might see some slit wrists."

A groundout by Marlon Anderson in the top of the second gave the Phillies an early lead, but Chacon helped himself in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single.

In the third, Juan Uribe led off with a single and Larry Walker sent a 2-2 pitch 431 feet over the right-center field wall to give Colroado a 3-1 lead. It was Walker's fifth homer.

Uribe extended the lead in the fourth with an RBI single before the Phillies scored twice in the sixth on a double by Pat Burrell and a groundout by Anderson, pulling them within 4-3.

But the Rockies broke open the game in the bottom of the inning against Coggin.

Jose Ortiz drew a leadoff walk and Coggin hit Ben Petrick with a pitch. Coggin got Greg Norton to fly out to deep right field and Juan Pierre bounced into a forceout to score Ortiz and give Colorado a 5-3 lead.

Coggin seemed to be out of the inning when he struck out Uribe. But the ball rolled to the backstop, allowing Uribe to reach and prolong the inning.

"Just because that happens or someone makes an error or whatever happens, you still got to be able to get out of it," Phillies catcher Mike Lieberthal said. "It's not every time that we make an error with two outs and the next hitter winds up getting a big hit. It should happen once in a while."

Walker walked to load the bases and Helton laced a ball down the right field line for a triple that extended Colorado's lead to 8-3.

The Phillies tried to rally as Scott Rolen doubled in a run in the seventh and John Mabry and Rollins delivered run-scoring singles in the eighth.

In the ninth, Jimenez surrendered a one-out double to Lieberthal before striking out Burrell. Anderson singled and rookie Jason Michaels walked, but Jimenez fanned Lee to end it.

"I knew (Lee) was looking for something hanging and I saw the bases loaded and I didn't want to give up something he could hit into the gap," Jimenez said.

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