Rockies Win With Defense, Not Offense : Baseball: Castilla hits home run, but fine fielding plays by Kingery and Galarraga make the difference in 3-2 victory over Expos.

For all their hitting prowess, the Colorado Rockies won this one on defense.

Vinny Castilla homered, Dante Bichette’s sacrifice fly broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh inning and the Rockies made spectacular plays in the field to beat the Montreal Expos, 3-2, Monday.

The Rockies were 7-1 against Montreal this year, including taking three of four here this weekend.

“The defense is very underrated on this team,” said Mike Kingery, whose diving catch of a shallow fly ball with the bases loaded in the fifth preserved a 2-1 lead.

“We really don’t have a weak link, with [Walt] Weiss at short and [Larry] Walker in right.”

He didn’t mention first-baseman Andres Galarraga’s two leaping stops, the second of which saved a run.

“Oh, that’s nothing new,” Kingery said. “We see the Cat do those every day.”

Armando Reynoso (3-3) yielded a run on five hits in six innings to snap a personal three-game losing skid. He struck out two and walked two.

Reynoso was trying something new--no throwing on the side between starts.

“It seemed to have helped him a lot,” Colorado Manager Don Baylor said. “He had a better breaking ball, better velocity and looked stronger.”

Butch Henry (6-8) went seven innings, giving up two runs on eight hits, including Castilla’s 21st homer in the fourth. He struck out six and walked two as his three-game winning steak ended.

The homer was Castilla’s fifth against Montreal this season.

Montreal wasted leadoff doubles by Mike Lansing in the third and seventh, and Reynoso escaped a jam in the fourth as Darrin Fletcher rapped into a double play.

But Reynoso got himself in trouble in the fifth. Sean Berry led off with a single and stole second. After an out and a walk, Reynoso fielded Henry’s sacrifice bunt attempt but threw late to third to load the bases. Reynoso then walked Rondell White to tie it 1-1.

Montreal rallied against Darren Holmes in the ninth, scoring one run before Holmes stranded two runners for his 13th save.

“It was simply a matter of execution,” Montreal Manager Felipe Alou said. “I usually don’t say this, but we should have won this game.”

Castilla went two for three and is hitting .358 with four homers in his last 14 games.

Eric Young went four for five and has hit safely in 23 of his 24 games in July, batting .406. Colorado’s leadoff man has a 10-game hitting streak, going 19 for 39 (.487) in that span.

“Since July 1st, I’ve been unconscious,” Young said. “I was just so happy to be back in the lineup, playing every day.”

In the seventh, pinch hitter Jim Tatum reached on an error, moved to third on a single and scored on Bichette’s fly ball.

Joe Girardi’s RBI single in the eighth made it 3-1.

During the game the Rockies announced the acquisition of left-hander Bryan Hickerson from the Chicago Cubs for future considerations.

The Dodgers, who are 3 1/2 games behind the Rockies in the NL West, open a three-game series at Coors Field tonight, with Ismael Valdes (7-6) pitching against Mark Thompson (2-1).