Finally, a Smooth Day for the Rockies

Larry Walker stopped his slump and so did the Colorado Rockies.

Walker hit two home runs and the Rockies ended an eight-game losing streak with a 9-5 victory over the Chicago Cubs Sunday at Colorado.

“I’m not sure how to react,” Walker said.

Vinny Castilla hit two solo homers and Eric Young added another for the Rockies, who had lost 15 of their previous 16.

“It’s the first time in a while that we’ve had something to rejoice about,” Rockie Manager Don Baylor said.

Walker, 0 for 9 in Saturday’s doubleheader, had been hitless in 12 at-bats coming in.

“What he tried to do today was he went the other way and that’s how he gets out of a slump,” Baylor said.

Walker went three for five, raising his average to .395. He also increased his league-leading home run total to 29 with two two-run shots. The first came in the fifth off Kevin Foster and the other in the ninth off Mel Rojas.

“I was just trying to stay back more,” Walker said. “Before, I was lunging at the ball.”

However, Baylor said he wants to give Walker a day off Tuesday to rest a sore knee.

“I just feel he’s played a lot and didn’t have a real day off at the All-Star game,” Baylor said. “I couldn’t give him a day off when we’re struggling as a team.”

Foster gave up four home runs, raising his league-high total to 21. He gave up five runs and six hits in five innings and struck out nine.

“Walker is hitting everybody,” Foster said. “He’s hitting .400 around the league. If you can make good pitches on him, you’ll get him out. I couldn’t make good pitches.”

San Francisco 9, St. Louis 2--Barry Bonds hit his 24th home run and Kirk Rueter pitched seven strong innings in 96-degree heat at St. Louis as the Giants ended a three-game losing streak.

Stan Javier also hit a home run and newly acquired Brian Johnson drove in two runs. San Francisco had lost five in a row at Busch Stadium, dating to last season.

Rueter (7-4) gave up one run and six hits. He walked none and struck out seven.

Alan Benes (9-8) gave up four runs and seven hits in seven innings.

Bonds hit a solo home run in the first. Javier hit a three-run home run in the ninth off Eric Ludwick.

Johnson, acquired Wednesday from Detroit for Marcus Jensen, had been 0 for 1 for the Giants before doubling home a run in the fourth. He added an RBI single in the eighth.

Houston 9, Montreal 0--Luis Gonzalez hit two home runs, including his first career grand slam, and matched his career high with six RBIs as the Astros completed a three-game sweep at Montreal.

Darryl Kile (13-3) pitched a four-hitter for his fourth shutout this season, struck out six, walked one and lowered his earned-run average to 1.99. He also went two for three with a double.

Gonzalez hit a two-run home run in the sixth off Dustin Hermanson (4-5) and the grand slam off Omar Daal in the eighth as Houston won for the 10th time in 13 games.

Gonzalez went nine for 11 in the series. He had the third multi-homer game of his career. He went three for four, including a double.

San Diego 3, Florida 0--Andy Ashby pitched seven shutout innings and Chris Gomez hit a two-run triple to lead the Padres in a game delayed 82 minutes by rain at Miami.

Tim Worrell and Trevor Hoffman completed the six-hitter. Hoffman pitched the ninth for his 22nd save.

Tony Gwynn went 0 for 4, giving him consecutive hitless games for the first time this season. Gwynn’s hitless streak reached 10 at-bats--a season low--and his average fell to .388, second in the major leagues to Larry Walker’s .395.

Ashby (6-6), sidelined earlier this year because of a strained elbow, has an ERA of 5.50 since returning from the disabled list June 15. But he shut down the Marlins on four hits and four walks.

Philadelphia 4, Pittsburgh 1--Phillie outfielder Midre Cummings, picked up on waivers from Pittsburgh two weeks ago, hit a triple and double and scored twice at Philadelphia.

Garrett Stephenson (4-4) gave up one run in 6 2/3 innings and Ricky Bottalico pitched the final 1 1/3 innings for his 17th save.

Jason Schmidt (4-6) gave up three runs on three hits in six innings. He struck out five and walked four.

Cummings, an outfielder claimed by the Phillies on July 7, hit an RBI triple with two outs for a 2-1 lead in the fifth, then scored when third baseman Dale Sveum erred on Mickey Morandini’s grounder.

In the seventh, Cummings doubled and scored on consecutive wild pitches by Jason Christiansen. He began the game batting .192.

“It was no special thing because it was against the Pirates,” Cummings said. “It’s all part of the game.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

BESTS OF THE DAY

BATTING

Player: Todd Hundley

Team: New York

Performance: 4 for 4, two home runs, double, 5 RBIs, 3 runs

Team’s Result: Win

*

Player: Luis Gonzalez

Team: Houston

Performance: 3 for 4, grand slam, home run, 6 RBIs, 3 runs

Team’s Result: Win

*

Player: Larry Walker

Team: Colorado

Performance: 3 for 5, two home runs, 4 RBIs, 2 runs

Team’s Result: Win

PITCHING

Player: Darryl Kile

Team: Houston

Performance: Four-hit shutout, 6 strikeouts, 1 walk

Team’s Result: Win

*

Player: Kirk Rueter

Team: San Francisco

Performance: 7 innings, 6 hits, 1 run, 7 strikeouts

Team’s Result: Win

*

Player: Dave Mlicki

Team: New York

Performance: 7 innings, 5 hits, 1 run, 7 strikeouts, no walks

Team’s Result: Win