Kile Wins Rare Pitchers’ Duel

In hitter-friendly Coors Field, a pitchers’ duel is nearly as rare as snow in July.

Colorado’s Darryl Kile pitched a two-hitter and Florida’s Rafael Medina pitched seven solid innings in the Rockies’ 3-1 victory Thursday.

“Sometimes you have to win games where you’re not scoring a lot of runs and the other guy is pitching a pretty good game,” Kile said. “To win the game here 3-1 after the last couple of games is good.”

The Marlins and Rockies combined for an average of 21 runs and 31 hits in the clubs’ three previous games.

Kile, 1-2 in his last four starts at Coors Field, gave up only a bunt single by Luis Castillo in the third inning and a triple by Todd Dunwoody leading off the ninth. Dunwoody scored on a groundout by Edgar Renteria. Kile (11-16) struck out four and walked two.

Dante Bichette, who had two hits, began Colorado’s sixth with his 21st homer, a line drive over the left-field fence against Medina that gave the Rockies a 2-0 advantage.

“I was just thinking on a 1-0 pitch that I would try to get good wood on it,” Bichette said. “The way Darryl threw, I thought one run could hold up.”

Colorado took a 1-0 lead in the fourth on an RBI single by Edgard Clemente, who was making his debut. Clemente is the nephew of late Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente.

Bichette led off the inning with an infield single, and after an out, Todd Helton singled. With two out, Clemente got his first hit, a single to left.

The Rockies added a run in the seventh on a RBI single by Neifi Perez.

Kile, who won for the first time at home since Aug. 15, worked out of a jam in the sixth. After Castillo walked to lead off the inning, Medina sacrificed and Dunwoody grounded out, advancing Castillo to third. Kile then got Renteria to ground out to end the inning.