This Time, It’s Rockies’ Turn to Beat Giants

After watching the San Francisco Giants score four runs in the ninth inning in the series opener, the Colorado Rockies figured a three-run deficit wouldn’t be too much to overcome at Coors Field.

Jeromy Burnitz and Preston Wilson each homered off Matt Herges and Aaron Miles capped a four-run ninth inning with an RBI single, helping the Rockies rally for a 10-9 victory Sunday over the Giants.

Colorado’s comeback, which earned the Rockies a series split, was similar to Thursday night, when closer Shawn Chacon gave up four runs in the ninth inning of a 7-5 loss.

The Giants led, 9-6, going into the bottom of the ninth. Deivi Cruz hit a tiebreaking homer to lead off the eighth, and Michael Tucker and Barry Bonds hit solo shots in the top of the ninth.

But Herges (4-4) couldn’t hold the lead and blew his seventh save in 29 chances.

He came on to pitch the ninth and quickly gave up a single to Vinny Castilla. Burnitz, who drove in four runs, followed with his 19th homer, a two-run shot to right that made it 9-8. Wilson tied it five pitches later, hitting his homer just inside the pole in left.

Matt Holliday chased Herges with a single, then was sacrificed to second by Charles Johnson. Todd Greene was walked intentionally by Scott Eyre and Miles followed with a single over Bonds’ head in left to drive in Holliday .

Tim Harikkala (4-1) yielded two runs and two hits in one inning to get the win for the Rockies, who have won 10 of 14.

Bonds had three hits after being intentionally walked for the sixth time in the series in the first inning. His homer in the ninth off Harikkala was his 24th of the season and 682nd of his career.

Houston 5, San Diego 3 -- At Houston, Roger Clemens (11-3) won his first game in three weeks to end the Astros’ four-game losing streak and give Phil Garner his first win as interim manager.

Clemens retired 16 consecutive batters starting with the final out of the first and got his 321st win, moving three behind Nolan Ryan and Don Sutton, who share 12th place on the career list. He yielded two runs and four hits in seven innings and struck out five.

New York 6, Philadelphia 1 -- Al Leiter pitched six shutout innings, and Mike Cameron and Vance Wilson hit back-to-back homers in the fifth to help the Mets get a split of the four-game series at Shea Stadium. Leiter (6-3) gave up four hits for his fifth win in six starts. The Mets moved a game above .500 at 46-45 -- two games behind the Phillies and Atlanta in the East Division.

Atlanta 16, Montreal 5 -- Eli Marrero hit a grand slam in the first inning and Chipper Jones finished a double short of the cycle and drove in four runs for the Braves at Atlanta. The Braves won their sixth consecutive series by taking three of four from the Expos.

St. Louis 10, Cincinnati 4 -- At Cincinnati, Mike Matheny drove in three runs and Jeff Suppan (9-5) won his third straight start, leading the Cardinals to their 11th win in 13 games. Matheny drove in the Cardinals’ first run with a second-inning single and had a two-run double during a five-run third.

Pittsburgh 4, Florida 2 -- Pinch-hitter Bobby Hill hit a go-ahead homer to lead off the eighth inning and the Pirates won their 10th in a row at home, finishing a three-game sweep of the Marlins. The streak is their longest since a 24-game run at Three Rivers Stadium late in the 1978 season.

Milwaukee 4, Chicago 2 -- At Wrigley Field, Kerry Wood yielded one run and four hits in six innings, but the Brewers took the lead with two runs in the seventh off Francis Beltran (2-2) and Kent Mercker.