New York Mets announcer Keith Hernandez compared his swing to Darryl Strawberry. Former teammate Clint Barmes raved about his raw power. Manager Clint Hurdle talked of him becoming a card-carrying member of the 30-home run, 100-RBI club. The consensus: This kid Brad Hawpe is pretty good.
On a night more suited for Candlestick Park, Hawpe played the starring role in Gone with the Win, his two-run, seventh-inning triple gusting the Rockies past the Astros 8-7 on Wednesday night.
It seems like only last month that Hawpe was an accomplice in an underachieving offense because it was. But Hawpe has caught his stride. He’s the reigning National League Player of the Week, and has 10 RBIs on this 10-game homestand that ends today.
His blast into the right-center gap soothed the pain from a rugged start by Aaron Cook and kept another victory from slipping away. The Rockies, as a result, are in position to win back-to-back home series for the first time this season.
Cook couldn’t protect a 4-3 lead in the fourth, unable to provide a much-needed shutdown inning. The Astros rallied for a 5-4 lead, a fitting burst in a game that featured plenty of offense and accompanying drama.
Cook surrendered five runs on seven hits in six innings, but was extracted from blame by the Rockies’ suddenly potent attack. Colorado scored four in the seventh, including second baseman Kazuo Matsui’s first home run in 89 at-bats dating to last season. It was a no-doubt blast, traveling an estimated 418 feet.
That inning featured fireworks, Astros starter Woody Williams ejected for allegedly hitting Matt Holliday, who raised his average to .351 with a 3-for-3 performance. Replays showed the fastball missed Holliday’s back, but warnings had been issued before the game because of Tuesday’s theatrics, leading to Williams’ exit.
Hawpe hammered a Trever Miller fastball into the gap, scoring the decisive runs. Relievers LaTroy Hawkins and Brian Fuentes both were tagged for home runs, but Fuentes recorded his 17th save.
Staff Writer Troy Renck can be reached at 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com.
