Houston – After their most traumatic eight days of the season, the Rockies desperately needed a breather, as well as a stellar pitching performance from Jeff Francis.
They got both tonight in a 5-0 victory over the Houston Astros that snapped an eight-game losing streak, the Rockies’ longest skid since July of last year.
Francis, the Rockies’ current ace, outpitched Jason Jennings, a former Rockies ace. Francis threw seven shutout innings, allowing just three hits. It was the Rockies’ second shutout of the season, the other coming May 23 in a 2-0 win at Arizona. Francis also authored the victory in that game.
Jennings was good, but not as good as his former teammate. He left after seven innings with the Astros trailing 3-0. He gave up five hits, struck out six and walked two.
The Rockies had clubbed three homers in each of the past two games, only to emerge as losers. Saturday, they beat the Astros without any fireworks.
The Rockies scraped together two runs in the fourth inning, another in the fifth and two more in the eighth.
Kazuo Matsui led off the fourth inning with a single, advanced to second on Jennings’ wild pitch and scored on Matt Holliday’s double. Holliday advance to third on Todd Helton’s flyball to center field, then scored on Garrett Atkins’ sacrifice fly.
In the fifth inning, Ryan Spilborghs, starting in center field for the injured Willy Taveras, knocked in Troy Tulowitzki with an infield single to third.
In the eighth, the Rockies got an RBI single from Atkins and a soft run-scoring double down the left-field line by Brad Hawpe.
Rockies reliever Jeremy Affeldt set the Astros down in order in the ninth.
Saturday marked the official halfway point of the season with the Rockies three games under .500 at 39-42. Last season, they were three games over .500 at 42-39.
