Phillies Top the Rockies

Pat Burrell came to Coors Field looking to regain his hitting stroke. He left with his swing back intact, and the Philadelphia Phillies are better off as well.

Burrell homered in his third straight game, leading David Coggin and the Philadelphia Phillies over the Colorado Rockies 4-2 Thursday.

"I didn`t try to put the ball out of the park," Burrell said. "I just tried to put a good swing on it. I got good results."

Burrell, who had struggled since the All-Star break before coming to Coors Field, went 2-for-2 with a double and his 14th home run of the year.

"It`s amazing what happens when you start putting a few good swings and getting a few good hits," Burrell said. "You can be more patient at the plate. You can`t be perfect all the time, but the more times you put good swings on the ball, the better your results are going to be."

Burrell is 12-for-59 since the break.

"We`re just trying to find it," Philadelphia manager Larry Bowa said. "obviously, in the second year the pitchers make adjustments. He hadn`t been making his adjustments."

Scott Rolen doubled and scored twice for the Phillies. Burrell drove in two runs.

Juan Uribe hit his first major league home run for the Rockies.

Coggin (2-1) allowed two runs and nine hits in seven innings, and won for the first time since July 4. He had given up seven earned runs in 16 2/3 innings in his previous three starts.

"Coggin pitched great," Bowa said. "For all three starters to do what they did at Coors Field is something special."

Jose Mesa pitched a scoreless ninth to pick up his 28th save in 30 chances. He has been successful in 14 straight opportunities.

John Thomson (0-4) lost in his first start since May 24. He was activated from the disabled list before the game after being out with an injured right shoulder.

"I`m very encouraged by the outing," Colorado manager Buddy Bell said. "He had great command of his pitches and we`ll take that kind of pitching every day."

Thomson retired the first five batters before Burrell hit a 3-2 fastball into the left-field seats with two outs in the second inning.

"I hung a slider to Burrell and he hit a bad pitch," Thomson said. "The mistakes I made, they hit."

Rolen led off the fourth with a double and scored on Burrell`s two-out double for a 2-0 lead.

Coggin pitched out of a minor jam in the fourth. Todd Helton singled and moved to third on Jeff Cirillo`s double with two outs before Coggin fanned Alex Ochoa on three pitches.

The Phillies built their lead to 4-0 in the sixth after Rolen was hit by a pitch and Bobby Abreu doubled. After an intentional walk to Burrell, Travis Lee had an RBI grounder and Tomas Perez blooped a run-scoring single.

Uribe`s solo home run with two outs in the seventh spoiled Coggin`s shutout bid. The Rockies added a run later in the inning on Sal Fasano`s double and pinch-hitter Greg Norton`s single.

Game notes:
LHP Dennis Cook, acquired by the Phillies in a weekend deal with the New York Mets, was a no-show for the entire series to attend to family matters. ... Philadelphia 2B Marlon Anderson was given another night off to rest his strained left hamstring. ... Colorado placed catcher Ben Petrick on the 15-day DL with biceps tendinitis in his right arm. ... Rockies OF Larry Walker played for the first time in a week. He has been slowed by a sore upper left hamstring.

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Author: 6 ABC - Action News