Kaz Matsui's two-run single helps Houston Astros beat Colorado 6-4
Associated Press | Apr 20, 08 4:48 PM CDT in
Sports
Kaz Matsui hurt his former team Sunday, hitting a two-run single in the eighth inning to lead the Houston Astros to a 6-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies.
Hunter Pence led off the eighth with a single and Mark Loretta walked against reliever Brian Fuentes (0-1), who allowed a run for the first time in 10 appearances this season. Both runners moved up on an infield out to set up Matsuis hit.
Miguel Tejada followed with an RBI double for the final run as Houston ended a three-game losing streak.
Matsui signed with the Astros in the offseason after helping Colorado reach the World Series last year.
Wesley Wright (2-0) worked the eighth and Jose Valverde got three outs for his second save in four tries.
Shawn Chacon allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings for Houston. He struck out three and walked one.
Brad Hawpe went 3-for-4 and Ubaldo Jimenez pitched 6 2-3 innings for the Rockies, who had a four-game winning streak snapped. Jimenez allowed three runs and five hits, walked five and struck out six.
Troy Tulowitzki put Colorado in front 4-3 with an RBI single in the seventh inning.
Houston's Miguel Tejada tied it at 2 with a run-scoring single in the fifth. Tejada then went to third on Lance Berkman's single and came home on a wild pitch by Jimenez.
Garrett Atkins' third homer of the season tied it back up in the sixth.
Notes:@ Colorado, which won the first two games in this series, has never swept a series at Minute Maid Park. The Rockies had never won more than one game in a series before Friday. ... Atkins' homer was the 25th allowed by Houston this season, second in the NL.
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