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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
DENVER (AP) -- In his second game back from the disabled list,
Larry Walker turned to his past with positive results.
Walker hit a three-run homer for his first home run since May 1
as the Colorado Rockies won their seventh straight home game,
beating the Texas Rangers 12-6 on Saturday night.
"I came in early and looked at some video from 1997," Walker
said. "I pulled out my bat from '97. Maybe that was the key."
Terry Shumpert went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs.
Colorado reliever Gabe White hit his first career home run in his
25th career at-bat as the Rockies (33-25) moved eight games over
.500 for the first time since May 12, 1997.
Ivan Rodriguez homered twice and drove in four runs for Texas.
Dave Martinez went 2-for-3 with a home run and scored two runs in
his first game with the Rangers, who lost for the fourth straight
time.
Walker homered with two on in his first at bat, also had a
double and was walked three times.
"I was pumped because it has been awhile," said Walker who
emphatically gave high-fives to teammates after the first-inning
home run. "I forgot what it was like to hit home run."
"Walker is such a presence," Colorado manager Buddy Bell said.
"As an opposing manager you always know where he is at and it
seems like he is up every inning."
Todd Helton's batting average fell to .400 with a 1-for-5 night.
Scott Karl (2-2), who had been demoted to the bullpen, worked 2 2-3
scoreless innings for his first win since May 27.
"They swung the bats well and we made a lot of bad pitches,"
Texas manager Johnny Oates said. "Walker makes it tough on you
anyway, but especially when you walk the two guys in front of
him."
The Rangers led 2-0 in the first inning on Rodriguez's 20th
homer.
Esteban Loaiza (3-4) immediately got in trouble walking Tom
Goodwin and Shumpert before Walker's homer.
"I tried to run a slider in on Walker's hand," Loaiza said.
"The ball didn't break and you saw the results."
Texas took a 5-3 lead in the third inning when Martinez and
Rodriguez homered to right. Rodriguez's second homer of the game
came with Palmeiro aboard. It was Rodriguez's fourth multihomer
game of the year and 13th of his career.
The Rockies scored five runs in their half of the third to knock
out Loaiza. Hammonds had an RBI single, Goodwin had a sacrifice
fly, Shumpert had a two-run triple and scored on Matt Perisho's
wild pitch.
Royce Clayton tripled and scored on Palmeiro's two-out single to
center off Jarvis getting the Rangers within 8-6. Karl relieved
Jarvis and got Rodriguez to ground out to end the fourth.
Doubles by Walker and Jeff Cirillo to open the sixth inning
increased Colorado's lead to 9-6. White and Shumpert hit solo home
runs in the seventh inning off Perisho.
"It is still a stepping stone and it is my second game since
coming back," Walker said. "I saw the ball better, took a few
more pitches and felt more comfortable, but I have had 10 plate
appearances since missing a month. I don't think I am going to find
that quickly."
Game notes
Texas designated OF Jason McDonald for assignment on
Saturday to free a roster spot for OF Dave Martinez, who was
acquired Friday from the Cubs in a three-team trade. ... Loazia's 2
2-3 inning outing matched his shortest outing of the season. ...
White is within four innings of Curtis Leskanic's franchise record
consecutive scoreless innings streak of 21 1-3. ... The Rangers are
3-5 against the NL West and are within a loss of matching their
longest losing streak of the season.
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