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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
DENVER (AP) -- Julian Tavarez talks openly about having no fear
of hitter-friendly Coors Field.
He backed the talk with a four-hitter for his first career
complete game, winning his fifth straight start as the Colorado
Rockies beat Chicago 10-2 Tuesday night.
"I have no fear because I don't think of this as Coors Field,"
Tavarez said. "I think of it as my house and I am the best on the
mound and nobody is going to come in here and hit my ball the way
they want."
Tavarez (10-2), who joined the rotation July 27, gave up two unearned runs, struck out four and walked three in the 20th
major league start of his career. He is 5-0 with a 2.25 ERA in
eight starts after 250 consecutive career relief appearances, and
is 4-0 with a 1.29 ERA at Coors Field.
"I think I will make my good pitches, let my defense get the
ground balls and watch my team score runs," Tavarez said.
Todd Walker homered, tripled, singled and drove in three runs,
going 3-for-3. Walker, 3-for-4 with a home run on Monday, hit his
ninth homer of the season, his seventh since joining the Rockies on
July 27.
Todd Helton was 2-for-4 with a solo home run, leaving his
batting average at .387. Helton, 0-for-15 against the Cubs in four
previous games at Coors Field, homered with two outs in the first.
Ricky Gutierrez had two hits and Mark Grace drew three walks for
the Cubs (58-80), who lost their sixth straight and dropped 22
games under .500 for the first time since the end of last season.
Chicago is 8-24 in its last 32 games.
"Right now we are playing just good enough to lose," Grace
said. "That's what's disappointing."
Jamie Arnold (0-2), who hasn't won since May 12, 1999, gave up
six runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings.
"Tavarez ran his fastball in on right-handed hitters and his
slider got guys out, but 12 hits in two days," said Chicago
manager Don Baylor, whose club has gotten 16 hits in the two-game
series. "That is hard to believe in this place."
After Helton's go-ahead homer, the Rockies added a run later in
the first on Jeff Cirillo's RBI single.
Chicago loaded the bases in the third on two-out singles by
Gutierrez and Sammy Sosa and a walk to Grace. Ross Gload grounded
out to second, ending the threat.
Walker tripled in the fourth and scored on an error by second
baseman Eric Young.
Chicago closed 3-2 in the fifth after throwing errors by Tavarez
and catcher Ben Petrick. Grace walked with the bases loaded and
Gload hit a sacrifice fly.
"Tavarez was terrific, except for that one inning," Colorado
manager Buddy Bell said. "Things looked like they were falling
apart, but he regained his composure and got out of the inning with
relatively few runs."
Colorado chased Arnold in a three-run fifth on Jeffrey Hammonds'
RBI single and Walker's sacrifice fly. Todd Hollandsworth hit a
run-scoring single off Kyle Farnsworth.
Walker hit a two-run homer in a three-run seventh off Ozwaldo
Mairena, making his major league debut.
"For me the bottom line is playing time," Walker said. "I
have always been able to produce when I am consistently in the
lineup."
Game notes
At least one team has reached double digits in runs in 32
of 67 games at Coors Field this season. ... The Cubs held a
20-minute, closed-door meeting prior to the game. "After
yesterday, I had seen as much as I wanted to see," Cubs manager
Don Baylor said. ... Arnold started in place of Kevin Tapani, who
was given extra time between starts. ... Grace was back in the
lineup after sitting out a game with a bruised right knee. ...
Colorado transferred OF Larry Walker from the 15-day DL to the
60-day DL. Walker will have surgery on his right elbow either
Thursday or Friday to remove a bone spur and other debris. ... RHP
Pete Walker was called up from Triple-A Colorado Springs and took
the place of Larry Walker on the 40-man roster. ... RHP Giovanni
Carrara was activated from the 15-day DL. ... Neifi Perez matched
his own franchise record, set last year, with his 11th triple.
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