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Rockies Outslug Brewers, Move Closer To Postseason

POSTED: 12:34 am MDT October 1, 2009

(Sports Network) - Todd Helton, Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki each smacked two-run homers to put Colorado on the doorstep of a postseason appearance with a 10-6 decision over the Brewers.

Coupled with Atlanta's loss to Florida on Wednesday, the Rockies' magic number to clinch at least the National League wild card is just one with four games remaining. Colorado is still alive in the NL West race as well, sitting 2 1/2 games behind the Dodgers following Los Angeles' 5-0 loss to San Diego.

The Rockies finish up this three-game set Thursday before heading to Los Angeles for three games that will help determine the playoff picture.

"Any time you're this close you smell it and you want to get it done," said Tulowitzki. "It's exciting, but at the same time we have to keep doing what we have to get here. We can't put too much pressure on ourselves and feel it's a must win."

Yorvit Torrealba went 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Jason Hammel (10-8) struck out eight and gave up four runs on seven hits in a five-inning start to pick up the win, the club's third straight.

Jeff Suppan (7-12) yielded eight runs on 10 hits in six innings, while Prince Fielder, Mike Cameron and Casey McGehee each homered in defeat, Milwaukee's third in a row.

"There will probably be some guys going home this year not feeling good about their year," said Brewers manager Ken Macha. "He's (Suppan) in that class."

Milwaukee failed to get a run across with two on and one out in the third, and the hosts plated three in the bottom half to break a 2-2 tie. After Helton smacked a two-run homer to right, Brad Hawpe hit a two-out double and came around on a Torrealba base hit to center.

Cameron led off the fourth with a homer and Suppan's groundout scored Alcides Escobar later in the inning to make it a 5-4 game.

Jose Contreras struck out Jody Gerut to leave the bases loaded in the away sixth. With runners on the corners and two outs in the bottom half, Suppan's 55-footer got away from Jason Kendall, allowing Ian Stewart to score. Gonzalez later made it 8-4 by finding the right-field seats on a 2-0 pitch.

The Brewers again filled the bags in the seventh, only to manage just one run on Kendall's RBI single.

Franklin Morales got out of the inning with a three-run lead, and Tulowitzki's no-doubter to left off Chris Smith in the home seventh gave the Rockies plenty of cushion to come away with the much-needed win despite McGehee's leadoff homer off Matt Belisle in the ninth.

Gonzalez tripled leading off the home first and scored on Seth Smith's single. Milwaukee countered with two runs in the second via Fielder's 44th longball and Kendall's RBI double.

Torrealba doubled to open the bottom half, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch to tie the game.

Game Notes

Milwaukee stranded 11, going 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position... Suppan entered the game 6-1 with a 3.40 ERA in nine career starts against Colorado, which swept a three-game series at Milwaukee from June 9-11 and is 13-5 in this series since the start of the 2007 campaign...Kendall had three hits in the loss...Colorado used seven relievers.

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