Philadelphia, PA (Best E Casino) - Chase Utley hit a three-run home run and had a career-high six runs driven in as the
Philadelphia Phillies pounded the
Colorado Rockies, 20-5, in the opener of a three-game set at Citizens Bank Park.
Chris Coste had four RBI, including a three-run homer, while Pedro Feliz went 4-for-6 with four RBI and two runs scored for the Phillies, who have won five of their last seven games. Jamie Moyer (5-3) benefited from all the run support as he got the win and was charged with four runs on six hits in seven innings of work.
The Phillies have exploded in the past two games. Sunday against Houston, they had a season-high 15 runs and 16 hits, both of which were surpassed in Monday's game as the team put up 19 hits to go along with the 20 runs.
It was the largest margin of victory for Philadelphia this season, surpassing a 10-run win against Washington on May 21. Also, it was the most runs for the Phillies since a 21-8 home win over the Cubs on July 3, 1999.
Ryan Spilborghs hit a three-run homer while Jorge De La Rosa (1-3) was banged up for seven runs -- six earned -- on four hits with three walks in 3 1/3 innings of work for the Rockies, who have dropped four of their last six games.
"I didn't make my pitches," said De La Rosa. "My fastball wasn't fast and my changeup was flat."
With the score tied in the fourth, the Phillies had six runners cross the plate in the frame to take a commanding lead. Feliz led off with a double and Coste followed with a ground-rule double. So Taguchi then doubled and, after a sacrifice bunt from Moyer, Jason Grilli took the mound for Colorado.
Jimmy Rollins kept the hits coming with a single up the middle to score Taguchi and, after Shane Victorino singled, Utley's ground out allowed Rollins to score. After walks to Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell, Feliz singled to center to bring home two more runners for a 10-4 lead.
The Phils put up another six runs in the sixth inning to turn the game into a rout. Coste belted a pitch into the left field seats for a three-run homer. Several batters later, Utley roped a single to right that brought home Taguchi and Howard added a two-run single for the 16-4 lead.
Utley and T.J. Bohn each had RBI singles in the eighth and Feliz later added a two-run single to make it a 20-4 contest.
Colorado added a run in the top of the ninth, on a Cory Sullivan RBI single, but it was a drop in the bucket as Clay Condrey got Willy Taveras to ground out to end the game.
The Rockies wasted no time taking the lead as, with runners on first and third, Spilborghs drilled a 1-1 pitch just barely over the center field wall for a 3-0 lead.
However, the Phillies answered in the bottom of the inning as Rollins and Victorino worked walks, and Utley crushed a 2-2 pitch into the right-center field stands to tie the contest.
Colorado took the lead in the third on a sacrifice fly from Jeff Baker that plated Todd Helton, who had singled and moved to third on a double from Spilborghs.
Philadelphia, though, answered in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly from Howard that scored Victorino.
Game Notes
The Phillies have won four straight in the regular season against the Rockies. However, Colorado swept the Phillies in the National League Division Series last season...Colorado third baseman Garrett Atkins was out of the lineup with a stiff neck...Moyer is 1-4 in five career starts against the Rockies. He has won three straight starts overall and is 4-1 in his past five outings...Spilborghs is 4-for-9 with a double, two homers and five RBI against Moyer in his career...The 20 runs scored is the most by any team in the majors this season.
