Denver, CO (Best E Casino) - Garrett Atkins and Omar Quintanilla had two RBI apiece to back Jorge De La Rosa's superb pitching effort, as the Colorado Rockies dominated the Pittsburgh Pirates, 7-1, in the third installment of a four-game series.

Scott Podsednik was 4-for-5 with two runs scored while Brad Hawpe added three hits, scoring once with an RBI for the Rockies.

De La Rosa (4-5) kept the Pittsburgh bats in check throughout his six frames of work, limiting the Bucs to one run on seven hits and two walks, while fanning seven. Colorado has won the first three games of this series after entering the All-Star break on a four-game skid.

"He never let himself get out of rhythm," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said of De La Rosa. "He never let himself get out of sequence. After the first inning, he never let any inning get away from him whatsoever."

Yoslan Herrera (0-1) lasted just 1 2/3 innings and was pounded for seven runs on eight hits in his second major league start. The inexperienced right-hander is filling in for an injured Phil Dumatrait.

Freddy Sanchez was 3-for-4 with a run scored while Ryan Doumit provided the lone RBI for Pittsburgh, which has dropped four straight.

The Pirates started things with a run in the first. Sanchez stroked a one-out double to left and came home on a Doumit RBI single.

Colorado responded in the home half with a five-spot. The Rox loaded the bases with the first three batters before Atkins produced a sacrifice fly. After Hawpe grounded into a force out, Yorvit Torrealba and Ian Stewart delivered back-to-back RBI singles. Quintanilla then capped the scoring with a two-run double to left.

The Rockies extended their lead in the second. Podsednik doubled to left leading off and scampered home on a two-out single to left from Atkins. Atkins moved to third on a wild pitch and trotted home on a Hawpe double to left, ending Herrera's outing after just 1 2/3 innings of work. T.J. Beam entered and stopped the bleeding by inducing a Torrealba ground out.

"It's a real confidence boost because just a couple games ago, I had no confidence at the plate," Podsednik said after tying a career-high with four hits. "Tonight, something just clicked and I had a real good feeling up there. I hope I can gain momentum from this, and it'll be the start of a good second half for me."

Pittsburgh got back-to-back singles to start the fifth but a double-play ground out from Doumit killed the momentum and De La Rosa escaped unscathed.

The Bucs failed to produce another baserunner until a Xavier Nady single with two outs in the ninth.

Game Notes

Colorado won four of seven last year in the series, but the Pirates won three of the four tests played at Coors Field. The Rockies lead this year's series 3-0...Sunday's series finale will feature Pittsburgh's Zach Duke (4-6) and Colorado's Aaron Cook (11-6)...The Orioles and Rockies exchanged minor league infielders on Saturday, with Baltimore acquiring Juan Castro and Colorado netting Mike McCoy...Colorado recalled Stewart from Triple-A Colorado Springs on Saturday while designating infielder Jayson Nix for assignment.