Helton’s Big Day Ends in a Sweep of Giants

Batting in the seventh inning, Todd Helton needed a triple to complete the cycle.

“No, I wasn’t thinking about it at all,” Helton said. “I was too tired to run that far.”

Helton struck out, but by then it didn’t matter.

His three runs batted in, including a homer, led the Colorado Rockies to their sixth consecutive victory, 10-6, over the San Francisco Giants on Sunday at Denver.

Colorado, 20-8 under Manager Clint Hurdle, moved two games over .500 for the first time since June 19, 2001.

After starter Jason Jennings struggled early, Rick White, Kent Mercker, Todd Jones and Dennys Reyes combined to pitch four shutout innings.

Jennings (5-2) won his fourth consecutive decision for the first time in his career. He gave up six runs--five earned--and eight hits in five innings.

“J.J. didn’t have his best stuff, but he battled and got us through five,” Hurdle said. “On offense, we were relentless.”

The Rockies, trailing 6-3, got two runs in the third, three in the fifth and two more in the eighth.

The Giants, who were swept for the first time this season, have lost five of six games.

Atlanta 7, Cincinnati 5--Keith Lockhart made the most of a rare start, hitting a three-run homer off Chris Reitsma (3-1) to lead the Braves at Atlanta.

Vinny Castilla and Wes Helms also homered for Atlanta to back starter Greg Maddux (5-2).

Ken Griffey Jr., making his second start for the Reds since returning from a seven-week stint on the disabled list, went 0 for 4.

Montreal 6, Philadelphia 5--Jose Vidro went four for four to extend his major league-best hitting streak to 20 games and Vladimir Guerrero had an RBI single to cap a four-run seventh inning at Montreal as the Expos swept the Phillies.

In the seventh, Vidro he had an RBI single against Vicente Padilla (6-4) to draw Montreal within 5-4. After Vidro stole second, Jose Macias scored the tying run on Padilla’s wild pitch. Guerrero brought the Olympic Stadium crowd of 19,015 to its feet with a single that scored Vidro with the go-ahead run.

St. Louis 7, Pittsburgh 3--Fernando Vina hit a grand slam and drove in five runs with the help of pitcher Jason Simontacchi’s first two career hits as the Cardinals won at Pittsburgh.

Simontacchi (3-0), a former Pirate farmhand, limited Pittsburgh to homers by Aramis Ramirez and Brian Giles over 7 1/3 innings to outduel fellow rookie Josh Fogg (5-3), who gave up three homers.

New York 3, Florida 0--Jeff D’Amico gave up three hits over seven innings and Mike Piazza hit a two-run double at New York.

D’Amico (4-4) allowed one walk and struck out five. Mark Guthrie pitched the eighth and Scott Strickland worked the ninth for second save, completing a combined five-hitter.

San Diego 8, Milwaukee 7--Pitcher Dennis Tankersley homered and doubled at Milwaukee and got his first major league victory in four starts, and the Padres ended a losing streak at five games.

Tankersley (1-0) gave up five runs in 5 2/3 innings.

Houston 7, Chicago 5--Craig Biggio’s two-run single capped an eighth-inning rally at Houston and the Astros ended a losing streak at six.

The Astros overcame a five-run deficit and ended the Cubs’ winning streak at five.