09/21/2003 6:20 PM ET
Tsao leads Rockies past Padres By Thomas Harding / MLB.com
Renes Reyes went 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs and stole second from
Khalil Greene. (Jack Dempsey/AP)
DENVER -- Chin-hui Tsao gave the Colorado Rockies something nice to dream
about for next year on Sunday afternoon.
Tsao gave up a Brian Giles two-run homer in the first inning but struck out a
career-high seven in six innings as the Rockies beat the San Diego Padres, 5-3,
at Coors Field in front of 28,167 fans.
A couple of established stars had their moments. Todd Helton had three hits,
including two doubles, to accumulate to 200 hits this season and become the
only player in the 11-year history of the franchise to accomplish the feat
twice. He did it in 2000. Larry Walker also homered.
But improvement for the Rockies, who won 2-of-3 against the Padres to end a
streak of losing home series at four, depends partly on developing productive
young players. Rene Reyes, potentially one of them, knocked a two-run homer in
the eighth to give the Rockies breathing room. The Rockies consider Tsao (3-3)
the crest of the new wave of pitching.
Tsao gave up five hits and three walks but still shut down San Diego. Now,
it's the Rockies' turn to limit Tsao, 22, whose 155 2/3 innings between
Double-A Tulsa and Colorado represented the most he has ever thrown in a
season.
Tsao has 42 1/3 big league innnings, and the Rockies will keep him beneath 50
innings to preserve his rookie status for next season. The club has not
announced if it will use Tsao again. But by limiting his innings, Tsao should
be fresh for the Asian Championship in late October and early November, when
he'll try to pitch his home country of Taiwan into the 2004 Olympics.
The homers are a concern. Giles', his 19th of the season, was the 11th Tsao
gave up in his eight starts. But the strikeouts are one reason Tsao is
considered a prospect with rookie status worth preserving -- just in case next
year he pitches the way he did on Sunday and finds himself a candidate for
rookie honors.
After striking out 125 and walking just 26 at Tulsa, Tsao fanned five or more
in half of his eight big league starts. The homers given up and the fact he has
walked 19 are clear indications of how much better the hitters are that Tsao is
facing.
Colorado scored all its runs in the third inning. Walker followed Jay Payton's
leadoff single with his 14th homer of the season off Adam Eaton (8-12) to tie
the score, 2-2. Reyes walked, stole second, took third on a Gregg Zaun single
and scored on a Clint Barmes sacrifice fly to give the Rockies the lead.
Tsao and the Colorado bullpen took control from there.
Javier Lopez replaced Steve Reed with two out and two on in the seventh and
forced Giles into an infield grounder. Brian Fuentes replaced Adam Bernero with
one out and one on in the eighth, got Mark Kotsay to fly out and struck out
Khalil Greene.
Fuentes gave up a Sean Burroughs homer and a Mark Loretta single with two out
in the ninth, but struck out Giles looking to wrap up his fourth save and
second of the series.
Thomas Harding is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the
approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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★☆一起去札幌幫中華隊加油囉☆★
札幌巨蛋 ----Victory!
http://www.sapporo-dome.co.jp/
2003年第廿二屆亞洲棒球錦標賽相關訊息:
http://www.ctba.org.tw/senior_level/ctteam/2003asiancup/news0815.htm
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