Colorado snaps skid, tops Pirates

Jason Bay hit his 18th homer for Pittsburgh.
DENVER (AP) -- Jeff Francis overcame two home runs to get the win and Jamey Carroll went 4-for-4 with a rare homer to lead the Colorado Rockies over the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-4 Tuesday night, snapping a six-game losing streak.
Francis (4-5) allowed just three hits in six innings but all three runners scored. Pittsburgh's Jason Bay hit a solo drive for his 18th homer and Jose Hernandez added a two-run shot for his second, both in the fourth inning.
The Rockies led off with hits in all six innings they faced left-hander Paul Maholm, but only one of those batters came around to score as Colorado stranded runners at third base four times in the first five innings.
The Rockies finally broke through in the sixth, scoring three runs to take a 4-3 lead. Yorvit Torrealba followed Clint Barmes' leadoff single with an RBI double for his first hit in a Colorado uniform. Torrealba came around to score the tying run when Francis laid down an excellent bunt for a single, and third baseman Freddy Sanchez picked up the dying roller and fired wide of first base for an error.
Todd Helton eventually singled in Francis, giving the Rockies their first lead of their homestand that started with a three-game sweep at the hands of the Florida Marlins, followed by a particularly disheartening loss to Pittsburgh, the worst road team in the majors at 5-23.
Maholm (2-5) was charged with four earned runs and 11 hits in five-plus innings.
Closing it out
The well-rested Rockies bullpen took over from there to secure Colorado's first win this month. Ramon Ramirez pitched the seventh, Jose Mesa the eighth and Brian Fuentes the ninth for his 12th save in 13 tries.
Fuentes, who hasn't had a save since May 28, gave up a two-out RBI single to Jeromy Burnitz before second baseman Carroll made a nice play on Humberto Cota's popout to end the game.
Carroll capped his fourth career four-hit game with his second homer of the year, a solo shot off Salomon Torres in the eighth that made it 5-3. After going 663 at-bats without a homer before connecting last month, Carroll has now homered twice in his last 44 at-bats.
Notes
The Rockies acquired Torrealba from Seattle in December. He was activated from the 15-day disabled list Friday after missing the first part of the year with a strained throwing shoulder.
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