Rockies’ Offense Just Never Lets Up

The Colorado Rockies scored a run in the first inning Wednesday at Chicago and kept on going.

They became the first team in 35 years and only the third this century to score in every inning, overcoming another Sammy Sosa home run--his sixth--to beat the Chicago Cubs, 13-6.

“It says something about the completeness,” said Colorado’s Dante Bichette, who went four for five with two runs batted in and three runs scored. “From one to nine, everybody was doing their job.”

Neifi Perez was three for five with a home run, double, three RBIs and three runs scored.

The last time a team scored in all nine innings also was at Wrigley Field, when the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Cubs, 15-2, on Sept. 13, 1964. It happened only one other time this century, when the New York Giants beat Philadelphia, 22-8, on June 1, 1923.

It also happened four times in the National League in the 1880s and ‘90s and twice in the American Assn. in the 1880s, when it was considered a major league. No American League team has scored in all nine innings.

The Rockies have scored in 13 consecutive innings, one short of the NL record set by Pittsburgh from July 31-Aug. 2, 1894, and matched by the New York Giants from July 18-20, 1949. The major league record of 17 was set by the Boston Red Sox on Sept. 16 and 17, 1903.

Pittsburgh 4, San Francisco 3--Ed Sprague tied the score with a home run in the eighth inning, then won the game with a one-out single in the 12th at Pittsburgh.

The Pirate bullpen pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings, with former closer Rich Loiselle (3-1) going the final two innings for the victory.

Felix Rodriguez (0-1), the Giants’ fifth pitcher, pitched two scoreless innings but got into trouble in the 12th by giving up Jason Kendall’s one-out single and throwing a wild pitch.

Sprague then lined a single into center.

Houston 5, New York 4--Jeff Bagwell hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning at New York to give the Astros their eighth win in 10 games. The Astros trailed, 4-3, when Bill Spiers walked to lead off the eighth. Armando Benitez (0-1) recovered to retire the next two batters but couldn’t get Bagwell, who hit a liner over the left-field wall for his ninth homer.

Atlanta 12, St. Louis 3--John Smoltz recorded his ninth consecutive victory, and the Braves backed him with three home runs at Atlanta.

Bret Boone homered and hit a two-run double, and Ryan Klesko and Brian Jordan each hit two-run homers for the Braves.

Smoltz (5-0), who leads the NL with a 1.69 ERA, gave up three runs--two earned--and five hits in seven innings. He also had two hits.

Smoltz is unbeaten in 10 starts since a 4-3 loss to the Houston Astros on Aug. 31.

Arizona 5, Cincinnati 1--Randy Johnson pitched a four-hitter at Cincinnati for his second complete game of the season and hit a run-scoring double for the third RBI of his career.

Johnson (3-1), who threw 77 of 110 pitches for strikes, struck out eight and walked none in the 58th complete game of his career.

Philadelphia 11, San Diego 1--Paul Byrd shut down the Padres on two hits in eight innings and matched his career high with seven strikeouts at Philadelphia. Reggie Sanders had both hits against Byrd (3-2), a fourth-inning homer and a sixth-inning single. Wayne Gomes pitched the ninth.