Neagle Shuts Down Cardinals

DENVER — Denny Neagle combined with three relievers on a four-hitter, eventually leaving with a strained right hamstring as the Colorado Rockies routed the St. Louis Cardinals, 9-1, Friday night.

Todd Helton and Ron Gant hit consecutive home runs in the eighth inning off Alan Benes, who also gave up a two-run homer in the inning to pinch-hitter Greg Norton.

Ben Petrick had three hits, including his third homer in three games to raise his season total to six.

Terry Shumpert added two hits, including a run-scoring triple, as the Rockies won for the fifth time in six games. St. Louis has lost four in a row.

Neagle (5-2), who won for the first time in four starts since defeating Atlanta on May 17, allowed a second-inning homer by Albert Pujols. He also had a run-scoring single in the second off Mike Matthews (2-2) and was hit on the right biceps by a pitch from Matthews in the fifth.

Neagle left the game after straining his hamstring while rounding second base scoring a run in the fifth. Ron Villone followed and pitched a hitless sixth.

Matthews gave up three runs and seven hits in five innings.

Pujols’ 17th home run put St. Louis ahead in the second, but Neagle’s two-out single tied the score in the bottom half.