Todd Helton

The Colorado Rockies gave All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki the day off to rest a sore left hip. Tulowitzki wasn't the only starter to receive a break Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds. The banged-up Rockies also held out Todd Helton (stiff back) and Mark Ellis (neck). Just before the game, outfielder Carlos Gonzalez was scratched with lower back stiffness. Ty Wigginton was placed in the lineup in left field, while Seth Smith switched over to right. With an off day Monday, Rockies manager Jim Tracy is hoping Tulowitzki will be back in the lineup Tuesday for a game in...

Buster Posey hit a go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Colorado Rockies 3-2 on Monday night to match their best winning streak of the season at three games. Gregor Blanco hit a tying home run leading off the sixth for San Francisco and also added a pair of singles, including one to start the rally in the eighth against loser Rex Brothers (1-2). Joaquin Arias then beat out an infield single when Rockies catcher Wilin Rosario tried to let the bunt up the first base line roll foul and it stayed fair.

DENVER - Todd Helton was getting drenched in a waterfall of champagne following his 1,578th major league game when slugger Matt Holliday looked over and laughed. "He really deserves this," Holliday said as Helton enjoyed his first taste of the postseason party after a decade's worth of fantastic but frustrating seasons as Colorado's stymied star. Helton, the subject of trade talks last winter, played a leading role in the Rockies' 14-1 season-ending run that put them into the Division Series against Philadelphia.

Standing atop the steps in the dugout waiting for his next at-bat, Troy Tulowitzki never saw the line drive coming off Colorado teammate Dexter Fowler's bat. All the Rockies shortstop knows is that he's lucky he wasn't more seriously injured. Tulowitzki had to leave the game after the freak accident in the eighth inning of Colorado's 3-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Monday night but is listed as day to day, one of the few things that went right for the Rockies as they continued their longest road trip of the season.

Rockies pitcher Juan Nicasio was hit in the head by a line drive and carted off the field in the second inning of Colorado's game against the Nationals. Nicasio was taken to the hospital where he was "resting comfortably while undergoing a battery of tests," the Rockies announced. The right-hander was struck by a ball off the bat of Washington's Ian Desmond. The ball slammed into the right side of Nicasio's head with a smack and caromed away, rolling over the first-base line.

Eric Hinske had four hits, including a tiebreaking two-run homer in the 11th inning, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Colorado Rockies 9-8 on Friday night. After pinch hitter Tyler Pastornicky singled to start the 11th, Hinske sent a 94-mph fastball from Edgmer Escalona (0-1) into the Rockies' bullpen for his first homer of the season. Chad Durbin (2-0) worked his way out of a jam in the 10th to earn the win and Craig Kimbrel survived a shaky 11th for his ninth save in 10 chances.

The Colorado Rockies let a five-run lead float away into the Mile High air, and once again a short outing by the team's starting pitcher was at the heart of the problem. "I'd give us A+ grades for everything we did, our defense, our bullpen, the way they held up, and the way we kept coming back," Colorado manager Jim Tracy said. "I liked everything but our starting pitching. We fell short in that area. " Staked to a 5-0 lead against Atlanta, starter Guillermo Moscoso couldn't hold it as the Rockies fell 9-8 in 11 innings to the Braves on Friday night in...

First baseman Todd Helton and the Rockies agreed yesterday to a $9.9 million, two-year contract extension through the 2013 season. Helton is earning $16.6 million this year, and he agreed to defer $13 million of his $19.1 million salary in 2011 over a 10-year period beginning in 2014. Colorado had a $23 million option for 2012 with a $4.6 million buyout as part of the $141.5 million, nine-year contract that began with the 2003 season. Instead, he will make $10.7 million in salary and signing bonus next year, not including the deferred money, and then will receive $4.9 million in 2012 and $5...

DENVER - The Colorado Rockies fired manager Clint Hurdle yesterday, less than two years after their incredible "Rocktober" run to the World Series, and replaced him with bench coach Jim Tracy for the rest of the season. Without reliable hitting, pitching, or defense, the Rockies stumbled to an 18-28 start and were 14 1/2 games behind Los Angeles in the NL West heading into last night's action. "It was been a tremendous ride. It has been life lesson after life lesson," Hurdle said.

Woody Williams won his sixth straight decision, Albert Pujols and Larry Walker homered, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Braves, 4-1, last night in the series opener in Atlanta between division leaders. Williams (9-6) allowed only three hits and one run in seven innings as St. Louis stretched its Central lead over the Chicago Cubs to 13 1/2 games. He has six wins and five no-decisions since his last loss June 8 at Chicago. Williams allowed just one base runner to advance past second base -- Chipper Jones's leadoff homer in the seventh.

DENVER - Jerry McMorris, one of the instrumental figures in bringing the Colorado Rockies to Denver, has died, the team said in a statement. The team said that Mr. McMorris died Tuesday in Denver of cancer. He was 71. Mr. McMorris was part of a group that purchased a controlling interest in the club in 1992, a year before the team started play. He served as chairman, president, and chief executive of the team until 2001. He was part of the team's ownership group until 2005.

Little things are adding up for the Colorado Rockies, who lost their fifth straight game Tuesday night, 3-1 to the San Diego Padres. Will Venable tripled and scored in the first, then doubled in the go-ahead run in the fifth inning to back 37-year-old Jeff Suppan, giving the Padres the series win with one game to play. "It boils down to one run isn't going to get it done," manager Jim Tracy said. "It's the cruelty of the game. That's what we are going through right now. " Suppan (2-0)

Yonder Alonso drove in two runs and the San Diego Padres beat the Colorado Rockies 3-2 Monday night to become the last NL team to get to 10 victories. Edinson Volquez, obtained in an offseason trade with Cincinnati, got his first victory with the Padres, with some help from the bullpen. The Rockies lost their fourth straight game and their shaky rotation took another hit. Left-hander Drew Pomeranz left with a bruised right quad in the fourth, two innings after he was hit by a line drive by Volquez.

Drew Pomeranz got knocked out of Monday night's start with a leg injury, but not before hitting his first career home run. Yonder Alonso drove in two runs and the San Diego Padres beat the Colorado Rockies 3-2 to become the last NL team to get to 10 victories. Edinson Volquez, obtained in an offseason trade with Cincinnati, got his first victory with the Padres, with some help from the bullpen. The Rockies lost their fourth straight game and their shaky rotation took another hit. Pomeranz left with a bruised right quad in the fourth, two...

The Colorado Rockies let a five-run lead float away into the Mile High air, and once again a short outing by the team's starting pitcher was at the heart of the problem. "I'd give us A+ grades for everything we did, our defense, our bullpen, the way they held up, and the way we kept coming back," Colorado manager Jim Tracy said. "I liked everything but our starting pitching. We fell short in that area. " Staked to a 5-0 lead against Atlanta, starter Guillermo Moscoso couldn't hold it as the Rockies fell 9-8 in 11 innings to the Braves on Friday night...

Eric Hinske had four hits, including a tiebreaking two-run homer in the 11th inning, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Colorado Rockies 9-8 on Friday night. After pinch hitter Tyler Pastornicky singled to start the 11th, Hinske sent a 94-mph fastball from Edgmer Escalona (0-1) into the Rockies' bullpen for his first homer of the season. Chad Durbin (2-0) worked his way out of a jam in the 10th to earn the win and Craig Kimbrel survived a shaky 11th for his ninth save in 10 chances.

SAN FRANCISCO — Ubaldo Jimenez felt the hype from Denver to the Dominican Republic. From his Facebook friends near and far, and even over the e-mail channels. The soft-spoken Rockies ace keeps living up to every bit of the positive attention he’s receiving. Jimenez pitched a four-hitter to become the majors’ first 10-game winner this season, outpitching Tim Lincecum to lead Colorado past the San Francisco Giants, 4-0, in yesterday’s highly anticipated Memorial Day matchup.

Carlos Gonzalez slammed his bat down in disgust after striking out to end the game, sending splinters flying in every direction. A frustrating finish following a furious comeback. The Rockies nearly rallied from a seven-run deficit before losing 7-6 to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night. Colorado had the tying run on third with Gonzalez up, but the team's hottest hitter hacked at three sliders from closer Javy Guerra — all out of the strike zone — to go down swinging.

Dillon Gee shook off one tough inning in an otherwise strong outing, Lucas Duda homered and singled to drive in four runs, and the New York Mets beat the Colorado Rockies 7-5 on Saturday night. Ruben Tejada, Daniel Murphy and David Wright each added three hits and scored five times collectively, helping the Mets bounce back from Friday night's sloppy 18-9 loss to Colorado. Gee (2-2), who turned 26 on Saturday, allowed four runs in seven innings. He struck out seven and walked two, keeping the Rockies in check for most of the night except for a rough patch...