
PHILADELPHIA -- Garrett Atkins homered and had a season-high four RBIs, Jason Hammel pitched into the seventh inning and the Colorado Rockies beat the Philadelphia Phillies 8-3 Tuesday night for their fifth straight win.
Atkins, starting for just the 18th time since June 14, hit a two-out, two-run homer off Jamie Moyer (10-8) in the second inning. Atkins then had a two-run double in the sixth after the Phillies cut the lead to 4-2 on a Jimmy Rollins' home run.
Colorado added two more runs in the inning to put the game out of reach. The Rockies finished with 11 hits as every starter except for second baseman Clint Barmes had at least one.
Hammel (6-6) gave up three runs and nine hits in 6 2-3 innings. He struck out six and walked none. The right-hander, who also had a hit and scored a run, recovered well from last Thursday's outing against the Mets, when he allowed five runs in 1 1-3 innings.
Atkins improved to 17 for 46 (.370 average) against left-handers and helped send the suddenly struggling World Series Champions to their fifth loss in six games. The Rockies are 41-19 under manager Jim Tracy.
Moyer extended his 10-start pattern of alternating good starts and bad ones, with a subpar effort. The 46-year-old lefty allowed six runs in five innings, and left after walking Troy
Tulowitzki and Brad Hawpe to start the sixth.
Atkins had four RBIs for the first time since driving in five last Aug. 29. The veteran third baseman, coming off a .286 season with 21 homers, has found limited opportunities this season.
He has been supplanted as the starter by Ian Stewart and though the two have similar batting averages, Stewart is defensively superior and has 18 home runs.
Atkins appeared to recapture his hitting stroke in June, when he batted .327 in 55 at-bats, with three homers, eight RBIs and a .393 on-base percentage. He hit .195 with five RBIs in 41 at-bats last month.
NOTES: Tulowitzki and Rollins both extended their hitting streaks to 10 games. ... Phillies RHP Brett Myers (hip) is scheduled to throw a simulated game on Thursday in Clearwater, Fla. ... RHP Pedro Martinez is headed to Double-A Reading to start against the Trenton Thunder, in what could be his final rehab start before joining the Phillies. ... CF Shane Victorino, who missed four games when he bruised his left knee make a diving catch against the D-backs, returned to the Phillies' starting lineup on Tuesday.