May 16, 2008 11:28 pm US/Central
Blackburn Pitches Twins Past Rockies, 4-2
DENVER, Colo. (AP) ―
Nick Blackburn pitched seven strong innings and Delmon Young doubled twice and scored two runs to lead the Minnesota Twins to a 4-2 win over the Colorado Rockies on Friday night.
Clint Barmes had three hits for the Rockies, who have lost six straight and eight of 11.
Blackburn (4-2) struck out five and didn't walk a batter to help the Twins end a three-game skid. Joe Nathan remained perfect in 13 save opportunities.
Ubaldo Jimenez (1-4), who hasn't won since April 8, struck out five and walked one in seven innings.
The game was tied 2-2 when Young, who had three hits, started the winning rally with a leadoff double in the sixth. He moved to third on a flyout by Mike Lamb and scored on a sacrifice fly by Adam Everett.
Young's two doubles give him just six extra-base hits this season. He had three doubles and a triple entering Friday's game.
The Twins added an insurance run with another sacrifice fly by Everett in the eighth.
The Rockies put runners on the corners with two outs in the eighth, but Todd Helton bounced out to relief pitcher Dennys Reyes.
In the third inning, Carlos Guzman reached on a two-out single and moved to second on Helton's error on a pickoff attempt. After Brendan Harris walked, Joe Mauer singled up the middle to make it 1-0.
In the fourth, Michael Cuddyer doubled with one out and Lamb followed with a bloop single to right to make it 2-0.
The Rockies got the two runs back in their half of the fourth. Willy Taveras led off with an infield single, Barmes tripled to right and then scored on a groundout to shortstop.
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