Hawpe's grand slam helps Reynolds get first major league win

DENVER (AP) -- Brad Hawpe refuses to read too much into his home run binge since returning from the disabled list. Whatever the cause, it sure helped out Greg Reynolds.

Hawpe's grand slam in the fist inning helped Greg Reynolds get his first major league win as the streaking Colorado Rockies beat Milwaukee 7-2 on Saturday night.

The right fielder is definitely locked in these days, hitting two big homers since coming off the disabled list on Friday. His grand slam was the second of his career, the other was June 16 against Tampa Bay.

He also hit a two-run homer in the eighth Friday to propel the Rockies to a 6-4 win. Hawpe had been out for the last two weeks with a strained right hamstring.

"It's just two games," Hawpe said.

Still, Hawpe's return is a sign the defending NL champions are on the mend. Colorado has now won four in a row, matching the team's longest streak of the season.

Matt Holliday (strained left hamstring) is on a rehab assignment and could be back early next week while shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (quadriceps tear) may soon head out for a rehab stint.

Reynolds (1-3) baffled hitters all evening, limiting Milwaukee to two runs and four hits over six innings.

"I think it was a little overdue for me," said Reynolds, who had his sinker working, breaking four bats as he picked up his first win in six starts. "It feels great."

The only letdown Reynolds had on Saturday was Big Brown. Earlier in the day, Reynolds picked Big Brown's name in a blind drawing for the Belmont Stakes, only to watch his sure thing fall flat and finish last.

"I thought it was a lock," Reynolds said with a laugh.

Rockies manager Clint Hurdle was pleased to see the pop return to the lineup as the Rockies hit three homers, including Ian Stewart's fifth inning shot into the third deck in right field, just the 28th time the third tier has been reached at Coors Field.

Stewart also made a dazzling play in the top half of the fifth to save a run. With J.J. Hardy on third and two outs, Craig Counsell hit a slow roller that Stewart charged and barehanded, tossing it to Todd Helton at first to nip Counsell.

"I don't know how many guys you can find in the big leagues that are going to make the play he made at second base -- the barehanded play to end the inning -- then hit a ball into the upper deck to lead off the inning," Hurdle said. "Maybe [Dan] Uggla? Maybe [Chase] Utley? Stew put himself in that category."

The converted third baseman appreciated the high praise from his skipper.

"Those guys are great players," Stewart said. "I don't think it's quite a fair comparison yet. Those guys have done some damage in the big leagues."

Stewart said his blast was possibly the best contact he's ever made.

His teammates agreed.

"It was a bomb," Hawpe said. "That was hit a long ways."

Brewers manager Ned Yost briefly argued with home plate umpire Dana DeMuth over Stewart's homer, which appeared to wrap around the foul pole.

"I thought it was foul," Yost said. "It's a tough call. It wasn't blatant. It was a pretty nonchalant call [by first base umpire Lance Barksdale]. He wasn't sure. That's why it was nonchalant. Dana thought the same thing. I don't think anybody knew. The ball was hit so high."

Dave Bush (2-6) lasted just four innings, his shortest start of the year. He gave up five hits and five runs before being pulled for a pinch hitter.

Russell Branyan just missed hitting a homer for a fifth straight game, drilling a liner off the left-field wall in the second. Branyan thought it was out, going into a trot out of the batter's box. He wound up with a long RBI single.

Bush got the first two outs in the first inning before Ryan Spilborghs stuck out his bat and blooped a double that landed just over Prince Fielder's head and on the right field line. Helton and Garrett Atkins drew walks, paving the way for Hawpe's grand slam.

"I threw a bad pitch to him," Bush said. "It wouldn't have particularly mattered who was up. It just wasn't a good pitch."

Chris Iannetta followed Hawpe's blast with a solo shot on the next pitch, the first time this season the Rockies have hit back-to-back homers. Iannetta also had an RBI single.

While Hawpe has now homered in both of Colorado's wins since coming off the disabled list, he couldn't label one as more special than the other.

"To be able to go out there and help the team win, that drives baseball players," he said. "Every win's nice."

Game notes
Helton had his 12-game hitting streak snapped. He went 0-for-3 with a walk. ... Yost is hoping to have relievers Eric Gagne (rotator cuff tendinitis) and David Riske (hyperextended right elbow) back within a week. ... OF Corey Hart had two of the Brewers' five hits.