Rockies 2, Cubs 1 <br><br>August 1, 2000
<br><br>CHICAGO (AP) -- Eric Young sensed the Chicago Cubs would
be in trouble when the Colorado Rockies didn't trade
Pedro Astacio. <br>``You knew it was going to be a
battle out there,'' Young said of Astacio, whose name
was mentioned in trade rumors before Monday's
deadline. ``I was hoping he would be traded. I was hoping
he'd be gone.'' <br>Astacio (9-7) showed why he was so
much in demand, matching his career-high with 12
strikeouts, and Todd Hollandsworth hit a go-ahead RBI single
in his Colorado debut to lift the Rockies to a 2-1
win Tuesday. <br>``It was my time to pitch. I can't
control (trades). This is a business,'' Astacio said.
``Nothing can happen anymore, so we don't have to worry.''
<br>Hollandsworth, acquired from Los Angeles for Tom Goodwin on
Monday, broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth to lift the Rockies
to their sixth win in 20 games since the All-Star
break. <br>``He's got a lot of ability,'' Rockies
manager Buddy Bell said. ``You don't get to be National
League Rookie of the Year by being lucky.'' <br>Astacio
held the Cubs to two hits, both by Young who was
traded by the Rockies to Los Angeles for the pitcher in
August 1997. Young doubled to start the first and
singled to lead off the sixth. <br>``He changed speeds
well and used his fastball. He has pinpoint control
and that's why he gets strikeouts,'' Cubs manager Don
Baylor said of Astacio, who also walked four over seven
innings. <br>Astacio struck out the side in both the
second and third innings. It's the third time Astacio
has struck out 12, most recently on Sept. 14, 1997,
at Atlanta. <br>``I'm not a strike 'em out pitcher,
I'm a groundball pitcher,'' Astacio said. <br>``I
think Pedro was a little bit concerned about being
traded,'' Bell said. ``I tried to explain to him that it's
a compliment. We're all replaceable, unfortunate
but true. We didn't actively go out and try to move
him. We turned down a lot of good players.'' <br>With
one out in the eighth, Neifi Perez singled off Kyle
Farnsworth (2-5) and advanced on Jeff Cirillo's groundout.
Todd Helton was intentionally walked, and Felix
Heredia hit pinch-hitter Larry Walker to load the bases.
<br>``That's not what I was looking for,'' Baylor said.
<br>Hollandsworth greeted Tim Worrell with a single to left to
score Perez. <br>``I had a great opportunity to help
get this team a big 'W,''' Hollandsworth said. ``It's
what we needed in a big way. I'm grateful to
contribute.'' <br>It was only the Cubs second loss in their
last 11 games and they now are 14-5 since the All-Star
break. <br>Gabe White pitched two perfect innings for
his second save. <br>Brian Hunter walked to lead off
the Rockies first against starter Daniel Garibay,
advanced on a sacrifice, stole third and scored on an
errant throw by catcher Jeff Reed. <br>The Cubs answered
in the first when Young doubled to lead off, stole
third and scored one out later on Mark Grace's
groundout. <br>With the bases loaded and two outs in the
sixth, Astacio struck out Damon Buford to end the
inning. <br>Garibay, who was in the Mexican League for
seven years before this season, gave up four hits and
three walks in seven innings of his first major league
start. The left-hander, recalled from Triple-A Iowa to
fill Scott Downs' spot after he was traded to
Montreal, struck out six. <br>``He kept them off balance
and pitched a great game,'' Reed said. ``You've just
got to tip your hat to Astacio.'' <br>Garibay was 2-3
with a 4.94 ERA in 21 previous appearances with the
Cubs andhis longest outing prior to Tuesday was 3 2-3
innings June 22 against Atlanta.