Rockies blank Twins at home Minnesota only 15-15 in Dome this season

MINNEAPOLIS -- It's clear the Minnesota Twins are bothered by their unexpected trouble at home, even though they didn't have much to say about it after their latest loss.

"We're in first place doing well and everyone is thinking about our record at home," Torii Hunter said.

Preston Wilson, Charles Johnson and Greg Vaughn each hit first-pitch home runs in support of Jason Jennings to lead the Colorado Rockies past the Twins 5-0 on Tuesday night.

Minnesota fell to 15-15 at home, by far the worst mark among the six division leaders in the majors.

"We're used to getting the breaks here," Doug Mientkiewicz said. "Lately, we haven't been getting those."

Manager Ron Gardenhire was unusually testy.

"We didn't take enough pitches, we didn't get on base enough. Hopefully we'll be a little smarter tomorrow and have a little better plan."

The win was a rare road victory for the Rockies.

"It's good to get off to a good start on the road -- a lot better than the alternative," said Wilson, whose team brought the worst road record in the majors to the game and are now 8-22 away from Coors Field.

Vaughn also doubled and went 2-for-4 for the Rockies, who began a six-game trip with their first-ever matchup against the Twins.

"When you give up no runs, what I've learned is that your chances of winning the game increase," Colorado manager Clint Hurdle said.

That was thanks to Jennings, who gave up three hits and four walks in 7 2-3 innings and struck out seven. Side-arming lefty Brian Fuentes finished up the three-hitter -- the third time Minnesota has been shut out this year.

"These days don't come around very often," Jennings said. "I had my rhythm and my tempo. It was one of those nights when everything was clicking."

The veteran Vaughn, who signed a minor league contract with Colorado in April after his release by Tampa Bay, hit his first homer as a Rockie -- a solo shot off Brad Radke in the sixth that gave his new team a five-run lead, one week after his promotion from Triple-A Colorado Springs.

Justin Morneau had two of Minnesota's hits in his major league debut.

With 13 homers in 37 games at Triple-A Rochester, Morneau started at designated hitter and laced a single to center in his first at-bat to elicit a standing ovation. He finished 2-for-4.

Jennings, last year's NL Rookie of the Year after going 16-8, was awful in April (6.97 ERA) and didn't get a whole lot of support in May (three runs in his two losses).

But he won his second straight start on Tuesday, mowing through a Minnesota lineup that had never seen him before with some great defense behind him.

Greg Norton made a diving stop of a screaming one-hopper to throw out Luis Rivas in the third, Wilson had a nice running catch in center of Corey Koskie's line drive in the fourth and Todd Helton made a backhanded stab near the line to get Bobby Kielty on a groundout in the fifth.

Now 3-4 with a 8.54 ERA at home, Radke and his teammates trailed by three runs before most of the 18,886 fans had settled in their seats.

Juan Uribe and Jay Payton led off the game with singles, and with one out Wilson hit Radke's first offering 420 feet to straightaway center field. Then Johnson hit the first pitch of the second inning high and deep into the left-field stands to put Colorado up 4-0.

Radke (5-6) gave up five runs and seven hits in seven innings while striking out a season-high eight.

"It's just not going my way right now," he said. "I can't put a finger on it."

Notes: The Rockies recorded their fourth shutout of the season. ... Rivas walked twice, the first time he's done that since Aug. 24, 2001. ... The Twins lost their fifth straight at home.

COLORADO MINNESOTA

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Uribe 2b 4 1 1 0 JJones lf 4 0 0 0

Payton lf 4 1 1 0 CGzmn ss 4 0 0 0

Helton 1b 4 0 0 0 Koskie 3b 3 0 0 0

PrWlsn cf 4 1 1 3 Mrneau dh 4 0 2 0

LWalkr rf 3 0 0 0 THnter cf 4 0 0 0

GVghn dh 4 1 2 1 Mntkw 1b 3 0 0 0

JHrndz ss 4 0 0 0 Kielty rf 4 0 0 0

CJhson c 3 1 1 1 Przyns c 3 0 1 0

Norton 3b 3 0 1 0 Rivas 2b 1 0 0 0

Totals 33 5 7 5 Totals 30 0 3 0

Colorado 310 001 000 -- 5

Minnesota 000 000 000 -- 0

E--Uribe (1). DP--Colorado 1. LOB--Colorado 2, Minnesota 7. 2B--GVaughn (2). HR--PrWilson (15), GVaughn (1), CJohnson (7). CS--Norton (1).

IP H R ER BB SO

Colorado

JJennings W,5-5 7 2-3 3 0 0 4 7

Fuentes 1 1-3 0 0 0 0 1

Minnesota

Radke L,5-6 7 7 5 5 1 8

Fiore 1 0 0 0 0 0

Nakamura 1 0 0 0 0 0

PB--Pierzynski.

Umpires--Home, Ron Kulpa; First, Mike Winters; Second, Bruce Froemming; Third, Doug Eddings.

T--2:12. A--18,886 (48,678).