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  Friday, Sep. 8 9:05pm ET
Sheffield hits No. 41 to set new L.A. mark
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

DENVER (AP) -- Todd Helton and the Colorado Rockies finally had some success against Kevin Brown.

Helton had three hits and scored three runs, raising his batting average to .386 Friday night as the Rockies beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-5.

"Brown is a great pitcher, with great stuff," said Helton, 4-for-21 against Brown coming in. "You're in for a battle every time because he goes out there and competes his butt off."

Gary Sheffield hit his 41st home run, breaking Mike Piazza's 1997 record for the most homers by a Los Angeles player. The Dodgers' franchise mark is 43 by Brooklyn's Duke Snider in 1956.

Helton, who had also been in a 5-for-33 slump over eight games, had little explanation for his sudden success against Brown.

"You'll have to ask Shumpert," Helton said. "Because he took him deep."

Terry Shumpert hit a two-run homer and Jeffrey Hammonds and Todd Walker each had two hits and two RBIs for the Rockies, who matched their victory total of a year ago with their 72nd win.

Brian Bohanon (9-9) allowed two earned runs and six hits in seven innings. He is 4-1 in his last six starts.

"We were facing one of the best pitchers in baseball, and to come out on top and play like we did tonight is a good deal for us," Colorado manager Buddy Bell said. "A lot of it was because of our preparation."

"They were ready for him," Los Angeles catcher Todd Hundley said. "They wouldn't bite on breaking balls, but sat of his fastballs and splitters and hit him hard."

Brown (12-6), who had been 2-0 with an 0.56 ERA in two starts against the Rockies this season, gave up five runs -- four earned -- and nine hits in six innings.

"I didn't make the adjustments," Brown said. "I made good pitches that got hit and made bad pitches that got hit."

Sheffield, Mark Grudzielanek and Dave Hansen hit solo home runs for the Dodgers, who lost their fourth straight.

Hammonds had an RBI double and Walker hit a two-run double in the seventh, giving the Rockies an 8-3 lead.

Adrian Beltre had a sacrifice fly in the eighth, and Hansen homered in the ninth.

Sheffield led off the fourth with a home run, tying it at 2. Colorado regained the lead at 3-2 on Juan Pierre's two-out single past Brown in the bottom half.

Shumpert extended the Rockies' lead to 5-2, homering into the Dodgers bullpen in the fifth.

"It was one of those days when Brown wasn't at his best," Los Angeles manager Davey Johnson said. "He doesn't normally give up home runs over the center-field wall."

Game notes
RHP Luke Prokopec will join the Dodgers rotation in Arizona series which begins on Monday. ... Los Angeles committed its NL-leading 122nd error. ... Hansen now shares the major league record of six pinch home runs in a season with Johnny Frederick, who did it for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1932. ... Rockies OF Larry Walker had a bone spur and a piece of cartilage removed from his right elbow on Friday. He is expected to be ready when the Rockies report for spring training in February. ... Helton finished 3-for-5.
 


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RECAPS
NY Yankees 4
Boston 0

Chi. White Sox 5
Cleveland 4

Toronto 3
Detroit 0

Texas 6
Kansas City 5

Anaheim 2
Baltimore 1

Tampa Bay 4
Oakland 0

Minnesota 4
Seattle 2

Houston 13
Chicago Cubs 10

Cincinnati 0
Pittsburgh 0

Pittsburgh 3
Cincinnati 1

(2nd game)

Arizona 2
Florida 1

Philadelphia 2
NY Mets 0

Atlanta 3
Montreal 2

Milwaukee 6
St. Louis 5

Colorado 8
Los Angeles 5

San Diego 10
San Francisco 7