DENVER (Ticker) -- Like many pitchers, Brett Tomko will be glad if he never sees Coors Field again.
Tomko (0-1) was pounded for nine runs in six innings and the Colorado Rockies held on late for a 9-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
In three career starts in Denver, Tomko is 0-3 with a 9.60 ERA. He allowed two-run homers to Preston Wilson and Bobby Estalella among nine hits. Tomko did strike out four and walked one.
"It was tough out there," Tomko said. "I think they had a pretty good game plan on how to go after me. ... They pretty much had a field day with me. I was fighting myself."
The Rockies won for the fifth time in six games and got a strong start from Nelson Cruz (2-0). Cruz allowed two runs and five hits in six-plus innings before he was ejected for hitting Tino Martinez leading off the seventh.
"He showed up big for us again," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said of Cruz. "It was a real good effort. He kept them off balance."
Part of Cruz's method for keeping the Cardinals off balance was pitching inside. Both benches were warned after he hit Jim Edmonds with two outs and the bases empty in the first inning.
When Cruz hit Martinez, he immediately was ejected.
"I was struggling going in to lefties and away to righties," Cruz said. "I was trying to go up and in first pitch to Edmonds but I ended up hitting him and I didn't mean to hit him. I didn't even know we had a warning and that was a good thing because I didn't change anything."
Cruz' strong performance meant that Colorado got to rest its bullpen after Tueday night's 13-inning loss to St. Louis.
"It was huge," Rockies reliever Steve Reed said. "For him to be able to get us into the seventh, we had five guys down there who didn't play today, so that makes us that much stronger tomorrow."
Brian Fuentes relieved Cruz with Martinez and first and ran into trouble. St. Louis loaded the bases and Fuentes surrendered a three-run double to Edgar Renteria. But the reliever escaped without further damage, and the Cardinals did not threaten over the final two innings.
Unlike Tomko, the Rockies pitching staff has seemed comfortable at home in the early going this season. Colorado has allowed four runs or fewer in four of its five home games.
Larry Walker went 2-for-4 with three RBI to raise his average to .212. He doubled his 2003 RBI total with the effort.
"He's going to be fine," Hurdle said. "When it comes, it will come in bunches. Just look at the back of his gum card. The guy is going to hit. He can hit standing on his head. He'll hit snowballs in December. I find it somewhat comical. We're talking about a guy who's won batting titles and he has (37) at-bats. I want to keep it in proper perspective."
Walker did have his third triple of the young season.
