DENVER (Ticker) -- Steve Kline may or may not have been ready. Jose Hernandez was raring to go.
After Kline entered in the bottom of the eighth inning in an emergency situation, Hernandez greeted him by lining his sixth pitch for a go-ahead two-run homer as the Colorado Rockies rallied for a 7-6 triumph over the St. Louis Cardinals.
St. Louis was clinging to a 6-5 lead with two outs in the eighth when Lance Painter appeared to pull his right hamstring on a 2-2 pitch to Preston Wilson. Painter had to be carried off the field, and Cardinals manager Tony La Russa turned to Kline (0-1), who walked Wilson.
The veteran lefthander, who has been filling in for injured closer Jason Isringhausen, fell behind Hernandez 3-1 before grooving a pitch that the Rockies' shortstop crushed over the center field wall for his second homer of the season.
"At the time, 3-1, I was going to swing, any pitch," Hernandez said. "But at the same time, I was thinking about that cut fastball, but he left it right there."
"He took enough time to warm up," La Russa said of Kline. "I think he was ready. He knew the situation. He's the guy who is going to pitch the ninth. But he didn't get the ball down very well and fell behind. That's what happens."
Kline gave credit to Hernandez but could not resist taking a shot at hitter-friendly Coors Field.
"He hit it good," Kline said. "Hernandez has great pop. He's a great hitter, I'm not taking anything away from him. I got beat. I just hate this ballpark, I really do.
"Today, he's the hero. I'm the goat. That's part of life. He was better today. It's a great town, don't get me wrong on that. I'm just saying the ballpark, it's like going to Montreal and playing. It's not fun."
La Russa's immediate concern was the health of Painter, who will have an MRI on Friday.
"I haven't been back (to the trainer's room) to ask him yet, but it looked like he hurt it pretty good," La Russa said. "Probably a hamstring. He's a tough guy to lose because he's been throwing the ball very well."
St. Louis got a leadoff double from Scott Rolen in the ninth, but closer Jose Jimenez retired Tino Martinez on a lineout to right. Orlando Palmeiro walked before Jimenez, a former Cardinal, induced red-hot Mike Matheny to bounce into an game-ending double play.
"You haven't won until you've won here," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "You have to just keep things in perspective and keep playing the game."
Javier Lopez (1-0) retired the final two batters in the eighth for his first major league win.
Colorado, which took two of three in the series, also turned the first triple play in team history and the first of the 2003 season. With runners at first and second going on the pitch in the sixth, Palmeiro lined to first baseman Todd Helton.
"I've never seen one, I don't think, unless it was on SportsCenter," Helton said. "I knew when he hit it it was a triple play. Both runners are running and they hit it to me with no outs - it's a triple play."
"You don't see them very often, take a picture of it," Hurdle added. "I'm sure glad we were involved in it on the defensive side. Obviously, that was a very, very big play in the game."
The game was scoreless into the third, when the Cardinals got a two-run single by Jim Edmonds. St. Louis' center fielder went 2-for-3 to raise his average to .550.
Cardinals starter Garrett Stephenson faced just one over the minimum through three innings and struck out Jay Payton to open the fourth. But Helton, Larry Walker and Wilson stroke consecutive doubles to tie it and, after an infield hit by Hernandez, Charles Johnson lofted a sacrifice fly for a 3-2 lead.
After the triple play bailed Rockies starter Shawn Chacon out of a jam in the sixth, Colorado added a run in the bottom half on a sacrifice fly by Hernandez.
Justin Speier bailed Chacon out of a bases-loaded situation in the seventh, but Todd Jones was victimized by poor defense in the eighth.
Rolen and Martinez started the inning with singles to put runners on the corners and Palmeiro made it 4-3 with a base hit to right. Jones mishandled a bunt by Matheny, loading the bases.
Jones got pinch hitter Eli Marrero to ground to third, but Brett Butler bobbled the ball, then threw it away, allowing two runs to score. A single by Edgar Renteria capped the four-run rally and gave St. Louis a 6-4 cushion.
Painter allowed a one-out homer to Helton in the eighth but was out of the game two batters later.
"Actually, they were busting me in all night, so I was looking in that last at-bat and he just left it out over the plate a little bit," Helton said.
Chacon allowed two runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. He walked four in his first career appearance against St. Louis.
"It was a very good outing by Shawn, very good," Hurdle said. "Another solid effort by him."
