PHOENIX (Ticker) -- Carlos Baerga had a career day long after many thought his career was over.
Baerga homered twice and drove in a career-high seven runs and overshadowed Curt Schilling's complete game as the Arizona Diamondbacks rolled to an 11-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies.
One of the best second baseman of the early 1990s, Baerga spent parts of the previous eight seasons with four different teams before joining Arizona. He has played well in limited playing time with the Diamondbacks and exceeded all expectations with Thursday's performance.
"I have been feeling good," he said. "Every time I feel really good at the plate from both sides. That is something I haven't felt in a long time."
"He is a professional hitter," Arizona manager Bob Brenly said. "He doesn't get a lot of playing time but every time we send him up there, he hits the ball right on the button. He just loves to hit and that ball must look like a beach ball the way he is lightening it up."
Baerga belted a grand slam off Colorado starter Jason Jennings (1-2) in the second inning and added two-run shot in the fourth. He capped the rout with an RBI double in the seventh inning.
It was Baerga's eighth career multi-homer game and first since May 23, 1995. He had not hit a grand slam since July 20, 1993.
Schilling (1-2) benefited from Arizona's best offensive game of the season, allowing just two runs and four hits en route to his first win. He struck out 10 and did not issue a walk.
"I was focused on attacking the strike zone today and using my fastball more," he said. "I (had not) won a game since September 10th last year. Offensively, we put them away early and then it was up to me."
It was the first victory of the season for the Diamondbacks' duo of Randy Johnson and Schilling. Johnson is 0-2 in three starts this season.
Schilling allowed a leadoff double to Ron Belliard in the first inning, but retired the next 19 batters he faced before Chris Richard's one-out single in the seventh.
Belliard scored on Todd Helton's groundout to give Colorado a 1-0 lead. But Arizona tied it in the bottom half on David Dellucci's RBI single.
Jennings unraveled in the second inning, giving up a leadoff single to Tony Womack and one-out base hit to Chad Moeller. Schilling bunted to Jennings, who made a wild throw to third base to load the bases.
After Craig Counsell struck out, Baerga drove the first pitch over the right field wall for a 5-1 cushion.
"The bunt play at third is the play I need to make and the grand slam would have never happened," Jennings said. "You can't spot Curt Schilling a lead like that. He was due for a good game and I never gave us a chance early on."
"We got beat after the first inning," Colorado manager Clint Hurdle said. "We didn't have much of a shot. Their guy was real good our guy wasn't real good. Best move of the day was Brenly playing Baerga."
Jennings issued a leadoff walk to Moeller in the fourth and surrendered his second homer to Baerga on an 0-1 pitch three batters later.
"I didn't have real good stuff today and it was up in the zone," Jennings said. "That is not a real good combination, especially against a veteran lineup like that. Walks didn't get me in trouble, just bad pitches."
Luis Gonzalez belted a solo homer to open the sixth inning for the Diamondbacks, who have won consecutive games for the first time this season.
