Rockies pull even closer to San Diego in wild card race

SAN DIEGO - Brad Hawpe drove in two runs and the Colorado Rockies matched a season-high with their seventh straight win, closing on the wild card-leading San Diego Padres with a 6-2 victory Saturday.

The Rockies climbed within 2 1/2 games of the Padres, who now find themselves trying to fend off a stiff challenge out of the NL East. The second-place Philadelphia Phillies are within a half-game of San Diego.

The Padres, who have lost two straight after a seven-game winning streak, dropped 2½ games behind NL West-leading Arizona.

Hawpe went 4-for-4 with a walk one night after hitting the go-ahead home run in the 14th inning of a 2-1 win over the Padres. He is 10-for-18 with nine RBIs in his past four games.

San Diego rookie Jack Cassel (1-1) lasted only 23 innings, while the Rockies’ Mark Redman took a 3-0 lead into the fifth inning but could only get one out before he was lifted.

Four Colorado relievers combined to give up one hit in 4 2/3 innings. Rookie Ryan Speier (2-1) got the win, striking out three of the five batters he faced.

Hawpe put Colorado ahead in the first when he doubled in Troy Tulowitzki, who singled with one out and went to second on Todd Helton’s walk.

Kaz Matsui and Tulowitzki singled to open the third. After Mike Cameron made a leaping catch of Helton’s fly ball to center field, Garrett Atkins hit a run-scoring single and knocked Cassel out of the game.

Justin Hampson replaced Cassel and gave up Hawpe’s RBI single to put Colorado ahead 3-0. Hampson got out of the jam by striking out the next two batters.

Redman had allowed only one single in four innings before Khalil Greene led off the fifth with his 24th home run. With one out, Redman allowed a double to Josh Bard and Marcus Giles’ single before he walked pinch hitter Morgan Ensberg to load the bases.

Redman then walked Brian Giles on a 3-1 count to force in a run and cut the lead to 3-2.

Speier came in and struck out Cameron and retired pinch-hitter Scott Hairston on a pop fly.

Rockies left fielder Matt Holliday sat out because of a strained left oblique.