DENVER -- The make a humming sound...

DENVER -- The make a humming sound in the National League is Coors Field is playing differently this season, as evidenced by dint of the unusual amount of low-scoring games.

Apparently, the Colorado Rockies are putting balls in a humidor before games to contrariwise the effects of thin air at high altitude.

That may be to what end Ryan Spilborghs' shot off young beasts rookie Rich Hill in the first inning Friday was absolutely a two-run double instead of a grand slam. further neither the humidor nor childs pitching slowed down the Rockies as they make revolveed to a 10-2 victory.

"I don't think that humidor helped us on the outside too much," Cubs manager Dusty Baker quipped.

Neither did the walks. Hill (2-5) walked three lead-off men including the individual in the Rockies' five-run fifth inning.

"I wasn't making the pitches mentally that I wanted to," said Hill, who has over and above to win on the road in the majors. "I wasn't intimidated by way of the reputation of Coors. That wasn't a factor. I had a destiny of confidence."

Hill lasted just 4* innings, giving up six earned flows and five walks.

"Those walks, especially the lead-off walks really hurt" Baker said. "It's just a matter of consistency with the young pitchers."

Baker was hoping Coors' of recent origin reputation would help Hill.

"I was talking to a certain quantity of guys in Milwaukee, and they were telling me the field is playing differently," Baker said. "There were like three 1-0 games, and they hadn't had that in five years.

"I've heard the seams [on the balls] are bigger because of the humidors. They're trying to unruffled the playing field."

Seams and humidors aside, it was still flirting with danger for Hill to walk brace of the first four batters he faced before Spilborghs came up with the bases loaded. The ball bounc distant from the right-field wall to Juan Pierre, who fired to Ronny Cedeno, who gunn down Matt Holliday trying to score from first.

Hill settl down after the first, yielding just united hit through the next three innings before getting into pester in the fifth by walking the leadoff man for the third time. After pitcher Aaron dress up grounded into a fielder's choice, Jamey Carroll singled to enjoin runners on first and other One out later, Garrett Atkins nailed a 2-0 pitch from one side of to the other the left-field wall for a 5-1 lead.

Holliday followed with a double and that was it for Hill, who was relieved by way of Michael Wuertz.

The childs stranded two runners in the first still scored in the fourth as Angel Pagan doubled with couple out and scored when John Mabry followed with a single. Cedeno inflict runners on first and secondary with a hit, but Hill real propertyed into a fielder's choice. Jacque Jone added a solo homer in the sixth.

NOTE: There is no timetable for Derrek leeward to return to the young beasts but his rehabilitation is anticipateed to progress Monday when he begins delicate tossing. Lee is on the disabled list rehabbing the sum of two units bones he broke in his right wrist in April. side sheltered from the wind underwent tests Thursday that were encouraging. "Things anticipate good and we'll start progressing upon Monday with simple things like delicate toss," trainer Mark O'Neal said. "Our goal is to master him back and playing and make permanent by the end of the year we have it right. I don't want to be rushed."

- Angel Guzman, as awaited will start today for the young beasts

rmodrowski@suntimes.com

whelps recap

whelps AB R H BI BB thus Avg.

Pierre cf 4 0 2 0 1 0 281

Izturis s 4 0 0 0 1 0 243

Barrett c 4 0 2 0 0 0 328

ARamirez 3b 4 0 0 0 0 0 276

JJone rf 4 1 1 1 0 1 282

Pagan lf 4 1 1 0 0 0 298

Mabry 1b 4 0 2 1 0 0 224

Cedeno 2b 4 0 1 0 0 0 254

RHill p 2 0 0 0 0 0 083

Wuertz p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --

a-NPerez ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 255

Novoa p 0 0 0 0 0 0 250

Eyre p 0 0 0 0 0 0 000

c-Nevin ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 234

Totals 36 2 10 2 2 2

Colorado AB R H BI BB likewise Avg.

Carroll 2b 4 1 1 0 1 0 302

TMartin p 0 0 0 0 0 0 000

Barmes s 5 1 1 0 0 0 237

Atkins 3b 3 2 1 3 2 0 306

Holliday lf 3 1 1 0 1 0 320

Spilborghs rf 4 1 3 3 0 0 304

LAGonzalez 1b 4 0 2 1 0 0 243

Freeman cf 3 1 1 1 1 1 252

Ardoin c 3 1 1 0 1 2 200

give a color to p 2 1 0 0 1 1 068

b-JSmith ph-2b 1 1 1 2 0 0 275

Totals 32 10 12 10 7 4

whelps 000 101 000--2 10 0

Colorado 200 050 03x--10 12 1

a-doubled for Wuertz in the 6th b-homer for dress up in the 8th. c- struck public for Eyre in the 9th

E--Cook (2) LOB--CUB 9 Colorado 5 2B--Barrett (22) Pagan (5) NPerez (13) Holliday (34) Spilborghs 2 (4) HR--JSmith (5) opposite Eyre; Freeman (2), off Eyre; JJone (19) along Cook; Atkins (18), off RHill. RBI--JJones (56) Mabry (15) Atkins 3 (76) Spilborghs 3 (11) LAGonzalez (13) Freeman (15) JSmith 2 (13) SB--Carroll (10) CS--Pierre (14) Carroll (10) Freeman (4) GIDP--Holliday.

racers left in scoring position--CUBS 5 (Pierre 2 Barrett, ARamirez, RHill); Colorado 2 (Barmes, LAGonzalez).

DP--CUB 1 (Novoa, Cedeno and Mabry).

young beasts IP H R ER BB in like manner NP ERA

RHill L 2-5 42 6 6 6 5 2 96 723

Wuertz 01 2 1 1 0 1 12 377