Major League Baseball

Atlanta weathers rain delay to defeat Colorado

Published Jul. 11, 2009 7:14 a.m. ET

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Coors Field has been a house of horrors for Derek Lowe. On Friday night, he threw six strong innings in the ballpark that has vexed so many visiting pitchers.

Lowe earned his first win in a month, Garrett Anderson and Diory Hernandez hit two-run doubles and the Atlanta Braves beat the Colorado Rockies 4-1.

Lowe entered the game 2-4 with a 6.23 ERA in nine starts in Denver, but he felt he was due for a strong outing in the Mile High air.

"I came in this time believing I could pitch a good game here," Lowe said. "To be able to pitch this well in a place I struggled and the way I had pitched the last five games in really important."

Lowe (8-7) was 0-4 in five starts since beating the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 9. He ended his personal skid with what he said was his best game all season. He gave up one run and four hits, struck out five and walked one. He left after a 52-minute rain delay that began at the end of the sixth inning.

"Derek Lowe was the No. 1 reason for us winning tonight," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "He used that sinker an awful lot. He got groundballs and got some strikeouts, too. I think he's back to normal again."