MIAMI (AP) -- Larry Walker gave the Colorado Rockies a lift with
his glove and bat.

Walker stretched over the right-field fence to take away a
possible two-run homer from Andy Fox in the fifth inning, then
tripled to key a three-run rally in the seventh that led the
Rockies over the Florida Marlins 5-4 on Tuesday night.

"I'm from Canada and we're known for basketball,'' Walker
kidded. "My vertical skills got me six feet off the ground.''

Walker finished 4-for-5 and raised his average to .358, one
point behind league leader Barry Bonds.

"Every team has a Larry Walker story, whether it be with the
bat or with the glove,'' said Rockies manager Clint Hurdle.

Colorado will try for its first-ever three-game sweep at Florida
on Wednesday.

The Marlins have lost five consecutive games and seven of their
last eight.

Walker's two-run triple off reliever Armando Almanza helped the
Rockies rally from 4-2 deficit. Earlier in the inning Jay Payton's
groundout scored Juan Uribe.

Mike Hampton (7-13) allowed four runs in six innings. He has won
consecutive starts for the first time this season.

"Isn't that a surprise?'' Hampton said of his victory. "With
the luck I've had, I definitely enjoy it. I was lucky tonight, but
I'll definitely take it.''

Jose Jimenez pitched the ninth for his team-record 32nd save.
Dave Veres had 31 in 1999.

Vladimir Nunez (5-5) started the seventh and was charged with
all three runs.

The Marlins, who scored only four runs in their previous three
games, broke through against Hampton, erasing an early 2-0 Colorado
lead.

The Marlins took a 3-2 lead in an odd fifth, with Eric Owens
hitting an RBI triple and scoring on a single by pitcher Julian
Tavarez.

In the first pitch of his at-bat, Tavarez swung and missed from
the right side. He was then told by plate umpire Jeff Nelson to
switch sides or batting helmets because Tavarez was wearing a
helmet protecting a left-handed hitter.

Tavarez moved to the left side of the plate, slapping Hampton's
1-0 pitch to center for a single.

"I yelled to the ump to have him get another helmet or
something, but I guess I should have kept my mouth shut,'' Hurdle
said.

Tavarez left the game with a two-run lead, but Nunez and Almanza
faltered in the seventh.

"He did a heck of a job, he just ran out of gas,'' said Marlins
manager Jeff Torborg.

Nunez's seventh-inning woes were punctuated when he failed to
cover the bag on a ground ball hit by Gabe Kapler to first baseman
Derrek Lee. Walker followed two batters later with his triple.

"It's a lousy play,'' Torborg said. "You practice that play
every day in spring training.''

Colorado had gone ahead 1-0 in the first on Todd Helton's RBI
single in the first. Helton's sacrifice fly in the third made it
2-0.

Game notes
Florida's loss, coupled with Philadelphia's 3-1 victory
over Milwaukee, put the Marlins in fifth place in the NL East for
the first time since April 12. ... Luis Castillo, who had a 35-game
hitting streak earlier this season, is now 17 for his last 88. ...
Jimenez became the first Rockies reliever to record more than 20
saves in two separate seasons. He had 24 in 2000.