The timing couldn't have been better for right-handed pitcher Aaron Cook. He took his regular turn Friday for the Rockies in Cincinnati one day after his wife, Holly, gave birth there to a son.

Pitching with his usual efficiency, Cook smothered the Cincinnati Reds for eight innings, allowing one run on five hits -- four singles and a triple -- while improving his record to 13-6.

Cook, who is from Hamilton, Ohio, which is about 30 miles northwest of Cincinnati, flew here on Wednesday. Colton Jeremiah Cook,, who weighed eight pounds, three ounces and was 20 inches long, was born in a Cincinnati hospital at 1:33 p.m., which gave Cook the opportunity to rest for a start in which he got 13 ground-ball outs and made a memorable fielding play.

"I was very fortunate that we had the baby at 1:30," Cook said. "So (Thursday) night, my wife told me to go to the hotel and get some rest. So I took my oldest son, Elijah (who is 4) with me and was able to get about nine or 10 hours of sleep. That was huge."

Cook said when Holly was about six months pregnant, doctors said that 10 days before her due date, they could induce labor.

"We found out that (Thursday) was 10 days early and we had an off day and then we were playing in Cincinnati," Cook said. "So it kind of just worked out perfect."

ROCKIES 7, REDS 2: The Rockies began a crucial 10-game trip with a 7-2 win at Cincinnati Friday. Aaron Cook, who is from the Cincinnati area, pitched eight innings and allowed one run one day after the birth of his son, Colton Jeremiah, in a Cincinnati hospital. Garrett Atkins doubled home two runs in the first and Jeff Baker and Brad Hawpe homered in a three-run third as the Rockies knocked out Edinson Volquez after four innings to improve to 7-1 after the All-Star break while winning for just the third time in their 14 games on the road.

With 15 hits, the Rockies have had at least 11 hits in each of their past six games. It's the first time they have had 10 or more hits in six straight games since July 3-13, 2007.

The Rockies tied their season high with five stolen bases, including three by Willy Taveras. He stole second twice and third once and is 45-for-49 overall in steals and 15-for-15 in steals of third base.

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