Atkins serves up a tater to drop Tigers
DENVER -- Exactly four years ago, on June 10, 2001, Jamey Wright went into Detroit's Comerica Park and beat the Tigers. In 2003, Wright pitched a shutout against Detroit.
Wright continued his dominance of the Tigers on a chilly, wet Friday afternoon, as the Colorado Rockies triumphed, 2-0, in the opener of a three-game series, in front of 20,275 at Coors Field. The start was delayed 56 minutes by rain.
It was the third 2-0 game in Coors Field's 11-year history. There has never been a 1-0 final. Friday continued a low-scoring trend. Three of the 13 games in which teams combined for three or fewer runs at Coors have occurred in the last 11 games. The Rockies beat St. Louis, 2-1, on May 31 and lost to the Chicago White Sox, 2-1, on Tuesday.
Wright (4-5, 5.68 ERA) held Detroit scoreless over 7 1/3 innings, allowing six hits. He has allowed an earned run in his last 12 1/3 innings, and is 2-0 with a 1.86 ERA in three starts during this 13-game homestand, during which the Rockies are 6-5.
"It was nothing more than just being myself out there, and not trying to do too much," said Wright, whose previous victories over the Tigers were with Milwaukee in 2001 and Kansas City in 2003. "I was taking my stuff and challenging the hitter with it."
Wright credited catcher Danny Ardoin. Even though they had worked together just once previously, in a Triple-A game in 2003, Wright said he never shook off a sign.
"He was electric," Ardoin said. "When guys got on base, he was never in trouble, because he was in full command of the game."
Third baseman Garrett Atkins hit a two-out, two-run homer -- his first homer since May 20 -- in the sixth inning for the game's only runs. He went 3-for-4, and made an impressive diving play on defense in the fifth.
"I felt pretty good at the plate today," Atkins said. "I got some good pitches to hit."
Atkins drove his homer the opposite way, to right-center -- nearly the same location where he hit one Tuesday night against the White Sox. That one hit the top of the wall and stayed in play, narrowly missing a homer in the Rockies' 2-1 loss.
"I was just hoping I hit [Friday's] ball a little better," Atkins said. "Luckily it got out for me."
Detroit threatened to score in the third and sixth innings, but Wright pitched out of the jams by inducing inning-ending double plays.
"He moved the ball around the zone," Colorado manager Clint Hurdle said. "It was an outstanding outing for Jamey."
Relievers Jay Witasick and Brian Fuentes pitched the final 1 2/3 innings to preserve the shutout. It was the Rockies' 10th combined shutout at Coors. Since being designated the closer, Fuentes is 6-for-6 in save opportunities.
"I have a lot of faith in our bullpen," Wright said, when asked if he was nervous when Detroit put the tying run at the plate in the ninth.
Tigers starter Mike Maroth went seven innings, allowing seven hits and two runs in his 100th career start. He also reached base twice, walking in the third and singling in the sixth.
Rockies' outfielder Dustan Mohr went 2-for-3 with a walk, and scored on Atkins' homer.
"Over the last couple of weeks, when I've gotten to start, I've been feeling a lot better," Mohr said. "I felt like I've been seeing the ball a lot better, not swinging at as many balls out of the zone as I did when I first came back from the injury."
Mohr strained his left calf on Opening Day and missed 18 games.
The Rockies have won six straight over the Tigers, and are 8-2 all-time against Detroit.
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Piedra promoted
DENVER -- The invitation sounded ominous.
Triple-A Colorado Springs manager Marv Foley asked outfielder Jorge Piedra to come to his office Thursday night, saying Colorado Rockies assistant general manager Bill Geivett was on the phone.
"I was thinking I was traded," Piedra said. "Of course, it crosses your mind that you'll get called up."
In a pleasant surprise for Piedra, it was the latter.
The Rockies recalled Piedra after learning that Matt Holliday is expected to miss four to six weeks with a fractured right pinkie finger. Holliday had dealt with pain for several days, and was forced to leave Wednesday night's 15-5 loss to the Chicago White Sox in the sixth inning.
Piedra, 26, could not be blamed for his surprise at the callup.
Last season, Piedra made his Major League debut and batted .297 in 91 at-bats. But the Rockies wanted a center fielder and Piedra played mostly the corner spots, so he was sent to Triple-A late in camp. Piedra was called up for one game in April and singled as a pinch-hitter.
But on April 11, Major League Baseball suspended Piedra for 10 days for violating the beefed-up performance-enhancing drug policy. He was the second player -- after Tampa Bay outfielder Alex Sanchez -- to be suspended under the new rules. Piedra said the banned substance was contained in an old prescription, which he said he used to combat pain when past hamstring and foot injuries flared over the winter.
"I realize there are worse things I could have done," he said. "I apologized to the fans, but by the same token, I'm human, I make mistakes like everybody else.
"When you're at your lowest point, that's when you learn the most about yourself. When you've got the whole world coming down on you, that's when you learn how mature you are."
Uncertain whether he had blown his opportunity with Colorado, Piedra responded by batting .312 with six home runs, 45 RBIs and 20 doubles for the Sky Sox. The Rockies' need for a left-handed bat helped Piedra's cause.
"Many times, when we're going to make roster moves, I tell [the Minor League staff] about the holes we have at the Major League level, then I ask for input from the guys that are living with those guys every day," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "It was unanimous that Jorge Piedra was the guy to call up.
"[Longtime center field prospect] Choo Freeman's name came up also, because he's on the 40-man [list of players eligible for Major League service]. He's done pretty well. He's moved forward. But Jorge has been very productive, he's been a good teammate, he's done everything we've asked him to do. I'm not sure there'd be many of us here today if we were not given a second chance."
DL crowd: Holliday's injury leaves the Rockies with nine players on the DL. In addition to Holliday, the Opening Day right fielder, Colorado is missing starters at second base (Aaron Miles) and shortstop (Clint Barmes), one member of the catching platoon (Todd Greene), two key starting rotation members (Aaron Cook and Shawn Chacon) and their Opening Day closer (Chin-hui Tsao).
But Hurdle said he dealt with worse as a Minor League manager.
"At the Minor League level, sometimes it's a blessing, because you can't make any moves," Hurdle said. "You've got nine guys, 10 guys, you just throw them out there, let them play. That's usually when your team takes off and makes a run."
On the way: Veteran right-handed reliever Dan Miceli, who pitched for the Rockies in 2001 and recently re-signed with the club after spending the start of this season in Japan, is with Colorado Springs and soon could be back with the Rockies. ... Miles, out with a strained muscle on his right side, will go with the club at the start of the road trip next week. Once he proves he can swing the bat without pain, he'll be sent on a Minor League rehab assignment.
On deck: Right-hander Jason Jennings (3-6, 5.93 ERA) will start the second of three games against the Tigers and right-hander Jeremy Bonderman (6-4, 3.90).
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Mohr ready to roll
DENVER -- Dustan Mohr has no idea if he's about to get the playing time he signed for when he joined the Colorado Rockies this winter.
Mohr suffered a left calf strain on Opening Day that knocked him out of the next 18 games. Then rookie Brad Hawpe turned hot, and a rusty, strikeout-prone Mohr didn't finish consecutive appearances with his batting average above .200 until May 28 and 29.
"I probably had a different vision of how things would play out this year," Mohr said. "But getting hurt wasn't in that vision. It happened and 'Hawper' has done a great job. He hasn't done anything to deserve to come out. But at the same time, I didn't do anything to deserve to come out."
Maybe like veteran utility infielder Desi Relaford, who sat more than he expected until second baseman Aaron Miles and shortstop Clint Barmes suffered injuries, this is finally be the chance Mohr sought after years of sporadic playing time in Minnesota and San Francisco. Regular left fielder Matt Holliday expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks with a fractured right pinkie. But starts aren't guaranteed.
A day after right-handed hitting Mohr started against Detroit left-hander Mike Maroth and went 2-for-3 with a walk in Colorado's 2-1 victory on Friday, manager Clint Hurdle went with a lefty-dominated lineup against Tigers right-hander Jeremy Bonderman. Mohr sat as Hawpe and lefty-swinging Cory Sullivan played the corner positions.
Hurdle is aware of Mohr, who has lifted his batting average to .231, but is planning to rotate his outfielders.
"I'm looking at mixing and matching up a little bit, but I think this is an opportunity for Mohr," Hurdle said. "He might get a little more playing time. But Sullivan has earned his opportunities. [Regular center fielder] Wilson is going to play when he's able to play and Hawpe is going to get his at-bats."
Hurdle can use Mohr, who can move to left with ease, and Hawpe in the same lineup.
Mohr, who turns 29 on June 19, never made demands for playing time, nor is he assuming more will come his way in Holliday's absence. But he is confident that regular playing time will correct some uncharacteristic numbers.
Mohr has 27 strikeouts in 78 at-bats, one every 2.9 at-bats. His career rate heading into the season was once every 3.8 at-bats. Also, after entering the year with a higher average against right-handed pitchers (.275) than left-handers (.241), he is hitting .143 with 14 strikeouts in 38 at-bats against righties.
"I can sit around and pout and be [hacked] off about not having that chance, but it's not going to do me and it's not going to do the team any good," Mohr said. "So I've always believed that no matter what happens, that I can play in this league. I know everybody knows it.
"If I'm asked to do what I'm doing now or a different role or whatever, I'm going to do the best I can at that role. People that know baseball, understand the game and played the game know that it is very difficult to be the best player you can be when you play on an inconsistent basis. That's not an excuse or anything else. It's a fact."
Hurdle's goes daughter home: Hurdle said his daughter, Madison, just shy of her third birthday, was released from Children's Hospital in Denver on Friday and returned home. She had been under observation because of a series of seizures. Hurdle missed two games during the current homestand, but returned to the team after receiving assurances that doctors were headed in the right direction with treatment and medication.
"We'll just continue to move forward, and hope the levels of the medication are where they're needed to be," Hurdle said. "The personality is back, there's a spark in her eye.
"I miss changing those diapers every once in awhile."
Top pick exhibition: Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, the Rockies' top draft pick, took groundballs and batting practice at Coors Field with the Rockies on Saturday. The exhibition was generally uneventful. He hit a few into the left-field stands off manager Clint Hurdle, but also had his bat sawed in half by an inside pitch.
Tulowitzki, a former Long Beach State star, will soon head to Class A Modesto.
Feeling the draft: Well, there's a little less excitement about Colorado's 35th-round pick. Turns out pitcher Timothy Brewer of Ivanna Eudora Kean High School in the Virgin Islands is in the 11th grade. Players aren't eligible for the draft until they finish high school.
Seeking answers: Rockies left-handed reliever Bobby Seay's fastball was popping in at 91 mph and above before he suffered a chest muscle strain on April 18. But when he returned earlier this week, his velocity did not.
His last two appearances -- a scoreless 2/3 of an inning on Thursday and a four-run inning during which he gave up two homers, both against the Chicago White Sox -- came on consecutive days, and he did not throw particularly hard either day. Seay said after he threw back-to-back days for Triple-A Colorado Springs at the end of his rehab assignment, but has had difficulty regaining arm speed.
Seay said his chest is not giving him trouble.
"I have no problems with it," he said. "I'm not sure how long it's supposed to take to get to 100 percent, but there's no pain."
Hitting the road: Right-handed starter Shawn Chacon, out with a strained left hamstring, will make the road trip with the Rockies starting Tuesday in Cleveland, and will throw a bullpen session sometime in the middle of the week. Switch-hitting second baseman Aaron Miles, out with a strained right side muscle but also due to start the road trip with the club, should be sent on a Minor League rehab assignment once he can swing from both sides without risk. Hurdle said the Rockies were deciding whether catcher Todd Greene, out with a strained right hamstring, will make the trip. Greene caught a long bullpen session on Saturday and reported he was fine, so he could be with the club.
On deck: Right-hander Byung-Hyun Kim (0-5, 6.38 ERA), who has a 4.50 ERA in three starts and is 0-1 at Coors, will start against Tigers left-hander Nate Robertson in the finale of the three-game series and the Rockies' 13-game homestand.
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Rockies can't catch up to Tigers
DENVER -- On another rainy night at Coors Field, the Rockies watched as a chance to win Saturday night slipped through their hands as Colorado fell to Detroit, 6-4, in front of 30,192 at Coors Field.
The Rockies kept playing catchup, as Detroit took four leads in the game. Colorado came back to even up the score the first three times; however, the Rockies had no answer for the Tigers' two-out run in the sixth.
"It's just a frustrating night to say the least," said Jason Jennings, Saturday's starter. "We had a lot of opportunities tonight, and just couldn't do it."
Jennings (3-7, 5.94 ERA) went six innings, yielding nine hits and five runs, four earned. He entered Saturday night 3-0 lifetime against Detroit.
He called it a typical start at Coors Field for him during his four years with the Rockies. Jennings said Colorado would win a game like this seven out of 10 times.
"It shouldn't have been a loss for us," Jennings said. "We should've come through at some point." The Rockies have struggled offensively as of late, scoring 15 runs in their last five games -- four of which they've lost.
"We just didn't have enough things happen offensively," Colorado manager Clint Hurdle said. "It was there for us, but we weren't able to capitalize."
With a runner on in the sixth, Rockies pinch-hitter Jorge Piedra, called up from Triple-A on Friday, got his second at-bat of the season. His hit the ball squarely against winning pitcher Jeremy Bonderman (7-4, 4.05 ERA), but lined it right to Detroit first baseman Dmitri Young, who stepped on first to turn a double play.
In the eighth, Rockies shortstop Desi Relaford thought he turned a double play after fielding Chris Shelton's bouncer near second base, but second base umpire Dale Scott disagreed. Replays showed Relaford's right foot touched second base, and the extra out allowed Detroit to add an insurance run on a sacrifice fly.
"Late in the game any run is big," said Preston Wilson, who was 3-for-4 with an RBI and stolen base. "We wish we probably would've gotten a different call."
Tiger third baseman Brandon Inge singled in the go-ahead run in the sixth, and was 2-for-3, with two walks.
Jennings said when he left after the sixth, he thought the Rockies would come back to win the game. The Rockies had three base runners in the final four innings, and did not advance a runner into scoring position.
"I think there were some situations we felt we would've liked to have handled better. But we didn't," Hurdle said. "Bottom line, it was 4-4 after five. We weren't able to score any more after that."
Through 12 games on their 13-game homestand, the Rockies are 6-6.
The game was delayed 44 minutes by rain in the second inning, and it rained again in the eighth. In the first 12 games on Colorado's homestand, there have been six rain delays, totaling five hours and 51 minutes.
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Wilson, Kim fuel Rockies to finale win
DENVER -- Byung-Hyun Kim knew the whole time he was a Major League starting pitcher.
Eight days ago, Kim appeared headed out the Colorado Rockies' door. On Sunday, he solidified his place in the starting rotation by holding the Detroit Tigers to two runs in six innings of a 7-3 victory at Coors Field in front of 22,078.
Preston Wilson hit two home runs as the Rockies won two of three against the Tigers, and posted their first winning homestand of the season at 7-6, with Colorado pitching giving up three or fewer runs four times. Kim (1-5), who struck out a career-high eight, pitched two of the games and has a respectable 4.09 ERA in five spot starts this season.
Kim's last two starts -- a 2-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday and Sunday's victory -- came after he was essentially sent packing and then told he could stay within a 10-minute period.
"In my mind, I was always confident," Kim said.
It wasn't tripping during a celebration to end up on the disabled list, like outfielder Dustan Mohr on Opening Day. Nor was it a potentially season-ending collarbone injury blamed on a venison-toting mishap, like shortstop Clint Barmes a few days ago. Still, the Kim hello-goodbye served as one of those oddities that demonstrate that a 21-40 record can be anything but boring.
Manager Clint Hurdle decided he'd seen enough of Kim in relief on June 3, when Kim gave new meaning to the term "deuces wild" (two runs, two hits, two walks and two wild pitches) in a one-inning relief appearance against St. Louis.
The next morning, Hurdle told Kim, who had pitched well in two spot starts, that he would no longer be used in the bullpen, where he was 0-3 with an 8.40 ERA in 16 appearances. The catch was if a rotation spot didn't open, Kim would be sent to Triple-A Colorado Springs to start. Kim's experience level allowed him to refuse such an assignment and seek other opportunities, and he said Sunday he would have.
But minutes later, Hurdle learned that Shawn Chacon's hamstring injury would force him to the DL. So Hurdle called Kim back into his office and welcomed him to the rotation.
Kim responded by tying a career high with seven strikeouts against the White Sox. On Sunday, Tigers hitters swung at pitches that had a better chance of landing in either dugout than hitting a bat. Detroit's Marcus Thames, who fanned four times (one at the mercy of Jay Witasick), slammed his bat and snapped it in half after a Kim pitch beat him in the third inning.
"His actions are speaking for themselves," said Hurdle, who said that with Chacon just having pitched from an incline on Sunday, Kim will stay in the rotation. "He's kept the ball down. It seems to me when he first got here, he was trying to avoid contact pitching. He's throwing strikes, keeping the ball over the plate. His efficiency within the strike zone has improved dramatically."
Preston Wilson / CF
Born: 07/19/74
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Weight: 215 lbs
Bats: R / Throws: R
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The offense was dramatically better as well. Wilson hit his 10th and 11th homers of the season off Detroit starter Nate Robertson (2-4). Wilson's second homer began a sixth inning during which Colorado scored four runs, or, one run more than its average over the past five games. After singles by Luis Gonzalez and Cory Sullivan with one out, Danny Ardoin knocked an RBI single, pinch-hitter Jorge Piedra added a run-scoring double and Eddy Garabito added an RBI single.
"We just have to make sure we have the right mindset when we go on the road, and stay focused like we did today," said Wilson, whose team takes a National League-worst 4-23 road record on a trip to Cleveland, Baltimore and Houston starting Tuesday.
Kim's submarine delivery is hard on right-handed hitters, which left Detroit manager Alan Trammell at a handicap.
"You usually see other teams stack their lineup with left-handed hitters, [but] we don't have any," said Trammell, whose only three possibilities -- switch-hitters all -- were in the starting lineup.
Sunday served as a revelation of the reasons Kim is more effective as either a starter or a closer, a job he held with Arizona's 2001 World Series champion team and with Boston at times the past two years.
Four of the five hits against him came in the first two-plus innings. But the more the game went on, the better he was. A concern about him as a starter was batters would figure out his funky delivery the third time or so through the lineup -- as was the case at Wrigley Field on May 28, when the Cubs scored four of their five runs against him at the beginning of the sixth inning.
"The more I face the hitter, the better for me, how my throwing and my body feels," Kim said.
Also, Kim had a chance to settle in after the early hits. In the middle relief and setup roles he filled with the Rockies this season, such traffic is tougher to tolerate.
"I don't like when they've got a couple hits, the manager saying, 'Give me the ball,'" Kim said.
Now Hurdle is gladly giving Kim the ball from the beginning.
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Shealy excited to get a taste of the bigs
DENVER -- Power-hitting first base prospect Ryan Shealy figured he was on the move on Sunday evening, when Triple-A Colorado Springs manager Marv Foley and hitting coach Allan Cockrell requested a meeting.
"They kind of set me up," Shealy said. "They said, 'Double-A is in contention and we're thinking about sending you down to help them win the first half,' and I kind of had a blank stare. I didn't want to do it, but I said, 'Whatever you want me to do.'
"Then Marv said, 'Well, do you want to go to the big leagues?'"
Shealy will join the team that really needs him, the Colorado Rockies.
To make room for Shealy, the Rockies optioned infielder Tim Olson back to Colorado Springs. Olson, once an Arizona Diamondbacks prospect, had his contract purchased on Monday and made one plate appearance -- he walked as a pinch-hitter -- on Wednesday.
Colorado begins a nine-game road trip on Tuesday that starts with three-game Interleague Play sets at Cleveland and Baltimore. A Rockies offense that struggles to score runs on the road, and has even slumped at Coors Field at times, will use Shealy as a designated hitter. Shealy was batting .318 with a team-leading 11 home runs and 38 RBIs in 58 games for the Sky Sox through Sunday.
"Let him get in lineup, some at-bats, see how it goes for him," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "We want to look at him here. Reports have been good -- [he] works hard, shows up, continues to try and improve [his] defense, aggressive at the plate, hits it to all fields, hits it with power."
Shealy, 25, an 11th-round draft choice out of Florida in 2002 who has won two top player honors -- in the rookie-level Pioneer League in 2002 and the Double-A Texas League in 2004 -- has been blocked by the presence of Todd Helton in Colorado.
But he used the time in Triple-A to improve, by learning to hit offspeed pitches that veteran pitchers there throw for strikes in offensive counts. Helton's presence is not a problem for a few days in the American League parks, so Shealy gets a chance to show what he has learned.
"That was a bit of an adjustment for me as a hitter, because you can't just groove a fastball," Shealy said. "I've done pretty well. I can't tell you how many of my home runs have come on offspeed pitches, but I've had to get used to it."
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Atkins back in the No. 2 hole
DENVER -- The Rockies' offense has struggled lately, averaging three runs per game over their last five contests, but third baseman Garrett Atkins has found his swing.
Atkins raised his average to .294 following Saturday's loss, and has put together a four-game hit streak. Over the last eight games, the right-handed hitter is 13-for-32 (.406) with five doubles, a home run and nine RBIs.
"Atkins has responded pretty well," Colorado manager Clint Hurdle said. "He's put a good swing together."
He's using the whole field, too, which includes knocking base hits the opposite way.
"It's something I've done in the past, and I got away from it for the last month or so," Atkins said. "I'm trying to get back over there [right field]; it's where I'm more successful."
Toward the end of the current homestand, Atkins has also shown solid defense, making a couple of diving stops on hard-hit ground balls.
"Garrett's done all he can defensively," Hurdle said. "We're happy with his progress."
Atkins, who had been hitting toward the bottom of the lineup in the sixth or seventh spot, was the No. 2 hitter on Sunday against the Tigers.
That was the plan going into the season. Atkins' hot hitting and ability to get on base this spring earned him the starting job. But Atkins suffered a hamstring injury in the final exhibition game, and missed the first 18 contests to open the campaign. Hurdle placed him lower in the order when he came back to ease pressure.
Now the Rockies are looking for any kind of plan that works.
"I don't think you can come up with a bad lineup when you're swinging the bats the way we are," Hurdle said.
The Rockies, however, have struggled slightly with men in scoring position, posting a .273 average.
"I have been disappointed with our situational hitting," Hurdle said. "We've made way too many outs in offensive counts -- soft outs."
Interleague on the road: Colorado continues with Interleague Play this week, as it takes on Cleveland and Baltimore. Playing in the American League stadiums allows the Rockies to use a designated hitter.
Preston Wilson / CF
Born: 07/19/74
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 215 lbs
Bats: R / Throws: R
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Hurdle said before Sunday's game that putting Preston Wilson in the DH spot is an option. Wilson missed most of last year with left knee problems.
Hurdle added that he is not a fan of the DH, but it will permit him to add another bat to the lineup, especially with a crowded outfield. Dustan Mohr and Cory Sullivan have seen inconsistent playing time, but may be in the lineup more often this week.
As of Sunday, Hurdle had used 50 different lineups through 60 games, trying different players in various positions and spots in the order. The lineup likely will be shuffled again in the AL parks.
Rain, rain, go away: The Rockies wrapped up their 13-game homestand on Sunday. Through the first 12 games, there were six rain delays, lasting a total of five hours and 51 minutes, and both Friday and Saturday's games were delayed. More rain was in the forecast Sunday.
The two-week homestand featured three of the lowest-scoring games in Coors Field history, including a 2-0 win over the Tigers on Friday.
On deck: Following an off-day on Monday, the Rockies begin a nine-game road trip on Tuesday with the first of three in Cleveland. Rookie lefty Jeff Francis (5-3, 5.24 ERA) goes for Colorado, while righty Jake Westbrook (2-9, 5.00 ERA) pitches for the Tribe.
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Fuentes flourishing in closer role
DENVER -- Several hours before it's time to "Play Ball!" Rockies reliever Brian Fuentes sits in front of teammate Shawn Chacon's locker. Fuentes is not trying to bother Chacon, but lands there because Chacon has an Xbox system.
Closer to game time, Fuentes can be seen sitting down again, but this time at a table in Colorado's clubhouse, studying the opposing team's lineup.
After a rough start for the Rockies bullpen at the beginning of this season, Fuentes has become a stabilizing force among the relievers. The southpaw took over the closer role after Chin-hui Tsao suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.
Although Fuentes is 6-for-6 in save opportunities since being named the closer, he is quick to point out he's officially 6-for-7 on the year. His 2.70 ERA leads the team, and Fuentes has 29 strikeouts in 30 innings worked.
Fuentes is called "Tito" by his teammates, because of the Cuban infielder, Tito Fuentes, who played in the 1960s and '70s. He has earned the confidence of those teammates to close out a game. Friday's winning pitcher, Jamey Wright, said he was not nervous at all when handing a 2-0 lead against Detroit over to the bullpen. In the ninth, Fuentes gave up a leadoff single but eventually preserved the shutout.
"Tito has been solid," Wright said. "I have a lot of faith in our bullpen. There's no one I'd rather have out there on the mound than Tito."
Until 2001, Fuentes was a starting pitcher with the Seattle Mariners, who selected him in the 25th round of the 1995 First-Year Player Draft. Fuentes was traded, along with two other pitchers, to Colorado in exchange for third baseman Jeff Cirillo in December 2001.
"At first, I thought I'd never really want to be a relief pitcher," Fuentes said. "I thought it was inferior to starting. But now I like the opportunity to play every day."
He is tied for second in the National League in appearances, with 35. Fuentes said his arm feels good, and that pitching back-to-back days is no longer an issue, especially if he keeps his pitch count low.
Entering this season, his fourth with the Rockies, Fuentes had recorded four Major League saves, all in 2003. When Tsao was the closer, Fuentes was the setup man in the eighth inning, a position he feels gets overlooked.
"The eighth inning was my ninth inning," he said. "My eighth-inning role seemed just as important."
Rockies manager Clint Hurdle has praised Fuentes recently for being efficient on the mound, and not throwing too many pitches.
"Fuentes has responded," Hurdle said. "There's a lot more at stake pitching in the ninth than in the eighth."
Because of Fuentes' performance this season, combined with the fact that no Rockie, besides injured shortstop Clint Barmes, has overwhelming credentials, Fuentes could earn his first All-Star berth. Catcher JD Closser gave him a vote of confidence.
"I tell you what, I don't see why 'Tito' shouldn't have a shot at making the team," Closser said. "He's come out of our bullpen and pitched very well. He's done everything we've asked him to do, and been very effective."
Opponents are hitting .194 against Fuentes, in part because of his funky, sidearm delivery, which gives deception to his pitches. He has been effective against left-handed hitters, who hit .176 against him. Evidence of that came June 4, in a save against Cincinnati.
Trailing by two runs, the Reds sent up the heart of their order, lefties Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn, and righty Austin Kearns, against Fuentes. Fuentes struck out Griffey and Dunn in the eighth, and pitched the ninth for the save.
"That was a special opportunity," Hurdle said. "He's handled the left-handers."
Fuentes, who turns 30 on Aug. 9, has more experience at Coors Field than any other bullpen member, and is in line to be paid more handsomely for his efforts. He makes $329,500 this season, but will become eligible for arbitration for the first time at season's end.
"Those are the types of things that are out of my hands," Fuentes said. "No matter how I pitch, I have no say when I pitch. The way I look at it, if they want me to close, from here on out, next year, that'd be great, I'm happy to do that.
"I just want to pitch and help my team win."
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Hawpe more of a road warrior
CLEVELAND -- Brad Hawpe reclined on a black leather couch, reading a newspaper and looking relaxed and in his element. It's amazing how a guy's outlook improves just by getting away from Coors Field.
Of course, the fact Hawpe plays right field for the Colorado Rockies made Tuesday's scene highly irregular. Coors is famous and infamous for lifting spirits and batting averages, then seeing the players go into deep depressions on the road. But Hawpe is coming off a homestand during which he didn't need a hitting coach as much as he needed Dr. Phil.
Hawpe, a rookie, went 5-for-30 (.167) with one home run, and endured 13 hitless at-bats before the homestand came to a merciful end for him on Sunday. Hawpe entered Tuesday's game against the Cleveland Indians with a .304 batting average in 69 at-bats on the road, but a .241 mark in 83 at-bats at home. He singled in his first two at-bats during the game.
"Maybe it's a little bit different approach; I get different work in on the road, and maybe some different backdrops," Hawpe said. "Maybe I'm a little bit more focused on the road.
"A lot of the places I go, I can see the ball pretty good. At Coors Field this year, it's been cold and rainy -- it feels like it's rained on us every day. With cold, rain and the wind blowing in, it's tough hitting conditions."
Manager Clint Hurdle quipped, "That would be an oxymoron for a Colorado Rockie. I haven't figured that one out. But there's hope, though, for the future, if he hits better on the road than he has at home."
But it could be that the home/road situation isn't the biggest issue. Hawpe went 0-for-11 in his last three road games, at Chicago's Wrigley Field. So the home downturn could be a continuation of the ills that led to the slump.
When Hurdle called Hawpe into his office on Tuesday, his concern was not where the game is, but where Hawpe's mind is. Hurdle said he worked with Hawpe on developing some specifics to counter the drought, much the same way he did with varying degrees of success with Matt Holliday, Garrett Atkins and JD Closser. With Dustan Mohr and fellow rookie Cory Sullivan as corner outfield options, and with recent callup Jorge Piedra serving as a left-handed hitter who may need playing time, there are options if Hawpe doesn't improve.
"Other than the three-run homer he hit against [the White Sox's] Freddy Garcia, he wasn't able to bring a lot," Hurdle said. "When those things happen, I call you in. 'Give us something to hold onto. I want to hear your plan. I want to hear how you're going to hold your ground until you get hot again.'
"We don't mind having to grind our teeth through some tough times with young players, but when it's repetitive mistakes and throwing away at-bats, that's what we have to guard against."
Luis Gonzalez / 3B
Born: 06/26/79
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 170 lbs
Bats: R / Throws: R
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Not alone: Hawpe has company in the reverse-splits category. In less playing time, infielder Desi Relaford entered Tuesday hitting at .318 on the road and .282 at home, and utility man Luis Gonzalez was at .321 on the road and .239 at home. They joined Hawpe in Tuesday's starting lineup.
Arrive early: Power-hitting Ryan Shealy, called up from Triple-A Colorado Springs to serve as the Rockies' designated hitter on Tuesday and possibly throughout the road trip, tried to get the awe of being in a Major League stadium out of the way early.
Shealy, along with Hawpe and Piedra, arrived at Jacobs Field five hours before game time.
His oohs and ahs set aside, Shealy vowed to keep up his practice at first base. Shealy has been improving there, even though the presence of three-time Gold Glove Award winner Todd Helton limits his opportunities there.
"It's something that I'll try to get better at every day," said Shealy, who batted sixth and walked in his first plate appearance. "Whether I play there or not, being here is an opportunity to get better."
Shawn Chacon / P
Born: 12/23/77
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 210 lbs
Bats: R / Throws: R
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Working back: Right-hander Shawn Chacon, on the disabled list with a left hamstring strain, is scheduled for a light bullpen session on Wednesday. ... Righty Aaron Cook, slowly making a return from surgery for blood clots last year, will throw a bullpen session on Wednesday and a 30-pitch simulated game on Saturday in Baltimore. Hurdle would not commit to sending Cook on a Minor League rehab assignment after the simulated contest. ... Second baseman Aaron Miles, out with a strain on his right side, took swings inside the batting cage on Tuesday and is anticipating beginning a Minor League rehab assignment at the end of the week.
Hot dog! Rox among most prolific: According to projections released by the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council, Coors Field will finish second among Major League stadiums in hot dog consumption this season with 1,545,000 eaten. Dodger Stadium is tops at 1,674,400.
On deck: Left-hander Joe Kennedy (3-6, 7.07 ERA) will end nine days of inactivity -- the Rockies skipped his last start because he had not pitched well -- on Wednesday against the Indians' C.C. Sabathia (5-3, 3.36 ERA).
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Rox outdueled by Indians to open trip
CLEVELAND -- With line drives darting and buzzing by during games and advice flying his way afterward, Colorado rookie pitcher Jeff Francis is at risk of developing a spinning head -- an ailment almost as debilitating as anything with the arm.
Francis gave up seven runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings of the Rockies' 11-2 loss to the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night at Jacobs Field in front of 17,631.
That makes 12 runs in 11 2/3 innings in his last two starts. Francis (5-4) has given up five or more runs in four of his last five starts as he endures the first official slump of a career that until now was filled with honors and promise. Now he must figure out what changed, what needs to be changed and, almost as important, what doesn't need changing.
"Since I've been struggling, I'm still confident I can go out there and be successful," said Francis, who struck out four but canceled that by walking two and hitting two. "I don't doubt myself at all. That would be the worst thing I could do, get down on myself. If I was going out there every day and getting hit hard, I'd start wondering."
Francis, whose ability to make adjustments is the reason he earned player of the year awards in the Minor Leagues last year and made the Rockies' Opening Day starting rotation, serves as another dropped ball in the juggling act that Colorado manager Clint Hurdle and staff have undertaken with the Major Leagues' youngest roster.
Francis' alarming performance came on the same night that catcher JD Closser, whose hitting turned to mush early, knocked two doubles to raise his batting average to .209. It's the first time he has gone to bed above .200 since April 24. But the seesaw of good and bad is symptomatic of a club that is a National League-worst 21-41 and 4-24 on the road.
Hurdle said before the game that Francis would get into trouble if he didn't improve his glove-side (inside to right-handed hitters, outside to lefties) command. The manager could double as a prophet.
Francis, 24, Colorado's 2003 first-round pick, also faltered in two-out situations as the Rockies dropped the opener of the three-game Interleague series and nine-game road trip. Travis Hafner's RBI double and Jose Hernandez's run-scoring single came with two down in the first, as did Jhonny Peralta's two-run single in the third.
As if to tease, Francis pitched clean fourth and fifth innings, but gave up two backbreaking runs in the sixth before the game spun completely out of control.
Another former Colorado first-round pick, Jake Westbrook (3-9), benefited from Francis' problems. Westbrook, the top pick in 1996, struck out five and held the Rockies to two runs on eight hits in his seven innings. Also, former Rockies player Hernandez and Grady Sizemore knocked three hits apiece, and Hafner and Peralta each drove in three runs. Hafner blasted a Matt Anderson pitch 474 feet for a two-run homer in the eighth.
Hurdle said it's not as if he and pitching coach Bob Apodaca have not been identifying the flaws and giving Francis advice on fixing them. They see him over-striding, a problem that makes his curveball lazy and robs his fastball of accuracy. They see him rushing his delivery toward the plate.
Jeff Francis / C
Born: 01/08/81
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 200 lbs
Bats: L / Throws: L
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They feel these problems are compounded by the fact he's at the extreme first-base side of the pitching rubber, which leaves him pitching from a tough angle.
"He's been a pretty cerebral kid, and been able to make pretty quick adjustments," Hurdle said. "This one has become a challenge for him."
Hurdle added that Francis needs to pick up his tempo.
"To me, there are a lot of things to think about at one time," said Francis, who pointed out that he did slightly change his position on the pitching rubber during Tuesday's game. "I'm having trouble kind of staying on it.
"It's confusing when you go out there and you're not going through things as well as you know you can. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself, I don't know. I think the best thing to do is try to keep things simple. I'm not closed-minded to anything anybody says. I'll try things out, and if they don't work, I'll throw them out the window."
Closser can serve as an example that changing things around even a little bit can pay dividends.
Closser, who joined Garrett Atkins, Todd Helton and Brad Hawpe by knocking two hits, had problems staying with offspeed pitches. The young backstop has hit .320 (8-for-25) over his last seven starts, and took a Westbrook changeup the opposite way to left for his second double of the night.
"It's definitely baby steps, but I've been feeling like the last couple weeks, I've been able to stay back on the ball a little bit more," Closser said.
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Struggling Kennedy's future unknown
CLEVELAND -- Colorado Rockies left-hander Joe Kennedy pitched poorly enough to lose his last turn in the starting rotation. Yet he's highly regarded enough that at least one team is considering trading for him.
There's no telling where Kennedy's odd and winding season will go next, but he can set a little direction on Wednesday night against the Indians, when he makes his first start in nine days.
Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd, who will listen to offers for Colorado's frontline pitchers -- seeking players that could accelerate the building process only -- even acknowledged that the Oakland Athletics' interest in Kennedy is "no secret."
Neither are the struggles of Kennedy (3-6, 7.07 ERA), the positive work of Byung-Hyun Kim in five spot starts, and the returns from injury of Shawn Chacon soon and Aaron Cook later -- factors that could make trades involving pitching possible.
The mystery is how to reverse the performances of Kennedy, who is 0-2 with an 8.62 ERA over his last three starts.
"It's an important start for him," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "He's had time to get good and strong, not that he was hurt. But in three side sessions, he challenged himself.
"He continued to talk about pitch selection. I continue to talk about stuff. So obviously we agree to disagree about where we're caught up. So he just needs to go out and pitch and see where it goes."
Last season, after arriving in a trade with Tampa Bay, Kennedy posted the lowest ERA for a starter in club history at 3.66. He followed that by earning the Opening Day start. It's been almost downhill since.
Kennedy was in no position to complain, but he said he thought the only way to correct his problems was to keep pitching. Instead, the Rockies thought missing a start and throwing three bullpen sessions would give him time to figure out what went wrong.
Pitching coach Bob Apodaca said it was a matter of being in tune with his delivery.
"He threw, and we looked at what happened when he was successful, and what he could do to repeat it," Apodaca said.
Joe Kennedy / P
Born: 05/24/79
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 235 lbs
Bats: R / Throws: L
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Whatever the problem, Kennedy said he knows he's good enough to fix it.
In 2003, after earning Tampa Bay's Opening Day start, Kennedy pitched his way out of the rotation. He finished 3-12 with a 6.13 ERA, but felt he pitched well out of the bullpen at the end -- parlaying that into last year's big effort in Colorado.
At 26 years old and pitching his home games in a difficult park, Kennedy knows he has value in the industry. That has a lot to do with the reported possible deal with Oakland, which according to the Denver Post would be for Minor League reliever Jairo Garcia.
"I know what I can do, and I did it after I struggled in Tampa," Kennedy said. "I'd like to stay here and do it, but that's out of my control."
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Camden, finally, for Garabito
CLEVELAND -- In a couple of days, Colorado infielder Eddy Garabito will accomplish what he could not in eight seasons in the Baltimore Orioles organization -- make it to Camden Yards.
Garabito, who batted leadoff for the Rockies on Wednesday night at Cleveland, never received a call to the Majors while with the O's. It took signing with Colorado last winter, and batting .301 in 49 games at Triple-A Colorado Springs, to get his shot when regular second baseman Aaron Miles landed on the disabled list with a right-side muscle injury on May 26.
Garabito, 28, has been the useful reserve the Rockies had hoped he'd be. He entered Wednesday with a .364 (8-for-22) batting average. More importantly as he attempts to prove his worth as a versatile bench player, he is 3-for-6 as a pinch-hitter and had not committed an error.
The trip to Baltimore will put Garabito among old friends, yet it will be new. He had not been to the Orioles' Major League stadium under any circumstance, even though he played 1,001 games for the organization. That included four full seasons in Triple-A. Garabito said he was never angry at the Orioles, nor does he question their decisions.
"I don't call it happy, I call it excited," Garabito said of the prospect of playing against Baltimore. "I don't know what happened there, but I could do nothing about it. I just worked hard, did whatever the manager said, and tried to make the team better."
The Rockies certainly didn't plan on having nine players on the disabled list at this point or taking the field on Wednesday with three players (Garabito, designated hitter Ryan Shealy and catcher Danny Ardoin) who spent most of the year in Triple-A. But manager Clint Hurdle said Colorado signed players like Garabito to improve the quality of Triple-A players in the case of emergency.
"He works hard," Hurdle said. "He can move around the infield, but second base by far is his most superior position. He can do the job at short, but his arm is going to come up a little short when he has to go into the hole. Being a switch-hitter, he's got a little bit of barrel to his bat on both sides of the plate, and he's got some foot speed."
Wait and see: For a team in the position of Colorado, the next month and a half is crucial. Colorado carries several players of interest to other teams. Make the right deals for the right young prospects or Major League-ready players, and Colorado can accelerate its building.
"That could be a byproduct of the month, but a lot of that will depend on how the industry goes, how we perform and how certain players perform," Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd said.
Left-hander Joe Kennedy, who started Wednesday night, and center fielder Preston Wilson are atop the list of possible trade candidates. Rumors are hotter involving Kennedy, with Oakland being joined by reported interest from the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco and Texas. But O'Dowd would not acknowledge that Kennedy was pitching his last game for the Rockies on Wednesday.
A situation such as Wilson's -- he is a talent that could help certain contending teams, but has a large contract that has to be dealt with -- narrows the number of teams that could become involved. O'Dowd said such situations "have a tendency to drag out."
Meeting of the minds: Hurdle said he met with left-handed pitcher Jeff Francis, who has given up 12 runs in his last two starts and has had his delivery spin out of whack. Hurdle and pitching coach Bob Apodaca are hoping to find specific keys to correct his problems, which include striding too far and too quickly to the plate and not being able to put the ball on either corner.
O'Dowd said it was time.
"Jeff needs to step up and pitch better than this, because he is better than this," O'Dowd said. "There's no reason his delivery is as bad as what it is right now. There's no reason his command is as bad as it is right now. He should be better than this."
Overall, O'Dowd said the difficult times the club is going through are for a purpose.
"A lot of it is a step forward and a step back, but that's how it is with a young club, and most of the time it's painful," he said. "Most of the time it's through mistakes, but they are learning.
"The (shortstop Clint) Barmes injury (a broken collarbone suffered in an accident away from the park) was a tough blow because we don't have a veteran shortstop -- Desi Relaford is doing a good job, but we didn't sign Desi to be an everyday shortstop."
On deck: Right-hander Jamey Wright (4-5, 5.68 ERA), who is 2-0 with a 1.86 ERA in his last three starts, will lead the Rockies against Cleveland right-hander Kevin Millwood (1-4, 3.20 ERA) in the finale of a three-game series.
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Rox get to Sabathia, but fall in extras
CLEVELAND -- Colorado's Dustan Mohr swung through a fastball from Cleveland's Rafael Betancourt for a third strike to end the fourth inning -- and begin a pattern on Wednesday night.
A Rockies offense that has been spotty everywhere -- more so on the road -- bore much of the blame for a 7-6, 11-inning loss at Jacobs Field in front of 20,986. But the work of six relievers demonstrated why Cleveland has one of baseball's best bullpens, and had much to do with Colorado falling to 4-25 on the road.
After Betancourt replaced ineffective Indians starter C.C. Sabathia with the bases loaded and a Colorado run across with one out in the fourth, the bullpen struck out 13 and held Colorado to three hits in 7 2/3 scoreless innings. The Rockies had scored five times in the third inning and a 6-2 lead and a rally going in the fourth before Betancourt fanned Preston Wilson and Mohr, who narrowly missed a home run earlier in the at-bat.
"They're good," Mohr said. "I don't know if we made them better than they are tonight or what ... Nah, I don't take anything away from them. They have the makings of a bullpen that can win a division."
The ills of the Rockies, the team with the National League's fewest wins, are documented daily. Things have been so dicey with the injury- and youth-laden club that the less than dominating work of Joe Kennedy, who couldn't protect the lead and gave up five runs in five innings, represented progress. But this one belonged to a bullpen that lowered its ERA to 2.49 and assured Cleveland of a five-game win streak.
Colorado's bullpen was not bad before Aaron Boone ended the game with a leadoff homer in the 11th off Blaine Neal (1-2). David Cortres entered with no outs and two on in the sixth, and escaped with one run scoring and a 6-5 lead, despite a 52-minute rain delay that interrupted the inning. Jay Witasick fanned four in two innings. Brian Fuentes gave up Jhonny Peralta's one-out homer to tie the game in the ninth, but fanned five in his two innings.
Cleveland's bullpen was simply better.
"In the fourth inning, we had a chance to stretch it out, take advantage of it, and we weren't able to," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "We're up 6-2 with our No. 4 and No. 5 guys coming up. Betancourt was able to shut it down, and it stayed shut down after that.
"Those (bullpen) numbers aren't fabricated. They aren't manufactured. They've got some arms that will come after you."
Betancourt fanned four in 2 1/3 innings. Scott Sauerbeck retired the only man he faced. Matt Miller struck out four in two innings, Arthur Rhodes struck out the side in the ninth, Bob Wickman gave up a hit but escaped the 10th, and Bob Howry (4-1) struck out two in the 11th.
Colorado rookie Ryan Shealy's first Major League hit, a bases-loaded, two-run double with two out, set the pace in the third inning. Danny Ardoin, Garret Atkins and Wilson also had run-scoring singles. Atkins added an RBI single in the fourth.
The Rockies skipped Kennedy's last turn because he had been ineffective in his previous three starts. Hurdle graded Kennedy's performance Wednesday, saying, "I can't give him a plus, I can't give him minus, I'll give him a check."
Hurdle thought Kennedy's breaking ball had more downward motion, but three leadoff doubles and some two-strike miscues worked against that.
Kennedy gave up a two-run homer to Casey Blake in the first inning and said he might have been rusty after a nine-day layoff. He also said he simply tried to minimize damage after the leadoff doubles to Travis Hafner in the fourth, Boone in the fifth and Hafner in the sixth before Cortes replaced him. All three scored.
"If I look back on it, I wish I didn't pitch situational when I gave up leadoff doubles in the fourth or fifth, but the score dictated me to get the hitter out and not worry about the guy on second," Kennedy said. "If I look back, I wish I would have battled more in that situation. But when I've done that, I end up giving up three or four.
"I'm happy to not give up a big inning. That's what's been hurting me all year."
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Rockies fall short against Indians
CLEVELAND -- Colorado's Desi Relaford didn't have a chance at a final swing. A parting fling would have to do.
Home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi called a backdoor slider by Cleveland closer Bob Wickman a strike, and brought to an end Colorado's 2-1 loss at Jacobs Field on Thursday night in front of 19,244.
Relaford, who had a runner on second and a chance to at least tie the game, slammed the bat hard on home plate.
Relaford's act of protest symbolized the frustration of the Rockies, who weren't able to capitalize on seven strong innings from starter Jamey Wright (4-6). Colorado absorbed a three-game sweep that also included a 7-6 loss in 11 innings on Wednesday night, and fell to a futility record-threatening 4-26 on the road.
"We've already got nine people we're going against," Relaford said. "We don't need the extra cat back there on their squad.
"We got a chance to win a game right there, or tie it up. He takes the bat out of our hands on a terrible pitch. And I throw my bat down and he tells me I've got an equipment violation."
Relaford snickered when told a fine comes with that.
"Who cares?" he said. "Won't pay it."
Colorado joins Tampa Bay this season, the 1982 Minnesota Twins, the 1981 Chicago Cubs, the 1928 Philadelphia Phillies, the 1916 Philadelphia A's and the 1904 Washington Senators as the worst road records to start a season in Major League history.
Cleveland won its sixth straight. Kevin Millwood (2-4), in his return from a groin injury he suffered on May 25, labored through a 33-pitch first inning but wound up throwing five scoreless innings, striking out five and giving up four hits. Wickman earned his 18th save.
"For the ballclub to experience a defeat like we did last night and come out and play like we did today, you can't ask for more than what we're getting out of them," manager Clint Hurdle said.
If frustration could be measured at historic levels, Thursday's loss -- Colorado's sixth straight on the road -- would go into the record books. It had plenty of misery-inducing traits, such as:
• Unrequited pitching: Wright held the Indians to two runs, on consecutive third-inning singles by Grady Sizemore and Coco Crisp, and five total hits in seven innings. Wright fanned four and left after his 1-2-3 seventh, only because pitching coach Bob Apodaca convinced him to do so after rain delayed the game 26 minutes.
"He was worried about if something happened arm-wise in that last inning, we both would have probably never forgiven ourselves," said Wright, who leaned on his cut fastball and changeup against a lefty-dominated Indians lineup, and is 2-1 with a 2.05 ERA in his last four starts.
• Rally-killing offensive miscues: Preston Wilson, who had two hits and has batted .364 over his last 12 games, knocked a one-out double in the sixth, but froze on the basepath as pitcher Scott Sauerbeck picked him off base.
Also, Brad Hawpe opened the ninth with a single and pinch-runner Cory Sullivan stole second. But rookie Ryan Shealy, who victimized Bob Howry for his first Major League home run to lead off the seventh, grounded out to third base and could not advance Sullivan.
• Standout plays by the opponent: Indians second baseman Ronnie Belliard dove behind the bag to stop a Garrett Atkins grounder to begin an inning-ending double play in the fifth. Cleveland right fielder Jody Gerut dove to grab a Relaford liner in the seventh and left fielder Crisp made a sliding catch on Jorge Piedra's one-out liner in the ninth to keep Sullivan at second.
But called third strikes caused the most pain. Wilson slammed his equipment after being called out with a runner on second to end the sixth, and Relaford was left to do more slamming.
"Sometimes we're not getting three strikes at the plate in some tough situations," Hurdle said. "It makes it awful difficult.
"We're facing a lot of challenges. We've got to keep our eyes focused on what we can do, what we can control, put ourselves in position to win ballgames, and then win them."
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Francis keeping it simple
CLEVELAND -- Slumping Colorado rookie left-handed pitcher Jeff Francis said a key to improvement is keeping it simple. Pitching coach Bob Apodaca is complying with that.
Apodaca has narrowed Francis' 9.26 ERA and 20 hits in 11 2/3 innings over his last two starts, both losses, to one overriding factor -- his elbow is not high enough when he throws.
Factors that could include foot positioning on the rubber, the pace of his windup and the length of his stride lead to the problem. But now the thought is that attacking that minutiae could lead to confusion, which is a worse problem.
So Apodaca, who enjoys the challenge of finding the little keys that make a big difference, resisted his nature while working with Francis during his bullpen session on Thursday. Francis throws again Friday, and is slated to start Sunday at Baltimore.
"I hate to overstate the obvious, because everybody can see the obvious, and the causes are what you need to work on," Apodaca said. "The obvious is the elbow drop. But we're going to take the approach of stating the obvious. Every pitch that he throws in the bullpen, I want that elbow up."
One theory is his foot positioning -- only the back half of his left foot is in contact with the pitching rubber -- gives him less of a pushing surface and makes it harder to keep his elbow up. Another theory is that either with men on base or when he needs a key out, his elbow drops because his motion is too fast and his stride is too long.
But Apocdaca has decided to concentrate on the elbow and let Francis work out the details.
"I'll ask questions: 'How did you feel that time? Was your elbow up?'" Apodaca said. "I'm not interrupting consistently, but posing little questions and having him tell me when something really felt good."
Rockies manager Clint Hurdle and general manager Dan O'Dowd have dispensed with the excuse that Francis, 24, is young and have publicly called for better work from him. Francis doesn't mind it, since he's asked the same of himself.
Also, Francis is confident he can turn things around because he has done it before.
Francis earned Minor League Player of the Year honors from Baseball America and USA Today last year before debuting with the Rockies, but his career wasn't always as smooth. He went 12-9 with a 3.47 ERA at Class A Visalia in 2003, his first full pro season, and experienced some of the same problems.
He also was similarly out of whack when called up to the Majors last year. Francis gave up 14 runs, 13 earned, in 9 1/3 innings in his first two Rockies outings, but posted a 2.30 ERA and went 3-0 in five starts the rest of the season.
Francis said a simple approach and the confidence that comes from overcoming the problems before will pull him through this slump.
"I do think I need to work on one thing at a time, because trying to do 100 things at once is too much," Francis said. "I just need to keep the ball down.
"I've never had any doubts. It's not just Clint saying that I need to pitch better. I expect to pitch better than I have, so I don't need him or anybody to say it for me. I know I haven't had the success that I know I can have, so I just need to make the adjustments and get better."
Rehab city: Second baseman Aaron Miles will join Triple-A Colorado Springs on Friday in Sacramento as he begins a rehab assignment for a right side muscle strain. Hurdle said Miles will play five innings, then seven innings, then two nine-inning games before taking a day off, and return for enough games to get 25-30 at-bats. ... Catcher Todd Greene, coming back from a right hamstring strain, is doing some running and catching drills such as blocking balls in the dirt. He'll be with the Rockies at least through Saturday, then go on a rehab assignment similar to that of Miles. ... Right-hander Shawn Chacon, out with a left hamstring strain, did agility drills on Wednesday and will throw a bullpen session on Friday and do some fielding drills before the Rockies consider him for rehab. ... Right-hander Aaron Cook, out all season as he recovers from blood clot surgery, will throw a total of 65 pitches on Saturday -- 40 to hitters during a full-speed batting practice session.
Bullpen help? Help could be arriving from Triple-A Colorado Springs. Under consideration are veteran right-hander Dan Miceli, who has struck out six in 3 1/3 innings and gave up one hit (a home run) since being signed, and rookie Scott Dohmann, 1-0 with a 4.71 ERA in 24 appearances since being sent down in late April. Miceli was released from a contract in Japan earlier this season, and is building arm strength.
On deck: On Friday, right-hander Jason Jennings (3-7, 5.94 ERA) will make his first career start against the Baltimore Orioles, who will send right-hander Daniel Cabrera (5-5, 5.88) to the mound.
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Rockies can't catch up to Tigers
DENVER -- On another rainy night at Coors Field, the Rockies watched as a chance to win Saturday night slipped through their hands as Colorado fell to Detroit, 6-4, in front of 30,192 at Coors Field.
The Rockies kept playing catchup, as Detroit took four leads in the game. Colorado came back to even up the score the first three times; however, the Rockies had no answer for the Tigers' two-out run in the sixth.
"It's just a frustrating night to say the least," said Jason Jennings, Saturday's starter. "We had a lot of opportunities tonight, and just couldn't do it."
Jennings (3-7, 5.94 ERA) went six innings, yielding nine hits and five runs, four earned. He entered Saturday night 3-0 lifetime against Detroit.
He called it a typical start at Coors Field for him during his four years with the Rockies. Jennings said Colorado would win a game like this seven out of 10 times.
"It shouldn't have been a loss for us," Jennings said. "We should've come through at some point." The Rockies have struggled offensively as of late, scoring 15 runs in their last five games -- four of which they've lost.
"We just didn't have enough things happen offensively," Colorado manager Clint Hurdle said. "It was there for us, but we weren't able to capitalize."
With a runner on in the sixth, Rockies pinch-hitter Jorge Piedra, called up from Triple-A on Friday, got his second at-bat of the season. His hit the ball squarely against winning pitcher Jeremy Bonderman (7-4, 4.05 ERA), but lined it right to Detroit first baseman Dmitri Young, who stepped on first to turn a double play.
In the eighth, Rockies shortstop Desi Relaford thought he turned a double play after fielding Chris Shelton's bouncer near second base, but second base umpire Dale Scott disagreed. Replays showed Relaford's right foot touched second base, and the extra out allowed Detroit to add an insurance run on a sacrifice fly.
"Late in the game any run is big," said Preston Wilson, who was 3-for-4 with an RBI and stolen base. "We wish we probably would've gotten a different call."
Tiger third baseman Brandon Inge singled in the go-ahead run in the sixth, and was 2-for-3, with two walks.
Jennings said when he left after the sixth, he thought the Rockies would come back to win the game. The Rockies had three base runners in the final four innings, and did not advance a runner into scoring position.
"I think there were some situations we felt we would've liked to have handled better. But we didn't," Hurdle said. "Bottom line, it was 4-4 after five. We weren't able to score any more after that."
Through 12 games on their 13-game homestand, the Rockies are 6-6.
The game was delayed 44 minutes by rain in the second inning, and it rained again in the eighth. In the first 12 games on Colorado's homestand, there have been six rain delays, totaling five hours and 51 minutes.
Source: http://rockies.mlb.com/
