Boston Massacre: Rockies look lost in 13-1 loss to Sox

Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Rockies-Red Sox box score

BOSTON — So much for the memories.

The Rockies won’t have any warm and fuzzy moments to reflect on about their World Series debut.

"It was so frightening," one press box wag announced, "that Stephen King left."

The good news for the Rockies is that despite a 13-1 beating they suffered at the hands of the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of the World Series at Fenway Park on Wednesday night, they get a chance to come back tonight and make amends.

It is another test for manager Clint Hurdle’s theory that what makes this Rockies team different from its 14 predecessors — only one of which had even gotten into the postseason and none of which had reached the World Series — is these Rockies don’t have hangovers from a bad night.

"One of the strengths this club has had is our confidence has not been shaken by the results of a game," Hurdle said. "That being said, this is not the way we drew it up."

No, the Rockies weren’t looking for left-handed ace Jeff Francis, who had earned the victories in Game 1 in the National League Division Series and NL Championship Series, to give up six runs in four innings, creating a 6-1 deficit that just added to the domination of Red Sox right-hander Josh Beckett, now 4-0 this postseason.

That leaves the Rockies looking to get a split of the first two games in Fenway when rookie Ubaldo Jimenez starts Game 2 tonight against veteran Curt Schilling.

"Our goal when we got here was not to get a split," said first baseman Todd Helton, who doubled and singled in four at-bats in his World Series debut. "We came here to win each game. Obviously, our goal has changed after (Wednesday)."

And despite the speculation Beckett was looking for revenge against the team that had handed him his first defeat of the season in June when Colorado visited Fenway, or the Rockies were rusty after waiting eight days for the World Series to start, what it all comes down to is the Rockies got beat.

But all hope wasn’t lost. This is, after all, a best-of-seven series, and there are some omens from which the Rockies might draw hope.

Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia joined Don Buford of the 1969 Orioles as the only players to lead off the first inning of the Series for their team with a home run. That first game was the only game the Orioles won against the Mets in 1969.

And the 13-1 victory was the most lopsided Game 1 in World Series history, eclipsing a 12-1 beating Atlanta administered to the Yankees in 1996. The Braves then won Game 2, but the Yankees won the next four, including rallying from a 6-0, fifth-inning deficit to win Game 4, 8-6 in 10 innings, en route to their first championship in 18 years.

But more than what other teams have done, the Rockies find hope in what they have done this season, in their effort to bounce back from a loss in which 11 of the runs Boston scored came with two out. By the end of the fifth inning, every member of the lineup had scored a run, all but one had a hit and only Mike Lowell failed to have an RBI.

"They just put an old-fashioned beating on us, but we’ve been beaten before and come back the next day," Helton said. "Obviously, it’s a big loss because it is Game 1 in the World Series, but it’s not the final game. We just need to bounce back and play well, which is what we’ve done all year."

The Rockies did, after all, win 14 of their final 15 games of the regular season to claim the NL wild card — and they had to win all 14 to advance to the postseason.

The last time they lost, 4-2 to Arizona on Sept. 28, they responded with a 10-game winning streak that included a 9-8, 13-inning victory against San Diego in the NL wild-card tiebreaker, then sweeps of Philadelphia in the NL Division Series and Arizona in the NL Championship Series.

"We’re a no-excuse ballclub, always have been and always will be," Hurdle said when asked about the eight days off. "That’s why I feel we are able to bounce back. We don’t look for something to blame. That’s over with. We look for what we need to do next. We got outplayed (Wednesday). We need to play better. It’s that simple."

It’s as simple as Francis not only giving up four of the six runs he allowed with two out, but being unable to handle the two key left-handed bats in the Red Sox lineup. J.D. Drew had a two-run, RBI double in the first. David Ortiz had a two-out RBI double in the second and singled to key a two-out, two-run rally in the fourth.

And rookie Franklin Morales was the victim of the biggest fifth inning in World Series history, having two out with one on and not getting another out, getting charged with seven runs, the final three on bases-loaded walks issued by Ryan Speier.

"Obviously, we’ve got some things we can work on," Hurdle said.

And the Rockies do, at least, have some time to get the work done.

ringolsbyt@RockyMountain News.com