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New look helps bring offense to life

Bench players provide big lift as Colorado finally gets hot at plate

By Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News

Published April 16, 2008 at 11:05 p.m.
Updated April 17, 2008 at 12:53 a.m.

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Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki throws to first in time to get San Diego's Tadahito Iguchi after charging a slow roller in the first inning Wednesday night at Petco Park. Tulowitzki, who has been struggling at the plate, drove in his first two runs of the year with a double in the ninth inning. "He was going to get one sooner or later," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said of Tulowitzki.

Photo by Lenny Ignelzi / Associated Press

Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki throws to first in time to get San Diego's Tadahito Iguchi after charging a slow roller in the first inning Wednesday night at Petco Park. Tulowitzki, who has been struggling at the plate, drove in his first two runs of the year with a double in the ninth inning. "He was going to get one sooner or later," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said of Tulowitzki.

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The Rockies broke out a different look Wednesday night against the Padres.

It was worth seeing.

There was Ryan Spilborghs in center field. Clint Barmes played second base. Chris Iannetta was catching.

And they provided an eye full in a 10-2 victory at Petco Park, with a ninth-inning rally turning a one-run game into a blowout that helped ease the angst from being two-hit and shutout the previous night.

And while the seven-run ninth was more for padding stats than anything else, it did provide a moment of relief for shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who snapped an 0-for-20 slide with a two-run double, his first two RBI of the season.

"He was going to get one sooner or later," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said of Tulowitzki, who produced 99 RBI as a rookie last year.

More than anything, though, the makeshift lineup made a point the Rockies have argued since the start of spring training - there is depth on the roster.

Seven players drove in a run and eight Rockies scored runs against a Padres pitching that was coming off back-to-back shutouts.

The Rockies scored more runs in the ninth (seven) than they had totaled in 11 of their previous 13 games. Colorado had scored two runs or fewer in eight of its games.

"Nobody has to carry all the weight all the time," Hurdle said.

Even the irregulars can chip in. On a night that saw Garrett Atkins deliver the Rockies first four-hit game, Spilborghs, Barmes and Iannetta combined to go 6-for-12 with two walks, three runs and four RBI.

Atkins' first three singles were up the middle and the fourth was to right field, a reinforcement of the positive vibes from his three-hit effort Sunday in Arizona that included a home run.

"When he is using the big part of the field, he's where he wants to be," Hurdle said. "You look at his (hit) charts. When he is not going well everything's to left field, but when he is going well, the hits are scattered, gap to gap."

Spilborghs led off the game with one of the walks, scoring on a two-out single from Atkins, only the second time this season the Rockies had a first-inning lead and only the third time they managed to score the first run.

Iannetta scored in the second when he had a one-out single and Spilborghs drove him home with a two-out triple.

After Barmes and Iannetta led of the fourth with back-to-back singles but saw a potential rally cut short when pitcher Mark Redman bunted into a double play, Iannetta delivered a two-out double that scored Atkins to put the Rockies up 3-2 in the sixth.

"When you are a part-time guy and can contribute, it's a special feeling," said Hurdle, speaking from his own playing experience. "More often than not when you are one of those guys, you are coming into a game to give the other guy a rest.

"But we do have a better bench this year, guys who expect (production) from themselves. (Wednesday's game) lets everyone know we have a lot of weapons."

Redman became the Rockies first two-game winner with five solid innings of work.

The graduate of Escondido High School won the first game of his career in his hometown in his fifth career appearance (third start) against the Padres in San Diego.

Brian Giles was his nemesis, driving in two-out runs with a double in the third and a triple in the fifth. Redman left the game after a fifth inning in which he issued two walks.

But he bullpen came to Redman's rescue.

Matt Herges, Taylor Buchholz, Brian Fuentes and Manuel Corpas combined to work four no-hit innings, protecting the lead that Iannetta was so important in helping the Rockies create.

Iannetta, starting only his fourth game, showed he has learned from his struggles in a limited role a year ago when he went from the primary catcher to start the season to a backup to a refresher course in the minor leagues.

"I'm feeling comfortable and trying to take advantage of the opportunities I get," Iannetta said. "I'm not getting caught up with things I can't control.

"I tried to do so much last year."

ringolsbyt@RockyMountainNews.com

Comments

  • April 17, 2008

    12:08 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Chadley25 writes:

    What the Rockies desperately need at this point is to string together at least 4-5 wins in a row, take a couple of series, and get back over .500. Arizona is playing the April pacesetter, and we've got to stay in the hunt.

  • April 17, 2008

    10:24 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    kmeissner writes:

    The back to back road series with LAD and SF at the end of April is looking to be a very important one if we want to keep up with AZ. GO ROX!!!!

  • April 17, 2008

    10:48 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Hutch writes:

    I'd like to see Hurdle ride Barmes' hot bat for as long as it lasts. I understand Nix needs his at-bats, but when guys like Tulo, Torrealba, Taveras and Hawpe are all struggling at the same time, the Rox don't have the luxury of being patient with Nix.