Bench strength bolsters Rockies

Reserves fill the bill against Astros after San Diego marathon

By Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News

Published April 18, 2008 at 9:27 p.m.

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Photo by Bob Levey / Associated Press

Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki slides past the tag of Astros catcher J.R. Towles and is called safe by umpire Chad Fairchild during the first inning Friday night. Tulowitzki scored one of Colorado's six runs in the inning.

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HOUSTON -- Major League Baseball requires that during spring training, teams have at least four regulars in the starting lineup for every game or a fine is levied. It's a way to ensure fans of at least seeing a semblance of a big- league game.

"Good thing this isn't spring training," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said Friday night. "If it had been spring training, it might have been an issue."

Given it's the regular season, though, there were no complaints, particularly not from the Rockies or any of their fans.

There was no Todd Helton, no Matt Holliday and no Brad Hawpe.

Not that anyone noticed.

The lineup might have been makeshift, a concession Hurdle made to give several players some time to recuperate from the ordeal in San Diego, but the Rockies who took the field showed no hangover from the previous night.

They enjoyed an 11-5 victory against the Astros at Minute Maid Park on Friday, a game that was the antithesis of their 2-1, 22-inning victory that began the night before in San Diego and ended in the wee hours of Friday.

"We feel we have quality depth, and one of the big parts of my job is keeping them all involved," Hurdle said. "A game like (San Diego) is a perfect opportunity. It's almost like hockey, where you change the line."

The continuing emergence of shortstop Troy Tulowitzki from his early-season slump - he doubled home two runs in a six-run first and another run in a three-run fourth - provided the spark for the Rockies to claim their fourth win in five games. And they did it with a lineup that had only three regulars - Tulowitzki, third baseman Garrett Atkins and center fielder Willy Ta- veras - none of whom hit in their normal spots in the lineup.

"I didn't know what to expect," Tulowitzki said. "I felt all right once I was on the field and the adrenaline got going."

Clint Barmes is feeling pretty good, too. Good enough that he's making a strong pitch to earn a regular role. In his third consecutive start at second base, he responded by going 3-for-5 with two doubles, a run scored and an RBI.

"He continues to show up and make his case," Hurdle said.

The one potential disappointment, rookie left-hander Franklin Morales, finished with a positive vibe. After almost letting a 6-0 lead in the top of the first disappear in a 47-pitch, four-run fiasco in the bottom of the inning, Morales regrouped. He shut down the Astros in the second through fifth innings before the few available arms in the bullpen finished the night off.

Apparently shaken by first baseman Jeff Baker's misjudgment that led to Michael Bourn's leadoff single in the bottom of the first, Morales then walked Kazuo Matsui. By the time Morales struck out pitcher Brian Moehler to end the inning, Lance Berkman and Hunter Pence each had driven in a run and scored a run.

"One of the things we challenged him to do was to get the ball and pitch and he did pick up the tempo," Hurdle said. "He is going to compete, and there's no doubt there are things he has to fix. But he found a way to stop the scoring and give us five innings that we needed. That's a plus."

Talk about the difference a game can make. In San Diego, the Rockies were held scoreless for 13 innings and needed an unearned run in the 22nd inning to get the victory. In Houston, where they didn't even check into their hotel until after 8 a.m. Friday, the Rockies had six runs on the board before there were three outs in the game.

Astros starter Charles Sampson was yanked after facing 10 batters and retiring only two. Scott Podsednik, starting in place of Holliday in left field, led off the game with a walk and the Rockies loaded the bases with consecutive singles by Taveras and Ryan Spilborghs, who was playing right field in place of Hawpe.

After Atkins struck out, the Rockies struck. Tulowitzki lined his double to left. Baker, starting in place of Helton, lined an RBI single to center. After Barmes singled, catcher Chris Iannetta doubled home two more runs.

"It's nice, but it doesn't mean the game is over," Tulowitzki said of the first-inning outburst. "We still had to play nine innings. They showed us (in the bottom of the first) they weren't going to concede anything."

NUMBERS GAME

$3,000 fine is expected to be assessed to the Rockies for breaking the takeoff curfew at Lindbergh Field in San Diego. Planes are not allowed to take off or land after 11:30 p.m. The Rockies' 2-1, 22-inning victory in San Diego that began Thursday night didn't end until 1:22 a.m. Friday.

As a result, the Rockies' plane to Houston didn't take off until 3 a.m.

An airport board will determine the penalty. Considering the logistical problems the Rockies faced getting to Houston for their game Friday night and the fact that checking into a San Diego hotel, while already having rooms in Houston, easily would have cost more than the fine, the Rockies were financially and physically ahead to break the curfew.

HE'S BACK

Jeff Francis didn't figure in the decision in the 6-hour, 16-minute game that broke franchise records for length in innings and time. He left after seven innings. And he left a strong impression.

He didn't allow a run, he walked one Padres player, gave up only three singles and retired the final 16 batters he faced. It was a far cry from the Francis who had lost his first two starts this season and took the mound against the Padres with a 9.53 ERA.

"I think some of the questions were answered as well as they can be answered," manager Clint Hurdle said. "Jeff is a good pitcher. We knew that. He knew that. . . . Everyone needs a pat on the back and a show of support at times, so yes, this was good for him."

MEMORIES

The closest Hurdle came to his team's 22-inning win against San Diego was as a member of the 1985 New York Mets. On July 4 that season, the Mets earned a 16-13, 19-inning victory against Atlanta that took nearly nine hours to play. The game officially was listed as 6:10, but that didn't include two lengthy rain delays. The game ended at nearly 4 a.m., and there were complaints when the Braves went ahead with the July 4 fireworks.

Friday, by the way, was the anniversary of the start of Triple-A Pawtucket's 3-2, 33-inning victory against Rochester in the longest game, in terms of innings, in pro baseball history. That game started April 18, 1981. It was halted at 4:06 the next morning and finished June 23. Dave Koza, a native of Torrington, Wyo., singled home the winning run.

THREE KEYS

Three keys to the Rockies' 11-5 win against the Houston Astros on Friday night at Minute Maid Park:

1 With the bases loaded, Garrett Atkins struck out in the first inning but Troy Tulowitzki followed with a two-run double, igniting a six-run effort that helped ease any lingering fatigue for the Rockies. Tulowitzki also doubled home a run in the fourth, giving him three RBI in the game and six RBI this season, all in the past three games.

2 After Houston cut the deficit to 6-4, the Rockies scored three runs in the fourth, capped by Clint Barmes' two-out, one-run double. Barmes was making his third start in a row at second base.

3 Left-handed pitcher Franklin Morales had his moments in a 47- pitch first inning, giving up four runs, but he settled down to allow only three baserunners in the next four innings.

ETC.

Rockies pitchers have not allowed a home run in 60 innings, dating to Justin Upton in the fifth inning for Arizona on April 12. At the same time, the Rockies had gone 47 innings without a home run before Atkins unloaded in the eighth inning Friday night. . . . The Rockies' Yorvit Torrealba and the Padres' Josh Bard caught the entire 22-inning game Thursday, the first time two catchers have done that since Sandy Alomar Jr. of the Indians and Brian Harper of the Twins did it in the Twins' 5-4, 22-inning win against Cleveland on Aug. 31, 1993. Minnesota won that game with nobody out in the bottom of the 22nd, so technically, Alomar only caught 21 innings. . . . Former Rockies second baseman Kazuo Matsui was activated from the disabled list and made his Astros debut Friday. Catcher Humberto Quintero was designated for assignment to make room for Matsui. . . . Right-handed pitcher Kip Wells wants to start, but after four shutout innings of relief earned him the victory in the San Diego marathon, he is 6-1 with a 2.35 ERA in 33 career relief appearances. . . . Matt Herges has allowed left-handed hitters three hits in 19 at-bats this year. He has walked two left-handed hitters.

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