Fuentes shines in familiar role for Rockies

Reliever regains closer's job, tames Cubs in the ninth

By Jack Etkin, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Originally published 11:37 a.m., April 24, 2008
Updated 08:03 p.m., April 24, 2008

David Zalubowski / Associated Press

Rockies reliever Brian Fuentes (40) celebrates with teammates after getting his first save in 10 months, by pitching a 1-2-3 ninth inning Thursday at Coors Field.

Hours after he learned he again was the Rockies closer, Brian Fuentes took the mound in the ninth inning Thursday.

His task? Face Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez and Kosuke Fu-

kudome, the heart of the Chicago Cubs' order, and protect a 4-2 lead for Aaron Cook.

Fuentes did just that, earning his first save since June 21, as the Rockies broke a four-game losing streak, the defeats all coming when the Rockies led in the eighth inning or later.

When Fuentes took the mound, he drifted back in time, trying to draw on his two years as the Rockies closer and trying to will himself into thinking the eighth inning, which he had been pitching, isn't all that different from the ninth.

"Even when I was closing full time, I tried to tell myself it's just another inning," Fuentes said of the ninth. "Get three outs and get out as fast as you can. That's the whole goal.

"As much as I tried to tell myself to do that, the adrenaline and emotion kind of came into it. You just kind of embrace that; you don't try to fight it and downplay it and calm yourself down. Me, personally, I like to let it ride a little bit and kind of feel it."

Fuentes threw balls with his first two pitches and strikes with his final eight as he got Lee to fly to deep right field and struck out Ramirez and Fukudome, each swinging and each on three pitches.

"He had the best slider he might have had all season," manager Clint Hurdle said. "His fastball was live. A big first step for him in a place that he's been before."

Fuentes returned to that place Thursday morning when Hurdle told him he would replace struggling Manuel Corpas in the closer's role.

That job belonged to Fuentes from mid-May 2005 until early July last season, when he blew four consecutive save opportunities and gave way to Corpas.

It has been hard going this year for Corpas, who is 4-for-8 in save opportunities and has three blown saves in his past four appearances, including Tuesday and Wednesday.

"Manny will probably have opportunities to pitch the eighth, might even get him in in the seventh," Hurdle said.

Hurdle said it served no purpose to say whether the move would be temporary, since there is no way to predict how Fuentes and Corpas will perform.

"I think you do is what's best for the club," Hurdle said. "And that's to give the ball to Brian right now, get the heat off Manny, give him an opportunity to work his way (back). See how that plays out."

Corpas is 0-1 with a 7.50 ERA in 11 games and has allowed 19 baserunners in 12 innings. Opponents are batting .283 against him, going 13-for-46.

Hurdle said that when he met with Corpas, the 25-year-old reliever said, "I know I haven't pitched well. You're the manager. You make the decision. You give me the ball, I'm going to pitch and try and do better."

Fuentes, who has 86 career saves, is 0-1 with a 2.25 ERA in 13 games. Opponents are batting .186 (8-for-43) against Fuentes, who has recorded five walks and 10 strikeouts in 12 innings.

"The finishing touch," Hurdle said, "will be when he gets his changeup back into play with consistency."

Fuentes welcomed the change, although he sympathized with Corpas, having gone through the trial of pitching poorly and losing the coveted and scrutinized closer's role last year.

"I definitely know what he's going through," Fuentes said. "There's a lot of things going through your mind - doubt and anger and, most importantly, you feel you've let your team down a little bit. Hopefully, he understands we win and lose as a team. There's a lot of opportunities during a game for a game to be won and lost, and it just happens that ours is at the end and the most pronounced.

"He's going to be fine. He can close; he's already proved that. I think he'll be professional enough to handle it and get his stuff back and his confidence back and move on from there."

STOPPER

For the second time this season, Aaron Cook, above helped bail the Rockies out of an extended losing streak.

Cook threw eight strong innings Thursday as the Rockies snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-2 win against the Chicago Cubs. Cook allowed only two earned runs on four hits while improving to 3-1.

"We need Aaron to pitch to his capabilities and do it for a full season, and he's off to a very good start," manager Clint Hurdle said. "He's obviously handled some adversity on the field. He's handled some adversity off the playing field. So he's got some grit and grind to him. It's time for him to take the next step, and it's one I think he's accepting and embracing."

The Rockies were mired in a five-game losing streak after a win on Opening Day when Cook helped end the slide by allowing only one run in seven innings against Atlanta on April 7.

NUMBERS GAME

16 consecutive batters retired by Cook after he allowed an RBI single in the second inning. The Cubs broke the streak by beginning the eighth with two singles and a walk, but Cook allowed only one run in the inning by inducing a groundball out and getting a line-drive double play.

BASHING BACKSTOP

Backup catcher Chris Iannetta is making the most of his limited opportunities. On Thursday, Iannetta made his seventh start this season and hit his first home run, a solo shot in the seventh that gave the Rockies a 2-1 lead.

Iannetta is hitting .333 and has recorded at least one hit in five of his seven starts. The Rockies have won in each of Iannetta's past four starts.

"I'm just going about my work the same way I did last year, the same way I've always done," Iannetta said. "I'm just being a little more aggressive."

THREE KEYS

Three keys to the Rockies' 4-2 win against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday afternoon at Coors Field:

1 The Rockies scored twice in the eighth to break a 2-2 tie. The go-ahead run scored when Troy Tulowitzki, batting with one out and runners on first and third, hit a potential double-play grounder but shortstop Ronny Cedeno dropped the flip from second baseman Mike Fontenot.

2 Chris Iannetta led off the seventh and homered on Jason Marquis' first pitch to put the Rockies ahead 2-1. It was the first home run in 63 at-bats for Iannetta dating to Sept. 16.

3 After the Cubs tied the score at 2 in the eighth, Ryan Theriot, batting with Fontenot on first and Felix Pie on third, hit a soft liner that Todd Helton caught and then beat Fontenot to first base for an inning-ending double play.

ETC.

The Rockies acquired right- handed pitcher Sean Smith from Cleveland on Thursday, completing the Dec. 8 trade that sent infielder Jamey Carroll to the Indians. Smith, who compiled an 0-1 record with a 4.00 ERA in four starts with Triple-A Buffalo, will report to Triple-A Colorado Springs. . . . Garrett Atkins extended his hitting streak to nine games and Helton extended his hitting streak to seven games. . . . Scott Podsednik made his third start and went 3-for-5, his first multiple-hit game with the Rockies. . . . Tulowitzki went 0- for-3 and has recorded only two hits in his past 24 at-bats, yet he still has produced 11 RBI in his past nine games. . . . Injured right-hander Jason Hirsh (strained rotator cuff) threw 15 pitches off a mound Thursday and hopes to throw about 30 on Tuesday.

Scouting report: Los Angeles Dodgers

Series history: The Dodgers lead 130-101 overall and 68-45 in Los Angeles, where the Rockies won the season series (5-4) last year for the first time since 1999.

Roster: Pitcher Jason Schmidt (shoulder), shortstop Tony Abreu (groin) and third baseman Andy LaRoche (thumb) are on the disabled list, with LaRoche on a rehabilitation assignment at Double-A Jacksonville.

Quickly: Leadoff hitter Rafael Furcal entered Thursday with 14 extra-base hits - nine doubles, two triples and three home runs. The only Dodgers with more than 14 extra-base hits in March/April since the team moved to Los Angeles in 1958 are Tim Wallach, 16 in 1994, and Ron Cey, 15 in 1977. . . . The Dodgers have yet to win more than two straight but have had four- and three-game losing streaks.

Pat Rooney contributed to this report