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Late-innings remain big mess for Rockies

Corpas likely to lose role as closer after blowing another save

By Jack Etkin, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published April 24, 2008 at 12:23 a.m.

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A change appears imminent in the back end of the Rockies bullpen.

Manager Clint Hurdle typically doesn't announce a decision without first speaking with the player or players involved.

But after Manuel Corpas blew another save Wednesday, his fourth of the season and third in four outings, in the Rockies' 7-6 loss in 10 innings to the Chicago Cubs, it will come as no surprise if the right-hander is moved out of the closer's role and allowed to regroup in a less stressful role in the bullpen.

Corpas gave up a two-run homer to Aramis Ramirez in the ninth inning on a 1-2 slider. Through clubhouse attendant Joe Diaz, Corpas said he was "trying to throw it for a ball and hung it in the middle of the plate."

After Troy Tulowitzki hit his first home run of the season, a three-run shot that keyed a five-run sixth and ended his homerless drought at 82 at-bats this season and 94 dating to Sept. 29, the Rockies rallied for a run in the bottom of the ninth against Cubs closer Kerry Wood.

But the Cubs won their sixth straight game when Ryan Theriot punched an opposite-field single to right off Kip Wells to score pinch-runner Mike Fontenot with two out in the 10th.

The loss was the fourth in a row for the Rockies and their first by one run after five such victories this season. It was also the first time a team has lost four straight games in the eighth inning or later since the San Francisco Giants suffered that fate June 5-9, 1978.

Corpas, who has a 7.50 ERA and has allowed 19 baserunners in 12 innings, blew a save Tuesday against Philadelphia in the ninth when he allowed three hits in the ninth, including Pat Burrell's three-run double.

Corpas blew only two saves last season after taking over the closer's role in early July after Brian Fuentes faltered. Now it would appear Fuentes will ease back into the ninth inning, so Corpas, 25, can pitch in less stressful situations, restore his confidence and his here-it-is-hit-it-if-you-can attitude on the mound.

"I would think there always comes a point in time when you're not getting the results you want and trying to figure out why, you might have a look that's less than piercing," Hurdle said.

Corpas said he was "just going through a bad spot right now" and knows he can be the closer before adding, "that's the manager's decision."

Asked if would be surprised to learn he wasn't closing, Corpas again said that was the manager's decision and he would try to his best in whatever role he is given.

The victory was the 10,000th in franchise history for the Cubs. They improved to 15-6, starting the season with that high-flying record for just the fourth time - the others times were 1932, 1969 and 1975 - in the past 100 years.

The Cubs scored two runs off starter Franklin Morales in the second as he went to 2-0 on the first five batters he faced that inning and allowed a triple to Kosuke Fukudome, a Mark DeRosa sacrifice fly and a homer to Geovany Soto, who went 4-for-5 and singled to open the 10th off Wells.

The Rockies had tied the game in the ninth on pinch-hitter Scott Podsednik's two-out single and Ryan Spilborghs' triple.

Tulowitzki's homer came on a 1-1 slider from Jon Lieber, who was brought in to face him with one out in the sixth. He had lined to shortstop in his previous at-bat before lofting Lieber's slider into the left-field stands.

"I definitely took some better swings (Wednesday)," said Tulowitzki, who returned to the lineup after a one-day absence and batted seventh for the first time this season.

Tulowitzki's homer put the Rockies ahead 5-3, a margin that became one run when the Cubs scored in the eighth before dissolving into yet another disheartening defeat.

"It's obviously tough, but I remember we went through a stretch like this last year," said Tulowitzki, recalling a 1-9 trip in late June that saw Fuentes stumble and lose his closer's role to Corpas.

"We did the same kind of thing and ended up alright. So at least we know we can still be OK.

"Playing in the NL West is definitely going to make it tough (because of Arizona's start). These are games we need to be winning. We make it hard on ourselves; we know that. We're out there playing hard. It's just the way things are going right now."

Three keys

Three keys to the Rockies' 7-6, 10-inning loss against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night at Coors Field:

1 Ryan Theriot's two-out opposite-field single in the 10th inning against Kip Wells scored pinch runner Mike Fontenot. Fontenot ran for Geovany Soto, who started the inning with a single. Ronny Cedeno moved Fontenot to second with a sacrifice and Theriot singled after an intentional walk to pinch hitter Daryle Ward.

2 Manny Corpas, who blew his fourth save of the season and third in his past four outings, came on to protect a one- run lead in the ninth but gave up a one-out single to Derrek Lee followed by Aramis Ramirez's two-run home run.

3 Franklin Morales went to 2-0 on the first five batters he faced in the second and gave up two runs. Kosuke Fukudome tripled with one out and scored on Mark De Rosa's sacrifice fly. Soto followed with a home run.

Etc.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the four consecutive games the Rockies have lost after squandering a lead in the seventh inning or later is the second such streak of at least three games the team has suffered in franchise history. The Rockies previously blew three straight seventh-inning-or-later leads on April 4-7, 1994, at Mile High Stadium. . . . Starting pitcher Franklin Morales had his 13-inning scoreless streak at Coors Field snapped when the Cubs scored two runs in the second inning. . . . Todd Helton extended his hitting streak to six games. . . . Garrett Atkins extended his hitting streak to eight games, but he did not hit a home run, ending his homer streak at three games. . . . Brad Hawpe has reached base on a hit or walk in 18 consecutive games. Hawpe needs to extend his streak one more game to match his career best. . . . Scott Podsednik has reached base in seven of 15 plate appearances as a pinch hitter. . . . The Rockies bullpen has allowed 16 runs in the past four games, spanning 121/3 innings. . . . Jayson Nix struck out as a pinch hitter and is hitless in his past 13 at-bats.

Pat Rooney contributed to this report.

Comments

  • April 24, 2008

    7:37 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    milloy36 writes:

    I have a major feeling that the Rockies are going to be just as bad as ever and show how lucky they were last year. This is not a Championship team.

  • April 24, 2008

    7:59 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    dilligaf writes:

    As I watched the game it became clear that like always there were a lot of Cub fans in the stands. And I don't have a problem with it. If I was in Chicago and the Rockies were in down I would go see them and wear my Rockies gear & root for them. But I don't think that many Cub fans just happened to be in town. But having in laws that are from Chicago I know that most of them have transplanted to Colorado. Which puts them in the same category as Cornhusker fans. So being like Husker fans I have just a couple questions:
    1.Is there no work in the windy city?
    2.Is it not as great of a place and town I keep hearing Chicago is?
    3.Is Colorado alot better of a place to live then what I keep hearing most of you complain about all the time? (I know we have heard all about what a great place Chicago is)
    Now I'm not going to just pick on the Chicago people I have heard it also from most of the east coast crowd.

  • April 24, 2008

    8:21 a.m.

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    TheVentilator writes:

    Dilligaf you are correct, they can never answer the question, "Then why are you here"? Simply tell them I -70 East and don't let the gate at Limon hit you in the a$$.

  • April 24, 2008

    9:12 a.m.

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    FreeToChoose writes:

    dilligaf and TheVentilater:
    'Holy Cow!' I can't believe you whiners! I'm no Cubs fan, but I respect Cubs fans because for 100 years they've supported that team through thick and thin... with no championships to speak of. Pick on other fans, but leave Cubs fans alone. ESPECIALLY Rockies fans who stayed away in droves until the win steak hit about 10 last fall... they could learn a lot about loyalty from those Cubbies backers.
    Who cares if they're transplants! Something like a third of the Denver metro area consists of transplants! Get over it already and play nice with your neighbors.
    It just kills me that a city which produces such GREAT football fans can be so whiney and fickle when it comes to the other sports in this town.

  • April 24, 2008

    9:43 a.m.

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    COFAN writes:

    If they're such great, veteran fans, why don't Cubs fans know simple ballpark etiquette??? Little things, like not obstructing the view of others for over a third of the game. I grew up in MN a Twins fan, but was taught at a young age you wait in the aisle for a batter to finish before you push thru a row, preventing others from seeing, etc. They also seemed to be trying to start a rumble, yelling insults to Rockies fans after the game ON THE ROCKIES OWN TURF! I don't think most of them get to a ballpark often and it shows. And no, there AREN'T enough jobs in Chicago. Bummer for us. And, BTW, I've been a diehard Rockies fan since day one in the old Mile High. It was an easy transition to make with Don Baylor coming from the Twins...

  • April 24, 2008

    9:47 a.m.

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    Hutch writes:

    Bobba, Wrigley Field was a graveyard for many years leading up to 1984, when the combination of daily, national TV exposure and a contending team turned them into a cult phenomenon that exists to this day.

    Also, those Cubs fans you respect so much are intolerant of, and abusive toward, fans of visiting teams. I know from personal experience -- and in my case all I did was wear a Rockies cap; I never once cheered out loud. Trust me, you get far better treatment as a Cubs fan in Coors Field than you'd ever dream of getting as a Rockies fan at Wrigley.

  • April 24, 2008

    10:11 a.m.

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    green4915 writes:

    Let's not fool ourselves, the attendance and overall interest in the team making Wrigley their home would be strong no matter who it was. If it was the Sox playing there and the Cubs on the south side, it would be the Lovable Sox and nobody would give a crap about the Cubs. The Sox are a better organization, they've won more championships and their fans are more knowledgable about the game. The Sox deserve to be known as Chicago's baseball team but they never will be. The Cubs are pathetic and so are their drunkard fans. They really do suck so bad! GO Detroit! I got lots of love for the Rockies tho! Good luck on making another run this season!

  • April 24, 2008

    10:26 a.m.

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    dilligaf writes:

    bobba:
    If you would read my post I was not critical of them as fans. I was making a point about these east coast transits that leave their sewers that they call great places and come to Colorado and dog us. And although it wasn't Cub fans it was Sox fans that jumps on the field and attacks 1st base coaches and umpires. Oh yea bobba nice people to have respect for.

  • April 24, 2008

    10:38 a.m.

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    FreeToChoose writes:

    Lets not fool ourselves on the loyalty and sophistication of Rockies fans either. I went to both ends of that double header last fall against the Dodgers right at the beginning of the streak... and I was able to walk down behind the Rockies dougout and plunk myself in premium seating because there were maybe 6000-8000 fans at the games. And I was able to stretch out with room on either side too. I don't care what the 'official' attendance said, that was a sad turnout. Two weeks later they were selling out. Rockies fans are still a bunch of bandwagon jumpers. And come August when the Diamondbacks have a 12 game lead in the NL West and the Rockies are a little over .500, I'll be walking down to the premium seating once again. Because Denver just isn't quite a baseball town yet. It could be though... cause the Broncos fans are among the best in football... you have it in you Denver. I just don't see it happening yet. We're closer to the average Dodger fan than we are to the average Cubbie or St Louis fan... casual, laid-back bandwagoners who leave in the 7th when they're trailing (although lately you could leave in the 7th when they're WINNING and still be assured they'll likely lose).

  • April 24, 2008

    11:20 a.m.

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    COFAN writes:

    I'd definitely love to see our fans in Denver show their team as much love as the Red Sox Nation or the Cubs fans do, truly I would. I pray it happens. But I also hope they remain the neighborly type fans and not the piggish ones the Cub fans are. Those Cubby-holes love to spout off about how long their team has been around and how long they've been fans, but if that's how long time fans act, how are they any better than bandwaggoners?

  • April 24, 2008

    11:33 a.m.

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    Hutch writes:

    The Rockies led the league in attendance for how many years after coming into the league? Seven or eight? The fans stopped coming because the team was a disaster and ownership was cheap. The friggin' Cubs were a model organization by comparison. And even still, attendance declined so gradually that as recently as 2005 we were reading Mark Kiszla columns ripping fans for still showing up at Coors Field and feeding the Monforts' wallets. "Bandwagon" is a nice insult to throw around when you're in the mood to throw insults, but it doesn't have much application here if you actually know the history.

  • April 24, 2008

    12:52 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    COFAN writes:

    But bandwagon absolutely does apply if you're talking about the fans that've just been attending since the Rockies' streak at the end of things last season. I don't know any fans of the Monforts. Duh. But really, if you're a fan, you're a fan--you just like a game at Coors field. You love the guys out there playing and you want to cheer for them and hope they win. It must really suck when you're playing and the seats are empty--that last year's team overcame THAT psychological downer to do what they did is really what's amazing. Why is it people only like the Rockies when they're winning but will support the Broncos no matter how abysmal they get? I hear this asked a lot but never hear any answers...

  • April 24, 2008

    1:16 p.m.

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    FreeToChoose writes:

    COFAN:
    My point exactly!!!

  • April 24, 2008

    2:11 p.m.

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    Hutch writes:

    COFAN, based on your definitions, then absolutely there are many "bandwagon" fans of the Rockies -- and of every other sports team. I don't think you're a "bandwagon" fan if you care about the team and follow it through the media, but only buy tickets (or buy them more often) when the team wins. To me, a bandwagon fan is someone who pays no attention except when something extraordinary is happening with the team.

    I know many, many people, from family to friends to an office full of co-workers, who never stopped following and caring about the Rockies even through their worst seasons, but who attended far fewer games. Throwing the "bandwagon" label at that type of fan renders the term all but meaningless -- unless you're going to try to advance the indefinsible proposition that the correlation between winning and attendance is unique to Coors Field.

    As for your question about the Broncos, you don't listen to much talk radio or attend their games if you believe the level of support never wavers. There is great frustration among fans and a total lack of passion at the stadium. However, because there are so few games in the NFL, attendance is rarely an issue in any market absent a sustained period of mediorcrity. The Broncos, in case you hadn't noticed, have had one of the best records in the NFL over each of the last three decades.

  • April 24, 2008

    2:57 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    CharR writes:

    I go to Coors Field to drink beer, hang out with my friends and take in the nice weather. Oh, and watch a baseball game.