Go to the mobile version of this Web site.

Login | Contact Us | Site Map | Paid archives | Electronic edition | Subscription Questions | Extras

Cook wins with different defensive recipe

Iannetta at third, Atkins second after Tulowitzki's injury

By Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News

Published April 29, 2008 at 8:50 p.m.
Updated April 30, 2008 at 12:53 a.m.

Text size  
Chris Iannetta is congratulated by third base-coach Mike Gallego after homering in the third inning of the Rockies' win against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday.

Photo by Eric Risberg / Associated Press

Chris Iannetta is congratulated by third base-coach Mike Gallego after homering in the third inning of the Rockies' win against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday.

More Colorado Rockies

More stories »

While the Rockies had to sort out who was on second, much less third, what they knew all along was Aaron Cook was on the mound, and that in itself has been a comforting thought for Colorado in what has been a generally uncomfortable opening month of the season.

With injuries to Jeff Baker and Troy Tulowitzki forcing major league debuts at third base for Chris Iannetta and second base for Garrett Atkins, Cook provided the strong arm the Rockies needed to pull out a 3-2 victory against the Giants while snapping a four-game losing streak.

"That's one of the biggest wins that I've enjoyed in a regular season," manager Clint Hurdle said. "Iannetta takes groundballs every day at shortstop during batting practices, but who'd have thought. . . .

"It just goes to show how little we really have control over. I said to Chris about the fourth inning, 'When you woke up this morning, is this what you expected?' "

Not a chance. But then Baker, scheduled to start at second for a third game in a row, popped a blood vessel in the middle finger of his right hand during batting practice, so Tulowitzki, who was going to have the night off, was inserted at shortstop and Clint Barmes moved back to second.

Then, in the bottom of the first, Tulowitzki strained his left groin, an injury that figures to land him on the disabled list, although he will fly to Denver today for a magnetic resonance imaging exam before a final decision is made.

Not that his absence mattered, thanks largely to Cook, who is becoming the staff ace the Rockies long envisioned he could be.

Cook has not only earned back-to-back wins that broke four-game losing streaks, but in an April 7 no-decision, he worked seven innings, allowing one run, on a night the Rockies put an end to a five-game losing streak.

"I've learned that once I let go of the ball, there's nothing I can control so I just have to pitch my game and let what happens, happen," Cook said. "I didn't get too concerned."

Cook is 4-0 in his last five starts - the Rockies are 5-0 in those games - and he has allowed only seven earned runs in 35 innings, lowering his season ERA to 2.41.

"He's taking a step forward," Hurdle said. "He's still half goofy, but in a good way."

Iannetta provided an offensive lift for the Rockies. He led off the second with a home run that tied the score, then scored the go- ahead run in the seventh when he led off with a double off previously unbeaten Tim Lincecum, and eventually came home on a balk.

Taylor Buchholz worked a 1-2-3 eighth and Brian Fuentes struck out Dan Ortmeier to end the game with the tying run on second, earning his second save in his second chance since returning to the closer role last week.

It gave the Rockies a chance to smile at a time when their frustration have been growing.

Already a position player short because a 13th pitcher - Jose Capellan - was added Saturday to help a beleaguered bullpen, the Rockies weren't prepared to lose two infielders, particularly not Tulowitzki, who initially suffered his injury on the second batter in the bottom of the first, lunging for ball off the bat of Eugenio Velez.

Three batters later, Tulowitzki aggravated the injury, breaking to the middle to field on what should have been an inning-ending groundout. Instead, it turned into an RBI single when Tulowitzki had to pull up because of the injury.

With no infielders on the bench - Omar Quintanilla had not arrived from Triple-A Colorado Springs - Hurdle got creative.

And Cook helped make it all turn out well, despite a first inning he'd like to have over.

Given a 1-0 lead in the top of the inning, Cook gave up a lead off single to Fred Lewis, who stole second and went to third on a strange-hop groundball off the bat of Velez, on the play Tulowitzki was initially hurt. Tulowitzki's throw to first baseman was then dropped by Todd Helton for an error. The Giants wound up with two runs that inning, but no more.

"I've learned when things aren't in my control I have to ignore them and move on," he said.

Consider Cook's mission accomplished Tuesday night.

THREE KEYS

Three keys to the Rockies' 3-2 win against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night at AT&T Park:

1 Chris Iannetta, who homered to lead off the second, doubled to start the seventh and went to third on a sacrifice by Aaron Cook, then scored when Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum was called for a balk. That also allowed Cook to stay in the game for a seventh inning of work instead of being pinch-hit for by Scott Podsednik, who was in the on-deck circle at the time of the balk.

2 Willy Taveras' speed paid off in the first. He led off the game with a single and he was able to go to third on Todd Helton's ensuing single to left field. That allowed Taveras to score when Matt Holliday grounded into a double play.

3 The Giants caused their own demise on the bases in the seventh. Randy Winn, who led off with a pinch-hit double, was thrown out trying to advance to third on Fred Lewis' groundball to shortstop. Then, with runners on first and third and one out, Eugenio Velez was picked off first base.

Etc.

Infielder Omar Quintanilla should be in uniform for today's game. Quintanilla was called up to fill the roster spot opened by Franklin Morales being sent to Triple-A Colorado Springs. Quintanilla hit .329 with 16 walks in 20 games with the Sky Sox. He was the last infielder cut in spring training. . . . Giants manager Bruce Bochy was ejected for the second time this season when he was tossed by home plate umpire Gary Darling after right-hander Tim Lincecum's balk that scored the run to put the Rockies up 3-2 in the seventh. The night before, Rockies manager Clint Hurdle was ejected after a balk call against Morales. . . . Garrett Atkins has 38 hits in April, tied for the fourth most by a Rockies player in April. Juan Uribe had 38 in 2002. Dante Bichette has the record with 47 in 1998. Matt Holliday had 42 last year and Larry Walker had 41 in 1997. . . . Atkins extended his hitting streak to 14 games, longest active streak in the majors. . . . The Rockies have been shut out three times, one behind Washington and tied with Florida and San Diego. All three shutouts against the Rockies have been on the road.

ADJUSTMENTS

Left-hander Franklin Morales, above, who has struggled with consistency, was sent to Triple-A Colorado Springs on Tuesday to clean up mechanical issues the Rockies are confident will allow him to improve his control and also regain velocity.

Morales, 22, went 1-2 with a 6.39 ERA in five starts, walking 17 and striking out only nine in 251/3 innings.

Right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez also has struggled, but he is out of options, and the Rockies know several teams would claim him if they tried to get him through waivers so they could send Jimenez to the minors.

PUSHED BACK

Left-hander Mark Redman, who gave up 10 runs in the first inning of his start Saturday in Los Angeles, will be skip a turn, making his next start Tuesday. With the Rockies off Thursday, they wanted to keep Jeff Francis, who will start Friday, and Aaron Cook, who will start Sunday, working on a normal rest.

On Saturday, left-hander Jorge De La Rosa is expected to make his Rockies debut.

The Rockies are attempting to finalize his acquisition from Kansas City as the player to be named later for right-hander Ramon Ramirez, who was dealt to the Royals in spring training.

De La Rosa, 27 is 3-0 with a 1.64 ERA in four starts at Triple-A Omaha.

EXAMINED

Right-hander Kip Wells, who battled for the fifth spot in the rotation during spring training before being made the long reliever, flew back to Denver to be examined by a hand specialist.

Wells complained of numbness in his right hand when he tried to pitch Monday night. Wells replaced Morales with one out and the bases loaded in the fifth inning of the Rockies' 4-0 loss to the Giants. He faced two batters, walking both, forcing in the final two San Francisco runs.

Comments

  • April 30, 2008

    10:45 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Broncosfan75 writes:

    When is this team going to learn professional hitting. Hitting the opposite way to move runners and sac flies with less than two outs with a runner on third are common place on other teams but nobody on this team seems to understand that the hitting part of baseball is a team game as well. Until they do the Rockies will only win games when they get outstanding pitching from their starter like Cook has done and when they face second rate pitching and don't have to play team baseball.