Double dose of misery for Rockies
Francis, Jimenez flop during doubleheader; pair of 6-3 losses result
By Jack Etkin, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published August 7, 2008 at 3:51 p.m.
Photo by David Zalubowski/Associated Press
Jeff Francis pitches to Washington Nationals leadoff hitter Emilio Bonifacio in the first inning Thursday.
* Moment: After giving up three runs in the fifth, including Lastings Milledge's solo homer, Jeff Francis, pitching for the Rockies for the first time since June 28, was not able to keep the Nationals from adding to their lead. He gave up a bunt single to start the sixth and with one out, then yielded a two-run homer to Milledge.
* Player: For the first time since May 15 and second time this season, Jason Bergmann won a game. He pitched seven innings, leaving in the eighth after leadoff hitter Matt Holliday hit a home run.
* Stat: Nine home runs entering the game in 343 at-bats, an average of one every 38.1 at-bats, for Milledge, who homered twice. The only other multihomer game of Milledge's career came Sept. 29 against Florida, when he was playing for the New York Mets.
* Moment: Staked to a 2-0 lead in the first, Ubaldo Jimenez gave up four runs in the second, the most scored off him in any inning since he allowed four in the first inning 14 starts ago at Philadelphia on May 27.
* Player: Odalis Perez, who has won two straight starts and three of his past four, allowed two runs in six innings and held the Rockies hitless in seven at-bats with runners in scoring position.
* Stat: Two consecutive losses at home for the Rockies, who last dropped back-to-back games at Coors Field on June 22 to the Mets and June 30 to the Padres.
The Rockies needed a doubleheader sweep to win their four-game series with the Washington Nationals. And a split was imperative, if only to avoid complete embarrassment while lurking on the cusp of the National League West race.
Instead, the Rockies fell and fell hard Thursday, losing both games 6-3 to the scrappy Nationals, who won three games in the series and shoved the Rockies 13 games below .500 (52-65).
"We were painted in a little bit of a corner coming in," manager Clint Hurdle said. "We put some more paint on it."
The Rockies sent their three best starters to the mound in the series and each lost. Monday, Aaron Cook was hit hard in a 9-4 defeat. After a late uprising produced a Rockies win Tuesday, Wednesday's rainout necessitated the doubleheader.
The Rockies were hoping for a rotation pick-me-up from Jeff Francis in his first start for the Rockies since June 28 and another ace-in-the-making performance from Ubaldo Jimenez and got neither.
"You get a good start, you got a chance," Hurdle said. "You pick up on offense, when people are in scoring position - we went 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position. You combine those two things, you're putting yourself in a tough position."
The one hit Hurdle referred to came in the seventh inning of the second game, a run-scoring single by Garrett Atkins when the Nationals were leading 6-2.
The losses dropped the Rockies 6 1/2 games behind second-place Los Angeles and 8 1/2 games behind Arizona with 45 games left.
"It's tough to lose two games in one day - especially, going into the day, you feel like you can win both of them, gain some ground," Troy Tulowitzki said. "But we dug ourself a hole. Now we're going to have to get back out of it like we've been doing it all year. There is enough time. We're making it tough on ourself, very tough, but there's always time."
The Rockies lost the first game when Francis, who had been sidelined with left-shoulder inflammation, watched a promising start dissolve into a defeat when his fastball command vanished after four innings.
During that span, he limited the Nationals to two singles and got six groundball outs.
But Lastings Milledge led off the fifth with a homer, the start of a barrage in which the Nationals netted six hits in 10 at-bats. It included Willie Harris' run-scoring double, Emilio Bonifacio's run-scoring triple and a two-run home run by Milledge, who had a career-high four RBI, that finished Francis in the sixth.
"I thought I was throwing my fastball down pretty well, got some groundball outs and got the ball to the glove side pretty well," Francis said. "Fifth and sixth inning, it started to cut on me a little bit, and I was leaving some balls up."
Jimenez extended his scoreless string to 15 consecutive innings in the first, matching his longest of the season, and was given a 2-0 cushion in the bottom of the inning when Atkins homered. But that lead quickly vanished when Jimenez gave up five hits and two walks in a four-run second.
He took the mound with a four-start winning streak and hadn't lost since July 12. But Jimenez issued a season-high six walks and eight hits while yielding six runs, one short of his season high, in five innings.
It was his shortest outing since June 27 and came after a 6-1 run with a 1.49 ERA in his previous seven starts.
"He was all over the place," Hurdle said. "Had six walks, he pitched from the midthigh up in the zone. Left a man on base every inning when he came off the mound. Never got in a good rhythm or good sequence or good command."
Jimenez shrugged off the outing as "one of those games" and said, "I never had control of any of my pitches. The fastball was wild."
So was the series, considering the Nationals, despite a three-game winning streak, came to town with a 41-70 record.
Tim Redding pitched better than Cook in the opener. John Lannan was as good as Jorge De La Rosa before the Nationals bullpen blew up in a six-run eighth. And Jason Bergmann and Odalis Perez, the starters and winners in the doubleheader, were a combined 5-16.
"To lose three out of four to the Nationals, I mean they played good," Tulowitzki said, "but I think it's a team we should've played better against and at least split, or maybe won a series."
Post your comment
Registration is required. Click here to create your free user account, or login below.
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.
Featured
-
Through Your Lens
Submit your photos or see the Editor's Choice slide show here.
-
Rocky Multimedia
The news comes alive in our videos and slide shows. Catch up on what's happening today.
-
Holiday Lights
Is your house the jolliest on the block? Submit your holiday lights display.
-
Holiday Gift Guide
Looking to get a jump-start on the holiday shopping season?
-
Mount Crushmore
Which four Broncos greats should be immortalized on Mount Crushmore? Vote here.
-
Bronco Dean's rant
Listen to Bronco Dean's midweek rant on the Chiefs.
-
Broncos Video
Get the latest from Dove Valley as the Broncos prepare for Sunday's matchup.
-
Calendar wallpaper
Download this month's desktop wallpaper calendar
-
Sam Adams' Open Mic
Open Mic: Stirrin' the Soup with Matt Iseman
August 7, 2008
4:09 p.m.
Suggest removal
RockiesWin writes:
Goodbye post season. You have to have pitching to win and the Rockies have only tw reliable starters. Too many games below 500 now. Arizona has awakened and so too have the Dodgers. Memo to Danny Boy......get starting pitching this winter!!! And you better hold on to Holliday and Atkins!!! DON'T BE A BUNCH OF CHEAP, TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN OWNERS!!!
August 7, 2008
4:28 p.m.
Suggest removal
P_Denver writes:
"...the lowly Nationals."
That's why the games are played. The Nationals came to win. The Rockies didn't.
The Rocks should have won three of four, easily. The fact that they may now LOSE three of four shows that this season is a whole lot different from that run of extraordinary luck that they had at the end of last season.
Wait'll next year!
August 7, 2008
4:37 p.m.
Suggest removal
RDenver writes:
Someone please explain something to me…how can you have so much riding on every game and come out like this and play so uninspired? They almost have to win all their home games and win 1/3 of their away games to have any shot. And then they have games like this against a much inferior team and lose. Makes me wonder who the inferior team really was. Another pathetic effort from a team that claims they are still in the playoff race. Let's see what spin hurdle has on this one. His time here should be marked. He, like his team, is uninspiring!
August 7, 2008
7:13 p.m.
Suggest removal
craig7078 writes:
Well,they wasted money on acquiring Livan but maybe he can help keep the Rox above the Giants and Padres for the rest of the season. Hurdle will rest easy knowing he is manager for life.
August 7, 2008
9:18 p.m.
Suggest removal
LaszloPanaflex writes:
Yep, that oughta do it. Sing, fat lady! This things over.
August 7, 2008
10:16 p.m.
Suggest removal
1somelikeithot writes:
Hurdle's comments crack me up. Why doesn't he just say "We Stink", because they did stink up the field today. And, why is Troy talking about "there's time". Time for what? 45 games left in the season and I hate to break it to you Troy, but time is running out.
August 8, 2008
8:26 a.m.
Suggest removal
kmeissner writes:
I knew it. A bunch of bandwagon fans falling off... There IS time left in the season. I hate to break it to you, but the NL West stinks this year and ANY of the top 3 might be able to make a decent run and take it. The Rox desperately need to take these next 2 series against the Padres and Dbacks. Go ahead and turn your backs on them though, I'm sure if they make a run you'll say "We knew they could do it all along".
August 8, 2008
10:29 a.m.
Suggest removal
Chadley25 writes:
Kmeissner, these folks are being realistic, not "bandwagon fans falling off." You can be a fan without having that star-gazed deer-in-the-headlights look, ya know, stupidly accepting whatever subpar product your team trots out onto the field.
There is still mathematically a wisp of a chance for the Rockies to make the postseason, yes. But it's incredibly unlikely. They're not consistent at all, they are losing games that not only they SHOULD win, but losing games they desperately NEED to win. The D'Backs and Dodgers are both playing well, and there are only 45 games left and we're losing ground in the division, not gaining.
There's "support your team" and there's just plain stupid. You say the Rockies "desperately need to take these next two series" -- well no, they desperately needed to win this last one, a series at home against the worst team in baseball. Arizona and L.A. had already lost and it was a sparkling chance for the Rockies to gain some ground in the division. Instead, they just fell flat on their faces.
If they make another run and get into the postseason, I assure you, I will not be saying, "I knew they could do it!" I'll be sending thank you cards to the D'Backs and Dodgers for utterly collapsing, because that's what it will take for the Rockies to win the division. I had plenty of hope that it was still possible up until this disastrous series with the Nationals. Sorry, but put me in the "the season is over" camp. With the inconsistency of the Rockies' play, even with their season on the brink, I'll be surprised if we even finish with a winning record.
August 8, 2008
12:21 p.m.
Suggest removal
1somelikeithot writes:
Chadley25 - I like your way of thinking. I do support this team, and have been, am and will be a fan. But I don't think you would be a good fan if you accept mediocrity. The reason most fan's have high expectations for this team is because they have great talent to win, and win big.
August 8, 2008
12:45 p.m.
Suggest removal
craig7078 writes:
That's why the Monforts do nothing because of the acceptance of mediocrity and wait till next year attitude of a lot of the fans. That only works for the Cubs.