Rockies' De La Rosa keeps Nationals down

Tulowitzki hits his first homer since July 2

By Jack Etkin, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published August 15, 2008 at 8:22 p.m.

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Nick Wass © AP

Washington's Ryan Zimmerman is tagged out by Colorado's Clint Barmes while trying to steal second during the teams' game Friday night in Washington.

There were walks, wild pitches, a hit batter and just one clean inning Friday, all par for the course for Jorge De La Rosa, the pitching equivalent of a high-wire act.

De La Rosa teetered often against the Washington Nationals but avoided falling as the Rockies won 4-3 in their first game at Nationals Park. The victory was the seventh in the past 11 games on the road for the Rockies, who are trying to pick up the pieces after a 3-7 homestand that began with a 1-3 stumble against the Nationals. The loss was the eighth straight for the Nationals.

Troy Tulowitzki, who hadn't hit a home run since July 2, broke a drought of 92 at-bats for the Rockies' first run. Brad Hawpe's two-run homer capped a three- run rally in the fifth that gave a 4-2 lead to De La Rosa.

He returned to the rotation for this start when the Rockies had to make an adjustment caused Thursday when Aaron Cook missed a turn with back stiffness.

De La Rosa gave up two hits and a run on his first two pitches of the game but thanks to right fielder Hawpe throwing Ronnie Belliard out trying to stretch a single into a double got out of the first on just five pitches.

De La Rosa was anything but efficient from then on as his pitch counts over the next five innings totaled 28, 19, 17, 15 in a 1-2-3 fifth and 20 before he left after six innings.

"He was grinding from the start until he came out . . . ," manager Clint Hurdle said. "He was able to make pitches when he had to. His command was an enemy and it was a friend, but he battled. Bend but did not break, I think would be accurate."

A leadoff walk to Belliard in the third hurt De La Rosa when he threw a wild pitch while facing Ryan Zimmerman, who grounded a run-scoring single to right that gave the Nationals a 2-1 lead.

In the fourth, De La Rosa gave up consecutive one-out singles to Aaron Boone and Willie Harris. But De La Rosa escaped as he fielded pitcher Tim Redding's sacrifice bunt attempt and forced Boone at third and struck out Emilio Bonifacio.

"That was the game right there," said De La Rosa, who has won four of his past five starts. "I think I threw much better after that. My confidence was much better."

After escaping the fourth, De La Rosa found himself with a 4-2 lead, thanks to a three-run rally with two out in the fifth. The uprising began with a single by Seth Smith, who scored when Matt Holliday lined a run-scoring double over the head of center fielder Lastings Milledge.

Redding fell behind Hawpe 3-1 and paid dearly when Hawpe launched Redding's next pitch, a fastball out over the plate, into the seats in right-center for his 20th home run of the season.

"I just like those situations," Hawpe said. "It's fun to be up there and have the game where you can change it. And to be able to change a game is something special, and if I get that opportunity, it's something I really look forward to."

Tulowitzki, playing just his 63rd game because of two stints on the disabled list, was anticipating the next time he could trot around the bases, having hit just three homers in 235 at-bats. His fourth came when he got on top of Redding's high 0-2 fastball and drove it into the seats in center field to tie the score at 1 in the third inning.

"It was definitely nice to hit a home run," Tulowitzki said. "And with it comes a win, which is even nicer."

Tulowitzki contributed to the victory on defense, making a signature play that he regarded as another milepost as he moves on from the leg injury he suffered in late April.

After De La Rosa hit Austin Kearns with a pitch to open the sixth and threw a wild pitch, Kearns took third on Jesus Flores' fly to deep center. Boone hit a run-scoring grounder that Tulowitzki fielded in the hole. He threw Boone out with a jump-throw, landing on the outfield grass.

"I hadn't made that play in awhile. I think it's a little sign that my leg's feeling a little better," said Tulowitzki, who tore a tendon in his left quadriceps April 29 and was out until June 20. "I wouldn't have been able to make that play, say, a couple weeks ago. It confirms that I'm definitely still getting better. I still have some improvement to make, but each week I can tell the difference, so it's definitely headed in the right direction."

• August 16, 2008

  12:15 p.m.

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  1somelikeithot writes:

  Good win and glad to see Troy getting back to his old self.

• August 16, 2008

  12:54 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  fjv1026 writes:

  Thank goodness....

• August 16, 2008

  2:39 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  SDcat writes:

  Interesting how few people post when we win. Great win all the way around!

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