Cook the Rockies' efficiency expert

Rockies pitcher earns first career shutout on only 79 pitches

By Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News

Published July 1, 2008 at 9:04 p.m.

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David Zalubowski

The Rockies' Brad Hawpe scores on a single by Garrett Atkins as Padres catcher Michael Barrett looks for the ball in the fifth inning Tuesday.

Photo by David Zalubowski © Associated Press

Rockies starting pitcher Aaron Cook celebrates with catcher Chris Iannetta after Cook's five-hit, complete-game shutout of the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night at Coors Field. It was Cook's first career complete-game shutout and he needed only 79 pitches to do it.

Rockies right-hander Aaron Cook can forget about the All-Star break.

He is going to be busy this year.

"I rarely lobby for a player, but this time, I'm going to call the (All-Star) manager," said Rockies manager Clint Hurdle, tongue-in-cheek.

Hurdle is the All-Star manager, an honor he earned for managing the Rockies to the National League pennant last year. And while the official word won't come for a few more days, rest assured, Cook will be on the NL All-Star team, quite possibly as the starting pitcher for the July 15 game at Yankee Stadium.

"Tell Clint I appreciate that," Cook said.

Cook can't appreciate Hurdle's endorsement anywhere near as much as Hurdle has come to appreciate Cook's pitching.

In a Rockies season gone bad, Cook has been so good, and he was at his best in the Rockies' 4-0 victory against San Diego at Coors Field on Tuesday night.

Cook needed only 79 pitches for the first complete-game shutout of his career and only the 16th complete-game shutout in the history of Coors Field, which opened in 1995.

It took only one hour, 58 minutes, the first sub-two-hour nine-inning game in Coors Field history, for Cook to earn his franchise record-tying 11th victory before the All-Star break in helping the Rockies end an eight- game losing streak.

Cook gave up four singles, twice erasing runners with double plays, and never allowed a runner past first base. He did not walk a batter and struck out four.

Cook has two more starts before the break - against the Marlins at Coors Field on Sunday and against the Mets at Shea Stadium on July 13 - to try to earn a 12th victory and break the franchise record Shawn Chacon set five years ago.

The Padres are just relieved none is against them.

"Historically, he has always been very good against us," Padres manager Bud Black said.

How good? He is 10-3 lifetime against the Padres.

"His ball just isn't straight," Padres shortstop Khalil Greene said.

The 79-pitch effort isn't even his low-pitch game against San Diego at Coors Field. On July 25 last season, Cook needed 74 pitches to go the distance in a 10-2 victory, equaling the fewest pitchers thrown in a nine-inning complete game since STATS began keeping track in 1988. Carlos Silva of Minnesota threw 74 pitches in beating Milwaukee on May 20, 2005.

"I've faced this team a lot and I know the hitters are going to be aggressive," Cook said. "They know I like to pitch ahead. I was able to use the four-seam (fastball) against their left-handed hitters. I probably threw 50 percent four-seamers and 50 percent sinkers for my fastball."

It worked, Cook running that four-seam fastball, which stays up in the strike zone, in on the hands of the Padres' left-handed hitters and despite the abnormal approach, still getting his normal preponderance of outs on groundballs. Rockies outfielders had only five of the 27 putouts.

"That was an unbelievable performance," shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said. "More than anything, it is nice to get a win."

Tulowitzki helped get that win with his typically strong defense and by giving another indication he is starting to emerge from his offensive slumber.

He led off what became a four-run fifth inning by driving a double to right-center field, taking third on Cook's sacrifice bunt and scoring on a Willy Taveras' line-drive single just past Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.

But the night belonged to Cook, who threw 10 or more pitches in only three of the nine innings and gave the Rockies a major lift when, after Brad Hawpe struck out with the bases loaded in the third, retired the Padres on five pitches in the fourth, quickly ending any possible momentum shift for the Padres, who rallied from an 8-3 deficit to a 15-8 victory in Monday's series opener. The Rockies also squandered late-inning leads in Detroit on Saturday and Sunday.

"I knew I had to go out and get our guys back on the bench in a hurry," Cook said.

He has picked up seven of his wins in games after Rockies losses, but more concerning to Cook than the team's struggle was his own recent slump. He was coming off back-to-back losses and lasted only 51/3 innings at Kansas City a week ago, his second-shortest effort this season.

"In that game in Kansas City and the one before, I wasn't close to where I needed to be," Cook said. "(Pitching coach Bob Apodaca) and I had a bullpen session in Detroit where I got my delivery back and my release point back."

The Padres can attest to the fact that Cook had everything in order on Tuesday.

• July 1, 2008

  9:20 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  bronxs136 writes:

  why does it seem like when Aaron Cook Pitches the Rockies win. It would be nice to see the rest of the staff take notice of what he is doing. Hey Hurdle little clue Cook should have been left as the ACE of the staff but then again how would you know talent when you were just a backup for all of your career. Just because you played doesn't mean that you can manage and your record all levels proves that.

• July 1, 2008

  9:41 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  platoro79 writes:

  Nice game Cookie! You're about all that's happening with this dismal team.

• July 2, 2008

  midnight

  Suggest removal

  wiscbum writes:

  Cookie.. I admire you for being the ACE on the staff. You need to be paid more.... the young'ins are NOT understanding your pitching.
  Low and away... change it up.

  Francis has been found out... Reynolds throws high too much.. De La Rosa is manic depressive and Jiminez is only worth a few innings.

  The Rox may end up trading the one bright spot this season... Cookie.

  You're doing a great job Aaron... so happy you're healthy and back.

  Rockies fan stuck in Wisconsin. :(

• July 2, 2008

  7:18 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  RockiesWin writes:

  If the Rocks trade Cookie it will show how utterly stupid O'Dud is!!!

• July 2, 2008

  7:27 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  GeeTee writes:

  no reason to trade Cook -- the Rockies have him in a multi-year contract

  why trade anyone unless they can get a legitimate starter -- one capable of 15 wins per season? Otherwise, more of the same inconsistent play.

  Taveras should be the first to go

• July 2, 2008

  9:41 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  fjv1026 writes:

  If they trade Cook, I'm done with the Rockies. End of story. Way to go Cookie!!!

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