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Rockies look to reshape rotation after loss to Brewers

De La Rosa likely out of rotation after he again struggles

By Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News

Published July 10, 2008 at 3:22 p.m.

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Colorado's Willy Taveras shows his frustration after striking out in the sixth inning of the Rockies 11-1 loss to the Brewers on Thursday afternoon in Milwaukee. Colorado split its four-game series with the Brewers. The Rockies have a three-game series in New York vs. the Mets before the All-Star break.

Photo by Jeff Hanisch © AP

Colorado's Willy Taveras shows his frustration after striking out in the sixth inning of the Rockies 11-1 loss to the Brewers on Thursday afternoon in Milwaukee. Colorado split its four-game series with the Brewers. The Rockies have a three-game series in New York vs. the Mets before the All-Star break.

The key . . .

Moment: Left-hander Jorge De La Rosa's midgame blowup came in the fourth inning. Trailing 2-1 with two out and two on, De La Rosa went 3-0 to Rickie Weeks, who drilled the next pitch for a double. By the time De La Rosa got the hook, the Brewers had scored five more runs for a 7-1 lead, a two-run triple by Prince Fielder, the only left-handed hitter in the lineup, being the final blow.

Player: Ryan Braun singled home the Brewers' first run in the third inning, then singled home two more runs in the the fourth. The reigning National League Rookie of the Year went 6-for-16 with a home run and six RBI in the four- game series.

Stat: 14-game hitting streak for outfielder Matt Holliday, who was credited with an infield single to start the fourth inning. It's the longest current streak in the NL and is three games short of his career best set in August. He is 22-for-53 during the streak, raising his average to .343.

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The All-Star break is coming at a good time for the Rockies.

It will give them a chance to rework their rotation.

Jorge De La Rosa isn't likely to be a part of it.

De La Rosa struggled through another start in an 11-1 loss to Milwaukee at Miller Park on Thursday afternoon.

The Rockies have three games against the Mets at Shea Stadium this weekend before the break. But after that, they will try to reshape a rotation that they hope will give them a chance to make a post-All-Star break run in a National League West that has allowed the Rockies to have hope despite a disappointing season so far.

"We've had a mulligan," said manager Clint Hurdle, his team 39-54 but only 71/2 games out of first place. "But we can't depend on everybody else continuing to help us out."

The rotation's 5.28 ERA is 29th among the 30 major league teams and the rotation is 16-32, with 11 wins by Aaron Cook, who starts tonight in a bid to become the first pitcher in franchise history with 12 wins before the break.

"We need to get better and we know that," Hurdle said. "We continue to put opportunities out there and guys need to move on them."

Glendon Rusch took advantage of his chance Wednesday, allowing one run in six innings of an 8-3 win against the Brewers.

But De La Rosa failed to affirm his status Thursday, when he managed only 11 outs and gave up seven runs, again falling apart when a few things went awry.

With one out in the fourth, he gave up a single to Bill Hall and a run-scoring double to Gabe Kapler that gave Milwaukee a 2-1 lead.

Then came a walk to backup catcher Mike Rivera and a popup by pitcher Dave Bush. Then De La Rosa came apart.

As if an RBI double by Rickie Weeks, a walk to J.J. Hardy and a two-run single to Ryan Braun weren't problems enough, the lumbering Prince Fielder, the only left-handed hitter in the Brewers lineup, shot a two-run triple into the right-field corner.

"It seems like he gets some traffic, some things get out of whack and he doesn't adjust and go forward," Hurdle said.

After a banishment to the bullpen, De La Rosa had returned to the rotation in mid-June with two solid efforts. But in the past three starts, he has given up 16 runs in 13 2/3 innings. He has failed in 10 of 11 starts to pitch six innings.

"The break gives us a chance to realign the guys we have, split up the left-handers, and it also gives us a chance to check out some alternatives," pitching coach Bob Apodaca said.

Kip Wells, who has not sparkled in his first three rehabilitation assignments, will start for Triple-A Colorado Springs tonight and Double-A Tulsa on Wednesday, putting him in line to start the fifth game back from the break, against the Dodgers on July 21 at Coors Field.

The next hope is a quick recovery for left-hander Jeff Francis, who equaled a franchise record with 17 wins last year but after struggling for three months this season, gave in to left shoulder soreness and went on the disabled list last week. He played catch all four days in Milwaukee and is scheduled to throw off the mound Saturday in New York.

He still needs to face hitters and make a start or two with Tulsa to build up arm strength. With an off day July 24, the Rockies need a fifth starter only once until July 30, which might be enough time for Francis to be ready.

"The object (of being on the disabled list) is to get it right," Francis said. "I could have pitched with what I had, but the decision was made that I could be more effective if I took this step back to deal with the inflammation."

After Wells and Francis, the Rockies are in limbo. Left-hander Franklin Morales, who started the season in the Rockies rotation, is 6-4 in 12 starts since being sent to Colorado Springs, but more telling are the 6.97 ERA and the 48 walks in 62 innings. He has walked four or more batters in eight starts.

Right-hander Jason Hirsh, who started the season on the disabled list instead of in his projected spot in the rotation, struggled so much throwing strikes on his rehabilitation assignment that the Rockies activated him and assigned him to Colorado Springs.

He is 2-2 with a 4.54 ERA, but even in a win Tuesday, when he gave up one run, he walked seven in five innings.

"We need to have something to hold onto, something to pressure us into bringing them back here," Hurdle said.

Comments

  • July 10, 2008

    3:32 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    RDenver writes:

    Not the Rockies year! Too many injuries...too much bad managing...to many so-called stars underachieving. But I am sure Teflon Clint will have some positive spin about this debacle.

  • July 10, 2008

    3:55 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    fjv1026 writes:

    Too bad for De la rosa....he's had a good couple of starts lately. Why is Bowers still pitching at the major league level? The Rox need to send Bowers, Hurdle and Apodaca down to AAA.

  • July 10, 2008

    4:12 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    guz21715 writes:

    "De La rosa, meanwhile, came apart in the fourth when the Brewers scored five of their six runs with two out, the final two on a Cecil Fielder triple."

    Cecil Fielder plays for the Brewers too?

  • July 11, 2008

    9:12 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    dakar writes:

    I don't think Hurdle is doing a great job this year, but when your pitchers have the 2nd worst starting era in baseball and half of them can't even make thru 5 innings its hard to do well. Not to mention the injuries and poor clutch hitting they've had. All the things they did well last year have come undone this first half this year. I think Hurdles biggest problem this year was they did not come out of the gate with any sense of urgency and focus that's required to win. Now with the injuries and poor play, they have that sense of urgency.