Rockies report: Tulsa pair on Olympic team

By Jack Etkin, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published July 16, 2008 at 2:04 p.m.

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66 games remaining for the Rockies, 62 against teams that have losing records. The exception is four games at Florida (50-45) from July 31 to Aug. 3. The Marlins are one of only six teams in the National League with a winning record.

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Center fielder Dexter Fowler and reliever Casey Weathers of the Rockies' Double-A Tulsa affiliate were chosen to the U.S. Olympic baseball team.

Team USA will begin play Aug. 13, with the medal round Aug. 23.

"I'm just in kind of like a daze," Fowler said. "The Texas League All-Star Game, the Futures Game (in Yankee Stadium on Sunday), all this is happening. I'm truly blessed."

Added Weathers: "It's a dream come true, I guess. People work their whole lives for that. I'm incredibly excited and humbled."

USA Baseball spent the past two days verifying each major league team's commitment, barring unforeseen circumstances, to allow the selected players to participate.

"You represent your country or represent your organization," Fowler said. "It's a win-win situation."

COMING BACK

Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki began a five-game rehabilitation assignment with Tulsa and could rejoin the Rockies on Monday. He played six innings against Springfield, going 1-for-4 and scoring a run.

Tulowitzki, who suffered a 16-stitch laceration on his right hand July 4 when the maple bat he slammed to the ground in frustration shattered in his hand, is scheduled to play nine innings tonight.

He'll serve as the designated hitter Friday at Arkansas and is scheduled to play nine innings there Saturday and Sunday before returning to Denver to be re-evaluated Monday and possibly activated to play.

"It was tough to do everything full bore with the stitches in, but I got the stitches out Monday," Tulowitzki said. "I threw a lot, so I'm not worried about throwing - I think more so holding a bat."

ETC.

Kip Wells allowed two runs, six hits and one walk with eight strikeouts in 62/3 innings Wednesday in a rehabilitation start for Double-A Tulsa. It was Wells' fifth rehabilitation start after undergoing surgery May 6 to remove blood clots from his right hand. . . . Rockies closer Brian Fuentes has made five straight hitless appearances, each totaling one inning, with nine strikeouts and no walks. With 99 career saves, Fuentes is three short of equaling Jose Jimenez's franchise record. . . . The Rockies are hitting .243 with runners in scoring position, 14th in the National League. Their starters are 27-41 with a 5.28 ERA, 15th in the league. . . . The Rockies hit .129 while losing their final four games before the All-Star break. They went 15-for-116 with two doubles, two runs, 13 walks and 39 strikeouts. . . . Clint Barmes is hitless in his past 11 at-bats, two for his past 23 and 11-for-59 (.186) since coming off the disabled list June 23, dropping his average from .343 to .295. . . . The Rockies have been outscored by 88 runs, more than any team in the majors except Washington (117) and San Diego (91). The Pirates (68) are right behind the Rockies. . . . Joe Koshansky is 3-for-18 with two home runs and nine strikeouts. . . . Fifteen of Omar Quintanilla's 42 hits are doubles, but he has only nine walks in 164 at-bats and a .293 on-base percentage. . . . Garrett Atkins is hitless in his past 13 at-bats since he homered off Brewers reliever Guillermo Mota at Milwaukee in the eighth inning July 9.

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