Fuentes puts rumors aside, closes out Pirates

By Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News

Published July 18, 2008 at 9:26 p.m.

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Photo by David Zalubowski © AP

Rockies right fielder Matt Holliday follows the flight of his two-run home run off Pirates starting pitcher Ian Snell during the first inning of the Rockies 5-2 win Friday night at Coors Field.

Rockies closer Brian Fuentes is on the verge of becoming the franchise's all-time leader in saves.

The only question is whether he will be with the Rockies long enough to break it.

With a perfect ninth inning Friday night, Fuentes finished off the Rockies' 5-2 victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the 101st save of his career, one short of the franchise record held by Jose Jimenez.

He's certainly pitching well enough to fly past Jimenez's mark, if he isn't dealt sometime within the next 12 days to one of a number of contenders who have expressed interest. There were a handful of scouts sitting in Coors Field this weekend to get a final read on the three-time All-Star.

From what they have seen, Fuentes' price is only going up.

Thursday night, he struck out the side and Friday night he needed only 10 pitches for a 1-2-3 inning.

He has rebounded from giving up seven runs and retiring only two batters in his final two appearances of June to start July with seven perfect innings in which he has struck out 12.

"We've got some tough decisions to make, and it could end up we have him here all year and get (two) draft choices (as free-agent compensation)," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "I really like the idea of him being on the team, closing games. It's not that we are putting our guys on a clothesline, offering them to any bidder."

With the way the Rockies have struggled, though, that hasn't kept teams from kicking the tires on Fuentes and outfielder Matt Holliday, who also gave the scouts something to contemplate when he unloaded a two-run home run in the first inning that sent the Rockies on their way to victory Friday.

Amid a paid crowd of 37,114 were scouts from at least eight teams, including a handful of contenders in search of left-handed bullpen help - Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit, Arizona and the Angels.

Tampa Bay, the Yankees, the Mets, the Red Sox and Cubs also have been checking on how they fit with what the Rockies want for Fuentes.

While the Rockies have made it clear that to give up Holliday, who is signed for $13.5 million for next year, they would have to be overwhelmed, teams looking for that right-handed bat seem to be settling on Xavier Nady of Pittsburgh.

Fuentes still piques interest, even though the Rockies are looking for an upper-echelon prospect because clubs know they could restock that void with the two compensation picks.

They also have the services of a versatile left-hander who thrives under pressure for the stretch run.

Of course, that is if the Rockies don't decide that maybe they can still make a run at the National League West. They may be 16 games below .500 (41-57), but with the back-to-back victories they are 7 games out in the National League West after the Dodgers beat the Diamondbacks 8-7 in 11 innings Friday night.

"We'll wait and see, but right now I am playing for the Rockies and it's out of my hands," Fuentes said. "What I'm looking at we need to win games. Bottom line. Talking about it and doing it are two different things. Winning these two games is a good start. We might surprise some people again."

It helps to get good starts, and Glendon Rusch gave the Rockies his second solid start in a row, allowing two runs in 5 2/3 innings before the bullpen provided 3 1/3 perfect innings.

That started with Jason Grilli striking out Jason Michaels with runners on first and third to end the sixth with a 3-2 lead.

Offensively, Willy Taveras was an early catalyst.

He led off the bottom of the first with a triple off Ian Snell and scored on Holliday's home run.

Then, with two out in the second, Taveras worked Snell for a walk, stole second, stole third and came home when catcher Ryan Doumit's throw sailed into left field.

Not bad, considering he didn't start the final five games before the All-Star break and was on the verge of going on the disabled list.

Then the Rockies got a home run in the sixth by Brad Hawpe, into the right-field stands.

Seth Smith added an inside-the-park home run in the seventh, standing up as he crossed home plate.

And then it was up to Fuentes. He struck out Jason Bay on four pitches and got flyball outs from Adam LaRoche and Michaels.

"I know the deadline is coming and there are a lot of decisions to make,"

Fuentes said. "Fortunately for me, I don't make any of them.

"As a closer, you block out external factors. Your only thought is to get three outs as fast as you can."

Fuentes' actions are matching his thoughts.

• July 19, 2008

  8:26 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  wilburM writes:

  Here's to you, Brian. You're sorely underappreciated here. Hope you get a chance to play for the kind of franchise that views getting close as an opportunity to upgrade and go for it vs. one who views getting close as good enough to deflect criticism while they abandon the high-priced stars in favor of yet another rebuild.

• July 19, 2008

  9:17 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  fjv1026 writes:

  I have a love-hate relationship with Fuentes. He can be really, really good or he can really stink it up on occasion. Bottomline is that he is a good closer for us but will probably never close where ever he ends up.

• July 19, 2008

  11:08 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  SteveM writes:

  Did the Rox learn nothing from last season? You do not build a championship team by trading away your great players or by even talking about trading them. There's no way on earth I would let any speculation about a Holliday trade to even exist if I Owned the Rockies. First, it's a horrible distraction to the team and the player. Second, it's a horrible distraction to the fans. Third, it's just plain stupid. He's signed for at least one more season. He's love playing for the Rockies, let's leave it at that. The fact that other teams are interested in him is just a continuing sign of the potential brilliance of our organization. Now hands off. He's not available. We love him. Go try to raid the Diamondbacks and leave us alone. The main reason for this also is that we've never, ever been on the winning side of a trade.

• July 19, 2008

  11:47 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  broncofam writes:

  Sorry SteveM, but I'd have to say getting Buchholz, Tavares, and Hirsh for Jason Jennings would have to be considered being "on the winning side of a trade."

• July 19, 2008

  12:34 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  iggypuppet writes:

  Any chance we can trade Charlie and D*** (the censors don't like Richard's first name) Montfort for somebody? Neifi Perez maybe? A bag of peanuts? If they want to deal Fuentes, that's baseball... closers come and closers go. If they want to trade Holliday, they're nuts. Superstars don't come around every day. This guy still has 10-15 years of All Star performance ahead of him... maybe even Hall of Fame.

  If Pat Bowlen was like the Montforts, John Elway would have won his Super Bowls in the NFC. If Avs ownership was like the Montforts, we never would have seen Patrick Roy in an Avs uniform.

  Under the Montforts we will never be any more than a AAA franchise. Funny thing... our AAA teams (Bears and Z's) were run better than this organization!

• July 19, 2008

  4:11 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  fjv1026 writes:

  I think asking for a bag of peanuts is too high of price for the Monforts, iggypuppet.

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