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Wells redefines a bad outing for Rockies

L.A.'s eight-run first too much for Colorado to erase

By Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News

Published July 21, 2008 at 10:13 p.m.

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After Kip Wells' disastrous start in the first game of the series against the Dodgers, the Rockies turn to Ubaldo Jimenez, who was been one of two reliable starters for the Rockies.

Video Video: After Kip Wells' disastrous start in the first game of the series against the Dodgers, the Rockies turn to Ubaldo Jimenez, who was been one of two reliable starters for the Rockies. Watch »

The Key ...

* Moment: With the Dodgers leading 3-0, one out and bases loaded in the top of the first, Rockies right-hander Kip Wells fell behind 2-0 to Angel Berroa and then served up a two-run single. Berroa, who had pitcher Eric Stults behind him in the lineup, picked up his first two RBI of the season and his first hit in 11 at-bats with a runner in scoring position.

* Player: Matt Kemp has been a key to a pair of big first innings for the Dodgers against the Rockies. Against Wells on Monday, Kemp led off the game with a double, and scored the first run, and then delivered a double that knocked in two more runs and knocked Wells out of the game. On April 26, at Dodger Stadium, Kemp had the sacrifice fly that knocked in the first run and grand slam that knocked in the final four runs in a 10-run first inning against Mark Redman.

* Stat: 25 minutes is how long it took for Wells to face 10 batters, throw 40 pitches, and retire a single hitter in making what equaled the shortest start in franchise history for a pitcher who wasn't removed for a medical reason.

Troy Tulowitzki, hitting a double against the Dodgers at Coors Field on Monday, went 5-for-5 in his return from the disabled list. Colorado had 20 hits, and the Dodgers had 18, in the 16-10 loss.

Photo by Barry Gutierrez / The Rocky

Troy Tulowitzki, hitting a double against the Dodgers at Coors Field on Monday, went 5-for-5 in his return from the disabled list. Colorado had 20 hits, and the Dodgers had 18, in the 16-10 loss.

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While Jeff Francis was turning in a solid effort for Double-A Tulsa in a medical rehab assignment on Monday night, Kip Wells was underscoring just how desperate the Rockies are for a quick return to last year's form from Francis if they are going to have any hope of taking advantage of a tepid National League West.

The Rockies were fresh off a four-game sweep of Pittsburgh, and in a position to shake things up, but they never got a chance against the division co-leading Dodgers.

Six batters into the game, Wells got his first out - and last. Ten batters into the game, Wells got the hook, and the Dodgers roughed up the Rockies 16-10, maintaining their first-place tie with Arizona, and dropping the Rockies back to seven games out.

The loss was only the Rockies' second in their past 11 games at Coors Field, and came despite an offense that scored in each of the final seven innings, sparked by Troy Tulowitzki returning from the disabled list to collect a career-best five hits plus a sacrifice fly, raising his average from .166 to .192.

"It's always nice to get hits, but we lost the game and that is the main thing I look at," Tulowitzki said. "You score 10 runs in a game you should win. Unfortunately that first inning was tough and we couldn't get out of it."

While Wells spoke of balls finding holes and gaps, and Coors Field being a place where big-time comebacks are possible, the bottom line was Wells put together the worst start in franchise history. He became only the third pitcher in club history - who wasn't removed from a game for medical reasons - to record just one out in a start, and he gave up more runs (eight) than the other two.

"I'll look at (Wells') start again when I get here (today) and see if I saw what I saw," manager Clint Hurdle said.

It took Wells 25 minutes to throw 40 pitches and face 10 batters, nine of whom reached base and eight of whom scored.

It's going to take even longer for Hurdle to sort out the rotation that remains the major impediment for the Rockies in an effort to take advantage of a subpar division.

"I'm proud of the way the guys responded when they were down 8-0 before they even came up in the first inning," Hurdle said. "We lost the game, but we played the game. . . . We still have to find an answer for our rotation."

Wells, who missed 74 games because of surgery to remove a blood clot from his hand, may get another start, but only because Francis is going to need at least one more minor league appearance before he gets medical clearance to return to the big leagues.

At least Francis provided hope with his 32/3-inning effort, in which he faced the minimum of 11 batters thanks to a double play. With the left shoulder inflammation subsided, and the appearance that he has regained his mechanics, the Rockies are hoping the left-hander who struggled to a 3-7 start to this season can regain the form that allowed him to equal a club record with 17 wins last season.

While Mark Redman, no longer with the Rockies, did give up 10 runs in the first inning of an April 26 game at Los Angeles, he did have a 2-1 lead with two out in the bottom of the first and nobody on base, which is why he managed to get through an inning in which Matt Kemp capped off the scoring with a grand slam. Redman then pitched six shutout innings to save the bullpen.

With Wells, the salvation was Ryan Speier, whose 32/3-innings effort was his longest since 2001 when he was at Radford College in Virginia. Speier may have given up four runs, but he allowed Hurdle to not use any other reliever for more than an inning.

"I know those (early innings) were as important as pitching the seventh or eighth with a lead because we didn't have to wear out the bullpen," Speier said.

The irony is that Dodgers starter Eric Stults didn't pitch any longer than Speier. Despite being given a 12-1 lead in the top of the fourth, he couldn't get through the bottom of that inning, much less the five innings needed to quality for a win.

Not that Hurdle found any solace in Stults' failure.

"Because the other pitcher didn't pitch well doesn't affect how (Wells) pitched," said Hurdle.

Comments

  • July 22, 2008

    8:33 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    wilburM writes:

    Kip "unconditional release for the purpose of asking for waivers" Wells.

    If he starts even one more game for the Rockies, I'm thinking about revoking my fanship. there is zero reason to trot him out there again when you're still technically alive in the division race.

    A parade of relievers. The fifth starter at Tulsa. Justin Hirsch. Reynolds. Mark Freakin Redmond. Brad Hawpe. Juan Moillo. Any of them would have been better choices than Wells.

  • July 22, 2008

    10:57 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    1somelikeithot writes:

    Could last night's game been any more ridiculous? How bout those Rox guys, never gave up and kept on going on. If only.......................!? I wasn't at the game so here it is BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • July 22, 2008

    5:36 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Who_Me writes:

    Why wouldn't you pull the pitcher after a few runs? This is Hurdle's bad management style, always in denial of the poor job he does.