Francis' bubble bursts against Royals

Short outing result of Royals striking early - and often

By Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News

Published June 23, 2008 at 8:51 p.m.

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Photo by Orlin Wagner © Associated Press

Colorado starting pitcher Jeff Francis adjusts his cap after allowing a solo home run to Kansas City's Jose Guillen in the third inning of the Royals 8-4 win over the Rockies on Monday night in Kansas City, Mo. Francis struggled as he allowed seven runs in 4 1/3 innings and took the loss.

There's no secret about what's bugging Rockies left-hander Jeff Francis.

But the solution has been elusive.

Oh, Francis will give the Rockies glimpses of the pitcher who equaled a franchise record with 17 victories last season, but just when it looks like he is about to get on a roll, along comes a game such as the 8-4 Rockies loss to the Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Monday night.

Francis survived only 4 1/3 innings, his fewest of the season, gave up seven runs, one short of his season high, and served up two home runs, equaling his total for four previous starts combined.

"Not what I'm looking for," Francis said.

And not what the Rockies need in their bid to reclaim a place of value in the National League West race.

They slipped back into a tie for fourth place with San Diego and fell eight games back of division-leading Arizona.

The Rockies lost back-to-back games for only the second time in three weeks, but they had their hopes that Francis is ready to go on a big-time roll dashed - again.

While the Royals were making life uncomfortable for Francis, Rockies hitters failed to cash in on the benevolence of Royals right-hander Brian Bannister, who was charged with three unearned runs in the fifth when Matt Holliday unloaded a 422-foot home run to straightaway center field.

But he survived seven innings despite issuing six walks, including three to the first four batters in the second inning.

Clint Barmes, in his first at-bat after missing 28 games with a sprained right knee, bounced back to the mound for an inning-ending double play in the second, then Bannister benefited from a bizarre double play in the fifth, ahead of Jeff Baker's RBI single that preceded the Holliday home run.

With runners on second and third, Willy Taveras hit a shot down the third-base line. Chris Iannetta, having taken a secondary lead off third, hesitated, even though he had no way to get back to the bag instead of breaking for home plate.

That allowed third baseman Alex Gordon not only to tag out Iannetta but to get Taveras, who slipped out of the batter's box, at first.

Those missteps are frustrations.

Francis' inability to rattle off a winning streak is more of a concern.

He was the big winner for the franchise's first NL pennant a year ago, started Game 1 in all three postseason series, then drew the Opening Day assignment this year.

There is a long-held theory that young pitchers can have a letdown after their first postseason opportunity because they wind up pitching a month longer than they are accustomed and find themselves in a pressure situation that is new.

Francis doesn't buy that.

"I don't think that's a factor," he said. "Physically, I don't feel drained. I'm just not doing the job."

Francis is 3-7 with a 5.65 ERA.

"We keep thinking he is headed in the right direction, and then an outing like this spins things the other way," manager Clint Hurdle said.

After losing his first two starts of the season, Francis had three consecutive no-decisions in starts he pitched seven innings each time, allowing a total of six earned runs.

Then came a three-start, 15-run, 15-inning stretch in which he gave up 25 hits and seven walks.

This month, Francis appeared to be getting closer to what the Rockies envisioned. He was 2-1 in his first four starts with a 2.88 ERA, having allowed 20 hits (only two home runs) in 25 innings.

Then came the start in the Rockies' first visit to Kansas City against a team he limited to one run in 7 1/3 innings at Coors Field a year ago.

Three batters into the game, Francis had given up a triple, a double, a run and a walk. Then, with two out, Mike Teahen hit the first pitch he saw for a home run, only the third home run Francis had allowed to a left-handed hitter this year.

"Fastball command," Hurdle said of Francis' problem. "It's a challenge for him. It's a challenge for me and Bob (Apodaca, the pitching coach), who keep looking for ways to deal with it."

And it's a problem Francis cannot survive.

"I'm not going to throw the ball 90-something miles per hour, so, obviously, I have to rely on my fastball command," Francis said. "It's something I should be able to correct immediately, and for a couple innings (Monday), I felt good, but I let things get out of hand in the fifth (with back-to-back RBI doubles to Jose Guillen and Miguel Olivo).

"I just made bad pitches."

• June 23, 2008

  11:50 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  motorcityhitman writes:

  Some random comments

  Again, just one more Francis first inning meltdown. If everything isn't perfect; he falls apart. His stuff is pretty good, however if falls behind with people on base he's dead meat. If he's our number one; then we're in big trouble.

  Ironically, Greg Maddox is a very similar pitcher; except he always seems to keep his poise.

  Meanwhile; usual lack of hitting with runners on base.

  When do we move Helton to nbr 2 or 7? (or elsewhere)

• June 24, 2008

  6:31 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  SwolOne writes:

  A guy has the stuff to win 17 games, then loses command of his fastball the next season? The joke is that Bob Apodaca is looking for ways to deal with it. Why does Apodaca still have a job?

  Helton needs to be moved to the 7-hole or to the bench immediately. He's killing the middle of the order.

• June 24, 2008

  10:10 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  piaresquared writes:

  Not sure who's at fault (Apodaca?) but the Rocks are getting killed in the first two innings. It looks like starting pitchers are still in warm-up mode in the first couple of innings. It's the pitching coach's job to have his starter at 100 percent for the first pitch. Instead it looks like Hurdle/Apodaca are content with their starters doggin' it in warm-ups so they can go as long as possible.

• June 24, 2008

  10:42 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  dakar writes:

  bottom of 2nd runners on 2nd & 3rd, no outs and they can't even bring in one run. They did the only 2 things you can't do - strike out and then hit it to the pitcher. I stopped watching the game after that, these guys can't execute simple baseball plays like sac fly, ground ball, etc. Hurdle needs to work these guys before games and put up each player with 2 guys on until he hits the ball or something. If someone like LaRussa was manager they would be scoring these types of runs.

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