Rockies have one arm to depend on

Cook again ends losing streak for Colorado with his fifth straight victory

By Jack Etkin, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Sunday, May 4, 2008

David Zalubowski / Associated Press

Second baseman Jonathan Herrera, called up by the Rockies last week after Troy Tulowitzki was injured, avoids the slide of Delwyn Young of the Dodgers to complete a double play during Colorado's 7-2 victory Sunday at Coors Field.

Every fifth game, the problems that have plagued the Rockies seem to vanish and their chances of winning rise almost exponentially. Those are the games Aaron Cook starts.

He won his career-best fifth consecutive start Sunday, helped the Rockies stop a losing streak for the fifth time this season and overmatched the Los Angeles Dodgers for 72/3 innings as the Rockies won 7-2 at Coors Field.

The victory was Colorado's first in six games this season against the Dodgers and ended Los Angeles' eight-game winning streak, which tied for the longest winning streak in the majors this year.

Cook improved his record to 5-1 and whittled his ERA down slightly, to 2.40. He pitched at least seven innings for the fourth consecutive start and fifth time in seven starts this season.

It appears that Cook, 29, finally is realizing his vast potential, translating his outstanding stuff into victories, and in the process, assuming the responsibility of a staff leader.

"I think a big part of it was playing in the World Series on such a big stage after having 75 days off," said Cook, referring to the oblique injury that ended his regular season Aug. 10 and the six crisp innings he threw here in Game 4 against Boston. "I was able to go out there and relax. I think that taught me a lot. Just go out there and relax, be yourself and try and make good pitches."

What Cook has accomplished cannot be overstated for a Rockies rotation beset with problems, a group that has included:

* Left-hander Franklin Morales, the fifth starter at the outset of the season. He was optioned to Triple-A Colorado Springs last week, making an initial stop at extended spring training in Tucson to work in a relaxed setting one-on-one with roving pitching coordinator Jim Wright.

* Ubaldo Jimenez, who takes the mound against St. Louis tonight. He showed positive signs in his previous start but has worked six innings only once in six starts.

* Left-hander Mark Redman, who was skipped this turn through the rotation because of an off day last week. A calamitous outing April 26 at Los Angeles - he gave up 10 runs in the first - left him with a 7.43 ERA as a starter, but that was also the only start Redman pitched six innings.

* Jorge De La Rosa, who was roughed up Saturday while working four innings in his Rockies debut.

* And Jeff Francis, who is 0-3 with a 5.26 ERA in six starts, five of which the Rockies lost.

Entering Sunday, Rockies starters ranked 14th in the league in ERA, at 5.43.

Take away Cook's outings, and the other starters are 4-10 with a 6.40 ERA. The Rockies are 6-1 in games started by Cook and 6-18 in games started by anyone else. Since Morales' victory April 18, Cook is the only starter to win.

"He's been very consistent, if not dominating," Todd Helton said. "Even when guys get on base, it's, 'Hey, Cookie's out there. We're all right.' You know you're always a groundball away (from escaping trouble) when he's out there."

Cook threw a season-high 109 pitches Sunday and got 16 of his 23 outs on groundballs. He retired the first 10 batters he faced before Juan Pierre doubled, then he struck out Matt Kemp and got James Loney to ground out.

During Loney's at-bat, Cook threw his 51st pitch. Dodgers starter Derek Lowe threw that many in the first inning, when the Rockies struck for three runs. They greeted Lowe with three straight hits, a single by Scott Podsednik, Omar Quintanilla's run-scoring double and Matt Holliday's run-scoring single.

Cook finished the seventh at 90 pitches but threw an additional 19 in the eighth and departed after Pierre's run-scoring single.

Taylor Buchholz, who entered the game with the tying run on deck, retired the four batters he faced to earn his first career save.

Cook has made five starts after a Rockies defeat, losing streaks Colorado ended in each case.

Indeed, he helped stop a five-game losing streak by giving up one run in seven innings April 7 against Atlanta, not figuring in the decision as the Rockies won 2-1.

Cook's win April 13 at Arizona broke Colorado's two-game losing streak. His victory April 24 against the Chicago Cubs ended a four-game losing streak. And he broke another four-game losing streak Tuesday at San Francisco. Cook's effort Sunday helped the Rockies snap a three-game losing streak.

After giving up a home run to Andre Ethier in the fifth, Cook allowed a single to Blake

DeWitt but got Chin-lung Hu to ground into a double play.

Rafael Furcal met the same fate in the sixth after pinch hitter Delwyn Young's single.

"I think I've been able to slow down," Cook said, explaining his success with runners on base. "My first couple years, I've rushed, started to panic. And now I realize, 'Settle down, make one good pitch, whether a guy's on first or second - not really try to change my game plan or do too much (and) to let my defense work.' "

NUMBERS GAME

14 of 15 first batters faced have been retired by Taylor Buchholz this season, including Matt Kemp, who struck out in the eighth inning with runners on first and second. Buchholz pitched 11/3 innings to earn the Rockies' second multiple-inning save since the start of 2007. Manuel Corpas earned a save while working 12/3 innings on Sept. 9, 2007, at San Diego.

DOUBLE-PLAY COMBO

Manager Clint Hurdle's lineup included Omar Quintanilla, a left-handed hitter, at shortstop and switch-hitting Jonathan Herrera at second base. The reason, Hurdle said, was Dodgers starter Derek Lowe has had more trouble with left-handed hitters, who were hitting .311 in 61 at-bats against him compared, with .250 in 72 at-bats by right-handed hitters.

Quintanilla went 1-for-4, scored twice and drove in a run when he rolled a double inside first base and down the right-field line. Herrera went 1-for-3 with a sacrifice, drove in the Rockies' final run, with a single, and took a hit away from Kemp with a diving stop to his right in the first.

HE SAID IT

"You play the way we play, and if you expect much different than what we've got, you're kidding yourself. The game demands execution at this level, and we have not executed as a major league club needs to to have success at this level."

Hurdle, before the victory Sunday, which improved the Rockies' record to 12-19.

Three keys

Three keys to the Rockies' 7-2 win against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday afternoon at Coors Field:

1. The Rockies scored three runs in the first, which began with a single by Scott Podsednik, Omar Quintanilla's run-scoring double and Matt Holliday's RBI single. Chris Iannetta drove in the third run with a sacrifice fly against Derek Lowe, who threw 51 of his 112 pitches in the first.

2. Aaron Cook retired the first 10 batters he faced before Juan Pierre doubled with one out in the fourth. Leading 3-0, Cook then struck out Matt Kemp and got James Loney to ground to second.

3. The Rockies added two runs in the fifth on run-scoring singles by Holliday and Garrett Atkins. The inning began with Cook's single, a walk to Podsednik and Quintanilla bunting into a fielder's choice to Lowe, who threw Cook out at third.

Etc.

Former Rockies outfielder Larry Walker, who finished his career with St. Louis in 2005 and is a part-time Cardinals coach in spring training, will be with them on their two-city trip here and in Milwaukee. . . . The Rockies' three-run first nearly doubled their first-inning run total of four at Coors Field before the game Sunday. Overall, the Rockies have been outscored 31-19 in the first. . . . In five starts, Podsednik is 8-for-20 (.400) with three doubles and four runs scored. He had the 42nd multiple-steal game of his career and his second with the Rockies. . . . Todd Helton walked twice and has reached in 16 consecutive games. . . . Iannetta's sacrifice fly in the first was the Rockies' fourth this season but their third in their past four games. . . . Jason Hirsh (strained right rotator cuff) is scheduled to throw a 50-pitch bullpen session Tuesday and could face hitters five days later. . . . Micah Bowie (strained left forearm) could start playing catch next week at the earliest. . . . Luis Vizcaino (strained right shoulder) is scheduled to throw in the bullpen Tuesday or Wednesday. . . . The Rockies avoided being swept twice in a series by the Dodgers this season, something that last happened in 2006.

Scouting report: St. Louis Cardinals

* Series history: The Cardinals lead 71-68 overall and won two of three at Busch Stadium to begin this season. The Rockies lead 36- 33 in Denver and 29-28 at Coors Field.

* Roster report: Pitchers Chris Carpenter (elbow), Matt Clement (shoulder), Josh Kinney (elbow), Mark Mulder (shoulder) and Brad Thompson (elbow) are on the 15-day disabled list. Mulder, who began his rehabilitation assignment April 15, will make another rehab start today for Triple-A Memphis and then be able to make one more rehab start before his 30-day rehabilitation assignment ends. Right-hander Anthony Reyes was sent down Sunday and right-hander Mike Parisi, 25, was recalled from Memphis.

* Quickly: St. Louis won 18 games in April, setting a franchise mark for victories in that month. . . . Albert Pujols reached base in the team's first 32 games. His best start was when he reached base in his first 33 games to begin the 2005 season.