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Giants disarm Helton, Rockies

Unconventional move in ninth works for Giants

By Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News

Published May 20, 2008 at 9:32 p.m.

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Aaron Cook, who lost his second straight decision, awaits the umpires' word on a hit by Bengie Molina on Tuesday. First called a homer, it was changed to a double.

Photo by Ken Papaleo © The Rocky

Aaron Cook, who lost his second straight decision, awaits the umpires' word on a hit by Bengie Molina on Tuesday. First called a homer, it was changed to a double.

The Giants' Fred Lewis rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run off Rockies pitcher Alberto Arias during the ninth inning of Colorado's 6-5 loss Tuesday night at Coors Field.

Photo by Ken Papaleo / The Rocky

The Giants' Fred Lewis rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run off Rockies pitcher Alberto Arias during the ninth inning of Colorado's 6-5 loss Tuesday night at Coors Field.

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Todd Helton has been around so long that there are times it seems like folks in Colorado have taken him for granted.

They are in the minority.

The elder statesman of the Rockies doesn't have the power he once had, but his ability in clutch situations still gets the attention of the folks in the other dugout.

Just how much respect he has earned was apparent during the Rockies' aborted ninth-inning rally in a 6-5 loss to the Giants at Coors Field on Tuesday night.

After Clint Barmes delivered a two-run home run off Giants closer Brian Wilson to cut the deficit to one run and Matt Holliday lined a double off the right-field scoreboard, Giants manager Bruce Bochy ordered an intentional walk to Helton, eschewing that unwritten rule about putting the winning run on base in favor of getting the right-right matchup of Wilson and Garrett Atkins.

"That's a lot of respect," Holliday said. "I understand the right- left situation, but Garrett is hitting (.335). That's a little risky. With Willy (Taveras, pinch running), Garrett hits a hard single and Willy can score the winning run."

Atkins even leads the Rockies with 28 RBI.

But Wilson was able to strike out Atkins, ending the game and the Rockies' three-game winning streak, adding to a growing list of nights where clutch hits were missing for the Rockies.

"With those two, it's pick your poison," Bochy said.

Aaron Cook wound up with his second loss in a row on the heels of a six-start winning streak, battling through seven innings in which he gave up four runs and 10 hits, both of which equaled his season highs.

But the Giants got that extra bit they needed at the expense of Alberto Arias, who gave up two runs and managed only two outs in the ninth.

Tim Lincecum, meanwhile, had a workmanlike six innings, needing 113 pitches to get the 18 outs, but he managed to give up only three runs.

The Rockies did get that shot at Wilson after he retired the first two batters in the ninth.

Scott Podsednik got it started with a single and Barmes, a three-time strikeout victim in four previous hitless at-bats, delivered the home run, his third in three games.

Then came Holliday's double, and the chess match began.

"I've played against Bochy my whole career, when he managed the Padres and now the Giants, and I had some good games," Helton said. "I don't know about managing or the book, but I do know that Garrett has been swinging the bat well. I wouldn't want to be pitching with him up there."

How much has Bochy seen of Helton? He's a career .340 hitter with Bochy in the opposing dugout and he has hit 27 home runs and driven in 91 runs in 621 at-bats.

"We've got some big-time run producers with Holliday and Atkins and (Brad) Hawpe, and not to take anything away from them or anyone else, (but) Todd is the toughest out there is," Rockies reliever Matt Herges said. "I've been the guy facing him. He even hits good pitches.

"You think you have him set up and he still turns on the ball. It's demoralizing. The only time he strikes out is if the umpire gives the pitcher marginal pitches. You get him 0-2, and he starts fouling off good pitches, working his way back into the count, waiting for you to make a mistake. And then, when he hits the home run, he grunts, and makes it worse."

And the respect remains even in a season where he is hitting .276, 59 points lower than Atkins, and has driven in only 15 runs, 13 fewer than Atkins.

He did draw two unintentional walks in his first two plate appearances against Lincecum and did single in his next two at-bats, adding to Bochy's awareness.

"He squared the ball up a couple days, and the last few days he was swinging pretty good," Bochy said.

What would Helton have done had he been given the chance? Nobody will ever know. It's not like he has overshadowed Atkins in clutch situations.

While Atkins is only hitting .208, Helton, who came into the season second among active players with a career .347 average with runners in scoring position, is only hitting .238 so far in 2008.

But Wilson was able to get Atkins swinging at a 2-2 pitch.

"Bochy has seen Todd as many times as any opposing manager," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "(Bochy) picked his poison, and it turned out his way."

* Key moment: After the Rockies seemingly got a break when the umpiring crew ruled what appeared on replays to be a Bengie Molina home run to be a double with two out in the first, Aaron Cook couldn't finish the inning, giving up a bloop single to Aaron Rowand that scored Molina and put the Giants up 2-0.

* Key player: Giants third baseman Rich Aurilia, 3-for-18 in his career against Cook coming into the game, went 2-for-3 off him. He homered to lead off the second and even his out, a grounder to second with no out in the fourth, advanced John Bowker from second to third, from where he scored on an Omar Vizquel squeeze bunt. Aurilia also singled off Cook in the sixth.

* Key stat: 2 hits for the Rockies in 11 at-bats with a runner in scoring position, the second of which was Clint Barmes' homer with two out in the ninth that got the Rockies to a run and extended Barmes' hitting streak to 13 games, tying a career high. He also has homered the past three games. The previous hit with a runner in scoring position was Cook's RBI single in the second.

Etc.

Right fielder Brad Hawpe came out in the eighth inning with a right hamstring cramp. . . . Right-hander Ryan Speier (bruised rotator cuff) felt strong enough after a session of long toss Monday that he will have a side session today and is optimistic about a quick return to the active roster. . . . Former third baseman Vinny Castilla, currently a special assistant with the Rockies, and area scout Jay Matthews, whose territory includes the Carolinas and Virginia, will be the Rockies' on-site representatives for baseball's annual draft in Orlando, Fla., on June 5-6. . . . The Giants recalled infielder Travis Denker from Triple-A Fresno (Calif.) and sent down infielder Eugenio Velez. . . . Despite ongoing reports to the contrary, the Rockies have not pursued right-hander Julian Tavarez, and Tavarez, who cleared waivers Monday, did not accept a minor-league assignment to allow the Red Sox and Rockies work out a trade. . . . Giants left fielder Fred Lewis' home run in the ninth was the first run that Alberto Arias has allowed in six appearances since being called up from Triple-A Colorado Springs. . . . Coors Field public-address announcer Reed Saunders will miss games Saturday and June 7, creating the chance for original PA announcer Alan Roach to pinch- hit for Saunders.

NUMBERS GAME

28 sacrifice hits for the Rockies, tops in the majors. Cincinnati is second with 25. The Rockies led the majors with 83 sacrifice bunts last season.

MOVING ALONG

Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, above, took live batting practice for the first time since being sidelined with a torn tendon in his left quadriceps. Tulowitzki has been out since April 30 and there is no timetable for his return, but the recovery so far has moved along without a hiccup.

Tulowitzki said he was lost at times last week with the team on the road and admits not playing has created frustrations, but "I've looked for a positive. Maybe it is good for me to step back. Obviously, I was not playing well. I was frustrated. Maybe I took the game for granted. Now I will have an even greater passion."

SAY WHAT?

Right-handed pitcher Jason Grilli was taken back by the sharp criticism he received from Tigers manager Jim Leyland for a Grilli quote in USA Today in which he said the struggling Tigers had changed a lot since they won the American League championship in 2006.

"I was simply asked about where the Tigers are and all I did was make a comparison to now and back then (2006) and said the roster has changed," Grilli said. "I love everybody there. I never had issues with Jim or his staff."

But Leyland was angry, and among his statements was, "Jason Grilli ought to just worry about Colorado. Jason Grilli isn't here any longer because Jason Grilli didn't pitch good under pressure situations and didn't pitch very well in Detroit. Now you want to tell it like it is, and players want to start talking, then I'll start talking."

Comments

  • May 21, 2008

    7:35 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    milloy36 writes:

    Looks like the homestand isn't the cure for this team.

  • May 21, 2008

    7:46 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    DeimosJB writes:

    I didn't see the game last night, but if Cook allowed 4 runs, as the article says, and the Rockies scored 5, how did Cook get the L?

  • May 21, 2008

    8:54 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    newshound writes:

    Cook was already losing when he was relieved. The Rockies would have had to tie up the game as some point for Cook to get a no-decision, which they didn't. And the cure for this team is better pitching, they are awful off the mound

  • May 21, 2008

    11:56 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    clos777 writes:

    Yes the pitching has been bad, but what about this offense, seems like everyday they are a few clutch hits away from winning.

    I love the spin the RM News put on the loss, you know about all the respect Helton gets because he the intentional walk, to take the focus away from the bottom line which is the lost.

    Not only would it be a righty/righty match up, but with Holiday at 2nd it gave the Giants more bases to get an out at.

    It was not something out of this world do what the Giants did.
    They act like the walked him intentionally with the bases loaded or something like that.