Holliday shines; injuries mount

By Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News

Published May 23, 2008 at 11:34 p.m.
Updated May 24, 2008 at 12:58 a.m.

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Photo by David Zalubowski

The Rockies' Matt Holliday follows the flight of his single off New York Mets relief pitcher Aaron Heilman to drive in the winning run in the 13th inning of the Rockies' 6-5 victory at Coors Field.

Even victories come with agony for the Rockies this year.

Matt Holliday provided a moment of celebration for the Rockies in a 6-5, 13-inning victory against the Mets at Coors Field on Friday night. He homered off Billy Wagner to tie the score in the bottom of the ninth, the first earned run Wagner has allowed this season. Then Holliday delivered the Rockies’ first-walk-off victory this season, by shooting an opposite-field single between first and second with two out in the bottom of the 13th off Aaron Heilman, scoring Jonathan Herrera from second.

But before Holliday could provided the Rockies their fourth win in six games, shortstop Clint Barmes was added to the list of Rockies injuries.

Barmes suffered a sprained right knee in the 10th inning when Mets shortstop Jose Reyes slid hard in to second after leading off the inning by hustling a blooper into a double.

“I don’t feel any pain, and I’m hoping two weeks (out), but we are going to have (a magnetic resonance imaging exam Saturday) and see,” said Barmes, who took over at short when Troy Tulowitzki was put on the disabled list because of torn tendon in his left quadriceps.

Barmes was using crutches to get around after the game but said that was precautionary. As if that wasn’t enough trouble, Brad Hawpe wasn’t available because of a hamstring soreness, and Willy Taveras came out of the game because of a bruised right knee when he bunted through a pitch, which led to pitchers Aaron Cook and Jeff Francis pinch hitting for the first time in their careers.

The Rockies did find relief from a painful season at the expense of the Mets, who suffered their fifth consecutive loss, and can only hope that the late-game life Holliday showed will continue.

It’s one thing to unload the home run, but another to slip that 0-1 pitch into right field in the 13th, scoring Herrera, who led off the inning with a walk.

“You look for things to get people rolling every time they swing the bat,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “To drive a (home run to center field) is a good sign, and to stay on a guy (Heilman) who can be tough on right-handers and shoot the ball through the hole on the right side is a good thing, too.”

For Holliday, it’s the plan he has come up with in hopes of getting his season jump-started.

“I’ve been battling to try and find my swing the whole year, and I felt better the last three, four times up (Friday),” Holliday said. “I’m trying to use the whole field, and just hit the ball hard, somewhere.”

Taylor Buchholz worked the final three innings, allowing two hits and striking out three for the victory.

Right-hander Greg Reynolds, the Rockies’ first-round draft choice two years ago, still is looking for his first major league victory, but he had his third solid start in a row. The four runs charged to him in six innings were a bit deceiving.

Reynolds, who worked six shutout innings against Minnesota without a win May 17, carried a 2-1 lead into the sixth inning this time, only to see the Mets rally for three runs with a couple of big assists to the Rockies.

The Rockies tied the score in the bottom of that inning, but Taveras had to depart because of a bruised left knee suffered when he took a Joe Smith pitch off the knee. He offered a bunt on the pitch, so it was ruled a strike.

The Mets regained the lead, 5-4, against reliever Jason Grilli in the seventh on Reyes’ sacrifice fly after back-to-back singles by Endy Chavez and Damion Easley.

The Rockies were victims of their own failures in the top of the sixth, which started with Reynolds walking Luis Castillo. Then Garrett Atkins was unable to cleanly field a potential double- play grounder to his left. He picked up the ball in time to throw out David Wright at first but allowed Castillo to reach second. After Carlos Beltran grounded out, Carlos Delgado and Fernando Tatis hit back-to-back home runs for a 4-2 Mets lead.

The Rockies came up with two runs in the first on Atkins’ two- run home run with two out, and two more in the sixth on a two- run double by Barmes, who also doubled in the first and scored on Atkins’ eighth home run this season.

NUMBERS GAME

33 of the 67 pitches thrown by left-hander Franklin Morales in his third start for Triple-A Colorado Springs were strikes. In a 6-2 loss to Sacramento on Thursday, Morales worked two innings, giving up five runs on three hits and four walks and striking out two.

HE’S SAFE

Mets general manager Omar Minaya joined the team for the weekend series at Coors Field and gave his support to beleaguered manager Willie Randolph.

“I will continue to support Willie and ownership is going to continue to support Willie,” said Minaya, who said he decided to come to Colorado before a loss Thursday in Atlanta. “Sometimes as a general manager you have to see the team. ... I told myself, ‘I think I should be there.’ I’m here to support Willie.”

LISTEN CLOSE

Fox (Channel 31 in Denver), which had the Rockies scheduled on national television three times last year but canceled all three, finally will carry a regular- season game from Coors Field today. The irony is, former Dodgers first baseman Eric Karros will be one of the broadcasters. As a player, Karros was one of the most outspoken critics of Coors Field and its offensive nature.

HE SAID IT

“He’s very competitive. He has a professional edge when the game starts. He’s a throwback in the aspect it is about attitude and respect for the game.”

Hurdle, on Randolph, chosen by the Rockies manager to be a coach for the All-Star Game.

The key ...

Moment: Mets shortstop Jose Reyes led off the 10th by hustling a blooper to right-center into a double, but before Luis Castillo even had an opportunity to drive him in, Reyes was picked off second by Rockies reliever Brian Fuentes.

Player: Right-handed pitcher Taylor Buchholz worked three innings for the first time this season, shutting out the Mets in the 11th, 12th and 13th. It was only the third time this season he worked at least two innings. He worked two innings in the Rockies’ 2-1, 22-inning win at San Diego on April 17, and 22/3 at Los Angeles, where he suffered the loss in an 8-7, 13-inning game April 25. It was his longest effort since going 31/3 innings in a 9-2 win against Pittsburgh on Aug. 21.

Stat: 20 games decided by one run for the Rockies this year, tied with Philadelphia for second in the National League. The Giants lead the NL with 22, having split them 11-11. The Rockies and Phillies each are 10-10 in one-run decisions.

Etc.

Right fielder Ryan Spilborghs walked in his first four plate appearances, one walk short of the Rockies’ single-game record set by Todd Helton on April 29, 2007, against Atlanta. ... Helton did walk once Friday and has drawn six walks in the past three games. ... The Mets make two trips to Coors Field this year, the only team outside the National League West to do so. They also come to town for a three-game series June 20-22. The Rockies play at New York from July 11-13, the weekend before the All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium. ... Mets left fielder Marlon Anderson strained his left hamstring trying to beat out a groundball in the fourth, and he came out in favor of Fernando Tatis. Mets general manager Omar Minaya originally signed Tatis as an amateur out of the Dominican Republic when Minaya was a scout for Texas. ... Mets left-hander Oliver Perez, who came out after the first two batters in the sixth reached base, issued a career-high eight walks. Six times previously, he walked seven. ... Carlos Delgado’s sixth-inning home run was the 438th of his career, tied with Andre Dawson for 35th on the all-time list. ... The Rockies took a 2-0 lead in the first on Garrett Atkins’ two-run home run, only the 19th time in 48 games that they have scored first.

• May 24, 2008

  4:06 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  jonnyfaw writes:

  I had hoped it wouldn't come to this but someone had better let Clint know that I'm available to play shortstop until the boys are healthy again. We've got to help as much as we can so send him my way... we'll get the rockies rolling again with whatever we have to do.

• May 24, 2008

  6:14 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Mike_In_Hartsel writes:

  When will baseball outlaw the "takeout" slide? The jerk on FSN earlier in the year called a slide by #55 of the Dodgers a "clean" slide when his feet went for the 2nd baseman who was 3 feet away from the bag. In hockey that's identified (but rarely called) a deliberate attempt to injure.

• May 24, 2008

  7:29 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  piaresquared writes:

  Where's the swagger? Defending NL champs--where's the attitude? Mets were dancing at the plate (like college women softball players) trying to distract Reynolds. If players want to dance at the plate then fire one at the kneecaps and really make them dance. Great teams, especially defending champions, always have a mean streak.

• May 24, 2008

  10 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  jcn7vc writes:

  Mike_In_Harstel, I believe you are talking about Russell Martin of the Dodgers. According to most umpires, if a runner doesn't make an attempt to touch the base or is out of arms length from the base, than he is called for interference. The umps won't call it if the second baseman doesn't have a chance at the runner at first. It's one of those old baseball rules that you can "interfere" with the player as long as he is in the base path and not trying to make a play on a batted ball.

• May 24, 2008

  10:25 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Chadley25 writes:

  Nice. Barmes has been completely on fire for the Rockies, so it naturally figures that he'd get injured and taken out of the lineup for awhile. Bummer!!

  Great win last night... now we're back up to only 10 games under .500! Woo hoo. :)

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