Rockies report: Cook tries again for No. 17

By Jack Etkin, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published September 8, 2008 at 8:18 p.m.

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He said it

"He's in the best place he's ever been, and he's comfortable."

Clint Hurdle, Rockies manager, on third baseman Ian Stewart, who has hit .323 with six homers and 35 RBI in 46 games since rejoining the team July 19, with a .429 on-base percentage and .526 slugging percentage.

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Aaron Cook Tuesday night will make his second attempt to win his 17th game and tie the single-season franchise record. He has failed to pitch more than 5 2/3 innings in five of his past six starts and is coming off a three-inning outing, his shortest of the season, Wednesday against San Francisco when he allowed six runs.

Cook, who wasn't able to keep the ball down against the Giants, said correcting that problem will be his focus tonight in Atlanta.

"I can't worry really about turning it around," Cook said. "I just got to go out and execute and try to be myself. That's all I can really do - just realize if I execute my pitches, I put us in a lot better position to win games."

WRONG SIDE OF LEDGER

The Rockies have been outscored 729-668.

Their minus-61 run differential is the fifth worst in the National League, behind Washington (150), Pittsburgh (136), San Francisco (113) and San Diego (108). Last year, the Rockies outscored their opponents 860-758.

Etc.

Rockies trainer Keith Dugger said first baseman Todd Helton is expected to increase his running this week and add more abdominal, weight-training and endurance exercises to his back-stabilizing regimen. Helton, who has been sidelined since July 3 with an irritated disk in his back, has been taking groundballs and swinging a bat without any setbacks. . . . Garrett Atkins has at least one strikeout in a season-

high 10 consecutive games and a total of 13 strikeouts in that span. His .332 on-base percentage is 39 points below his career mark entering this season. . . . Since coming off the disabled list Sept. 1, Ryan Spilborghs is 1-for-10 in five games, including three starts. . . . Willy Taveras has six hits in his past 40 at-bats and a .310 on-base percentage for the season. . . . Seth Smith, who has made three starts since he returned to the Rockies on July 9, has four pinch hit at-bats in the past 11 games. . . . Clint Barmes is hitting .337 in 166 at-bats at Coors Field and .246 in 166 at-bats on the road. Chris Iannetta is hitting .240 in 146 at-bats at home and .303 in 132 at-bats on the road. . . . Luis Vizcaino has at least one strikeout in eight consecutive games, 11 of his past 12 and 15 of past 17 outings. During that entire span, Vizcaino has 28 strikeouts and three walks in 201/3 innings. But he has been scored upon in four of his past seven appearances, a stretch of 71/3 innings in which he has allowed nine hits and five runs (four earned). . . . Jeff Baker has started four of the past 21 games and has batted only 15 times in that span. . . . In his past nine games, Brad Hawpe is 12-for-31 (.387) with three doubles, one homer and five RBI. . . . After hitting sixth Aug. 25, Troy Tulowitzki batted eighth in 10 consecutive games before hitting seventh Sunday. . . . Low Single-A Asheville pitcher Connor Graham, catcher Lars Davis, third baseman Darin Holcomb and center fielder Mike Mitchell and high Single-A Modesto pitchers Andy Graham and David Patton will play for the Honolulu Sharks in Hawaii Winter Baseball. Double-A Tulsa manager Stu Cole will manage the Sharks, whose regular season games begin Sept. 27 and end Nov. 15.