Buchholz's balk costs Rockies in 10th

Pitcher berates himself for misstep that results in loss

By Jack Etkin, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published September 9, 2008 at 8:27 p.m.

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Photo by Pouya Dianat © The Journal & Constitution

Taylor Buchholz has a meeting with catcher Chris Iannetta during the 10th inning Tuesday at Atlanta. With two out, Buchholz allowed two hits, then balked in the winning run.

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ATLANTA — The loss came in a stunning instant, without the crack of a bat, without a play in the field or, for that matter, without even a pitch.

Taylor Buchholz committed a balk in the 10th inning Tuesday, allowing Kelly Johnson to trot home with the winning run as the Atlanta Braves beat the Rockies 5-4.

"There's stings from this one all over the place," manager Clint Hurdle said.

That's because the Rockies tied the score on Garrett Atkins' leadoff homer in the ninth, then kept the Braves from winning it when shortstop Troy Tulowitzki made a diving stop to start an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded.

Starter Aaron Cook gave up three runs in the first but only one more, in the sixth, his final inning, before four Rockies relievers got the game to Buchholz.

He gave up a two-out single to pinch hitter Johnson followed by Josh Anderson's double.

Before throwing his first pitch to Omar Infante, Buchholz started his windup, stepped off the mound and was called for, shudder, a walk-off balk. It was the second balk committed by Buchholz in 272 career innings.

"I took the sign," he said. "It's something I've done a thousand times this year, pretty much. It was supposed to be a curveball, and I got the grip and just kind of juggled it in my hand, and then just kind of froze out there.

"Stupidest thing I've ever done, pretty much."

It was Buchholz's second loss in two games. Sunday against Houston, he gave up two singles and a triple in a two-run eighth that put the Astros ahead. Buchholz bemoaned getting the ball up Sunday and paying dearly. This time, he felt more helpless.

"I would like to have made them beat me with a pitch at least," Buchholz said. "Just give me a chance at least."

The Rockies had an ample opportunity to win despite making three errors in a game for the first time this season and being outhit 14-6.

Brad Hawpe hit a two-run home run in the fourth. Chris Iannetta led off the seventh with a homer. And Atkins greeted closer Mike Gonzalez with a homer in the ninth.

The Braves loaded the bases with one out in the ninth against Manuel Corpas, who gave up two singles before third baseman Ian Stewart bobbled a grounder. But Tulowitzki dived to his left to snare Casey Kotchman's grounder and flipped the ball to second baseman Clint Barmes to start a double play.

"Anytime you can make a play like that, you definitely think the momentum switches to your side and you have a good chance to win the game," Tulowitzki said.

The bizarre loss, which dropped the Rockies 11 games below .500 with 17 to play, only magnified the difference between this team and the one that made its September cavalry charge a year ago. The Rockies found ways to win then; this year, they haven't.

"We find ways to get in our own way, never from lack of effort," Hurdle said. "That's what's probably caused the biggest separation in our won-loss record as much as anything. It's execution, bottom line. We hold ourselves highly accountable for that. The execution of the game starts with me and ends with me, and I'm responsible for it when things aren't right."

Things went well for Cook after the first, when he gave up four hits. Brian McCann singled home Atlanta's first run, and with two out, Kotchman rifled an opposite-field two-run double down the left-field line.

"I would make that same pitch again," said Cook, who made his second unsuccessful attempt to win his 17th game and tie the single-season franchise record. "It was a slider down and away. I think he was trying to fight it off and ended up getting it down the left-field line.

"I felt I did a lot of things better today mechanically, staying back, finishing my pitches, getting down in the zone. But, unfortunately, you can lose games in the first inning. If I don't give up those three runs, it's a totally different ballgame and we're not talking about our loss. Probably would've won the game."

Maybe so, but it came down to a strange, discouraging finish, plate umpire Wally Bell, hands raised, calling a balk.

"When you lose a game, you want to get beat by a hit," Tulo- witzki said. "Or a home run, you can take a little easier. But when it's just kind of a mental mistake, it's just tough to take, but I'm sure (Buchholz) will learn from it, and it won't happen again."

• September 9, 2008

  11:26 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  fastnloose writes:

  Scale of 1 to 10:This season is a 4.Team capable of at least 6 or 7.At 6 level we win the division.Time for a change,no doubt!

• September 9, 2008

  11:52 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  RDenver writes:

  Typical of this Rockie season....1 out in the 7th....men on 1st and 2nd....Barmes has a 3-1 count....and decides to swing a a pitch outside the zone and hits into a inning ending double play. Rockies hitters have lacked so much discipline this season. Does the manager of this team (term used loosely) and his coaches have anything to say or do except make excuse after excuse? They are fundamentally a very bad team and that starts with Teflon Clintster!

• September 10, 2008

  5:31 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  piaresquared writes:

  Go Rockies! With a little more effort this season you may just approach being a pathetically below average .480 team!

• September 10, 2008

  7:56 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  1somelikeithot writes:

  I didn't read where Hurdle made any excuses (this time). From what I read he said, "The execution of the game starts with me and ends with me, and I'm responsible for it when things aren't right." But, no matter who is responsible, you gotta feel bad for Buckholz.

• September 10, 2008

  10:34 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  SDcat writes:

  Man, really too bad for Taylor. He really has been rock-solid for almost the entire year. But let's face it, he didn't single handedly lose this game. We committed 3 errors in addition to the balk.(Stewart's should have been 1 out at the very least.) We left runners on ,per usual,hit into a costly double play, and couldn't turn a DP when we needed to..(before Tulo's effort). ).

  I'm not throwing in the towel yet....and I don't agree with calls to dismantle the team...

  GO ROX!!

• September 10, 2008

  12:10 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  fastnloose writes:

  The absolute worst thing this team could do is to dismantle.Game strategy is hurting this team.We have enough good young tallent that other teams would love to have.

• September 10, 2008

  12:13 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  NorCalGuy writes:

  In a game like this it's never one thing that costs a team the game. There were a number of other things that contributed to the loss. This team is very close to being good for a long time and just need a few pieces to get there. Dismantle the team? I'll bet the owners of the Braves would swap franchises right now, as would about 15-20 other organizations. I'd take them in Northern California for the A's or Giants in a heartbeat. Don't be so down on the Rockies, they're going to be good for quite a while.

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