A cool, damp day took some of the bite out of Coors Field.
Jamey Wright pitched six-hit ball into the eighth inning and Garrett Atkins hit a two-run homer to help the Rockies beat the Detroit Tigers 2-0 on Friday, matching the lowest-scoring game in Coors Field’s 11-year history.
“I’d marvel at it a little bit more if it was a bright, sunny day and the wind was blowing out, but I’m going to marvel at it anyway because the ball can find the seats in this ballpark pretty easily at times,” Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. “We pitched very well today, as did they. We just pitched better than they did.”
Heavy rain delayed the game’s start 56 minutes, and it was still cold and wet once things got underway – ideal pitching conditions at Coors.
Neither team could get much going against the other’s starter, with the game remaining scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning. That’s when Atkins lifted a changeup by Mike Maroth (4-7) over the wall in right-center for a two-run homer.
The crowd kept waiting for something else to happen, but nothing did.
Colorado managed just seven hits and was 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Detroit also had seven hits and had just two runners get past second base.
The result was the third two-run game at Coors Field since it opened in 1995 and first since Colorado’s 2-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 9, 2002. Atlanta beat the Rockies by the same score on June 16, 1995.
“This is surprising to get shut out here,” Tigers manager Alan Trammell said. “I would have not expected that, that’s for sure.”
Wright (4-5) didn’t give the Tigers many chances, getting 11 outs on groundballs and allowing one runner past second base. He was lifted with one out in the seventh inning after giving up consecutive singles to Nook Logan and pinch-hitter Chris Shelton.
Jay Witasick, Wright’s replacement, got Brandon Inge to ground out and struck Placido Polanco, who was 1-for-4 in his Tigers debut, to end the inning. Brian Fuentes pitched the ninth inning to complete the 27th shutout in Coors Field history – 15th combined – and earn his sixth save.
“It was a very well-pitched game by us throughout the ballgame,” Hurdle said. “A 2-0 game, those are fun to have.”
Maroth wasn’t bad, either. Making his 100th career start, he allowed seven hits and two runs in seven innings.
Colorado had runners at the corners with no outs against Maroth in the second inning, but the left-hander got Desi Relaford and Danny Ardoin on infield popups and Wright on a groundout to escape the jam. Maroth also left two on in fourth by getting Ardoin to hit a weak grounder to first before being caught by surprise by Atkins’ homer in the sixth.
“I thought it was a popup, to tell you the truth,” Maroth said.
