St. Louis – Underneath the famous Arch on Saturday night, the Black Eyed Peas belted out “Let’s Get the Party Started.”
Their hip-hop hit unintentionally mocked the Rockies. For a clue to understanding why Colorado is historically bad on the road, start at the beginning. The Rockies have been outscored 27-2 in the first inning away from Coors Field, leaving them a dial-up team in a cable-modem world.
“Wow, it’s that bad?” said second baseman Aaron Miles, a regular first-inning batter from the No. 2 position. “It’s tough when you always put yourself in a hole. It’s not like at Coors Field, where we feel like we can always come back.”
Only twice this season have the Rockies scored in their first road at-bat, April 20 at Philadelphia and May 1 in Los Angeles. The Rockies split those games, and have gone 6-31 in all others.
Manager Clint Hurdle is aware of the numbing numbers. And with nearly half the season expired, he’s prepared to take chances, put more runners in motion and utilize additional bunts to apply pressure on defenses.
“Really,” Hurdle said, “we have nothing to lose.”
Outfielder Cory Sullivan, a frequent leadoff hitter, welcomes the subtle strategic shift. He is comfortable hitting deep in counts and profiles well in a small-ball attack because of his speed.
“If it’s what (Hurdle) wants, I am all for it,” Sullivan said.
Witasick escapes injury
In a season of weird injuries – namely Dustan Mohr’s celebratory calf pull and Clint Barmes’ deer meat fall – Jay Witasick barely avoided the disabled list after a freak accident Friday. Warming up in the outfield, pitcher Jamey Wright sailed a ball over Byung-Hyun Kim’s head and squarely into Witasick’s left foot.
X-rays on two badly bruised toes were negative, and Witasick had a scoreless inning Saturday night.
Trade talks take break
Trade discussions involving center fielder Preston Wilson have cooled and are not expected to warm up again until after the all-star break. The Rockies are seeking top-tier prospects and approximately $4 million in salary relief in a market in which it’s tough to accomplish both.
The Chicago Cubs want Wilson, but aren’t willing to meet the Rockies’ asking price, believing they have no competition for the veteran. The Yankees have kicked the tires about Wilson, but have pursued Mark Kotsay and Juan Encarnacion more aggressively, and interest from Baltimore and Washington has fizzled.
Chacon ready for return
Shawn Chacon made no secret about his displeasure with three rehabilitation starts, which appeared punitive given his repeated leg injuries. Chacon grinded through five Triple-A innings Friday, reached 96 pitches and convinced the Rockies he’s ready to rejoin the rotation tentatively Wednesday.
Hurdle declined to reveal whom Chacon will replace, but Kim’s Rockies career will likely reach an expiration date after he starts Monday. Hurdle said he would not use Kim in the bullpen.
