St. Louis –They arrive four hours earlier, circling the park, buying souvenirs, gazing at monuments. When Busch Stadium is full, as it was Saturday night, it resembles a bloodshot eye, streaming in red.
The organist receives loud ovations. The manager is the subject of a brisk-selling book. And the piano bar down the street changes the lyrics of Don McLean’s “American Pie” from “the three men I admire most, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost to … Larry Walker, Jim Edmonds and Albert Pujols.”
Other than that, it’s just another baseball town. So imagine the sellout crowd’s disappointment on a postcard evening as the Cardinals fell 3-1 to the Rockies, heretofore baseball’s homecoming team.
“We are different now in so many ways. It’s not just one area or one player,” said outfielder Brad Hawpe, who provided a critical two-run single. “We are getting better.”
History comes to life when the Rockies play on the road, each loss forcing computers to reboot and research baseball’s archives. Only four teams have started worse than 7-32 Colorado in visiting parks.
This game, however, was memorable for its performance, not musty records. With Jamey Wright as the anchor and Dan Miceli the rudder in a turbulent seventh inning, the Rockies provided three hours of captivating theater.
As a result, they woke up this morning in position to win their first road series since Sept. 3-5 at San Diego. How did this happen, a Rockies team refusing to blink against the National League’s reigning bully?
The seventh provided an explanation. Wright started the inning and would have finished if not for Eddy Garabito’s fielding error followed by an umpire’s gaffe at his expense. He booted a groundball then allegedly failed to tag a runner – “I got him, no doubt,” Garabito said – which left Miceli shielding a 3-0 lead with bases loaded.
He walked Edmonds, a consolation prize of sorts given that the slugger hit a walk-off homer off him the last time they squared off in Game 6 of the NLCS. A month ago, the Rockies would have lost following this misstep.
“I don’t think about the past, what happened to me or the team,” Miceli said.
Instead Miceli, part of a revamped bullpen that includes only two members from opening day (Brian Fuentes and Marcos Carvajal) steeled his nerves. With the noise of 47,913 fans reaching a crescendo, he induced a popup from Pujols then speared Walker’s comebacker to douse the rally.
“I got a pitch to hit and I rolled over on it a little bit,” Walker said. “Danny made a good play.”
The Rockies’ offense, much maligned in visiting parks, provided a cushion. With two outs in the sixth, Hawpe, who has enjoyed his finest defensive series of the season, smoked a single to right field, lifting his rookie-best RBIs total to 37.
While manager Clint Hurdle will reconfigure the rotation after the break to feature Jason Jennings and Jeff Francis at the top, Wright has cemented his spot. He is 3-3 over his past seven starts with a 2.93 ERA.
It was left to Fuentes, who will be named the Rockies’ all-star today, to draw out the Cardinals’ final breath. A double-play groundball from Pujols.
“We can’t worry about our road record, what we have done. We have to focus on what we can still do, ” Fuentes said.
Rockies recap
First, the bad news. Todd Helton, who concedes he doesn’t deserve the all-star berth that will go to reliever Brian Fuentes today, hasn’t gone deep in 14 games.
He trails Preston Wilson, Garrett Atkins and Clint Barmes, out since June 5, in home runs. The good news is that the darkness surrounding his season is lifting. Helton extended his hitting streak to 11 games Saturday, banging out a first-inning double in a 3-for-3 night.
“I am surprised at his numbers,” said former teammate Larry Walker. “But he’s going to hit.”
Signs, Signs: Jorge Piedra committed two mistakes in the fifth inning, missing a hit-and-run sign that led to an out, then questioning first-base coach Davey Collins as he ran off the field. Collins and Piedra discussed the issue in the dugout moments later.
Home on the range: The Rangers are interested in signing former Rockies’ No. 1 pick Matt Roney, a pitcher who became a free agent earlier this week.
Going Gonzo: Shortstop Luis Gonzalez made two throws to erase runners at the plate and second base in the first four innings.
Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-820-5457 or trenck@denverpost.com.
