Exactly half a season from Tucson, the Rockies found their 2005 blueprint.
Remember Tucson? It was a place of cactus, calisthenics and eternal hope. The Rockies’ plan coming out of spring training was to be young and talented and win more games than expected. Jeff Francis was the most promising of the young, Todd Helton was the most accomplished of the not-so-young, and somehow, the Rockies were going to be competitive.
With 81 games down in a 162- game season, the Rockies got everything right in No. 82, ripping the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-1 before an appreciative Tuesday gathering of 20,063 at Coors Field.
“That’s how you draw up any game, when your starting pitcher takes you into the eighth and you score some runs,” Helton said.
On a warm summer night, the rookie Francis, 24, carried a shutout into the eighth, and an even younger rookie, 20-year-old Marcos Carvajal, came out of the bullpen to effectively finish.
More rookies shined for the Rockies in the batter’s boxes. Garrett Atkins and Brad Hawpe singled in the second and scored on JD Closser’s home run, giving Francis an early 3-0 lead.
Later, Helton padded the lead with a two-run homer that was only his seventh of the season, but 258th of his career, tying Larry Walker for the franchise record.
“I hope to play a little bit longer and hit a few more,” Helton said. “I don’t plan on stopping or anything, but I’ll probably look back on it someday and it’ll mean something.”
To begin the second half, it was all as it’s supposed to be. As for those first 81 games, the Rockies would rather move on. Setup reliever Jay Witasick showed up Tuesday with a shaved head.
“A new look for a new half of the season,” he said.
Perhaps a more effective cleansing from the Rockies’ first-half record of 28-53 was the gritty performance by the high-kicking Francis and the home run by the sweet-swinging Helton.
It took Helton longer than expected to catch Walker, his former teammate. It was his first homer in 61 at-bats, second in 160.
“I don’t think you’ll see Helton repeat those numbers in the second half what he put up in the first half,” Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said.
Francis (8-5) hardly appeared to be a shutout threat after allowing three hits in the first inning and two in the second. He had a seven-hitter one out into the fourth.
Battered, yes, but beaten? Not by this collection of reserves and recent Triple-A Las Vegas farmhands who now find themselves in the Dodgers’ lineup.
“He’s deceptive; he’s around the plate,” said Dodgers second baseman Jeff Kent, who suffered a strained hamstring while catching a popup in the third inning. “I could tell our guys were tired today, too. Getting in so late (from playing a Sunday night game in L.A.), altitude change, guys were struggling and going up against Jeff, who threw the ball well.”
Francis was able to get away with allowing seven hits through four innings because he didn’t issue a walk and all seven hits were singles.
“I probably had some things go my way in those first couple innings,” he said. “After those first two innings, I got a little better rhythm with my fastball and changeup and had some guys swinging over it, grounding over on it.”
Now the second half has begun.
“We still have a long ways to go,” Helton said. “There’s a lot of fundamentals of the game that we still don’t get done. If you’re going to become a good ballclub, you have to do the little things not just one out seven nights, but every night.”
ROCKIES RECAP
Atkins’ hot June worth league’s rookie award
Rockies third baseman Garrett Atkins was named National League rookie of the month after batting .364 with 26 RBIs in 27 June games. With Clint Barmes (fractured clavicle) likely out for the season, Atkins and teammate Jeff Francis are contending with Houston’s Willy Tavarez and the Dodgers’ Yhency Brazoban for NL rookie of the year. “We’re trying to prove to ourselves and to each other we belong here,” Atkins said about himself and his many rookie teammates. “We’re not concerned with individual awards.”
Choo derailed in Springs
The Rockies’ top outfield prospect, Jeff Salazar, was promoted to Triple-A Colorado Springs after center fielder Choo Freeman suffered a torn hamstring that will sideline him at least three weeks. There’s a chance Salazar, 24, could be promoted again later this month if the Rockies trade center fielder Preston Wilson, as expected.
Injury updates
Newly signed relief pitcher Mike DeJean has a uniform, a locker nameplate in the home clubhouse and a seemingly healthy right arm, but no immediate roster spot. After pitching a simulated game Tuesday, DeJean pronounced himself fit, but manager Clint Hurdle said he wanted to wait until today before deciding on a target date for the reliever’s return. Meanwhile, left fielder Matt Holliday (broken pinky finger) is beginning to hit and throw, but catcher Todd Greene’s torn hamstring is not healing as hoped.
Staff writer Mike Klis can be reached at 303-820-5440 or mklis@denverpost.com.
