Cincinnati – The best vehicle to drive home a point about the Rockies, naturally, is a car rental skit from “Seinfeld.” Jerry loses patience with an agent, with confusion turning to anger when he’s left without a ride. Anyone can take a reservation, he explains; holding it is the key.
So it is with the Rockies. They can take a lead like nobody’s business. Keeping it is another story. They have led in 31 of their 58 losses, only to invent ways to aggravate ulcers.
None gnawed at their gut more than Saturday night. The Rockies coughed up four leads over the final five innings in a stinging 7-6 defeat against the Cincinnati Reds.
“It seems like we continue to have this same conversation,” first baseman Todd Helton said. “Obviously, that’s a game we have to win.”
With each loss, history provides misery, a daily reminder of just how poorly things have gone away from Coors Field. Colorado is one of only six teams since 1900 and only the second in the past 70 years to begin a season 7-35 or worse on the road. They haven’t won a series in a visiting park since Sept. 3-5 at San Diego.
The 1963 Mets were the last to be draped in such ineptitude. That team had comedic value. The Rockies tilt more toward a tease, staying competitive before sabotaging themselves in the most critical moments.
In that vein, Saturday was maddening. The Rockies squandered leads in the fourth, fifth, sixth and eighth innings. Dan Miceli was an easy target for blame, failing in the eighth while filling a role previously occupied by the since-traded Jay Witasick.
Rusty from the all-star break, Miceli repeatedly left split-fingered pitches over the plate that Adam Dunn, Wily Mo Peña and Ray Olmedo, responsible for driving in the winning run, deposited for doubles.
Truth is, there were numerous fingerprints connected to this loss. Jeff Francis, a leading candidate for rookie of the year and the only Rockies starter with a winning record, went haywire. After retiring the first nine batters in order, he watched a three-run lead dissolve in the fourth.
“You look at our biggest wins this season, when we got ahead we were able to put up a zero,” Francis said. “To not do that twice is frustrating.”
Zach Day shared a similar experience across the clubhouse. He made his Rockies debut, pitching in his hometown in front of about 40 family members and friends. The memory will be stained by a single run derived from a leadoff walk and passed ball, a scoring decision manager Clint Hurdle labeled “a brutal call.”
“When a team is going bad, things like this happen,” Day said. “And the Reds just kept coming back. It doesn’t hurt playing here. With the way the ball carries, I would put this place up against Coors Field in a heartbeat.”
The Rockies’ challenges on the road have long been more daunting than finding a rest stop or avoiding a speed trap. Scoring runs remains the most obvious problem, but they took advantage of Great American Ball Park. Five players had at least two hits, including rookie Ryan Spilborghs.
Hurdle recited them from his scorecard, trying to explain how it still didn’t add up.
“We didn’t pitch well off the mound and made too many mistakes,” he said. “We are not good enough to not execute and win.”
Rockies recap
Outfielder Eric Byrnes turns glances into stares, playing full-throttle with a Jeff Spicoli mane. Several teams have called the Rockies about trading for him, and the Yankees, Cubs, Braves, Astros and Indians are among those seeking outfield help. “I don’t even want to think about that. I am just happy to be here with an opportunity to play,” said Byrnes, who had an RBI double in the fourth inning and singled home a run in the seventh. “I can’t explain what happened in Oakland. It was frustrating. Nobody likes to sit on the bench.” Added former college teammate Garrett Atkins, “I have never seen anyone with an energy level like his.”
GONZO’S SHORT STORY: Luis Gonzalez started his fourth consecutive game at shortstop. Desi Relaford is battling a sinus infection and hitless in 26 at-bats. The Rockies are hoping Gonzalez proves reliable defensively. Otherwise acquired prospect Omar Quintanilla could get a look next month, with Clint Barmes still hoping to return in early September.
SPILBORGHS’ DEBUT: Of his rocket ride through the Rockies’ minor-league system, outfielder Ryan Spilborghs said, “I dealt with a ton of failure last year and it taught me what I am good at.”
Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-820-5447 or trenck@denverpost.com.
