Phoenix – It looked like it was destined to be another Rockies meltdown in the desert.
But then again, maybe these aren’t the same old Rockies.
They staged their biggest comeback of the season Friday night, scoring four runs in the final two innings to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-4. Colorado entered the game with an 0-33 record when trailing on the road after seven innings. The also had lost six consecutive games at Bank One Ballpark.
But that all changed when sizzling-hot outfielder Matt Holliday crushed a two-run homer to deep left center in the eighth to tie the game at 4-all. Holliday has hit five homers in his past seven games and has 10 this season.
The Rockies won it in the ninth when Diamondbacks reliever Lance Cormier suffered a meltdown of his own. He surrendered a leadoff double to Rockies third baseman Garrett Atkins. Cormier then threw wildly into left field trying to nail Atkins at third after pinch-hitter Eddie Garabito laid down a nifty sacrifice bunt.
Atkins scored to make it 5-4 and Garabito moved to second on Cormier’s error. When Cormier tossed a wild pitch, Garabito moved to third. He scored on Cory Sullivan’s sacrifice fly to right and the Rockies led 6-4.
Colorado closer Brian Fuentes mowed down the Diamondbacks in the ninth – allowing only a harmless walk – to earn his 19th save of the season.
The Rockies’ comeback rescued a pretty night’s work from starter Aaron Cook. Cook threw six innings, allowing just one run on four hits. He walked two and struck out three. It was a gutsy performance by Cook and a vast improvement from his start last Saturday, when he allowed 11 hits and seven runs in 4 1/3 innings. That was Cook’s first major-league start since Aug. 7 of last year, when he was rushed to the hospital with blood clots in his lungs.
For the first six innings, Cook and Arizona starter Brandon Webb staged a pitchers’ duel. Webb, a sinkerball master who came into the game 3-0 vs. the Rockies this season, pitched seven strong innings and notched a season-high 10 strikeouts.
Double vision
When the Rockies host Florida on Monday in a doubleheader, they’ll be throwing two South Korean Kims at the Marlins.
Starting the first game will be right-hander Sun-Woo Kim, whom the Rockies claimed off waivers from the Washington Nationals on Friday.
Byung-Hyun Kim, fresh off a seven-inning, two-run performance Wednesday in San Francisco, will start the nightcap.
Sun-Woo Kim will fill a one-day void for the Rockies, but his long-term future in Colorado remains in question. Asked if Kim’s performance will be viewed as a tryout, Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said: “To stay at the major-league level, yes.”
Kim, 27, appeared in 12 games for the Nationals, including two starts. He was 1-2 with a 6.14 ERA. He opened the season with Triple-A New Orleans, where he was 4-2 with a 2.76 ERA.
Helton update
First baseman Todd Helton, on the 15-day disabled list for the first time in his career, will stay in Denver this weekend to rehabilitate his strained left calf muscle. The Rockies had considered sending him to Double-A Tulsa for a few games, but now figure he’ll heal quicker staying home.
Monday, Helton is scheduled to begin a Triple-A stint in Colorado Springs, when the Sky Sox host Memphis. Helton is eligible to rejoin the Rockies on Wednesday, but he might not be ready.
“He needs to be honest with us,” Hurdle said. “He’s played so many games hurt and so many games he shouldn’t have played. He wants to be back – he wants back yesterday – but there is a process we need to follow.
“We need to get him a few at-bats, to get his timing somewhat set, so that he can be competitive when he rejoins the team.”
Rockies head trainer Keith Dugger said Helton’s stint on the DL could be beneficial in the long run.
“Absolutely,” Dugger said. “He played through a lot of injuries early in the season. His hand hurt him and his lower back was a little stiff. But he worked through them. But maybe this will show him that sometimes you have to step back and fill up your gas tank.”
Staff writer Patrick Saunders can be reached at 303-820-5459 or at psaunders@denverpost.com.
