San Francisco – Three hours before the first pitch, Scott Dohmann stared helplessly at the computer screen in the Rockies’ clubhouse. He found it hard to believe the pictures, only rooftops peeking above the submerged city of New Orleans.
As he spoke, it was obvious something was missing, that he was hurting. His family was safe, he said thankfully. But his grandmother’s home was destroyed, washed away by the force of Hurricane Katrina.
“It’s all gone, just gone,” Dohmann said. “It’s been an emotional day for everyone. As a kid there’s no safer place than going to your grandma’s. There’s nothing left.”
The Rockies played a road game Tuesday against the San Francisco Giants, turning in a decent effort before dissolving in the eighth inning for a 4-3 loss.
Reliever Mike DeJean absorbed the defeat, undermined by a two-out walk and a mental mistake by third baseman Garrett Atkins, whose ill-advised throw after a diving catch pushed across the deciding run.
The rare late-inning miscues rendered Todd Helton’s 15th home run meaningless and prevented Aaron Cook from winning his fourth consecutive start. Colorado, 5-3 on the trip, can claim its fifth consecutive road series today.
“I feel bad because Cookie pitched so well,” DeJean said.
For four Rockies, thinking about winning and losing for three hours was a welcome distraction.
Outfielder Dustan Mohr spent Tuesday unnerved and worried. Relatives reached him and said his parents were fine, but Mohr has not spoken to them since the storm ravaged Hattiesburg, Miss., a hometown he shares with Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre.
“It’s not a good feeling, I will tell you that,” Mohr said.
Catcher Danny Ardoin’s family was spared the hurricane’s wrath. They live in central Louisiana. Watching the news clips still tugged at Ardoin, who talks in a Southern drawl and often talks proudly of his home state.
“The word that everyone seems to use in describing it is chaotic,” Ardoin said. “You see the damage and it’s really hard to believe. The state’s never going to be the same.”
The Rockies have partnered with the McCormick Tribune Foundation to raise money for the Hurricane Katrina relief campaign, matching 50 cents on the dollar for the first $1 million. Information can be found on the team’s website.
DeJean labored through the eighth, creating trouble by walking Pedro Felix with two out. Ray Durham doubled him home and later scored on Edgardo Alfonzo’s groundball to Atkins.
It was DeJean’s second loss since joining the Rockies. But it was still just a game. Most of DeJean’s family is in Louisiana.
“I haven’t been able to get ahold of anyone, so it’s tough,” DeJean said. “It wasn’t on my mind when I was out there. But when you get back in here, it puts everything in perspective. All you can do is pray for everyone.”
Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-820-5447 or trenck@denverpost.com.
