For outfielder Cory Sullivan, every game is an audition for a role as the Rockies’ starting center fielder in 2006.
After Sunday’s afternoon audition, the reviews were worthy of a summer blockbuster.
“He can play an amazing center field,” right fielder Brad Hawpe said.
“Cory Sullivan had just about as good a day as you can have in the big leagues, on both sides of the ball,” said manager Clint Hurdle, who recently issued a challenge to Sullivan to become a better player.
Here’s a breakdown of Sullivan’s performance:
He smashed a double to right field to open the 10th inning and scored the winning run on Hawpe’s single, giving the Rockies a 7-6 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. It meant a three- game sweep for Colorado, its first over the Dodgers since May 27-29, 2003.
He had a career-high four hits, including a two-run triple in the third inning to give the Rockies a 2-0 lead.
He made a number of excellent defensive plays, but his running grab, near the wall in deep center in the eighth off a shot by Los Angeles’ Ricky Ledee, was highlight-reel stuff. The catch saved two runs and likely the game. It also sparked a standing ovation from the crowd and high-fives from teammates when Sullivan returned to the dugout.
“When he hit it, I didn’t even think about catching it,” Sullivan said. “I just took off as hard as I could. About four steps from catching it, I thought, ‘I have a chance.’ Then I looked at the wall and fortunately I had a step before the wall and was able to get there.”
Hurdle’s point of view has been that Sullivan, who raised his average to .274 on Sunday, was not fulfilling his potential. And with Larry Bigbie, and possibly a free agent, in the mix for center field next season, Hurdle wasn’t subtle about getting his message across to Sullivan. He even suggested that perhaps Sullivan should play winter ball.
“He was challenged,” Hurdle said. “He’s got skills, but I told him they weren’t playing out. And if the skills he has don’t play out here, he would have to play Triple-A next year. It’s very black and white. And maybe the idea of winter ball spurred him on to have a good September.”
Said Sullivan: “It was a kick in the pants. That’s kind of the way I took it, and I used it as motivation.”
Sunday’s roundabout victory was big not only for Sullivan, but for the team, which has won 10 of 14 games. The win, combined with the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 2-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs, means the Rockies no longer are sole owners of the National League’s worst record.
Pittsburgh and Colorado are 55-81.
Behind a solid performance from first-time starter Zach Day, the Rockies led 6-2 after six innings. But that lead vanished quickly in the seventh when Dodgers second baseman Jeff Kent sent reliever David Cortes’ 2-0 fastball into the left-field stands for a grand slam.
But the Rockies regrouped and held on for their fourth win in seven extra-inning games this season.
“I think this team is finally starting to show its character,” Hawpe said. “Maybe we wouldn’t have won this game earlier in the season.”
Hurdle was more blunt, saying, “There were games earlier in the season when we would have crumbled like a house of cards.”
Day, who prepared for his first start with Rockies by pitching seven games for Triple-A Colorado Springs, threw five innings, allowing two earned runs off seven hits. Hurdle lifted Day after five innings because Day’s pitches were beginning to come up in the zone.
“My goal was to beat their starting pitcher (Edwin Jackson, who allowed six runs in five innings) and keep our team in the game,” Day said. “I think I did that. It was good to contribute to the team and this win.”
Staff writer Patrick Saunders can be reached at 303-820-5459 or psaunders@denverpost.com.
