The testimonials came unsolicited, transforming the Rockies’ clubhouse into an infomercial.
Jamey Wright, eyes widening as he spoke, called it the “best game I have ever seen pitched at Coors Field.” Reliever Mike DeJean labeled it “special,” walking away shaking his head. Todd Helton said “that kind of pitching translates in any language.”
On a Saturday night when most fans wandered into the ballpark to hiss at Barry Bonds, Rockies pitcher Sunny Kim forced them to pay attention to him.
Kim stenciled a masterpiece on a canvas famous for hitters spraying graffiti, posting a 6-0 victory that shrank the Giants’ already slim chance of reaching the playoffs.
For San Francisco to advance, they will have to make unwanted history as the first team to qualify with a losing record.
To Kim’s list of admirable achievements – he appeared in the 1996 Olympics as an 18-year-old kid and has an honorary degree from Korea University (“My parents have it at their house,” he said with a smile) – he now has the credentials to claim the finest Rockies’ performance at Coors Field.
Not only did he become just the 11th Colorado pitcher to notch a complete-game shutout, his three hits were the fewest allowed in a blanking. None came courtesy of Barry Bonds, as the Giants fell to 7-2 when he’s in the lineup.
“That’s as good a game you will see here as long as the place stays,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “That was top-shelf.”
Kim was more consistent than Boulder’s atomic clock, as evidenced by catcher JD Closser. Kim didn’t shake him off once. He threw sliders to lefties. He busted hitters inside with a four-seam fastball, which topped out at 94 mph. He used his sinker to elicit groundballs.
And for good measure, he mixed in a changeup, wavering only briefly in the ninth inning as he grew dizzy from dehydration.
“He pretty much did what a pitching coach would preach,” Giants first baseman J.T. Snow said, “by throwing strikes and going in and out.”
Kim struck out three and walked just one in a 2-hour, 12-minute game. It was the first complete-game home shutout since John Thomson tamed the Brewers on Sept. 30, 2001. As a starter, Kim is 4-0 with a 3.60 ERA.
“He had everything working,” Closser said. “He could throw any pitch at any time.”
Nobody noticed when Kim was claimed off waivers Aug. 5 from the Washington Nationals. In seven weeks, he has evolved from an emergency fill-in to a candidate for the fourth or fifth spot in next year’s rotation.
“I don’t know why, but from the first time I got here I felt comfortable. Everyone here seemed like my friend,” Kim said. “I like it here.”
The club debated during last week’s organizational meetings whether Kim was better suited as a reliever, concerned about whether he could maintain his velocity. That issue is irrelevant when he possesses command of three pitches.
“I have never seen a game like that here,” Wright said. “Never.”
Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-820-5447 or trenck@denverpost.com.
