Tucson – Saturday was a miserable day for baseball in the desert, but somebody had to take the field for the Rockies.
“As they say in the rodeo, sometimes you draw a tough bull. They drew a tough bull today,” manager Clint Hurdle said.
Most of the Rockies’ usual starters did not play, so the reserves persevered through a cold wind and spitting rain to beat the Chicago White Sox 5-4 in a B game at Hi Corbett Field.
“What could have been a wasted day turned into a very productive day,” Hurdle said.
The Rockies were scheduled to make the nearly three-hour bus ride to Surprise, Ariz., to play the Texas Rangers. But the Phoenix area – which had gone 143 days without measurable precipitation – got drenched, and the game was washed out. The Rockies and White Sox juggled their schedules and got their teams on the diamond before 11 a.m.
With standings unaffected by the outcome, the Rockies turned the game into a spring training experiment, testing out pickoffs, bunts, hit-and-runs and steals. The Rockies scored the deciding run in the eighth on a double steal that allowed Josh Wilson to steal home.
“We put a lot of plays up today,” Hurdle said. “We do that because we plan on using them during the season. A lot of other teams keep things saddled up and close to the hip. But we want to get everybody involved in game situations.”
Waiting game
Catcher Yorvit Torrealba, expected to battle Danny Ardoin for the starting catcher job, still has a sore throwing shoulder, and the injury is going to require more healing time.
Torrealba went 1-for-4 as a designated hitter Saturday but has caught only one spring game, Wednesday against Arizona. He was unable to throw hard, and it will be at least a few more days before he tries again.
“We are going to work on a throwing program until we feel that he can be functional behind the plate,” Hurdle said.
Hurdle said Torrealba might play in a minor-league game this week where he could catch in a more controlled environment.
Ardoin, meanwhile, is enjoying a terrific early spring. He’s hitting a team-high .583 and has played nearly flawless defense.
Footnotes
Right-hander Miguel Asencio, trying to regain his form after multiple elbow surgeries, got the start Saturday, pitching 3 2/3 innings and allowing three runs on four hits. He struggled with location and control and wasn’t nearly as sharp as he was Tuesday against the Royals. … Right-hander Zach Day, battling to be the fifth starter, is scheduled to throw against Oakland righty Chad Gaudin today at Hi Corbett Field.
