The incongruity is striking. The guy works hard, keeps his mouth shut and yet manages to attract attention for all the wrong reasons.
In two weeks, Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday lost his cleanup spot, missed a game with an illness and was benched for a baserunning mistake. All of this may make it appear that only the cast of “Desperate Housewives” has faced more crises.
Holliday, however, reacted calmly to the drama, his maturity outweighing slight anger. Before a boisterous, announced crowd of 23,206 at Coors Field, Holliday vented with his bat Saturday night, finishing a single shy of the cycle in the Rockies’ 10-6 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.
It was the Rockies’ first home victory since opening day and left them alone in first place in the National League West.
“It means more for the team than it does for me personally,” Holliday said. “I’d call what I have gone through a refinement period. I was reminded that I get to play a game that millions would love to and I don’t have to work a 9-to-5 job.
“It’s how you react to (adversity) that’s important.”
What made Holliday’s performance significant was not so much the damage he caused, but when he delivered. He smoked a three-run triple in the Rockies’ decisive five-run seventh inning. He doubled home a run in the first, tying the score. His five RBIs on Saturday were the most by a Rockie this season, an offensive revival he tied to a tip from hitting instructor Duane Espy about keeping his weight back longer.
“How many guys can hit a line drive 420 feet to the center-field fence?” said Rockies pitcher Jason Jennings, who grinded through a six-inning, four-run outing. “As a pitcher, you always have to be aware of him.”
The flogging of the Phillies is the type of performance the Rockies envisioned when they built their roster – a team capable of exploiting the Blake Street ballpark’s spacious grounds. Colorado’s lineup is built around scoring runs, not blasting home runs.
Through 11 games, the Rockies lead the majors with 55 extra-base hits, a startling statistic given they have hit only two homers at Coors Field. They are averaging 6.8 runs per game.
“It’s a lineup that can generate a lot of hits and make things happen,” said Phillies pitcher Jon Lieber, who was tagged for seven runs in 6 1/3 innings. “If they keep that nucleus, they are going to be a tough ballclub.”
The manner in which the Rockies are winning has given the 7-4 start substance.
They made five dazzling defensive plays Saturday, most notably from second baseman Luis Gonzalez. They have consistently protected leads and if not for baserunning gaffes easily could be 9-2.
In the seventh inning, the Rockies’ Ray King entered a tie game with runners on first and second, with no outs and no worries. The left-hander promptly induced a double-play groundball from Bobby Abreu and a weak out from Chase Utley, setting the stage for Holliday’s latest crush.
“I am not worried about what’s being written or said,” Holliday said. “I focus on what I can control, which is not a lot.”
Staff writer Patrick Saunders contributed to this report.
Staff writer Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-820-5447 or trenck@denverpost.com.
