San Francisco – In two quick twitches of his right thumb, left fielder Matt Holliday capsulated the trip. It was swollen, sore and, for the time being, left him helpless.
Holliday, otherwise known as the only Rockie currently hitting, sat out Saturday’s game, unable to grip a bat after Jason Schmidt’s 94-mph fastball smashed his hand the night before.
Holliday leads the big leagues with a .413 average in May. No other Rockies starter is batting better than .283 this month and the team owns a .232 average, which goes a long way in explaining its winless road trip and why the Rockies are mulling personnel changes.
Saturday, the lineup changes were a reflection of health problems and ineffectiveness. Jamey Carroll returned to second, replacing Luis Gonzalez, who could go on the disabled list with inflammation in his wrists. Outfielder Ryan Spilborghs was a late scratch Saturday from Colorado Springs’ lineup, making him the prime candidate to fortify a depleted bench.
Eli Marrero started in left, JD Closser was behind the plate, and Choo Freeman took over in center field for Cory Sullivan, benched after an ill-advised throw Friday.
“We are short right now,” manager Clint Hurdle said, before adding, “We are considering a lot of things. We had a staff meeting to go over who could help us.”
Sullivan wasn’t surprised his name wasn’t on the lineup card. He has 15 hits in his past 77 at-bats, and his throw to third base in Friday’s fifth inning allowed the trail runner to advance to second, drawing Hurdle’s ire.
“We all make stupid plays, and that was one for me,” Sullivan said. “Plus, I (struck out) three times.”
For now, Clint Barmes remains at shortstop, though the team is growing increasingly concerned with his deep offensive funk. Among players with at least 160 at-bats, Barmes’ on-base percentage of .221 was the lowest in the major leagues going into Saturday. At some point he may require a Triple-A breather, but his defense has kept him in the lineup, general manager Dan O’Dowd said.
Barmes has committed just five errors, keeping Omar Quintanilla at bay in Triple-A.
“If I played another position or wasn’t doing as well with my glove, I probably would have been sent down,” Barmes said.
Added O’Dowd, “I am really proud of him. He has played his best (defense) since he’s been up here over the last three weeks.”
Footnotes
Catcher Yorvit Torrealba talked with Hurdle on Saturday and was told he would not be joining the team Monday. The Rockies want Torrealba to regain his timing at the plate since his offense is what the lineup desperately needs…. Top prospect Ian Stewart had an MRI on his left wrist, injured while diving for a groundball. Stewart, in Double-A, is considered day to day after the results were negative for a fracture….Sun-Woo Kim, on a short leash as the club explores trade offers, continues to struggle. If Kim doesn’t improve quickly – perhaps one or two more appearances – he could be traded or sent outright to Triple-A if he clears waivers.
Rockies recap
JD Closser’s return to the big leagues could be a cup of espresso, but he plans on enjoying each sip. His baggage removed, if not much of his weight, Closser started and starred Saturday.
Closser threw out Omar Vizquel in the first inning, significant since he didn’t erase a base-stealer last season until June 4. He nailed Randy Winn in the third, then drove in the Rockies’ only run with a sharp single to right field.
“I feel comfortable with who I am and the type of player I can be,” said Closser, his stay expected to be only until Yorvit Torrealba returns this week. “I might not be here long, but who knows what could happen.”
SHEALY STAYS PUT: The trade offers, including ones from the Chicago Cubs, haven’t been enticing enough for Ryan Shealy, leaving the Rockies inclined to keep the slugger until the market improves and they are more certain of Todd Helton’s health.
FROM THE Rx FILES: Luis Gonzalez, a candidate for the DL, was sent back to the team hotel to rest. He was given anti-inflammatories to ease the pain in his swollen wrists. “It’s really sore. I don’t know why it keeps happening. I never have this problem when I’m in Venezuela,” he said.
