The look of disbelief was more eloquent than anything that could be said. Matt Holliday sat at home plate, eyes wide with shock.
He was out. And in that moment, the Rockies, frozen in an offensive slump, essentially lost.
“I was safe,” Holliday said, his point proved by still pictures taken of the seventh-inning play. “I know that umpires have a tough job and they make mistakes just like the rest of us. But I was safe.”
That the tag was so important to the outcome reflects how poorly the Rockies are hitting. Holliday stood at first base Sunday with no outs when Garrett Atkins doubled to left center. Third-base coach Mike Gallego chose to be aggressive, sending Holliday home. Florida catcher Matt Treanor glanced up the line and braced for the collision.
Instead came Rockies frustration.
Holliday made a hook slide and reached around Treanor’s leg to touch the plate with his left hand. Umpire Jeff Nelson didn’t hesitate, calling Holliday out. So rather than having runners at second and third, Atkins sat at second with one out as the rally quickly fizzled.
“It was the right play to send him because he was safe,” said Rockies manager Clint Hurdle, tossed after a disputed call moments later at first base. “There were three bad calls that went against us. I went out there because enough was enough.”
Seconds for Quintanilla
Shortstop Omar Quintanilla may have the softest hands in the organization, but his pregame practice focused on footwork. With Hurdle initially planning to use Quintanilla at second base, the prospect worked on his double-play routine.
“That’s the biggest change because as a shortstop you are always coming through the bag,” said Quintanilla, whose ability to play either middle infield spot will free Jamey Carroll to spell Atkins periodically at third base. “Wherever they put me is fine.”
Gallego talked with Quintanilla about keeping everything simple and stressed the importance of his positioning. Explained Gallego, “The key is balance.”
Mesa, Pirates don’t mix
Rockies reliever Jose Mesa had 70 saves for the Pirates over the previous two seasons, but he had no interest in closing his career with Pittsburgh. His relationship with the team soured after he temporarily lost his ninth-inning job.
“It went downhill. They asked me to pitch in the sixth inning,” Mesa said of the Pirates, who begin a three-game series at Coors Field tonight. “They didn’t want me anymore, and there was no way I was going back.”
Footnotes
The Marlins want to avoid something fishy during their three-game series in San Francisco that starts tonight. After the Rockies and Cardinals watched 31 players and staff members become ill following visits to AT&T Park, the health department sanitized the visiting team’s clubhouse. The Marlins briefly considered wearing surgical masks. The cause has not been determined, though the affected clubs believe it was viral, rather than food poisoning. … An MRI confirmed a strained ligament in catcher Danny Ardoin’s left knee. “It was good news. No surgery,” said Ardoin, who won’t begin a rehab assignment for at least another week, if not longer. … After reading in The Denver Post about the Rockies’ use of iPods as a video tool for their players, the Marlins plan to implement the technology when they return from their road trip.
