Pittsburgh – Chest deep in a putrid losing streak, this was the last thing the Rockies needed to see. As they leaned over the dugout railing Tuesday night to watch the ceremonial first pitch, their eyes landed not on some Heinz executive, but Vinko Bogataj.
He is famous for spectacular failure, the ski jumper whose stomach-curdling wreck served as the “ABC’s Wide World of Sports” symbol for the agony of defeat. What, a black cat wasn’t available?
“I thought it was cool,” manager Clint Hurdle said with a smile. “I was clapping for him.”
Not even a man’s head bouncing off the snow on the video scoreboard could infect the Rockies’ brains as they erupted for a 13-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates, halting a season-high eight-game losing skid.
“It was great to finally break out,” said outfielder Matt Holliday, who delivered his 17th home run. “Hopefully, this is behind us and we can finally move forward.”
The Rockies spent the past 13 days in accelerated retreat, threatening to sabotage their season. They were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cincinnati Reds and lost Monday to the Pirates, the National League’s benchmark for futility.
The Colorado team that showed up Tuesday bore little resemblance to the club that plunged to last place in the NL West. Most notably, the Rockies hit with runners in scoring position, a haunting failure during this streak.
Starting in the second inning, they shoved across three runs off rookie Tom Gorzelanny, boosted by sacrifice flies from Luis Gonzalez and Jamey Carroll.
The fist unclenched, the Rockies mauled Gorzelanny in the third, sprinting to a 7-0 lead. Rockies catcher Yorvit Torrealba, using the same stroke he displayed in batting practice, laced a two-run double to right field.
“It’s hard to explain. It just felt so easy,” Torrealba said after the Rockies went 4-for-11 with runners in scoring position after going 3-for-36 the previous three games. “It’s about time we got it going. Our starting pitching has been so good. We can never complain about what they’ve done.”
Jeff Francis extended the rotation’s remarkable run. With Jason Bay the only Pirates hitter with a clue against him (7-for-9 including Tuesday’s RBI double), Francis sawed through the Pirates’ lineup for seven innings. He earned the Rockies’ first win since July 5, a remarkable drought given the rotation’s ERA is 3.03 in that span.
So, will Francis divide this victory like so many pieces of a Primanti Brothers sandwich?
“I am keeping it,” Francis said. “If we keep pitching this way, we should be able to go on a winning streak.”
It’s hard to underestimate the importance of this victory. For a team stocked with players who have never been to the playoffs, Tuesday helped replace doubt with confidence.
“Good teams find a way to deal with (a skid). We have younger players who are cutting teeth, playing meaningful games for the first time at this point in a season,” Hurdle said. “But if you told me we’d be five games out on July 18, I would take that in a heartbeat.”
This isn’t to suggest, he explained, the Rockies are over their skis. They expect better. Overcoming the influence of Bogataj, an icon for bad luck and misfortunate, is nothing if not a start.
Staff writer Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-820-5457 or trenck@denverpost.com.
