San Francisco – The Bay Area media couldn’t get enough of Rockies catcher Yorvit Torrealba before Saturday’s game.
The angle everyone was fishing for was obvious: How satisfying was it to beat his old team with a three-run homer Friday?
But Torrealba, who labored 11 years in the Giants organization but never got the starting job, didn’t take the bait. Instead of saying how much he loved sticking it to San Francisco, he simply said he was happy.
“For me, it’s about playing the game and helping my team. That’s huge,” he said.
During the past month, Torrealba has developed into the run producer the Rockies had been desperately lacking in the bottom of their order. He’d driven in 32 runs in 40 games, 18 of his RBIs coming with two out. He’s now hitting sixth in the order, behind the big three of Garrett Atkins, Matt Holliday and Todd Helton.
“They found out last night why he’s hitting after Helton,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “He’s been our best RBI guy down there.”
Barmes bunts
Hurdle says bunting is a lost art, but lately, shortstop Clint Barmes has been laying them down as if he were Picasso. Barmes has 16 sacrifice bunts, tied with teammate Cory Sullivan for most in the National League.
“It’s not something I did much of in the minor leagues, but it’s something I knew I had to get better at and make it part of my game,” Barmes said. “I always had the confidence that I could get a sacrifice down when I needed to. It’s been more of a struggle to put a bunt down for a hit on a consistent basis.”
Hurdle said the Rockies’ improved starting pitching makes it imperative that players execute bunts when called upon.
“We have the pitching now where one more run really makes a difference,” Hurdle said. “Bunting enables them to have one more club in their bag.”
Bonds on Bonds
“There were two unprofessional people out there at that moment. He was very unprofessional and so was I. What happens on the field stays on the field, and that’s all I have to say about that,” Giants slugger Barry Bonds said, after being tossed Friday night for arguing with home-plate umpire Ron Kulpa.
Rockies recap
It was a picture-postcard evening Saturday at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Too bad Rockies manager Clint Hurdle couldn’t stick around to enjoy it. Hurdle was ejected in the top of the sixth inning after verbally pushing plate umpire Dan Iassogna a little too far. The argument began when Iassogna called out Rockies shortstop Clint Barmes for interfering with Giants catcher Todd Greene.
Barmes took a lunging swing at Noah Lowry’s pitchout and hit Greene’s mitt. Hurdle argued that Barmes was still in the batter’s box when he took his swing. Replays showed Barmes was, indeed, still in the box. But the question was whether Barmes’ late swing hindered Greene’s ability to catch the ball. Hurdle lost the argument and got ejected for good measure.
QUALITY STARTS: When veteran Jason Jennings pitched past the sixth inning Saturday, it marked the eighth consecutive game a Rockies starting pitcher produced a quality start (six innings pitched, three or fewer earned runs allowed). The eight-game streak is a franchise record.
BONDS WATCH: With his RBI double in the first inning Saturday, San Francisco’s Barry Bonds drove in the 1,900th run of his career, tied Wade Boggs for 16th on the all-time career doubles list (578) and recorded the 1,378th extra-base hit of his career, moving past Stan Musial into second place in baseball history. Henry Aaron holds the record with 1,477 extra-base hits.
