If the Rockies’ catcher of the future had stars in his eyes and pterodactyls flying in his stomach, he didn’t show it Sunday afternoon at Coors Field.
Making his major-league debut, Chris Iannetta, 23, just two months removed from Double-A, went 1-for-4 with an RBI against the San Diego Padres. His first big-league hit came in the fifth inning when he singled off Jake Peavy, driving in Brad Hawpe from second base to give the Rockies a 6-0 lead.
“I tried to trick myself into not being too nervous,” he said. “I was just happy to get out there and play the game.”
The best part of Iannetta’s afternoon was teaming up with starter Aaron Cook to limit the Padres to two hits and no runs through the first six innings.
“He’s a very good receiver,” Cook said. “We were very comfortable together out there.”
Said Iannetta: “Cookie pitched a great game. Anytime a pitcher has that much command, it makes it easy out there for a catcher.”
Iannetta’s first big-league at-bat came in the second inning with one out and Matt Holliday standing on third. On the seventh pitch from Peavy, Iannetta drilled a line drive straight into first baseman Adrian Gonzalez’s glove. In the fourth, Iannetta came up with the bases loaded and nobody out. He struck out on a foul tip. Asked if he was swinging for a debut grand slam, the rookie laughed and said, “No, you’ve got to crawl before you can walk.”
His RBI single in the fifth was a hot smash through the box into center field. It came on a 3-2 count.
Cold to hot
Center fielder Cory’s Sullivan’s season has been a wild ride. Mixed in with his highlight-reel catches and 10 triples is the gnawing fact that he strikes out a high percentage of the time (90 strikeouts in 347 at-bats). But Sunday was the kind of day that makes Sullivan so intriguing. He snapped an 0-for-10 skid by going 3-for-4 with a career-high three RBIs.
Manager Clint Hurdle said better discipline at the plate would shape Sullivan’s career path.
“I think that will be a big part of what Cory turns out to be as a player,” Hurdle said. “If the discipline is not there, he’s going to turn into a part-time outfielder and a defensive specialist. We have had that conversation. That’s the big challenge at this level.”
Footnote
Further proof that the Rockies need to score more runs to become a legitimate contender comes from this glaring statistic: They have scored two runs or fewer 42 times in 130 games (32.3 percent), going 3-39 in those games. The Cubs are the only major-league team with a worse track record: 3-41 in 44 games.
Rockies recap
Lost in the dust of the Rockies’ recent skid is the continued power display by left fielder Matt Holliday. He hit his team-high 24th homer of the season, a two-run shot in the fifth off San Diego starter Jake Peavy. Holliday has hit safely in 14 of his past 16 games, at a .404 clip, raising his average from .320 to .330. Holliday has homered in four of his past 10 games against the Padres.
FUENTES RETURNS: After missing the past two games to attend his grandfather’s funeral in California, closer Brian Fuentes was back in action. He gave up a home run to Brian Giles in the ninth inning, the third homer he has allowed to a left-handed batter this season. Giles’ homer also ended Fuentes’ scoreless streak at 15 innings, the longest such streak of Fuentes’ career.
HARD-LUCK JAKE: Rockies starter Jason Jennings isn’t the only pitcher who gets lousy run support. In five of his past eight starts, the Padres failed to score while he was still in the game. Peavy lost his 13th game of the season, matching his total for the previous two seasons combined.
BEATING THE PADRES: Although the Rockies have stumbled against the National League West this season (25-30), they improved to 10-6 against San Diego and clinched the season series for the fourth time in the past five years. The teams have a three-game set remaining, in San Diego from Sept. 4-6.
