Catch the daily spring training roundup each afternoon from Rockies beat writers Troy E. Renck and Patrick Saunders in Tucson. You’ll find insider information on players and what the team is working on as they get ready for the 2007 season. Check every afternoon for the Rockies Rundown.
Rockies No. 3 starter Rodrigo Lopez’s spring numbers have been shaky, so he was searching for stability in this morning’s B-game against the White Sox. He found it.
“He cruised,” said one scout, who consistently clocked Lopez at 88-91 mph.
The right-hander pitched seven innings, allowing two runs on five hits. He struck out four and walked none. Most important, he kept the ball down, something he’s struggled to do much of the spring.
Lopez entered the game with a 9.00 ERA with opponents batting .352 against him.
The desert scene
Rookie shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, named starting shortstop on Friday, got another boost this afternoon prior to the Rockies’ final spring game at Hi Corbett Field. “Tulo” was named winner of the 2007 Abby Greer Award as the Rockies’ spring training MVP.
Tulowitzki entered today’s game against Arizona hitting .342 with five doubles and six RBIs. Previous winners of the award were Luis Gonzalez (2004), Cory Sullivan (2005) and Ian Stewart (2006).
Greer was a 6-year-old girl who lost her life in an accident on Aug. 26, 2002. The award in her honor is a mountain-shaped flagstone with this inscription: “This annual award, presented at the conclusion of spring training, is dedicated to the memory of a young Rockies fan, Abby Greer. The recipient of this award best represents Abby’s love of the game, her pursuit of perfection and her desire to be the best she could be, whether it was climbing trees or playing sports.”
Inside the game
Left-handed reliever Tom Martin didn’t have to look at the numbers to know he’s struggling.
“I’m worse this spring than I was last spring,” he said.
Last year, Martin rallied in his final two spring appearances, finished with a 4.91 ERA and made the 25-man roster. Currently, his ERA sits at an ugly 14.73 and four of the nine hits against him have been home runs.
“I need to make some changes if I want to get better,” he said Saturday. “I’m working on my delivery, trying to go more from the side. It’s helped me before, so we’ll see.”
Martin’s motion is typically three-quarters from the top, although he through sidearm on occasion last season.
“I think the sidearm gives me a little more movement,” he said. “I was throwing it the other day and it just dipped, kind of fell off the table. It kind of surprised me to tell you the truth.”
The Rockies have guaranteed Martin $800,000 this season, but if the tweaked delivery doesn’t fix his problem, the Rockies won’t hesitate to bring up left-hander Mike Gallo, a non-roster player recently reassigning to Triple-A.
Staff Writer Patrick Saunders can be reached at 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com
