Los Angeles – The noise reverberated throughout the stadium, so loud it was impossible to think. What happened to the Rockies on a cool Tuesday night was impossible to miss.
In a game featuring unusual intensity for April, the outcome turned on two moments, both of which worked against the Rockies. As such they became 2-1 losers to the Dodgers, and reunited with mediocrity.
That the Rockies are 4-4 is hard to fathom, given that their starting pitchers continue to punch the clock for six innings. But Rodrigo Lopez could only watch, helplessly chewing on a paper cup as the bullpens were left in charge. Somehow Joe Beimel slithered out of a bases-loaded jam, inducing a doubleplay cue ball from Matt Holliday. Byung-Hyun Kim wasn’t as fortunate. After working a scoreless seventh, he opened the eight with a walk.
It was a precursor to trouble. Juan Pierre, who worked on his swing four hours before the game, deposited a single, leaving runners on first and third. Manager Clint Hurdle stuck with Kim against Russell Martin. The catcher smoked a flyball to left field, ushering home the winning run.
His effort would have been irrelevant if not for Beimel’s escape. After walking Todd Helton to load the bases, Beimel faced Holliday. The numbers titled in the Rockies’ favor, given that Holliday torched left-handers last season at a .327 clip. However, he inexplicably ticked a changeup off the end of his bat, making his demise as simple as 1-2-3. Beimel tossed to the catcher, Martin, who erased Holliday by a foot at first base.
With a win, the Rockies would have matched their victory total at Dodger Stadium.
All signs pointed toward a victory early. Lopez spent part of Tuesday smiling, chatting with his agent Scott Boras. If Lopez continues to pitch like has his first two outings, he’s going to be in line for a huge contract. Lopez has exceeded expectations, eating innings and working more efficiently than a metronome. He suffocated the Dodgers, yielding just one run on five hits in six hits. He has thrown just 144 pitches in 13 innings.
Unlike his debut, the satisfaction came in the work, not the result. He left trailing, outpitched by Mr. Multi-task Brett Tomko.
Tomko spent part of Tuesday engaged in an online chat for the team’s website. Earlier this season, he sketched a portrait of Jackie Robinson that will be handed out to fans on Sunday. His outing Tuesday was nothing short of a masterpiece.
Dodgers manager Grady Little expected no more than five innings from the right-hander, idle for two weeks since spring training.
Mixing in a 91-mph fastball with a with an 80-mph changeup, Tomko didn’t allow hit through four innings. He finished with nine strikeouts through six innings, leaving the bullpen to throw tartar sauce on his Mona Lisa. But after catcher Yorvit Torrealba plated the tying run off Chad Billingsley, Beimel executed his magic trick.
Staff writer Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com.
