With a daunting trip to the Big Apple staring them in the face and an ugly, three-game losing streak sitting heavy on their shoulders, the Rockies needed a special performance Sunday afternoon.
Rookie pitcher Jason Hirsh gave it to them. The rookie right-hander out-Madduxed Greg Maddux for the second time this season as the Rockies beat the San Diego Padres 4-2 at Coors Field.
Creatively mixing his fastball, curve and changeup, Hirsh allowed two earned runs on just four hits in seven innings. Hirsh struck out seven and walked two, improving to 2-1 and whittling his ERA to 3.16.
“Tip your hat to the other guy,” said Maddux, the four-time Cy Young winner. “He’s not afraid to throw his slow pitches when he’s behind in the count.”
Hirsh’s only major mistake was giving up a leadoff homer to Khalil Greene in the seventh, but Hirsh responded by striking out the side.
Padres hitters – who scalded Colorado pitching for 32 combined hits in 11-1 and 7-3 victories in the first two games of the series – were particularly impressed with Hirsh’s ability to make his changeup appear it was going to be a fastball. Rockies manager Clint Hurdle simply called the pitch “filthy.”
Hirsh said the changeup also provides a fringe benefit.
“It helps me with my mechanics, because I have to be perfect to throw a good changeup,” he said. “So if I know I can throw a changeup for a strike, I’m positive I can throw a fastball or curveball for a strike.”
Hirsh’s performance was reminiscent of his Rockies debut April 6 in San Diego against Maddux. In that 4-3 Colorado victory, Hirsh pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing one run on six hits and striking out a career-high eight.
Mindful of that game, Hirsh came up with a game plan for Sunday that spoke volumes about his maturity as a pitcher. He began the game primarily throwing fastballs, mixed in some curves, and then baffled the Padres with his changeup during his last three innings.
“I wanted to give them a fresh look this time, so they couldn’t sit on my changeup early on,” he said.
The Rockies didn’t batter Maddux on Sunday, but roughed him up enough. They touched him for four runs in seven innings, making the most of their seven hits off him.
The fourth inning was the key. The Rockies scored twice to take a 3-1 lead, combining a double by Garrett Atkins, a single by Todd Helton, a run-scoring single by Matt Holliday and an RBI groundout by Yorvit Torrealba.
Holliday continues to sizzle at the plate. His triple in the sixth inning left him a home run short of the cycle. His chance to complete just the fifth cycle in Rockies history failed in the eighth when he grounded into a double play. In his past 10 games, Holliday has hit .486 (18-for-37), raising his season average to .382.
The Rockies begin a three-game series against the Mets tonight in New York. During the past four seasons, the Rockies are 7-19 at Shea Stadium.
Patrick Saunders can be reached at 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com.
