New York – The empty expressions and quiet frustration are back. Three weeks is not a long time. But since the Rockies left spring training, they have lost their swagger, leaving them searching for answers.
Their offense has gone MIA, their pitchers have gone MRI. On a cool Tuesday night, the Rockies fell 2-1 in 12 innings, extending a string of futility at Shea Stadium that conjures up memories of the 1962 Mets.
“It’s a hollow feeling,” said starter Aaron Cook, his scoreless outing ruined. “This is a game we needed.”
Since 2002, the Rockies are 2-17 in Queens and have been outscored 109-54. The reign of error includes six shutouts. This loss, labeled difficult by manager Clint Hurdle, was different. The Rockies were heartbroken, not humiliated, with closer Brian Fuentes’ first blown save arriving at the worst possible time.
Fuentes’ 10th-inning mistake – surrendering a pinch-hit, two-strike home run to Damion Easley – put Endy Chavez in position to discard the Rockies in the 12th. Ryan Speier, part of a remodeled late-inning bridge with LaTroy Hawkins and Ramon Ramirez on the disabled list, stood between Chavez and another Mets victory.
A walk, bunt, balk and walk created the trouble. Shawn Green stood at third, Jose Reyes at second. After a strike, Chavez peeked up at the defense and noticed that second baseman Clint Barmes and first baseman Todd Helton were playing deep.
“I decided to take a chance,” Chavez said.
Before the raucous crowd could get through the second roll call of “En-Dee Cha-Vez!” he executed a terrific drag bunt. It scooted just beyond Speier’s reach. He dove and from his knees tried to scoop the ball to Helton, but by that time Chavez was racing across the bag with his arms raised in triumph.
“It caught me totally off-guard,” Speier said. “It’s a terrible way to lose.”
The mosh pit at first base served as a cruel reminder of spoiled brilliance.
Cook fired seven scoreless innings, grinding through a twisted left ankle – “It was more scary than anything,” he said – to match zeroes with Mets starter Orlando Hernandez. Rookie shortstop Troy Tulowitzki delivered his biggest hit since he helped topple the Arizona Diamondbacks on the second day of the season.
The Colorado dugout erupted after his 10th-inning RBI triple off closer Billy Wagner. Three outs separated the Rockies from their season’s biggest win.
Jubilation quickly morphed into disbelief. After two quick outs, Fuentes center-cut a 92-mph fastball to Easley. He turned it into a 400-foot souvenir.
Fuentes pounded his glove in disgust. He had retired 22 of the previous 23 batters faced before Easley’s blast. Thirty minutes later, Chavez’s 50-foot bunt put the Rockies five games under .500, a crevice they didn’t reach until July 21 last season.
“One pitch away,” Fuentes lamented. “Two out of three (outs) doesn’t cut it.”
Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com.
