St. Louis- With his mouth agape and arms waving in the air for emphasis, manager Clint Hurdle reached his flash point Monday night.
He stood in the infield screaming at second base umpire Bob Davidson. Between colorful adjectives, he demanded that Davidson take a look at the iron Pier 1-type railing above the fence in left-center field. That’s where shortstop Troy Tulowitzki’s ball hit and bounced 15 feet into the air.
Instead of a home run, it was ruled a double, driving Hurdle mad. On Saturday night, Garrett Atkins was deprived a home run on an identical call.
But something strange happened after Hurdle left. He lost his cool and the Rockies won the game, white-knuckling a 3-2 victory at soldout Busch Stadium.
Failure to keep his wits is something new for Hurdle this season. He has shown more public restraint – there have been a few private closed-door meetings – even as his team has stumbled to a disappointing start. He has blamed himself, the coaches and players, not the umpires for the Rockies’ current last-place residence.
He wants an edge, a fire. After Hurdle went volcanic, the Rockies responded with a lava drip. Moments after Tulowitzki’s double, Garrett Atkins was intentionally walked to load the bases. Brad Hawpe worked a full-count walk, with accompanying drama from a close one-strike check swing and his own belief that Tyler Johnson’s fifth pitch was a ball.
This victory was notable beyond Hurdle’s wrath. It marked the first time Rockies have won a game this season while scoring fewer than four runs. They were previously 0-13 in those situations.
Brian Fuentes brought Cardinals’ fans out of their seat with his ninth-inning roller-coaster ride. But after two hit batters and a stolen base, Fuentes induced a flyball to center field from Jim Edmonds, giving the Rockies’ three road wins in their last four games.
Staff Writer Troy Renck can be reached at 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
