A quarter of the way into baseball’s Derby, the Rockies look more road weary than Street Sense.
A vogue national media pick to surprise in the National League West, they open their series tonight against Arizona saddled in last place, six games under .500 and 6 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“We have to play better,” first baseman Todd Helton said. “Our consistency is something we have to improve on, no doubt about that.”
Manager Clint Hurdle has been prodding his club to play with more urgency, with an edge. Although the team’s flaws are obvious, Hurdle preferred not “to psychoanalyze the team in the newspaper.”
Here’s Freud for thought. As much as has been made about a bullpen that has dissolved before fans’ eyes and for all the hand-wringing about the injuries – losing Rodrigo Lopez, Kaz Matsui and Ramon Ramirez certainly hurt – the Rockies’ real problem going forward is hitting.
Having traded Jason Jennings and lacking another veteran reliever, it was unrealistic to expect the Rockies to have more than pedestrian pitching – just enough to keep them in games until the lineup spewed lava on the boxscore. The Rockies have pitched poorly, posting a 5.10 ERA compared with 4.27 through 38 games last season.
But even if the Rockies’ pitching improves – and it should with the return of Ramirez and the additions of Jorge Julio and LaTroy Hawkins – it’s not going to matter if they don’t score more runs.
The Rockies are 1-17 when they score three runs or fewer. And 15-5 when they score at least four runs. This pitching staff isn’t built to win white-knuckle games. The Rockies need more offense to turn their season around.
“I would say that’s fair. We have had some good games and some bad games,” said left fielder Matt Holliday, having another all-star season, hitting .364 with 31 RBIs. “You don’t expect (Garrett) Atkins to be where he’s at. Both he and (Brad) Hawpe will get hot. Their track records tell you that they will get better.”
A track meet was supposed to break out on the bases, something that hasn’t materialized because of the injuries to Matsui and Willy Taveras. Hurdle said the running game was “put on hold.” Their speed at the top of the lineup was intended to put pressure on defenses and provide more fastballs for the sluggers in the middle of the order.
“I was struggling when Kaz was doing well, and then we both got hurt a little bit. We know we still have a good offense,” Taveras said. “Holliday and Helton are doing more, and we need everybody else to get better. I still believe we can have a special team.”
The Rockies rank 23rd in the major leagues in runs, 27th in home runs. Worse, they have not taken advantage of Coors Field, let alone dominated, as was the hope. They have been outscored 103-71 at home, which goes a long way in explaining their 8-9 record on Blake Street.
At this time a year ago, the Rockies were 21-17, one game out of first place, and scoring 4.63 runs per game, compared with 4.16 this season. Atkins’ average today (.243) is 76 points lower than at this time a year ago. Hawpe has one home run, compared with eight through 38 games a season ago.
“It’s frustrating. I don’t think it’s a matter of getting pitched to differently. I am getting pitches to hit,” Atkins said. “Every day I walk in here, I expect to get a couple of hits and get it going.”
That pair’s sputtering has left the Rockies’ offense unable to capitalize on terrific starts by Helton (.383) and Holliday.
“I sure hope we haven’t seen our real offense yet,” Hawpe said. “It would be real nice to jump in there with Holliday and Helton. For Garrett and I, we are still trying to find that right swing, and once we find it, ride it out. Until then, we have to still help the team in any way we can.”
Assistance will soon arrive from the trainer’s room. Matsui should be back by the end of the month. And Rodrigo Lopez, the team’s best starter through the first two weeks, is in line to return around the same time. By then, the hope within the Rockies is that things will be different in the bullpen, with specific roles for setup relievers as the bridge to all-star closer Brian Fuentes. And that the offense starts percolating.
“You look at the guys who just haven’t played well, guys who have done well for the past season-and-a-half,” general manager Dan O’Dowd said of his slumping hitters. “We have to hang in there and keep getting better.”
By the numbers
15-5
The Rockies’ record this season when they score at least four runs. Colorado is just 1-17 when the team scores three or fewer runs.
4.16
Runs scored per game, down from 4.63 at this point last season.
27
Rank, in the the major leagues, in home runs. The team is 23rd in runs scored.
.260
Team batting average, 10 points lower than last season at this time.
-32
Run difference at Coors Field, a historical hitter’s paradise; the Rockies are 8-9 at home.
Early review
Big-league teams near the quarter mark of the season tonight. National baseball writer Troy E. Renck looks at the biggest surprises and disappointments:
AL MVP
Alex Rodriguez
Yankees third baseman has 15 HRs and 39 RBIs after enjoying best April this side of a CPA.
NL MVP
J.J. Hardy
Brewers shortstop an impeccable fielder who has grown into power (12 HRs.)
AL CY YOUNG
Josh Beckett
Leads baseball with seven wins for the Red Sox; RHP averaging nearly one K per inning.
NL CY YOUNG
Jake Peavy
Padres RHP, left, is going Gooden circa 1984, with 66 strikeouts in eight games.
AL’S BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
Yankees
They are under .500 and tried 10 starting pitchers in first 30 games.
NL’S BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
Cardinals
They can’t hit and are coping with the death of reliever Josh Hancock.
Staff writer Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com.
