Baltimore – Stifling heat greeted the Rockies at Camden Yards on Friday, a fitting prelude to a night of entertaining meltdowns.
Rockies manager Clint Hurdle was tossed in the eighth inning for arguing a check swing. His good friend Sam Perlozzo, boss of the Baltimore Orioles, got the thumb in the sixth inning for debating a balk call.
There was nothing to soothe Hurdle’s anger, the Rockies 4-2 losers in the opening act of a six-game roadie through the American League Beast.
Before the game, several Rockies players embraced the warm weather – who could blame them after the whipping winds at Coors Field the past few days? – because it helped them get loose. So it was a bit ironic that Jeff Francis came out sluggish.
The Orioles tagged him for two first-inning runs, Kevin Millar and Aubrey Huff producing RBI singles. Francis (5-5) hadn’t allowed more than two runs in his previous six starts. Without his best stuff, he bare-knuckled through seven innings, surrendering four runs, including a two-run home run to Nick Markakis on a changeup.
“I was having trouble with that pitch against lefties. It obviously showed on that hit. It went a long way,” Francis said.
The Rockies pushed across runs in the fifth on Yorvit Torrealba’s solo shot and in the sixth on Steve Trachsel’s balk. That call made Perlozzo furious. First-base umpire Larry Vanover ejected the animated Perlozzo. Two innings later, Hurdle received similar treatment.
Hurdle’s second ejection of the season – the other came at St. Louis over a disputed home-run call – featured a methodical march. Ejected before be left the bench, Hurdle deliberately walked toward Vanover and screamed for a few minutes before ever so slowly pacing off.
“He said, ‘I warned you.’ I told him, ‘I am sorry, but from 150 feet away I didn’t hear it,'” Hurdle said. “Then we kind of kicked it around after that a bit.”
Hurdle’s flare-up didn’t unnerve Orioles closer Chris Ray. He struck out Ryan Spilborghs, the crowning moment in his four-out save.
Feeling a draft
The Rockies selected 45 players on the second day of the amateur draft. Overall, Colorado chose 24 pitchers, 11 infielders, 10 outfielders and five catchers. Of note, Colorado took Parker Frazier in the eighth round. The pitcher is the son of Rockies TV analyst George Frazier. Parker, an Oklahoma prep star, has signed with Oral Roberts University. The Rockies also selected Niko Gallego, son of third-base coach Mike Gallego, in the 37th round.
Niko will play summer ball in Colorado and has signed with UCLA.
“He’s thrilled to death. We are very proud. Niko was asking why he didn’t have an agent yet. And I told him not worry because we were going to get him through school first,” Gallego said.
Negotiations are expected to begin soon with first-round pick Casey Weathers, a closer from Vanderbilt.
Baker’s bunch
Rockies reserve Jeff Baker grew up in Virginia about an hour from Camden Yards. Not only did he have 30 friends and family at Friday’s game, but an entire youth team. Turns out Baker helps run a six-week winter fundamentals baseball camp in the area, and some of the kids involved made a point to be at this game for their teacher.
“I used to go to games at the old Memorial Stadium, so this was special to play here,” Baker said.
Footnotes
For those at Coors Field recently, it’s hard not to know the Yankees are coming to town June 19-21. The team promotes “The Big Ticket” at each game, with highlights of Yankees’ players. Needless to say, it hasn’t gone over real well with some Rockies players, who understandably feel slighted in their own ballpark.&After a long homestand of roaming cavernous Coors Field, Willy Taveras got first crack at being the designated hitter. Ryan Spilborghs started in center field.&Jamey Carroll finished fourth in a Sports Illustrated players’ poll when asked which current players get the most out of the least talent. David Eckstein was the overall winner. “It’s nice to know that people have noticed,” Carroll said.&Closer Brian Fuentes flew his father Dave out for this road trip as an early Father’s Day present.
Staff writer Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com.
