Boston – Seventy minutes before Thursday’s first pitch, David Ortiz sat in the corner of the clubhouse with a pen and a smile. He signed an entire box of baseballs for the Rockies, then autographed a jersey for manager Clint Hurdle. The Rockies’ boss had a clubbie carry over a typed letter thanking Big Papi in advance.
Perhaps the Rockies can send condolences to the 36,939 shivering fans who elbowed into Fenway Park on Thursday night. All they did was ruin the Red Sox’s homestand and spoil Josh Beckett’s undefeated record with a 7-1 thrashing of the American League East bullies.
To call this a surprise would not be a stretch. To label it a fluke would be a mistake. The offense, an endless source of hand-wringing, is finally clicking. In the series, the Rockies outhit (.278 to .257), outhomered (three to one) and outscored the Red Sox (20-5), Garrett Atkins’ third-inning grand slam the ultimate fist to the face.
“These guys can do a lot of damage,” hitting instructor Alan Cockrell said. “They really feed off each other. If we keep it going like this, it will be a fun rest of the summer.”
Given the time, the place and the opponents, this ranks as one of the Rockies’ most impressive road trips ever. They went 4-2, besting the Baltimore Orioles and the Red Sox, who have watched the Yankees carve seven games off their division lead since May 29. The Rockies have won four consecutive road series and, more important for a team that harbors playoff aspirations, reached .500 for the first time since April 13.
The only thing missing in the Rockies’ recovery is a home revival. They couldn’t return to Coors Field, where they are 16-17, with any more momentum or confidence.
“Nothing we have done this year makes a whole lot of sense,” said Hurdle, whose team begins a three-game homestand with the Devil Rays before the Yankees’ arrival. “And nobody has been making comments that have panned out. Everybody is retracting, erasing and writing something different now. We haven’t done anything by the book.”
Thursday’s execution, nonetheless, was cold and calculating. The Rockies pounded Beckett, who surrendered a season high in hits (10) and runs (six). The Red Sox ace had allowed only three home runs entering the game. The Rockies extracted two. Matt Holliday’s fourth-inning shot was impressive, but Atkins’ laser was the most important.
Slowly emerging from a perplexing, season-long funk, Atkins turned a 96-mph fastball into a souvenir. It was vintage Atkins from his first two seasons. His foot planted early, his hands shifted into a launch position, he delivered a compact swing that sent the ball fleeing, if not screaming, over the Green Monster.
“I still haven’t felt like I did last season, that’s what is frustrating,” said Atkins, hitting .242 with 28 RBIs. “But I know I am a good hitter.”
With his brother Chris in attendance after driving seven hours from Ottawa, starter Jeff Francis worked five scoreless innings for his sixth win. After 75 days, the Rockies are back where they began – with an even ledger. They have the Colorado sports audience to themselves, the perfect platform to show this is the start of something special.
Staff writer Troy E. Renckcan be reached at 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com.
