Chicago – The distance between winning and losing is measurable in baseball. In the Rockies’ case, it’s 60 feet, 6 inches.
That’s the distance between the pitcher’s rubber and home plate. It’s exactly what separates Colorado from the National League West bullies, and why this road trip couldn’t have gone any worse if Clark Griswold were behind the wheel.
The Rockies lost 8-5 on a soggy Tuesday night at Wrigley Field, their season-high fifth consecutive defeat.
Problems with the rotation provide a sobering explanation for a stretch that is increasingly troubling. The starters are the key to the Rockies becoming and remaining a contender.
During a five-game skid that has sunk the Rockies below .500 at 38-39, the starters are 0-3 with a 10.66 ERA. In the team’s 20-7 run entering this trip, starters were 12-7 with a 3.93 ERA.
“It’s too bad that we are all going through this at the same time. But there’s no reason to panic,” said Rodrigo Lopez, who suffered his first loss in an ugly eight-run outing. “I have been in bad situations before. This is not one. We will be fine.”
For that to happen, they need to open well and stop providing so many souvenirs. The Rockies have been outscored 10-1 in the first inning during the skid. Opponents have tagged the starters for nine home runs. They surrendered just 18 in the magical, 27-game run back to relevance.
Cubs outfielder Cliff Floyd put his stamp on Tuesday’s loss with a two-run, two-out home run in the first. One swing turned simple math into calculus: The Rockies are averaging 5.6 runs on this roadie, yet remain winless. They posted 10 hits Tuesday, including three from Jamey Carroll, and never led.
“If the (starters) thought we were just going to ride that streak we were on, it’s a rude awakening,” pitching coach Bob Apodaca said. “We have to be prepared for good times and times when we aren’t performing like we are capable or when we are not performing well at all.
“Here we are knocking on the door, and maybe there’s fear of letting it get away. We have to get rid of the fear and just play the game.”
Lopez’s hiccup was poorly timed. Jason Hirsh follows him today, and all he is trying to do is save his rotation spot. Complicating matters is the fact Aaron Cook is 0-for-June.
“It’s just baseball. I need to get back to having fun, or I shouldn’t be here,” Hirsh said. “When I am off, I can’t be far off.”
Manager Clint Hurdle has maintained a delicate balance. He has challenged three starters in recent weeks – Josh Fogg, Cook and Hirsh – emphasizing the importance of performance over effort. But he has also expressed confidence in the group, saying he is not ready to turn to internal options Taylor Buchholz and Ubaldo Jimenez or push for a monster trade.
“You have to like what you see, because if you threw their names out, there would be all kinds of bites,” Hurdle said. “We know what the pitching industry is if you revisit the winter meetings. It’s very expensive. We have some guys who have shown some very good skills. The consistency is the question, and we believe they are going to get it.”
Staff writer Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com.
