A festive holiday crowd of 48,040 showed up at Coors Field on Tuesday night expecting fireworks. But the oohs and aahs began long before the sun set.
By the conclusion of the fifth inning, the Rockies already had scored 11 runs against the New York Mets, fueled by a fourth-inning grand slam from Ryan Spilborghs – the first of his career – and a two-run homer by Garrett Atkins in the first. By the time darkness descended and the pyrotechnics began, the Rockies had pounded out 18 hits and beaten the Mets 11-3.
“To get four runs with one swing, it’s almost like a dagger,” said Spilborghs, who has 23 RBIs in 33 games since being called up from Triple-A Colorado Springs. “That was huge. It felt good.”
Add Kazuo Matsui’s 5-for-5 performance and Yorvit Torrealba’s solo homer to open the Rockies’ second, and it was a star-spangled night.
But as flashy as the offensive onslaught was, starter Aaron Cook’s solid performance was more important. Cook had struggled mightily at home, allowing five or more runs in six of his seven starts at Coors this season, garnished with an unsightly 6.43 ERA.
But he was in command Tuesday. Showing precise command of his sinker, while slipping in a few sneaky curves, Cook tossed eight strong innings, allowing seven hits. He didn’t walk a batter. Proof of Cook’s quality: 20 of the 24 outs were groundouts, and he set down 13 of the last 14 batters he faced.
“He had a very good sinker, 91-92 mph,” said Mets shortstop Jose Reyes, who went 1-for-4, grounding out twice. “It’s tough to get the ball into the air when it’s down in the strike zone.”
Added Cook: “My ball is always going to move. It’s just a matter of where you start it, especially in this ballpark. If I start it down, it’s going to stay down.”
The Mets scored two runs on three hits in the first inning, but the Rockies scored four in the bottom of the inning off lackluster New York starter Jason Vargas, allowing Cook to settle into his groove. The only damage inflicted the rest of the way was a solo homer by Ramon Castro in the fourth.
“After they scored those two runs in the first, I just wanted to hold them off and try to keep them off-balance,” Cook said. “Our guys getting four runs right away for me was huge.”
Perhaps a New York state of mind is exactly what the Rockies needed. Just before their disastrous 1-9 road trip, the Rockies swept three games from the Yankees. After taking two straight from the Mets, the Rockies have won five straight at Coors and 11 of their past 13 at home, and six straight overall against New York teams, starting at Shea Stadium in April. In the past five games, New York teams have scored a meager 10 runs at Coors Field.
Another New York sweep will be on the Rockies’ minds tonight as they host another fireworks game. Should the Rockies win, it would be their first sweep of the Mets since July 23-24, 1996, at Coors Field. That three-game series included a doubleheader.
Manager Clint Hurdle said he had no idea why the Rockies have been picking on the boys from New York.
“In the past, we haven’t had runs on New York teams, so maybe it’s just time,” he said. “Maybe these things run in cycles. We swung the bats tonight, and that gave us some room, and then we made some good pitches.”
Staff writer Patrick Saunders can be reached at 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com.
