DENVER—Clint Hurdle leaned back in the dugout before a recent game and pointed toward the field as he discussed the reason behind Colorado’s success at home this season.
“We had somebody come around, sprinkle (magic) dust,” the Rockies manager said.
Are they available for road games?
It’s been a first half filled with peaks (sweeping the Yankees and Mets at home) and valleys (a 1-9 road trip that saw All-Star closer Brian Fuentes blow four straight saves).
Through it all, though, the Rockies entered the All-Star break at 44-44, the second straight season the team has gone into the intermission at .500 or better. They trail San Diego by 5 1-2 games in the NL West standings.
“We’ve shown what we are capable of doing when we put it all together,” left-handed starter Jeff Francis said.
After the break, the Rockies head out on the road for 10 games, with haunting memories of the last trip still fresh. Colorado is 18-25 on the road this season and 26-19 at Coors Field.
The Rockies realize the importance of the upcoming road swing through Milwaukee, Pittsburgh and Washington. In 2006, Colorado was 44-43 at the break and then opened the second half 2-8 on the road and never recovered.
“We know what’s at stake,” said Hurdle, whose team had won eight in a row at home before an 8-4 loss to Philadelphia on Sunday to close out the first half. “For us to change the mentality of thinking of a lot of different years around here, we have to play good baseball.”
The Rockies have shown flashes. The team reeled off seven straight wins in May, something they haven’t done since Sept. 6-12, 1998. Colorado also won five of six before the break.
And then there’s the highlight of the first half—sweeping both the Yankees and Mets at Coors. The last team to sweep series from two New York teams in the regular season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, was the Milwaukee Braves in 1956.
“If we could just be a little more consistent in putting ourselves together we will find ourselves in the right place,” Francis said.
A 1-9 road swing through Toronto, Chicago and Houston toward the end of June not only halted momentum from the Yankees sweep, but cost Fuentes his job, at least temporarily. It wasn’t a good stretch for the closer, who blew four straight saves, was demoted, strained a muscle and had to pull out of the All-Star game. Fuentes had saved 20 of his first 22 games before the wheels came off.
Fuentes, who’s expected to get his job back after the break, said that’s the nature of the business. So are hot and cold streaks for ball clubs.
“We’ve had good ones and ones that weren’t very good,” said Fuentes, whose team regrouped from an 18-27 start. “I think this team has shown how good it can be. The season is all about being consistent.”
Colorado has certainly been consistent in the field, leading the majors with only 33 errors. The team is also fifth overall in average (.277) and Matt Holliday is fourth among major league batting leaders at .341.
The downfall, though, has been pitching. Colorado’s team ERA is 4.71, which is 25th in the majors.
“Consistency will be a theme and probably the highlight of that consistency will be our starting pitching,” Hurdle said. “We need them to get on a roll collectively.”
In a lot of ways, Colorado’s first half mirrors the roller coaster season of Garrett Atkins. He’s lost his swing, found it, been benched for a few games after a slump and now appears to be on track again.
Since Hurdle sat him out in early June, Atkins has raised his average 36 points to .259. Atkins said his confidence in his swing never wavered.
“You’re going to struggle at some point and have some games where things go against you,” he said.
The Rockies know the feeling all too well.
“If you think about it, we’ve had some ups and downs, but we keep showing up, we keep battling,” Hurdle said. “We’ve put ourselves in position to make a good run. But we’ve got to go do it.
“We won’t be where we want to be until we get to first place.”
To accomplish that, Colorado has to find success away from Coors Field, starting with the 10-game road trip after the break.
“We’re confident of our abilities on the road,” Hurdle said.
Just in case, pack the magic dust.
