Pittsburgh – He’s the Pittsburgh Pirates’ best starter, armed with a fastball that screams stardom. Ian Snell is expected to purr toward 15 wins, morph into an all-star on parade. He’s not supposed to lose to the Rockies.
Like many people who have watched baseball over the past decade, Snell couldn’t reconcile this Colorado bunch with the inferior product of years past. So he turned to something as American as hot dogs, peanuts and apple pie: an excuse.
The way Snell saw it, the Rockies had to know what pitches were coming when they whacked him around Wednesday. He accused the Rockies of stealing signs and threatened bodily harm after they broomed the Pirates 5-3. They have to be cheaters to be contenders – that was his implication after Brad Hawpe’s and Todd Helton’s two-run homers shoved the Rockies to their first-ever sweep at picturesque PNC Park.
“That’s ridiculous,” Hawpe said, trying not to laugh after the Rockies stayed 5 1/2 games behind the division-leading Dodgers.
Rockies slugger Matt Holliday said of Snell: “He needs a reality check.”
Snell has a history of inserting cleats in his mouth, so his conspiracy theory wasn’t totally out of left field. After initially assuming blame for a sloppy effort – six innings, five runs allowed – he couldn’t resist finding an excuse. He pointed the finger at an unnamed Rockie and, in true Clubber Lang fashion, predicted pain if he pitches the next time the teams meet in late August.
“Hopefully I won’t pitch in Colorado because I know who it was (stealing signs) and I will kill that dude. If I pitch against them, I will get fined big time,” Snell said. “You can tell (they were giving signals), because some of their hitters were moving around in the box, taking their time getting in the box, looking up at second base.”
Rockies pitcher Josh Fogg, who knows Snell from his days with the Pirates, wondered why the kid wouldn’t just “take his medicine” and move on. Pittsburgh catcher Ronny Paulino dismissed Snell’s charge. Besides, a starting pitcher leaving a Rockies road game looking like a left-out cantaloupe no longer is an anomaly.
Colorado is averaging nearly six runs a game in visiting ballparks since June 13, and outscored the reeling Pirates 21-13 in sweeping the three-game series.
“The run support has been amazing,” said starter Jeff Francis, who became the first Rockie to reach double figures in wins in three consecutive seasons since Pedro Astacio (1998-2000). “It makes it so much easier to pitch.”
Francis (10-5), who struggled in his previous two outings, relied on smarts as much as talent Wednesday. Recognizing the Pirates’ thirst for fastballs, he leaned more heavily on his changeup and curveball, surrendering just two runs in seven innings.
Francis’ success hardly comes as a surprise. But his team’s response to expectations is unique. Last season, the Rockies couldn’t deal with the spotlight, shrinking after the all-star break. Now there is genuine confidence after the team moved two games above .500 for the first time since June 23.
“A year ago we were playing not to lose. Not now,” Francis said.
The swagger is part of the Rockies’ evolution, explained Hawpe.
“It’s nice when you go out there and you aren’t worried about proving yourself,” Hawpe said. “The total focus is on winning.”
Staff writer Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com.
