For the Rockies to be legitimate contenders, they’re going to need shutdown performances from pitchers not named Jeff Francis.
They received one Monday night from bulldog-tough Josh Fogg in the Rockies’ 6-2 victory over the Brewers.
The scrappy right-hander needed a mere 83 pitches in seven innings. He gave up two runs on six hits, walked one and stuck out two. Fogg surrendered a solo homer to Prince Fielder in the second inning, Fielder’s 33rd homer of the season. In the fourth, rookie-of-the-year candidate Ryan Braun belted a 418-foot homer to left-center. But those homers were isolated mistakes Fogg (6-7) could easily live with.
The Rockies gained a half-game on National League West leader Arizona, which was idle Monday. The Rockies sit five games out of first place in the NL West. With San Diego losing to St. Louis Monday, the Rockies moved within three of the Padres in the wild-card race. Thanks to Chicago’s 2-1 loss to Houston, Milwaukee remained in first place in the NL Central. The Brewers lead the Cubs by one game.
Rockies bats provided Fogg with a huge early comfort zone, scoring four runs in the first on a Todd Helton RBI-single and a three-run homer by Brad Hawpe. Matt Holliday’s two-run homer in the second – his team-leading 21st — boosted Colorado’s lead to 6-1. Holliday was 3-for-4, falling a triple short of the cycle. He’s batting .475 over his last 10 games, his average climbing to .340.
The only blemish on the night was the two errors committed by rookie shortstop Troy Tulowitzki in the ninth.
Since June 2, the Rockies are 19-5 at Coors Field, the best home record in the majors during that span.
