The calmness is unnerving.
Here it is three hours before Tuesday’s game, one the Rockies can ill-afford to lose, and rookie Ian Stewart remains more placid than lagoon. He’s batting second, making his second start, filling in for the Rockies’ best hitter since June and acts like it’s a lazy day in March.
“I am not sure if I will have to make any adjustments hitting there,” Stewart said. “I will talk to (hitting instructor) Ace (Alan) Cockrell.”
Advice with Stewart is relative. Talent like his knows no timetable and few barriers. On one swing he showed what makes him different, his buggy-whip hands flicking a grand slam into the left-field seats, the defining blast in the Rockies’ 9-2 thrashing of the Pirates at Coors Field.
The win shaved the wild-card deficit to 2 ½ games and came with an exclamation point. The Rockies clubbed a season-high four home runs. None was as productive or more memorable than Stewart’s blast. The Rockies trailed 1-0 in the third inning when Stewart, starting at third with Garrett Atkins getting a breather, strode to the plate against Tony Armas Jr.
He ran the count to 2-2, leaving him a bit vulnerable. Stewart has shown he can hit a fastball in his short big-league cameo – his first hit came off Kerry Wood and his game-winning single in San Diego off a Cla Meredith sinker. So Armas tried to fool him with a get-me-over slider. Stewart’s feet appeared fooled, but he kept his hands back and was strong enough to slash the ball into the left-field seats.
Troy Tulowitzki, Brad Hawpe and Matt Holliday, ending a 58 at-bat drought, all added home runs in support of Taylor Buchholz. Buchholz picked up the win, rescuing Elmer Dessens with two outs in the fifth inning. In a similar situation last Wednesday, Dessens allowed a three-run home run to Mike Cameron, triggering a nine-run landslide. Manager Clint Hurdle pulled him before that could happen again, leaving Buchholz to retire Jason Bay on a weak popup.
Staff writer Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com.
