San Francisco – Mettle crowded the mantel.
In his Denver home, Rockies pitcher Jeff Francis displays the baseball from his lone complete game. He wrote the particulars needed for historians – opponent, date, place. That baseball received a roommate Wednesday.
In a game that could have marked the end of contention, maybe this is where relevance begins again.
The Rockies know the schedule has them in a vise. They realize they need help, their destiny at the mercy of others cooling ahead of them. But hope, a stranger on this road trip, reappeared Wednesday during a crisp 8-0 complete-game victory over the San Francisco Giants at sun-splashed AT&T Park.
“I got a ball from the game. It’s only my second, you know,” Francis said with a smile after winning his 14th game, which keeps him within striking distance of the single-season franchise record of 17.
“It’s not like I won it by myself. Look what the offense did.”
Francis makes a valid point. The Rockies’ lineup wriggled out of their two-day hold in a straitjacket, taking their first lead in 19 innings and matching a season high with four home runs, including two from Garrett Atkins. But these hitters – considered the best collection in the National League by no less than Padres general manager Kevin Towers – are prone to spraying graffiti on scorecards.
Given the time, the place and the pressure, this was arguably Francis’ finest moment. It was the equivalent of tying a knot in the end of the rope for the Rockies to hang on in the wild-card standings (they are 5 1/2 games out with 29 to play). As Giants manager Bruce Bochy said, “He completely shut us down.”
It wasn’t what Francis did, but how that was most impressive. His 119 pitches were a blend of changeups, curveballs and, in manager Clint Hurdle’s estimation, his best fastball. Only two runners reached second base as Francis struck out three and yielded just six hits.
His mastery of the subtle side of pitching left teammate Ubaldo Jimenez in awe as he watched from the dugout.
“That’s the pitcher I want to be someday,” Jimenez said. “He was locating on both sides of the plate, changing speeds. It was – wow! – impressive.”
Francis is putting together his best season, already tying his career high for victories with an anticipated five starts left. He’s 12-2 over his past 14 decisions, a primary reason the Rockies are in position to play games that matter next month.
“When we gave him that lead, you knew he was going to protect it,” Atkins said. “This is the first of many must-win games. We couldn’t afford to get swept here.”
The Rockies’ everyday players possess a healthy swagger, believing they can slug with any team.
But dreams of contention, no matter how vivid, easily dissolve when a team is too dependent on hitting. The Rockies have to pitch if they are going to avoid another September as spoilers. The rotation, ravaged by injuries and soon to have Aaron Cook back on Sept. 7, has a 1.37 ERA over its past six starts.
“With Matt Cain and Barry Zito, they were aces those first two games,” said outfielder Brad Hawpe, who hit his team-best 25th home run. “We got our ace performance today from Jeff.”
Staff writer Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com.
