San Francisco – Praise was nice, but not necessary. San Diego general manager Kevin Towers didn’t have to gush about the Rockies’ lineup two weeks ago as the two teams were finishing a series at Petco Park. It’s easy, however, if you believe it.
“They are arguably the best offensive team in the league. Not the division. The entire league,” Towers said. “I don’t know of a better one when they are healthy. As a pitcher you don’t have a lot of time to breathe.”
It was Noah Lowry’s time to gasp Wednesday, the Rockies pummeling the Giants’ starter with their contending status dangerously close to its last breath. The Rockies tied their season high with four home runs. Garrett Atkins (two), Brad Hawpe and Chris Iannetta, who hit his first since June 28, went deep at AT&T Park.
“Every guy in here is a good hitter. They believe that,” Atkins said. “We know that these are must-win games, and that we don’t have one guy to carry us. We always feel like we are going to have at least two guys hot.”
Atkins simmered in Wednesday’s sunshine, blasting his 19th and 20th home runs. He drove in four runs, inflating his RBI total to 91 for the season, including a baseball-best 68 since June 13.
“Those were big swings of the bat by Garrett,” manager Clint Hurdle said.
At this time of the season, the importance of hits is measured more when they come, not who hits them. The Rockies went just 4-for-20 with runners in scoring position against the Giants.
“For whatever reason, we were having trouble coming up with the big hit,” said Matt Holliday, who delivered a key two-RBI single in the fourth. “Going to Arizona (for three games this weekend), every game is big.
“We have to keep winning if we want to have any chance at the playoffs.”
Cook to make rehab start
After discussing the possibility of bringing Aaron Cook straight back into the rotation, the Rockies will have him make one rehab start Saturday in Tacoma for the Triple-A Sky Sox before returning Sept. 7 at home against San Diego. He’s scheduled to pitch five innings or 70 pitches.
“I am fine with it,” said Cook, out since Aug. 11 with a strained left ribcage muscle. “It will give me a chance to push it even more. I feel great.”
Cook sits just 21 1/3 innings shy of turning a $4.5 million club option for next season into a vesting option of $5 million based on innings pitched.
To not catch a thief
Kazuo Matsui quietly tied Willy Taveras for the team lead with his 29th stolen base in 32 attempts. Taveras, who will return this weekend in Arizona, has just nine stolen bases in the second half because of a right quadriceps injury.
Matsui had swiped 13 straight before getting caught Tuesday. The Rockies challenged him to run more in spring training.
“I set a goal to get between 30 and 40 because of where I knew I was going to hit in the lineup,” Matsui said. “I wanted to be more aggressive.”
Footnotes
Todd Helton went 1-for-11 against the Giants with no RBIs, dropping his season average to .298. … Colorado anticipates reliever Jeremy Affeldt returning Friday after his wife gave birth to the couple’s first child, Walker Davis.
