The soundtrack to the Rockies’ season began playing at 4:19 p.m. at Coors Field. It was the thwack of a baseball leaving Matt Holliday’s bat. Fleeing is more like it, the souvenir landing in the left-field seats.
Watching Holliday jog around the bases was a reminder of what the Rockies were and want to be again: a potent offensive team. It’s been their dirty little secret in the playoffs – they haven’t hit. The Rockies are batting .228 in nine postseason games, a slump that has manager Clint Hurdle contemplating benching leadoff man Willy Taveras.
“I am thinking through some things. Any time we get challenged offensively, you always need to look at your options and what has provided a spark in the past,” Hurdle said. “We’ve been in these positions before offensively and found ways to get through it.”
Taveras understands that he could be out when the game opens Saturday. He’s disappointed because Thursday night offered a tease of what he can do. The only time he reached base – hit by a Curt Schilling pitch in the first inning – Taveras scored.
“I definitely want to be out there. It starts with me. I need to get it going,” said Taveras, whose ability to bunt has been compromised by how far in third baseman Mike Lowell is playing him. “If I get on, I am going to run and I can score.”
Where frustrated fans see the Rockies’ minuscule .180 average and 22 strikeouts in two World Series games, hitting instructor Alan Cockrell sees slivers of hope.
In the 2-1 Game 2 loss, the Rockies consistently fouled off good pitches. That represented progress from the opening night whiff-of-fresh-air performance against Josh Beckett. While careful not to use it as an excuse, Cockrell pointed out that the eight-day layoff certainly didn’t help his hitters.
“You get that many days and there’s no question that it’s going to mess with your timing,” Cockrell said. “We played simulated games and that’s all you can do. But the intensity is not the same. But I thought we were closer (Thursday). We are missing balls we normally center.”
Garrett Atkins is an example of how things have gone wrong. Atkins was a driving force as the team won 21-of-22 games. He has forged his reputation around clutch at-bats. Yet in the playoffs, Atkins is batting .171 with one RBI.
“We have to grind out at-bats, and just get guys on base just like the Red Sox have done,” Atkins said. “I think we are trying to do too much. We are just one big inning away. We get that, and we will be fine.”
The Rockies have scored two runs in two games. It was one thing to get mauled by Beckett, but Curt Schilling made some mistakes that weren’t punished. He also benefited and played off a bigger strike zone.
“I have to be more aggressive. I can’t be taking so many pitches,” said Ryan Spilborghs, who went down looking three times. “The guys in here aren’t pressing.
“We are good and we know we are good. There’s no panic, but at the same time we know we don’t have a lot of time, either.”
Footnotes. Jamey Carroll made folks do a double-take in the clubhouse Friday. His hockey beard had vanished, replaced by a ’70s mustache. “It was time to shave them off,” Carroll said, in typical ballplayer fashion when looking to turn around a team’s fortunes. … Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said he wasn’t pining to be moved back to second in the lineup, where he will likely hit if Taveras is benched in favor of Cory Sullivan or Spilborghs. “What we have done this season has worked. I think you have to give credit to their pitching,” Tulowitzki said. … It was a long day for the Rockies. Their charter flight, which required a refueling along the way, didn’t arrive until around 5 a.m., with players not getting home until after 6. … Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka is looking forward to facing former Seibu Lions teammate Kaz Matsui, who has struggled in the first two games. “He’s someone I always looked up to and respected,” Matsuzaka said. … Tulowitzki’s father Ken will be at the games this weekend. And closer Manny Corpas’ dad Manuel will get a chance to see him pitch for the first time in the United States. He was scheduled to arrive from Panama on Friday night.
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
