LOS ANGELES — Time after time, chances at victory have come at the Rockies like a fat, hanging curveball. Time after time, they have swung and whiffed.
That maddening trend continued Sunday in a 3-2, 10-inning loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was the Rockies’ seventh defeat in eight games. In six of those losses, the Rockies lost the lead in the eighth inning or later.
“We just aren’t getting the job done. It’s fairly obvious,” Todd Helton said. “We’re not driving guys in, and we aren’t getting big hits.”
Or, in games in which they do get big hits, their pitching lets them down.
“We have been knocking on the door, and it has come down to pure and simple execution, whether it’s on the mound or at the plate,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “We have been our own biggest enemy so far. The competition is always going to be stiff, but we are getting in our own way.”
There is a familiar feeling to all this. Last year, as a matter of fact, the Rockies were 10-15 after 25 games, just as they are now. But things are different in the National League West in 2008. The Rockies are already eight games behind the red-hot Arizona Diamondbacks. That eight-game deficit matches the largest gap the Rockies faced all of last season. And keep in mind, the Rockies needed to win 14 of 15 at the end to reach the playoffs.
“I think we know how good we are and we know what we have in this clubhouse, and we know we are better than what we’ve shown,” said starter Jeff Francis, who gave up just two runs on five hits in seven innings — but still doesn’t have a victory this season.
The Dodgers won the game and swept the three-game series when James Loney hit a bases-loaded single off former closer Manuel Corpas. Corpas, who also pitched the ninth, got into trouble by walking Rafael Furcal and Mike Sweeney to open the inning.
But this defeat can’t be laid only on Corpas’ shoulders. The Rockies had numerous chances to win the game but couldn’t convert. A couple of examples:
• In the 10th, Garrett Atkins and Brad Hawpe reached on back-to-back singles with one out, but they were stranded when Troy Tulowitzki grounded out and Jeff Baker fouled out.
• The Rockies were handed a gift in the eighth but couldn’t figure out how to unwrap it, coming up empty when the slumping Tulowitzki grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Helton opened the inning by drawing a nine-pitch walk off reliever Jonathan Broxton. Matt Holliday followed with what looked like a double-play grounder to second baseman Chin-lung Hu, who threw the ball into left field. Helton moved to third and Holliday to second, but Atkins grounded out to second, failing to advance either runner.
Then Broxton intentionally walked Hawpe. Tulowitzki came up with a chance to be a hero but hit a sharp grounder to Furcal at shortstop, who turned an easy double play. Tulowitzki went 0-for-5, his averaging falling to .157.
“I think I’m pretty relaxed. I think it’s going to turn around,” Tulowitzki said. “All I can do is keep hitting the ball hard and know it’s going to turn around. I hope so. It’s getting old, I know that.”
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com
TODAY: Rockies at Giants, 8:15 p.m., FSN
It’s only April, but with the Rockies already eight games out in the National League West, young pitchers Franklin Morales and Ubaldo Jimenez are, in the words of manager Clint Hurdle, “on watch.” Morales (1-1, 6.00) has made some progress, pitching six innings and allowing just three runs in his last start against the Cubs. However, when it comes to fastball command and composure on the mound, the lefty remains a work in progress. San Francisco’s Matt Cain (0-2, 5.24) is winless, but he’s coming off his strongest performance of the season, allowing one run and five hits in seven innings Wednesday at San Diego. Cain typically dominates Colorado batters, holding them to a .224 average. Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post
Tuesday:
Rockies’ Aaron Cook (3-1, 2.91 ERA) vs. Giants’ Tim Lincecum (4-0, 1.23), 8:15 p.m., FSN
Wednesday:
Rockies’ Ubaldo Jimenez (1-2, 6.46) vs. Giants’ Jonathan Sanchez (2-1, 3.54), 1:45 p.m., FSN
Thursday:
Off day
Friday:
Dodgers’ Brad Penny (4-2, 2.89) vs. Rockies’ Mark Redman (2-2, 7.43), 7:05 p.m., FSN
