From his perch near first base, Todd Helton was in prime position to check out Greg Reynolds’ Coors Field debut Saturday night.
Helton’s critique after the Rockies beat the Minnesota Twins 3-2 to snap a six-game losing streak: Bravo!
“He looked great,” Helton said. “He spotted his fastball, he pitched with confidence.”
Most of all, Helton was impressed with the rookie’s demeanor.
“He was in control out there,” Helton said. “He just went after guys.”
The 21-year-old Reynolds, a 6-foot-7 right-hander drafted out of Stanford with the second overall pick in 2006, still has a baby face. But he pitched like a weathered veteran for a team desperate for quality starts. Although he didn’t notch his first major-league victory, Reynolds threw six scoreless innings, allowing just three hits. He struck out two and walked two. It was the best Coors Field debut by a Rockies pitcher in club history.
“I felt very confident,” said Reynolds, making just his second big-league start. “I’m not quite at the comfort level that I want to be at, but I do know that if I execute pitches, I’ll get outs. I think I can do that on a consistent basis.”
Saturday night, he mixed his pitches well. His sinker induced 10 groundball outs. He kept the Twins off-balance with his changeup, putting the Rockies in a position to win for just the fourth time in their last 12 games.
Reynolds was unshakable, even after Minnesota starter Livan Hernandez lined a wicked shot off his left ankle in the fifth inning. Reynolds said his ankle was sore, but was relieved to discover the ankle didn’t swell up after the game.
The man who drove in the game-winning run was Ryan Spilborghs. His pinch-hit single in the eighth drove in Jeff Baker, who led off the inning with his second double of the game. Spilborghs is 6-for-8 with a walk in his last nine pinch-hit appearances.
“I don’t always smoke the ball, but I put it in play,” Spilborghs said.
Early on, it was Hernandez who was in total command. On the 10th anniversary of David Wells’ perfect game at Yankee Stadium against the Twins, Hernandez was perfect for five innings.
The Rockies didn’t touch him until Baker led off the sixth with a double down the left-field line. He scored, putting the Rockies ahead 1-0, on Willy Taveras’ single to right. It was the Rockies’ first lead in more than 59 innings.
Rockies manager Clint Hurdle pulled Reynolds for pinch-hitter Scott Podsednik with one out in the sixth — even though Reynolds had thrown just 91 pitches, 53 of them for strikes.
“I thought it was necessary to score a run to win the game,” Hurdle said when asked why he relieved Reynolds. “I figured their guy (Hernandez) had a no-hitter going. I thought it was an opportune time to try and get a run on the board. And it was just (Reynolds’) second major-league start.”
In the seventh, the Twins quickly took a 2-1 lead with three hits off reliever Matt Herges, who ended up getting the victory.
The Rockies tied the game 2-2 in the bottom of the inning, stringing together a Matt Holliday double, a Helton single and a sacrifice fly by Garrett Atkins.
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com
TODAY: Twins at Rockies, 1:05 p.m., KTVD-20
Homers have been hard to come by for the Rockies. Entering Saturday’s game, they had hit just seven out of the park in May, fewest in the NL. They entered Saturday with just 28 homers, second-fewest in the NL. The slump could end today. Twins right-hander Kevin Slowey (0-3, 5.79 ERA) has been susceptible to the long ball, giving up 20 homers in 16 career appearances. Rockies left-hander Jeff Francis (0-4, 6.27) just needs a victory. Francis tied his career high in hits allowed (13) and earned runs allowed (eight) in his loss to Arizona last Tuesday. Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post
Monday:
Giants’ Pat Misch (0-0, 5.32 ERA) vs. Rockies’ Jorge De La Rosa (1-2, 9.42), 6:35 p.m., FSN
Tuesday:
Giants’ Tim Lincecum (5-1, 1.92) vs. Rockies’ Aaron Cook (6-2, 2.82), 6:35 p.m., FSN
Wednesday:
Giants’ Jona- than Sanchez (2-3, 4.59) vs. Rockies’ Ubaldo Jimenez (1-4, 5.29), 1:05 p.m., FSN
Thursday:
Off
