On the eve of a crucial 10-game road trip, the beat-up, limping Rockies were aching for a going-away present.
Sunday afternoon, they received the perfect gift from staff ace Aaron Cook — a complete-game four-hitter in the Rockies’ 4-1 victory over the New York Mets at Coors Field.
Triple-A call-up Seth Smith gift-wrapped the win with a three-run homer in the fourth inning, the first home run of his major-league career.
Cook, who broke a two-game losing streak, improved to 7-3 and could be making an All-Star Game appearance in July if he keeps rolling. But all-star or not, Cook has emerged as the man who picks up the Rockies when they are down.
“It feels good, but I don’t really consider myself the stopper,” Cook said. “I just try to go out and pitch every game with the same mind-set.”
The day began with Blake Street’s big boppers either sitting on the bench or icing down aching body parts. Matt Holliday, Brad Hawpe, Clint Barmes and Troy Tulowitzki are on the disabled list. Garrett Atkins, his neck muscles in spasm, sat out for a second straight game.
So the Rockies, 10 games under .500, hit the road with a lineup that resembles one they took on spring training bus trips up Interstate 10 from Tucson to Phoenix. The trip begins tonight in Philadelphia (three games), moves on to Chicago (four) and ends in Los Angeles (three).
“You deal with it,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “We are just going to continue to add the people we need to add to put us in a position to try to win games.”
People such as Smith, who was hitting .321 at Triple-A Colorado Springs before getting called up to replace Hawpe. Smith went 0-for-4 in his first big-league start Saturday, admitting that things were traveling a little too fast. Sunday, he slowed down and found his groove.
“In your first big-league start, you’re kind of sky-high and you kind of forget how to play,” Smith said. “But today I calmed down a little bit and just tried to find a pitch I could handle. I wasn’t trying to hit a homer, and when you don’t try, that’s when you do.”
Smith’s timing for his first major-league homer couldn’t have been much better. Mets starter John Maine had baffled the Rockies for 3 1/3 innings, allowing no hits while striking out six, including striking out the side in the third.
But in the fourth, Todd Helton drew a walk and Ryan Spilborghs reached when Jose Reyes booted a groundball at short, setting the stage for Smith. After fouling off two pitches, Smith drove a 2-2 inside fastball deep into the Rockies’ bullpen beyond right-center field. With their first hit, the Rockies were ahead 3-1.
“I knew with the way Cookie was pitching, that’s all we would need,” Smith said.
Cook pitched the first complete game by a Rockie this season and the team’s first since Jeff Francis did it Aug. 29, 2007. Cook gave up four singles, struck out three and walked one. His super sinker induced the Mets into 16 groundball outs.
Cook escaped his only serious jam in the seventh, yielding a one-out single to Carlos Beltran, followed by a walk to Carlos Delgado. But Cook struck out Brian Schneider and Ryan Church to end the threat.
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com
Inerrant Aaron
Rockies right-hander Aaron Cook pitched a complete game Sunday against the Mets, allowing only four hits. Here are the particulars:
• It was Cook’s seventh career complete game, second most in Rockies history (Pedro Astacio leads with 14).
• The four hits allowed were the fewest in any of Cook’s complete games.
• Cook has three of the last five complete games by a Rockies pitcher.
• It was only the ninth complete game in the National League this season.
Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post
TODAY: Rockies at Phillies, 5:05 p.m., FSN
Left-hander Jorge De La Rosa (1-2, 7.78 ERA) suffers from the affliction that has plagued most of the Rockies’ rotation this season: the inability to get out of the gate cleanly. In his last start, De La Rosa wobbled early but righted himself and pitched 5 1/3 innings in the Rockies’ 4-3 win over the Giants. He needs to pitch deeper into games, which is why his start was bumped back a day in favor of Aaron Cook. De La Rosa has received extra tutoring from pitching coach Bob Apodaca. Jamie Moyer, Philadelphia’s 45-year-old lefty, is the kind of location-control pitcher who usually gives the Rockies fits. Moyer (4-3, 4.37) has had a strong May, going 3-1 with a 4.18 ERA in four starts. In his last start, he allowed no runs in six innings against the Nationals. Moyer also has walked only four batters this month, covering 23 2/3 innings. Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post
Tuesday:
Rockies’ Ubaldo Jimenez (1-4, 4.61 ERA) vs. Phillies’ Kyle Kendrick (3-2, 5.19), 5:05 p.m., FSN
Wednesday:
Rockies’ Greg Reynolds (0-1, 4.08) vs. Phillies’ Adam Eaton (0-3, 5.37), 5:05 p.m., FSN
Thursday:
Rockies’ Jeff Francis (1-5, 6.18) vs. Cubs’ Jason Marquis (2-3, 4.97), 6:05 p.m., FSN
Friday:
Rockies’ Aaron Cook (7-3, 2.82) vs. Cubs’ Ted Lilly (5-4, 5.23), 12:20 p.m., no TV
