CHICAGO — As recently as last week, Todd Helton wondered if he was allergic to RBIs. He knows he’s not immune to criticism with the Rockies off to their worst start since the “Todd and the Toddlers” days of 2005.
While many focus on his lacking muscle, he’s on pace to hit 17 home runs, his average the past three seasons. Where he has come up short are in RBIs and extra-base hits. After 56 games, he projects to drive in a career- worst 61 runs and finish with just 49 extra-base hits, 11 shy of his previous low.
“He knows how important he is to this team and this lineup,” manager Clint Hurdle said Saturday. “He doesn’t have to be a max home run guy. We need him to drive in runs and score runs because we know he’s going to be an OBP (on-base percentage) machine.”
Amid the wreckage that is the first six games of this 10-game road trip, Helton’s progress has been encouraging. His home run Saturday gave him back-to-back games with homers for the second time this season, and he is 7-for-18 (.389) with six RBIs.
“I do think about it, but there are more important things to worry about,” Helton said. “I have to do what I can when I have the opportunity. It’s about winning games and we aren’t doing that.”
In need of relief.
Manuel Corpas has gone from Corpas diem to mea culpa. He was saddled with another blown save in Friday’s loss as the Rockies squandered a franchise record-tying eight-run lead. Corpas had not allowed a run in six straight outings before a sloppy slider undermined him.
“I made three pitches, you can see them right there,” said Corpas, pointing to the TV screen highlights. “Last year was, ‘boom, boom, boom, bam, bam, bam’ when I came in. I have to get beat on my best pitch, and I didn’t.”
Corpas rued throwing a slider to the left-handed hitting Jim Edmonds, allowing his slower bat speed to catch up.
Footnotes.
Hurdle said he would give consideration to setup men like the Cubs’ Carlos Marmol and Taylor Buchholz, among others, when piecing together his National League pitching staff for the All-Star Game. . . . Omar Quintanilla blasted his first career home run and unearthed an old high school nickname: Rooftop. “That was with aluminum bats, though,” Quintanilla said.
Troy E. Renck, The Denver Post
