Throw out his first innings and the Jeff Francis of 2008 would look a lot more like the Jeff Francis of 2007.
Sunday, Francis walked Milwaukee’s Joe Dillon to open the game and gave up two runs on three hits in that first inning. In 14 starts this season, his first-inning ERA is a bloated 10.38. His ERA in other innings is 4.45.
“It’s frustrating,” Francis said. “Every time I go out, I try to focus on the first inning because that’s kind of what’s got the best of me this year. I go back and look at the tape, and I see that I’m just not making a lot of good pitches early.”
Francis and pitching coach Bob Apodaca have fiddled with Francis’ pregame routine to see if they can change the results.
“I know I’m working on it, because I’m always a preparation guy,” Francis said. “Everything I do is to be ready to pitch.”
Francis was coming off his best performance of the season — seven shutout innings in Los Angeles. And although his numbers Sunday weren’t bad — three runs on seven hits in six innings — his record fell to 2-6.
“I don’t focus on it, but it is a reflection of how I’ve pitched,” he said. “There is nothing I can do about (my record) at this point. I just have to go out each time and try to do my job, whether I’m 6-2 or 2-6.”
Tulo talk.
While optimism abounds that injured shortstop Troy Tulowitzki could be back sooner than expected, he realizes he has to be smart monitoring the torn tendon in his left quadriceps.
“What I’ve learned is to tell the training staff exactly what I feel,” he said. “With an injury like this, it doesn’t do me any good to try to get out there before I’m ready.”
The Rockies’ staff plans to meet today to determine if Tulowitzki is ready for a minor- league rehab assignment this week. Trainer Keith Dugger has expressed optimism that Tulowitzki will be healthy sooner than expected. Tulowitzki originally was expected to return around the all-star break (July 14-16).
Footnotes.
When Clint Barmes broke his collarbone in 2005, he admits it messed with his swing. He doesn’t think his current knee injury will do the same thing. “It hasn’t hurt to swing a bat since I first tested it, and I tested it four days after my injury,” said Barmes, who was injured May 23. . . . Ryan Speier made his first appearance since May 11, pitching a scoreless inning.
Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post
