Are the Rockies finally turning the corner or are they just spinning their wheels?
A well-informed decision about that question should come into sharper focus after this weekend’s three-game series in Chicago.
The Rockies, 14 games under .500 and just 10-24 on the road, face a White Sox team that leads the AL Central but is bound to be angry after getting swept in Detroit.
The Rockies head to the Windy City with some guarded optimism. Those good feelings, however, were tempered by a 10-7 loss to the Giants on Thursday at Coors Field, a loss in which rookie starter Greg Reynolds allowed eight runs on 10 hits in just 3 1/3 innings.
“We have won three series in a row,” Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. “With our starting pitching, this is the first ‘shoe we’ve thrown’ in about a week. The bullpen is matching up well, and offensively I think we are doing some good things. I think we are headed in the right direction.”
Throw out Reynolds’ performance Thursday, and Hurdle’s verdict passes muster.
Before Reynolds’ meltdown, Colorado starters had posted a 4-1 record with a 2.49 ERA in the club’s previous seven games. Thursday, the Rockies had 12 hits, including a three-hit, two-RBI performance by catcher Yorvit Torrealba; a two-hit, two-RBI effort by Matt Holliday; and a bases-loaded, three-run double by Garrett Atkins.
“I think our offense is better and we’ve had better quality at-bats,” Torrealba said. “I think we are doing a lot of things we weren’t doing early.”
But some of the same old bugaboos remain. The Rockies were shut out from the sixth through the ninth inning, left 10 runners on base and went 3-for-18 with runners in scoring position.
“We had an opportunity to score more runs out there today,” Hurdle said. “No doubt about it, you don’t want to give up 10 runs, but we had plenty of opportunity to throw something back today, and it didn’t happen.”
The Rockies’ best chance for a late rally was thwarted in the seventh when Ryan Spilborghs struck out looking with two out and the bases loaded.
Reynolds was fresh off his first major-league victory Saturday night against the Brewers. That night, his sinker was working for six crisp innings. Thursday, he floated pitches up in the zone and the Giants hammered him.
“With me, it’s either win with good fastball command or else struggle without fastball command. It’s pretty simple,” said Reynolds, whose ERA shot up to 6.69.
Reynolds’ first hint of trouble came with two out and a runner on third in the second inning. The right-hander threw high, wild and inside, plunking Giants catcher Steve Holm. Giants pitcher Jonathan Sanchez then punched an RBI single to center, and left fielder Fred Lewis capped the four-run inning by crushing a 1-2 fastball deep into the Rockies’ bullpen beyond right-center.
“This was the first game he’s gotten barreled,” Hurdle said of Reynolds’ struggles.
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com
Looking ahead
TODAY: Rockies at White Sox, 6:11 p.m., FSN
Ask teammates about Jeff Francis (2-6, 5.45 ERA) and they offer specific reasons they believe his season has finally turned around. He has become less predictablethrowing more curveballs rather than relying on his changeup away — and he is spotting his fastball on the inner half. The key is surviving the first inning, in which he owns a devastating 10.38 ERA. Gavin Floyd (7-3, 3.10) has a 2.42 ERA at home, where he has held opponents to a .146 batting average.
Troy E. Renck, The Denver Post
Upcoming pitching matchups
Saturday:
Rockies’ Jorge De La Rosa (1-3, 8.13 ERA) vs. White Sox’s John Danks (4-4, 3.13), 5 p.m., FSN
Sunday:
Rockies’ Aaron Cook (9-3, 3.21) vs. White Sox’s Jose Contreras (6-4, 3.18), noon, KTVD-20
Monday:
Braves’ Jair Jurrjens (6-3, 3.77) vs. Rockies’ Ubaldo Jimenez (1-6, 4.93), 6 p.m., FSN
Tuesday:
Indians’ Paul Byrd (3-6, 4.89) vs. Rockies’ Greg Reynolds (1-4, 6.69), 7 p.m., FSN
