CHICAGO — With reluctance and a tinge of injustice, Rockies” catcher Yorvit Torrealba will begin serving a two-game suspension Sunday.
Torrealba faced a three-game suspension for his role in a June 3 fight with Dodgers” outfielder Matt Kemp. Kemp received a four-game penalty that was reduced to a pair of games. That didn’t sit well with Torrealba, but he declined to make his case to an arbitrator on Monday.
“I decided to just get it over with. I am not happy that he got two games and I got two games, because I don’t think we deserved the same thing,” Torrealba said.
Triple-A catcher Edwin Bellorin is expected to take Torrealba’s place for the series finale in Chicago and Monday’s makeup game at Coors Field against the Atlanta Braves.
It’s been a difficult season for Torrealba. Though no announcement has been made, he’s lost his starting job. He has batted .232 with two home runs and 17 RBIs, including a three-hit game Thursday. Torrealba is starting tonight for the only the third time in nine games.
The Rockies will try to win for the first time in Chicago since am 11-9 victory over the Cubs on Sept. 30, 2006, a streak spanning eight games.
Because the Rockies are starting a left-hander, Jeff Baker replaced second baseman Ian Stewart in the lineup. Baker has hit safely in six of his last seven games and six of his last 11 hits have gone for extra bases.
Jorge De La Rosa will start opposite Chicago’s John Danks. De La Rosa will likely be available only for around 70 pitches, after having spent the past two weeks in the bullpen. Triple-A left-hander Glendon Rusch is expected to return to the rotation in this spot next Thursday against the Cleveland Indians.
A look at the lineups:
Rockies (26-41)AVGHRRBI
CF Willy Taveras.233112
DH Ryan Spilborghs.301423
LF Matt Holliday.310828
1B Todd Helton.293726
3B Garrett Atkins.314938
RF Brad Hawpe.243624
2B Jeff Baker.261114
C Yorvit Torrealba.232217
SS Omar Quintanilla.24118
LHP Jorge De La Rosa (1-3, 8.13)
White Sox (38-29)
SS Orlando Cabrera.264423
C A.J. Pierzynski.300426
LF Carlos Quentin.2741654
1B Paul Konerko.218830
DH Jermaine Dye.2861027
RF Nick Swisher.220824
3B Joe Crede.2801441
CF Brian Anderson.256210
2B Juan Uribe.202317
RHP John Danks(4-4, 3.13)
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
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