CHICAGO — As first halves go, Aaron Cook has enjoyed a terrific season.
Exorcising demons from his lone forgettable outing, a meltdown against the Chicago Cubs, the right-hander worked six solid innings in the Rockies” 5-3 victory today over the White Sox.
The win was Cook’s 10th, a single-season career best. That fact will get a lot of play over the next two weeks when the right-hander, barring injury, lands on the National League All-Star staff. Colorado won its fourth consecutive series as it crawls back into contention in the outrageously mediocre National League West.
This series, more than any recently, provides reason for hope. It comes on the road where the Rockies had lost 13 of 15 games before arriving in (pick your carrier) Cellular Field.
They played gritty, dirty. They scored two runs in the first inning on three singles, including a groundball up the middle from former White Sox Scott Podsednik. Staked to leads of 2-0, 3-1 and 4-3, Cook wobbled, but never tipped over.
His biggest break was a stroke of luck. With two runners aboard in the fifth, Nick Swisher – he was easy to recognize with his goatee dyed blue for Father’s Day – lined a shot to left field. Matt Holliday chased it down and fired a dart to second base to double off Jim Thome.
White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen took umbrage at the call, but was not angry enough to get ejected.
Brad Hawpe homered for the fourth time since returning from the DL on June 6 to give the Rockies a 5-3 cushion. Brian Fuentes brought trouble in the ninth, loading the bases with two outs.
But he retired Joe Crede to escape with his 11th save as Holliday bobbled a shallow flyball before catching it with his barehand as he avoided a collision with shortstop Omar Quintanilla.
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
