DETROIT — In an attempt to jumpstart the Rockies’ stagnant offense, manager Clint Hurdle is tinkering with the lineup for tonight’s game against the Tigers.
Out of the lineup is Todd Helton, who admitted he could use a day off. Batting cleanup for the first time this season is Brad Hawpe. At the top of the order are Willy Taveras and Scott Podsednik, the Rockies” speediest players.
“I don’t want to be over-reactive, but I don’t want to be stubborn,” Hurdle said. “We have not sparked as an offense like we need to spark, so I’m going to continue to look for different ways to make this happen.”
The Rockies have lost four straight, and their offense is still spinning its wheels. The club ranks 12th in National League in runs scored (331) and home runs (69). The Rockies are hitting .260, sixth in the NL, but rank 14th in the league with runners in scoring position with a .238 average, ahead of only Washington (.234) and San Diego (.232).
Helton said he was not surprised to see his spot at first taken by Jeff Baker.
“We’ve been planning this since Chicago,” Helton said, referring to the Rockies’ road trip against the White Sox on June 13-15. “I needed a day off and (Hurdle) has known that.”
Hurdle said he’s sitting Helton tonight to take advantage of the Rockies’ off day Thursday.
“I wanted to give him back-to-back days (off),” Hurdle said. “We want to try some different things to get him going. This would be one of them.”
Helton is mired in a deep slump, hitting 10-for-61 over his past 17 games, dropping his average from .295 to .267. Helton said getting out of his funk is not a mechanical issue.
“It’s not hands, it’s not body,” he said. “It’s all mental. I’ve kind of got to stop thinking about all that stuff. I just have to focus on seeing the ball and hitting the ball.”
Taveras starts in center and leads off. Podsednik, the designated hitter, bats second.
Hawpe hit from the cleanup spot once last season, going 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs. He’s batted from the No. 4 hole nine times in his career, hitting at a .290 clip.
Two hours before game time, downtown Detroit was swamped by a downpour. There was a small break in the storm before the rain started again. However, it now appears that the game will be played, although the forecasts call for a 30 percent chance of rain throughout the night.
Here are tonight’s lineups
Rockies
CF Willy Taveras
DH Scott Podsednik
LF Matt Holliday
RF Brad Hawpe
3B Garrett Atkins
1B Jeff Baker
C Chris Iannetta
SS Troy Tulowitzki
2B Clint Barmes
Tigers
CF Curtis Granderson
2B Placido Polanco
3B Carlos Guillen
RF Magglio Ordonez
1B Miguel Cabrera
LF Clete Thomas
DH Gary Sheffield
C Ivan Rodriguez
SS Michael Holliman
