MILWAUKEE — It is an unfamiliar tale of redemption: an athlete not climbing back from arrest, rehab or injury.
Glendon Rusch was out of baseball for a year after nearly dying from a blood clot in his lung. He collapsed in the Chicago Cubs’ weight room in September 2006.
And, he figured, that was that. Career over. Last season at this time he was sitting in Dodger Stadium wearing a Larry Rothschild Cubs jersey, ragging on his former pitching coach.
“I think he’s still mad about that,” Rusch said with a smile.
On a cool Wednesday at Miller Park, in perhaps his last audition to stay in the Rockies’ rotation, the left-handed pitcher was human Red Bull, delivering quite a Rusch.
All he did was steer the Rockies to an 8-3 victory over the Brewers on a night when Ben Sheets appeared superhuman in the early innings.
“I was sitting in Dodger Stadium a year ago eating a Dodger Dog,” said Rusch, 33. “So, yeah, this means a lot.”
It was special on many levels. The Rockies won a road game — cause for celebration for a team trying to keep its footing in the National League Worst. And they received a huge offensive lift from Garrett Atkins, who drilled a pair of home runs, and Scott Podsednik, who emerged from the witness relocation program to knock in a pair of runs in his first start since June 27.
“I have tried to keep a clear head. I understand the only way I can force any decisions is by what I do on the field,” Podsednik said. “I am not going to be a bad clubhouse guy. I am here to be a team guy.”
Just being on a major-league team is an accomplishment for Rusch. Through agent Dan Evans, he put word out he was ready to attempt a comeback. The Padres signed him, but he was released in April after struggling in their bullpen.
Rusch signed with the Rockies on May 16, got a spot start two weeks later, then toiled for seven weeks in Triple-A waiting for another chance. He made a seamless return, pounding the strike zone and using late life on his cut fastball to get weak swings from a jumpy Brewers lineup. He allowed just one run in six innings.
“It was just what we needed,” manager Clint Hurdle said.
Anything less and the Rockies would have been buried. Sheets struck out 10 of the first 15 batters he faced, becoming the favorite to start the All-Star Game for Hurdle’s NL squad. He blended a 97 mph fastball with an 82 mph curveball that buckled knees. Still, the Rockies ran up his pitch count and punished him for scant mistakes, Podsednik driving in a run in the fifth and Atkins smoking a two-run homer to left field in the sixth.
Hurdle wasn’t about to let this uprising go unrewarded. Untrusting of slumping Luis Vizcaino, Hurdle used closer Brian Fuentes with a five-run lead, a move that raised eyebrows as a possible health check before a trade, given Tampa Bay’s strong interest.
“I wanted to shut it down,” Hurdle said. “That’s all there was to it.”
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
Road to salvation
Glendon Rusch’s victory was rare in many respects. It was his first as a starter in exactly two years. And it tied him for second place on the Rockies for most road wins by a starter not named Aaron Cook. A look at the Rockies’ road numbers:
(Pitcher Record ERA)
Aaron Cook 6-3 3.96
All others 5-21 6.58
Total: 11-24 5.89
Troy E. Renck, The Denver Post
TODAY: Rockies at Brewers, 12:05 p.m.
Jorge De La Rosa’s maddening talent twice played out in Milwaukee before the Brewers gave up on the left-hander. De La Rosa (3-4, 6.58 ERA) needs not just a solid outing, but a longer effort. The Rockies are 1-5 in his road starts in large part because he hasn’t worked more than five innings in any of those assignments. Command of the slider and changeup are critical for De La Rosa. He needs to steer clear of Ryan Braun (3-for-3, one home run). Dave Bush (4-8, 4.74) has been a huge disappointment. His days in the Brewers’ rotation could be numbered with the acquisition of CC Sabathia and the work of Manny Parra. Brad Hawpe has four RBIs in four at-bats against Bush, a right-hander. Troy E. Renck, The Denver Post
Friday:
Rockies’ Aaron Cook (11-6, 3.66) vs. Mets’ Oliver Perez (6-5, 4.62), 5:10 p.m., FSN
Saturday:
Rockies’ Ubaldo Jimenez (4-8, 4.21) vs. Mets’ P. Martinez (3-2, 6.86), 1:55 p.m., Ch. 31
Sunday:
Rockies’ M. Redman (2-4, 7.07) vs. Mets’ M. Pelfrey (7-6, 3.93), 6:05 p.m., ESPN
Monday:
All-star break
