Manager Clint Hurdle is a man of many metaphors, analogies and motivational cliches. But coming off the most disappointing first half in team history, he knew better than to put lipstick on a pig Thursday.
“I am tired of talking about playing better. We just need to start doing it,” Hurdle said. “I need to do a better job. The coaches need to do a better job, and the players need to do a better job.”
On a beautiful summer evening, the Rockies reacquainted themselves with victory and an old baseball axiom, beating the Pirates 5-3.
A team, the legend goes, has a much better chance to win if it scores runs. The Rockies were held to two during their four-game losing streak before the all-star break. They had just 15 hits, and players not named Brad Hawpe batted a combined .094.
For the Rockies to have any hope of salvaging this season, they have to dominate this seven-game homestand. And given the unpredictable if not unreliable starting pitching, the onus is on the offense.
After 39 innings in a coma, the lineup finally awoke. The highlight, ironically, was a broken bat, baseball’s universal symbol of frustration. With the game tied at 3-all in the sixth inning, Chris Iannetta blasted a two-run homer as the barrel of his bat boomeranged toward third base.
Ubaldo Jimenez (5-9) got the win, surrendering just three runs in seven innings.
