MIAMI — Manager Clint Hurdle thought it was a curveball. Luis Vizcaino insisted it was a slider. Its real identity? The biggest pitch in the biggest win of the Rockies’ season, a gritty 3-2 victory Sunday over the Florida Marlins at Dolphin Stadium.
This is the kind of game that good teams win, camouflaging mistakes with cold-hearted execution in defining moments. With one good swing separating the Rockies from another chilling loss, the right-handed reliever fanned pinch-hitter Luis Gonzalez with the bases loaded to end the sixth inning.
The out worked on so many levels. It doused a rally and forced Scott Olsen, who had allowed just one hit over six innings, to the bench. And Vizcaino’s calm projected confidence as the Rockies enter their latest most important stretch of the season, a 10-game homestand that begins tonight against the Washington Nationals.
“We have to win them all,” said slugger Matt Holliday, who fought everything but earth, wind, fire and sun to catch Josh Willingham’s flyball for Sunday’s final out with the bases loaded. “OK, we have to win most of them. I am serious. Or we don’t have a chance.”
The type of resolve demonstrated Sunday validates the Rockies’ belief that they are in contention, no matter how sobering the math. They are seven games back with 49 remaining. Yet, they play division-leading Arizona nine times and second-place Los Angeles six times. And the Diamondbacks and Dodgers are the only teams left on the Rockies’ schedule with winning records.
To remain relevant in September, success in the clutch is a must. The Rockies’ pitchers put on a clinic in the series finale.
Closer Brian Fuentes provided a sequel to Vizcaino’s sixth-inning drama, retiring two hitters with the bases loaded to secure his 20th save. He hasn’t allowed a run since June 30, a streak spanning 12 appearances.
“Seemed like old times,” said Fuentes of the ninth-inning traffic. “You almost enjoy those a little more.”
That Fuentes was in the game can be traced to Vizcaino. Down 2-0 and with two runners aboard, the right-hander took over for starter Glendon Rusch, whose cut fastball minimized damage on a muggy afternoon. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki’s diving stop of a John Baker groundball prevented a run, loading the bases. Vizcaino then fanned Gonzalez, his former teammate in Arizona, on a knee-locking breaking ball.
“Vizky did a great job of picking me up. Those are the little battles when you look back afterward you realize were the key to the game, really,” Rusch said.
With Olsen a spectator, the Rockies went to work on the Marlins’ relievers. Holliday hit his third home run in three games in the seventh, Tulowitzki tied the score in the eighth with a single to left, and pinch-hitter Seth Smith plated the winning run with a hard single to center in the ninth.
“When you win close games, it usually takes the whole team to pull it out. That’s what we did last year,” Tulowitzki said. “Now, we have to take care of business at home and get some help from the teams ahead of us.”
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
TODAY: Nationals at Rockies, 7:05 p.m., FSN
The Rockies’ biggest homestand to date begins with their best pitcher on the mound. Aaron Cook (14-6, 3.53 ERA) has moved within handshake proximity of history. He could set the Rockies’ single-season victory record by the end of this month. He needs three to tie and four to stand alone. Cook has won six games at Coors Field, with the root of his success easy to trace: only 10 walks in 76 innings. The Rockies tried to acquire Tim Redding (7-6, 4.34) last week but balked at the asking price of Ian Stewart. Troy E. Renck, The Denver Post
Tuesday:
Nationals’ John Lannan (6-11, 3.61) vs. Rockies’ Jorge De La Rosa (5-6, 6.94), 7:05 p.m., FSN
Wednesday:
Nationals’ Odalis Perez (4-8, 4.16) vs. Rockies’ Jeff Francis (3-7, 5.67), 7:05 p.m., FSN
Thursday:
Nationals’ Jason Bergmann (1-8, 4.33) vs. Rockies’ Ubaldo Jimenez (8-9, 3.61), 1:05 p.m.
Friday:
Padres’ Jake Peavy (8-7, 2.59) vs. Rockies’ Glendon Rusch (4-3, 5.47), 7:05 p.m.
