Mounting frustration finally turned into a laugher for the Rockies on Tuesday night at Coors Field.
For nearly seven full innings, umpires’ calls went against them and Washington Nationals starter John Lannan vexed them. But in the end, the Rockies surfaced with a much-needed 8-2 victory, thanks to starter Jorge De La Rosa, a bomb off the bat of Ian Stewart and a massive meltdown by Nationals relievers.
The Rockies won the game in the eighth when the Nationals bullpen collapsed in a fit of wildness. All told, Washington relievers walked four and hit two batters in the inning.
Brad Hawpe’s bases-loaded blooper to center off reliever Charlie Manning ignited the weird rally. Hawpe’s soft single chased home Matt Holliday and Garrett Atkins, giving the Rockies a 4-2 lead. Seth Smith coaxed a bases-loaded walk out of Manning to bring in another run.
Enter reliever Saul Rivera, who plunked Willy Taveras to bring in another run, then walked Jeff Baker to force in yet another run. Holliday’s run-scoring infield single put the finishing touch on the six-run inning.
But before Nationals pitchers started handing out free gifts, it was Stewart’s big bat that saved the Rockies.
For most of the night, the Rockies’ offense was lost in a late summer siesta, until Stewart jolted his teammate awake in the seventh. With two outs, Clint Barmes singled. It was just the fourth hit of the night off Lannan, who struck out eight Rockies. Into the box stepped Stewart, as a pinch hitter. The rookie crushed Lannan’s 1-0 pitch into the second deck beyond right field, tying the game at 2-all. It was the first career pinch-hit homer of Stewart’s career.
De La Rosa has been an enigma, good one game, awful the next. On this night, the good De La Rosa showed up. Manager Clint Hurdle was hoping for five workmanlike innings. De La Rosa gave him seven solid frames, allowing two runs on six hits. He struck out six and walked just two. However, De La Rosa’s wildness cost him in the fifth when he walked Ryan Langerhans to open the inning, who scored eventually scored on De La Rosa’s wild pitch.
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com
