Chalk up another swing and a miss for the 2008 Rockies.
This time, the whiff involved newly acquired starting pitcher Livan Hernandez. He went down in flames this afternoon in front of 45,660 fans at Coors Field, torched by the San Diego Padres for nine runs in a mere 2 2/3 innings.
The Rockies rallied for seven runs in the fourth inning, but it wasn’t nearly enough as they lost 16-7. The Padres pounded Colorado pitching for 20 hits.
This current 10-game homestand was supposed to be the Rockies’ launching pad for a late-season surge. Instead, it’s turned into a disaster. After losing two of three to the Padres, the Rockies are 2-5 on the homestand, their hopes of contending in the National League West on life support.
The Rockies acquired Hernandez, a former World Series MVP with the Marlins, on Wednesday from the Minnesota Twins in an attempt to remain in the race. To land him at Coors Field, the Rockies had to assume the remaining $1.6 million on Hernandez’s contract.
General manager Dan O’Dowd termed the move “a good risk,” believing Hernandez’s experience would help stabilize the Rockies’ wobbling rotation. For one game, at least, the good risk was a total bust.
As Hernandez walked slowly back to the dugout to a chorus of boos, he carried the weight of seven hits, including two homers, as well as four walks. Hernandez’s ineffectiveness was best illustrated by the beginning of the third inning. He walked leadoff hitter Adrian Gonzalez on four pitches, then grooved a fastball to Kevin Kouzmanoff, who planted the ball in the Padres’ bullpen for a two-run homer and 6-0 Padres lead.
The seven runs in the fourth put the Rockies back in the game, but only for a short time. They banged out six hits against longtime nemesis Chris Young, including a two-run triple off the right-field scoreboard by Cory Sullivan and a three-run homer by Brad Hawpe.
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com
