SAN FRANCISCO — Eleven months have passed since the Rockies took up residence in the gated residence where the Broncos have long lived.
Colorado woke up an entire region to baseball again, a reminder of the days of 80,000 fans elbowing into Mile High Stadium and fans selling cookies outside of Coors Field to raise money for Dante Bichette’s next contract.
Eleven months removed from reaching their World Series berth, the Rockies’ purpose this year has seemingly been to define somebody else’s greatness. That’s a polite way to see they have lived down to expectations.
But while this season has been puzzling, it is not without merit. In winning 4-2 on Monday night over the San Francisco Giants, their 12th road victory in the last 17 games, the Rockies continue to provide sport’s most important marketing tool.
Hope.
They left behind a city consumed with talk about health care, economic reform and unity. The Rockies were trying to address decidedly unworldly, but important, issues — namely the resurrection of their ace and the maturation of their kids.
Colorado can’t contend for its first-ever National League West title without a healthy and effective Jeff Francis. The Rockies are seven games out of first place.
His transformation from wobbly starter to trusted anchor is underway. He surrendered just two earned runs over seven innings, winning for the first time since June 18. In his last three games, he has reintroduced his curveball, thrown inside more to right-handers and demonstrated confidence in his changeup.
Nobody thought Francis, the opening-day starter, would have three wins entering Monday. A shoulder injury, however, prevented him from throwing between starts before he ultimately landed on the disabled list July 3, missing 34 games.
“He holds so much inside. I didn’t have any idea how much his shoulder was bothering him,” pitching coach Bob Apodaca said. “Now, he’s starting to look like the old Jeff Francis.”
Francis fell behind 2-0 after a sloppy first inning. But Ian Stewart, Troy Tulowitzki and catcher Yorvit Torrealba propped him up. Torrealba delivered a swing so hard it could have tenderized meat, swatting a 92-mph Matt Cain fastball into the left-field seats, tying the score at 2-all. Runs in the fourth and eighth accounted for the final tally.
It was just one win. But it created more reasons for hope.
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
