Rockies starter Aaron Cook has watched videotape. He’s talked to pitching coach Bob Apodaca. He’s talked to himself. After all of that, his solution to breaking out of his recent slump is quite simple.
“It’s not really about turning things around,” said Cook, who will start tonight’s series opener in Atlanta. “I just have to go out and execute my pitches and be myself. I can’t put too much pressure on myself.”
Cook was superb in July, going 4-1 with a 3.25 ERA. The first 20- win season in Rockies history looked realistic. But Cook — now 16-9 with a 4.10 ERA — has struggled in August and September, going 2-3 with a 7.13 ERA. His worst outing of the season was his last one. He gave up six runs and 10 hits in three innings in a loss to the Giants. Cook insisted he was neither hurt nor fatigued.
The sinkerballer says his mechanics are basically sound, predicting that a couple of tweaks will fix things.
“It’s more of a feel thing,” he said. “There are a couple of minor issues, but mostly it’s about keeping the ball down.”
Stalled offense.
With the season hanging in the balance, the Rockies’ offense has stalled. During a disappointing 3-3 homestand, the Rockies hit just .187 (36-for-193) and scored 22 runs. And even though Brad Hawpe smacked a three-run, sixth-inning homer Sunday, key hits have been missing.
“We were able to do some things better on offense, but it was not our best offensive series at home, by any means,” manager Clint Hurdle said Sunday. “We’ve got to find a way to respond and throw more punches on offense.”
Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post
