Noted baseball philosopher Yogi Berra once said, “The future ain’t what it used to be.”
In his convoluted way, the venerable Yogi summed up tonight’s performance by young Rockies pitchers Greg Reynolds and Jason Hirsh in an 11-5 loss to the San Diego Padres.
The right-handers figure prominently in the club’s future, possibly fitting into the 2009 starting rotation. Both were eager for a late-season test. And as the disappointing season fizzles out, Rockies management is curious to see them under big-league fire.
Monday night, they both got hammered as the Rockies lost for the seventh time in eight games.
Reynolds gave up seven runs on nine hits in two-plus innings. He was making his first big-league start since giving up seven runs in 1 1/3 innings on July 4 against the Marlins.
“We’d like to see fastball command, first and foremost,” manager Clint Hurdle said before the game. “Good, low strikes, and the ability to throw the changeup and the curveball in some offensive counts.”
That didn’t happen. Padres center fielder Will Venable opened the game with a double and scored on Brian Giles’ single. Adrian Gonzalez plated Giles with a double over the head of right fielder Brad Hawpe for a 3-0 lead.
Gonzalez’s three-run homer in the third, followed by a triple by Kevin Kouzmanoff and a double by Chase Headley spelled the end for Reynolds’ short stint.
In came Hirsh, the tall right-hander who has battled a sore shoulder all season and won’t be completely healthy until this winter. He struck out Nick Hundley before giving up a two-run shot to Matt Antonelli, the first homer of Antonelli’s career. Hirsh settled in a bit after that, pitching 2 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits.
The Rockies’ highlight reel consisted of Troy Tulowitzki’s fourth-inning grand slam off San Diego rookie starter Wade LeBlanc and an eighth-inning solo homer by Chris Iannetta off reliever Mike Ekstrom.
The Rockies set up Tulowitzki’s homer with a single by Garrett Atkins, a walk by Iannetta and a single by Hawpe. Tulowitzki launched his slam – the second of his career and third this season by a Rockie – over the wall in center field, trimming the Padres’ lead to 9-4.
For the Padres, Gonzalez went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and Giles was 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Drew Macias hit a solo homer off reliever Steven Register in the ninth to account for the Padres’ final run.
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com
