Today was fan appreciation day at Coors Field, but this was no grand home finale.
The Rockies closed out their 2008 home schedule with a sloppy 13-4 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in front of 32,915 fans. The Rockies, 51-31 at home last season en route to winning the National League wild card, finished 43-38 at Coors this season.
Arizona pounded out a season-high 19 hits, improving to 12-3 vs. the Rockies this season.
Rockies rookie starter Greg Reynolds got plastered – again — and the usually crisp-fielding Rockies committed three errors.
Reynolds, a possible candidate for next season’s rotation, continues to struggle with fastball location. The big right-hander was gone after just 1 1/3 innings, having given up six runs on seven hits, including a leadoff second-inning homer to Chris Young.
In his last three starts, Reynolds, the Rockies’ first-round pick in the 2006 draft and second player selected overall, has been raked for 20 runs on 23 hits in a combined 4 2/3 innings.
Colorado got on the scoreboard via Garrett Atkins’ three-run homer in the fourth off Arizona right-hander Dan Haren. It was Atkins’ 20th home run and boosted his RBI total to 95. With six games remaining, he still has a chance to drive in 100 runs.
Haren worked six innings, allowing three runs on seven hits. He improved to 16-8.
The Diamondbacks, hanging on to a slim chance of catching the Dodgers for the National League West division title, climbed back over .500 to 78-77. They entered the day trailing the Dodgers by 31/2 games.
Last season, the Rockies set a major league record for field percentage, but they weren’t sharp today. Seth Smith, getting a late-season audition in center field, committed an error in the Diamondbacks’ five-run first. Smith mishandled a slow-rolling single by Chris Young, allowing Stephen Drew to score from second base.
In the fourth, right fielder Brad Hawpe couldn’t quite make a sliding catch on Conor Jackson’s shallow fly, then made an offline throw allowing Jackson to reach third. Jackson scored on Adam Dunn’s single.
In the fifth, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki allowed a grounder up the middle by Diamondbacks pitcher Dan Haren to creep under his glove, allowing Augie Ojeda to score from third.
The Rockies are off on Monday before opening a three-game series in San Francisco on Tuesday. The Rockies wrap up their disappointing season with a three-game series in Arizona next weekend.
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com
