TUCSON — No. 3 starter Jason Marquis and manager Clint Hurdle saw two entirely different ballgames Saturday afternoon at Hi Corbett Field.
Although it took him 88 pitches to get through 3 2/3 innings of the Rockies’ 10-5 loss to the Mariners, Marquis called it “a step in the right direction” and characterized it as a spring training workday devoted to fine-tuning his curveball.
Hurdle wasn’t nearly so positive, issuing a challenge to the Colorado starters, who outside of Aaron Cook and Ubaldo Jimenez, have been a ragged bunch.
“We’ve got some guys who are showing flashes of some good things, but as a staff, we’ve got to cover some ground here,” Hurdle said.
Marquis, who gave up five runs and nine hits, including a two-run homer to Ronny Cedeño, said: “This is why we are here, to work on a few things and get things straightened out. I’ve got four starts left, so I’m looking forward to the next one.”
But with 22 days before the Rockies’ regular-season opener, Hurdle was less patient.
“It’s time they started making comments after the game that ‘I commanded my fastball, I threw strikes and my slider was sharp and I had a good sinker,’ ” Hurdle said. “That’s what we need to start hearing.”
Hawpe returns.
Playing his first game in 14 days, right fielder Brad Hawpe went 0-for-2, striking out twice against Mariners lefty Ryan Rowland-Smith. And while Hawpe admitted his timing was off, he was glad to be back in action.
“I didn’t get the results I wanted, obviously, but everything felt good,” Hawpe said. “My legs felt good, my arm felt good.”
Actually, the arm might have felt too good. In the fifth inning, Hawpe caught Chris Woodward’s shallow fly and gunned a throw to home, sailing the ball all the way to the backstop. Fortunately, the runner didn’t tag to score from third.
“I’m just teaching guys what not to do,” Hawpe kidded.
Footnotes.
Jimenez, back from the WBC, is scheduled to pitch Tuesday when the Rockies host Kansas City. . . . San Diego Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson, a product of Northern Colorado and Widefield High School, threw out the first pitch.
Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post
Rockies Recap
At the plate
Dexter Fowler had his best day, going 3-for-4 with a walk. He sliced a single to right in the first inning, laid down a perfect bunt for a base hit in the third, and drove the ball to left in the fifth.
On the mound
Reliever Jason Grilli, in his first appearance since playing for Italy in the WBC, gave up a two-run homer to Matt Tuiasosopo in the seventh. Reliever Cedrick Bowers exited the game in the eighth with an injury. He’s been bothered by a sore back.
In the field
Ian Stewart battled a strong wind to make a running catch down the left-field line in the sixth.
Up next
The Rockies travel to Glendale today to play the Dodgers at their new complex, Camelback Ranch. Scheduled Rockies pitchers: Jorge De La Rosa, Matt Belisle, Shane Lindsay, Ryan Matheus.
Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post
