TUCSON, Ariz.—Huston Street is taking over the closer role for the Colorado Rockies.
Street, a right-hander acquired as part of a November trade with the Oakland Athletics involving for Matt Holliday, was named Colorado’s closer before the Rockies’ 7-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday.
“This is what I came to camp to accomplish and it’s a role I feel comfortable with. There is a lot of responsibility that goes along with it,” Street said. “My teammates should expect me to not only get the job done but be prepared to get the job done. That’s what I spent the whole offseason doing. I feel like this is just the beginning.”
Street, who lost his closing role to Brad Ziegler with the A’s last season, has beaten out Manuel Corpas despite early spring struggles.
After allowing only five hits and one run in his last eight appearances, Street is using his lack of success a year ago as motivation.
“There is no worse feeling in the world than having that taken away from you. That was kind of the motivation this whole offseason, that was everyday that I woke up,” Street said.
Street, with 94 career saves, wrapped up spring camp here with a 5.23 ERA after allowing six earned runs in 10 1-3 innings.
Corpas, who broke camp a year ago as the Rockies closer before losing the job to Brian Fuentes, threw one inning against the Diamondbacks, allowing one hit.
Fuentes signed during the offseason with the Los Angles Angels.
Corpas pitched 10 innings this spring, allowing just one run and eight hits for a 0.90 ERA. He will be the Rockies’ eighth-inning setup man.
Arizona broke its spring training camp giving up seven more runs and 10 hits to compound a National League worst 6.71 ERA heading into Thursday’s action.
“We didn’t pitch very well this spring. We expect when we get our 25-man roster together we should be a little crisper and expect our pitching staff to be a strength like it normally is,” Arizona manager Bob Melvin said.
The Diamondbacks play their final two spring games at Chase Field in Phoenix before opening the regular season Monday against Colorado.
Brandon Webb, slated to be Arizona’s opening day starter, had a 5.82 ERA, giving up 11 runs in 17 innings. But Melvin doesn’t seem worried.
“He is right where we want him to be as far as innings go. He is a guy who has gotten out of the gate fast,” Melvin said. “He is our No. 1 guy and everything starts with him on opening day. We expect, like we do every year, big things from him.”
The Diamondbacks used minor league pitchers against the Rockies with Tony Barnette starting and going three innings, giving up three hits and four runs, while striking out four and walking one.
“We expect our pitching to be our strength, especially our starting pitching,” Melvin said. “That is the way it has been around her for awhile.”
Colorado’s Troy Tulowitzki was 3-for-3 with two runs scored and a double. Garrett Atkins went 2-for-4 with a double.
Arizona’s John Hester was 2-for-2 while Mark Reynolds had a double and Justin Upton had a two-run triple.
Notes: Arizona traded right-handed pitcher Brooks Brown to Detroit for catcher James Skelton. The Diamondbacks sent Skelton to Double-A Mobile after hitting .150 with four runs scored, a double and one RBI. Brown, a non-roster invitee to Arizona’s camp, had a 20.25 ERA with six earned runs in four games. … Infielders Josh Wilson, Ryan Roberts and Josh Whitesell continue to compete for the Diamondbacks’ last roster spot.
