PHOENIX — Nice to meet you, 2009 Rockies.
In the interest of full disclosure, it seems like we met before. Like sometime between 1993 to 2001 in Denver. Perhaps near Federal Boulevard or Blake Street.
Rockies’ fans are accustomed to these kinds of games, these kinds of losses, but not usually this soon. And certainly not here at baseball’s Combover Dome.
A sellout crowd at Chase Field was hoarse from screaming when the carnage finally ended, the Diamondbacks slithering away to an eventful 9-8 win opening day win over the Rockies Monday afternoon.
Those who followed Colorado during spring training have been warned that pitching could be a problem. Especially starting pitching.
But it wasn’t expected to be a problem with Aaron Cook on the mound. He’s the big toe on the Rockies’ foot, the reigning all-star and potential Cy Young candidate. He walked through clubhouse at 9:56 a.m., and smiled, saying, “Let’s focus boys.”
When he left the game, he had everything but baseball seams imprinted on his forehead. He was tagged for six runs in 2-1/3 innings, lasting just 55 pitches. It was his shortest outing since Aug. 7, 2004 when he nearly died at Coors Field after developing blood clots in his lungs.
His line symbolized the cringe experience for pitchers on both teams, save for Arizona reliever Tony Pena, who brought sanity to the proceedings with his late-inning work.
The Diamondbacks weren’t just prolific, they were historic. Felipe Lopez and Tony Clark became the first teammates to hit two home runs each in a game since the Yankees’ Jorge Posada and Bernie Williams in 2000. Nobody had ever pulled off the feat on opening day. And speaking to the madness, neither provided the decisive blow.
With the score tied at 8-all – the Rockies had home runs by Troy Tulowitzki, Chris Iannetta and Seth Smith – Chad Tracy wandered to the plate against Rockies’ reliever Jason Grilli.
Grilli actually made a good pitch, a slider down and in. Tracy golfed the ball into the seats, shoving the Diamondbacks ahead 9-8. The Diamondbacks, who have won 16 of their last 19 games against Colorado dating to last season, scored in every inning but the sixth and eighth.
Chad Qualls closed out Colorado for his first save.
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com.
