Very few Rockies are ripping the cover off the ball, but cleanup hitter Garrett Atkins is making the most of the hits he gets. His first-inning, opposite-field double chased home Ryan Spilborghs with the game’s first run. The hit extended Atkins’ streak to six games and gave him four hits in eight at-bats with runners in scoring position.
Homer time.
When Brad Hawpe launched a two-run homer in the first inning, it marked the eighth time in the first nine games the Rockies have hit a home run.
Iannetta’s woes.
While catcher Chris Iannetta has been terrific behind the plate, he’s struggling mightily at the plate. He went 0-for-4 on Friday and flied out to center in the seventh, dropping his average to .048. His only hit of the season was a home run in the season opener against Arizona.
Looking Ahead
The opening-day clash of aces featuring the Rockies’ Aaron Cook and Arizona’s Brandon Webb turned out to be a pitching dud. That shouldn’t be the case today when Cook (0-0, 9.72 ERA) goes up against the Dodgers’ Chad Billingsley (2-0, 2.08) in a rare Saturday afternoon game at Dodger Stadium. Though Cook is still winless, he righted himself with a workmanlike six-inning performance against Philadelphia. Billingsley1-2 with a 5.30 ERA in eight career games against the Rockies — was dynamite in his last outing. He limited the Giants to one run on five hits over seven innings. He whiffed 11. Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post
