The closing argument has become an open question.
In the type of game that creates concern, the Rockies received terrific starting pitching, strung together four straight singles to grab a lead, then watched it ooze through the bullpen’s fingers.
Manuel Corpas absorbed the loss, the Rockies falling 4-3 to the San Diego Padres at chilly Coors Field.
It’s come down to this for Colorado: it’s hard to enjoy the ride when worried airbags will implode at the end. The Rockies are on their second closer, which goes a long way in explaining why they haven’t won three straight games.
In his last two outings, Corpas has worked hard to fix his delivery — his shoulder flies open, sabotaging his sinker and slider — and polish his secondary pitches. He courted trouble and saw another reliever warming up in the bullpen each time. There was no help Tuesday.
With the game tied at 3-all in the ninth, Nick Hundley tripled an 82-mph slider into the right-field corner. After a groundout, Luis Rodriguez sneaked a groundball past a diving Todd Helton to push the Padres ahead.
It amplified an offensive failure moments earlier. While Troy Tulowitzki ignited the two-run seventh-inning rally with a single, he extinguished an uprising in the eighth. With bases loaded and one out, Tulowitzki grounded into a double play, jammed on a fastball from Duaner Sanchez.
Down 2-1, the lone offensive pulse a home run by Seth Smith, the Rockies revived with four consecutive singles. Tulowitzki snapped an 0-for-19 slump with a line drive to center to trigger the uprising. Dexter Fowler followed with a bunt single and both scored on back-to-back hits by Ryan Spilborghs and Helton.
As moments to savor, it was a sip, not a drink. Moments after the Rockies gained the lead, Alan Embree relinquished it. He’s a horse, loves the work, but like nearly every member of the bullpen suffered a hiccup. Chase Headley, a Colorado product, knotted the game at 3-all with a hard single to right, leaving former closer Huston Street to snuff out the Padres.
That the Padres remained within arm’s reach can be traced to Jorge De La Rosa’s third consecutive solid outing. He worked six innings, surrendering two runs on a Scott Hairston home run. De La Rosa is maddening since he can alternate between no-hit and no-out stuff.
There was added poise and a new twist on his delivery Tuesday. He tweaked the arm slot on his slider, allowing him to throw it at different speeds, while hitting spots with laser accuracy. He finished with six strikeouts.
It was necessary as Chad Gaudin stifled Colorado’s hitters. Put on the street by the Cubs with a $1.6 million severance check in spring training, he thought about signing with the Rockies. But they only had a Triple-A opportunity available with no guarantees. So he chose the Padres, seeing a clearer path back to a big league rotation. Because of the injury to Shawn Hill, Gaudin got his shot and delivered five shutout innings.
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
