It might not be the Bolshoi Ballet, but the dancing Troy Tulowitzki and Clint Barmes are doing around second base is artful enough for manager Jim Tracy.
“It’s worth the price of admission to see that,” Tracy said before Saturday night’s game.
“I would definitely say we have a good chemistry going,” Barmes said. “It makes it pretty easy having Tulo over there; he’s always going to do his part. And I think I’ve made a pretty good transfer over to second. It’s been a lot of fun.”
Tulowitzki entered Saturday with three errors and a .988 fielding percentage, best among National League shortstops. He had turned 37 double plays, second only to Houston’s Miguel Tejada (38). Barmes ranked fourth among National League second basemen in fielding percentage (.987) and double plays (37).
“Barmes turns a double play as well as anybody would want to talk about,” Tracy said. “His hands are so quick, and his arm strength plays well beyond the normal arm strength at second base.”
Tracy went so far as to make the comparison to the Dodgers’ duo of shortstop Cesar Izturis and second baseman Alex Cora. They anchored the infield for Tracy’s 2004 Los Angeles team that won 93 games and captured the NL West.
“I didn’t think you could see much better than that, but Tulowitzki and Barmes are very reminiscent of those two,” Tracy said.
Buchholz setback.
Right-handed reliever Taylor Buchholz’s bullpen session was shut down after just 17 pitches Saturday because of discomfort and tightness in his elbow.
The development wiped out plans for an immediate rehab assignment and could mean Tommy John surgery, which could sideline Buchholz for a year.
Buchholz, 27, was scheduled to consult with Dr. Thomas Noonan, the team’s medical director, as soon as possible.
Buchholz, who was diagnosed with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow in spring training, was 6-6 with a 2.17 ERA in 2008. That ERA was the sixth-lowest in the NL and fourth-lowest ever posted by a Rockies reliever.
Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post
