MIAMI — The Rockies lost without playing Saturday night. Their wild-card lead shrank to one game following the San Francisco Giants’ 5-4 victory over the Mets on Saturday afternoon.
It’s that time of the season for scoreboard-peeking. And raining. Especially in south Florida. Soggy weather postponed Saturday’s game, leaving the Rockies to play a standard doubleheader today beginning at 11:35 a.m. against the Marlins at Land Shark Stadium.
The Rockies hold a two-game advantage over Florida in the playoff race, meaning somebody had better bring the coffee because it’s no time for a wake-up call.
“It didn’t affect me. I will be ready,” said Aaron Cook, who will be working on nine days’ rest after last week’s start was pushed back because of a sprained right big toe. “I never warmed up or even stretched.”
As doubleheaders go, the timing smiled on the Rockies.
It will be a single gate so the second game, which will be televised, will start 30 minutes following the first. That’s in contrast to New York last month, when the Rockies’ noon-7 p.m. split doubleheader against the Mets kept the players at the ballpark for 12 hours on a travel day.
Also, Monday is an off day, so the Rockies won’t have to adjust their rotation later this week, although the weather forecasts in Washington don’t look promising.
“We won’t be here all day tomorrow, so that helps. It shouldn’t really disrupt our pitching because of the way the schedule sets up,” outfielder Brad Hawpe said.
“And it’s a good feeling knowing that we have Cookie going (today).”
Cook will face a challenge. Though he believes his sinker will benefit from the humidity, he must tame a Marlins lineup that has produced double-figure hits in its last 11 games.
“They are a good team, and they are all big games at this point,” second baseman Clint Barmes said. “There is no getting around that.”
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
Looking ahead
TODAY
Game 1: Rockies at Marlins, 11:35 a.m., no TV
Game 2: 30 minutes following, FSN
Aaron Cook (10-4, 3.93 ERA) will make his return to the rotation now on nine days’ rest, starting in the opener opposite Chris Volstad (8-9, 4.71). Cook will wear a special cleat to protect his sprained big right toe. The Rockies beat Volstad 3-2 on May 10 at Coors Field. Jorge De La Rosa (10-8, 4.78), coming off a career-high 11 strikeouts against the Cubs, works the second game against Rick VandenHurk (2-1, 4.15). De La Rosa is 10-2 with a 4.12 ERA since June 1. Preventing the big hit from Dan Uggla and Hanley Ramirez, who are a combined 8-for-17 off De La Rosa, is critical. Troy E. Renck, The Denver Post
Monday: Day off
Tuesday: Rockies’ Ubaldo Jimenez (10-9, 3.47 ERA) vs. Nationals’ Craig Stammen (3-6, 5.24), 5:05 p.m., FSN
Wednesday: Rockies’ Jason Marquis (13-8, 3.55) vs. Nationals’ Collin Balester (1-2, 6.00), 5:05 p.m., FSN
Thursday: Rockies’ Jason Hammel (7-7, 4.73) vs. Nationals’ Garrett Mock (2-4, 5.27), 5:05 p.m., FSN
