At first glance, it seemed like an odd partnership. The Rockies needed a starting pitcher, but did they need this one? Jose Contreras has a wonderful resume, though there was nothing of distinction this season. To acquire Contreras and his 13 losses, the Rockies had to part with minor-leaguer Brandon Hynick and $800,000.
They were convinced that changing leagues would revitalize the right-hander. As if working from a script Saturday night, Contreras went from the White Sox’s major disappointment to the Rockies’ sudden impact, strong-arming Colorado to a 4-1 victory over the Diamondbacks at Coors Field.
“This was one of the biggest games of my 21-year career,” said Contreras, filling in for the injured Aaron Cook. “It was important because of how I pitched this season and how much this team was (counting) on me.”
Using a trail mix of pitches — namely a four-seam fastball, slider and forkball — the 37-year-old allowed one run in 6 2/3 innings. His first win in a month kept the Rockies one game ahead of the Giants in the wild-card standings.
“The Rockies play 27 outs. You have to play a complete game to beat them,” Diamondbacks manager A.J. Hinch said. “And you can tell that they really feed off their crowd.”
A boisterous 39,297 fans showed up Saturday and weren’t disappointed. They gave Contreras a standing ovation when he left with two outs in the seventh inning.
Two things stuck out about Contreras — his velocity and his changeup. He tickled 95 mph on the radar gun, admitting “that surprised me too.” And he deftly took his foot off the throttle, preying on the Diamondbacks’ impatience with runners on base. He induced a double-play groundball in the fourth and benefited from perfectly executed throws by Carlos Gonzalez and Ian Stewart in the seventh to escape damage.
Todd Helton praised Contreras for always “making a big pitch when he needed it.” It was usually the changeup.
He calls it a forkball. Pitchfork is more like it. Or El Diablo.
“It was filthy,” catcher Yorvit Torrealba said. “It had so much movement, stopping and starting. It was like a knuckleball.”
Contreras continued a delightful trend of the Rockies receiving maximum bang-for- their-buck from rental players. Jason Giambi has provided two game-winning hits, and acquired relievers Joe Beimel and Rafael Betancourt formed a sturdy bridge to closer Franklin Morales’ third save.
As has been the pattern, the Rockies’ offense had just enough muscle. Seth Smith, who is 7-for-9 in the series, and Gonzalez sandwiched home runs around two Helton RBI singles.
This night, though, will be remembered for a Cuban who refused to buckle under the weight of expectations.
“It was fun watching him,” Gonzalez said. “His ball was moving everywhere. He gave us a big lift.”
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
Looking ahead
TODAY: Diamondbacks at Rockies, 1:10 p.m., FSN
One of the most important adjustments made by Jorge De La Rosa (13-9, 4.60 ERA) is that he’s pitching to lineups and not his ego. He’s not afraid to challenge anyone, but he’s also now smart enough to recognize when to work around a hitter to get an easy out. De La Rosa’s 13 wins since June 1 are the most in the major leagues. He owns a 1.88 ERA in 10 games against Arizona. Yusmeiro Petit (3-8, 5.47) has gained traction of late, allowing just three earned runs in his past 17 innings. Todd Helton and Clint Barmes are a combined 8-for-13 against him with three RBIs.
Troy E. Renck, The Denver Post
Monday: Reds’ Justin Lehr (4-1, 4.43 ERA) vs. Rockies’ Ubaldo Jimenez (13-10, 3.28), 1:10 p.m., FSN
Tuesday: Reds’ Homer Bailey (5-4, 5.90) vs. Rockies’ Jason Marquis (14-10, 3.75), 6:40 p.m., FSN
Wednesday: Reds’ Bronson Arroyo (12-12, 4.23) vs. Rockies’ Jason Hammel (8-7, 4.41), 6:40 p.m., FSN
Thursday: Reds’ Kip Wells (1-3, 4.85) vs. Rockies’ Jose Con- treras (1-0, 1.35), 1:10 p.m., FSN
