This comeback victory could be costly.
Although the Rockies beat the Reds 4-3 this afternoon on Ian Stewart’s eighth-inning solo homer to right, long-term concern centered on a lower back injury suffered by shortstop Troy Tulowitzki.
And after the game, ace Ubaldo Jimenez revealed that he tweaked his left hamstring in the third inning when he scored from third base. Jimenez, who went on to pitch six innings but failed to pick up his 14th victory, said he expects to make his next start.
Stewart’s home run off reliever Carlos Fisher was Stewart’s fourth homer in five games. It lifted the wild-card leading Rockies to their fourth straight victory and their sixth win in seven games.
The Giants beat the Padres 9-4 in San Francisco, leaving the Rockies two games up in the wild-card race.
Tulowitzki, the Rockies’ cleanup hitter, on-field leader and most dynamic player, left the game in the seventh inning with a strained lower back. He tied the game 3-3 with a single to right when he hurt his back. He’s officially listed as day-to-day, but after the game Tulowitzki said he wants to play Tuesday night.
“I want to be out there,” he said. “These are all big games right now. I don’t want to miss anything.”
However, based on how Tulowitzki gingerly walked through the clubhouse after today’s game, it would not be surprising if the shortstop missed a game or two.
“I really have no clue right now, it depends how I feel tomorrow,” said Tulowitzki, adding that it’s hard for him to straighten up. He described his injury as a “back spasm.”
The Labor Day drama wasn’t limited to Stewart’s homer.
Colorado closer Franklin Morales, filling in for the injured Huston Street, wriggled out of deep trouble in the ninth, thanks in part to a curious call by the Reds’ bench.
Brandon Phillips and Scott Rolen opened the inning with back-to-back singles before Morales got Jonny Gomes to fly out to left fielder Seth Smith.
But then the Reds attempted a double steal. Rockies catcher Chris Iannetta nailed Rolen at second for the second out. Rolen, mind you, is not considered swift on the bases.
Morales struck out Darnell McDonald, the Cherry Creek High star, on a 3-2 pitch to end the game. It was McDonald’s third strikeout of the game.
In the seventh, Tulowitzki went down swinging – and producing. He tied the game with a solid single to left, driving in Carlos Gonzalez. But Tulowitzki ran out of the box awkwardly, clearly injured, and he had to jog to first base. After consulting with trainer Keith Dugger and manager Jim Tracy, Tulowitzki left the game, replaced by Omar Quintanilla.
Colorado’s two-run, seventh-inning rally was an exercise in small ball. It included a bunt single by speedster Eric Young Jr., a walk by Gonzalez, a sacrifice bunt by Seth Smith and a sacrifice fly by Todd Helton to chase home Young.
For much of the season, Cincinnati resembled a rusty Yugo. But the Reds arrived at Coors Field humming like the Big Red Machine circa 1975, having won seven straight and 12 of 14. And early on, they took right it to the Rockies.
Cincinnati starter Homer Bailey out-pitched Jimenez, if only because Bailey didn’t make the one big mistake that Jimenez did.
Bailey went 5 2/3 innings, allowing one run on five hits. He walked five, but the Rockies failed to take full advantage. They clawed out a 1-0 lead in the second when Jimenez punched a single to right and later scored on Helton’s single to right. That’s when Jimenez felt his hamstring tighten.
The Reds beat up Jimenez in the fourth, scoring three times to take a 3-1 lead. Rolen lashed Jimenez’s 3-2 fastball into right, scoring Paul Janish. Up to the plate stepped the free-swinging Gomes. He drove a 1-0 slider into the left-field bleachers for a two-run homer.
Jimenez said that after he tweaked his hamstring, he had trouble pushing off to throw his high-velocity fastballs. That’s why he relied mostly on off-speed pitches in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
“My leg felt a lot better later on, but it hurt for a while when I threw really hard,” Jimenez said. “But I think I’ll be OK, for sure.”
Game 2 of the four-game series against the Reds is Tuesday night at Coors Field. Rockies starter Jason Marquis will try to buck a slump and get his 15th win.
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com
