His locker sat vacant Friday, a chilling reminder of the challenge facing the Rockies.
Troy Tulowitzki will be sidelined roughly six weeks with a broken hamate bone in his left wrist. It wasn’t enough to lose Jeff Francis, Jorge De La Rosa and Huston Street. Now this?
“Nobody said it was going to be easy,” general manager Dan O’Dowd said of Tulowitzki, whose return will be dependent on his ability to swing a bat. “We have to find a way to hang in there.”
The Rockies demonstrated resolve in Friday’s 2-0 victory over the Brewers, while providing a blueprint for survival.
Someday they might hit again. Maybe even during this homestand. Or before the all-star break. But with Tulowitzki out, this is a team that is poised to win with pitching and defense.
“Our pitching has been unbelievable all season,” center fielder Ryan Spilborghs said. “So what we saw tonight really wasn’t anything different.”
Everybody knows Ubaldo Jimenez is stalking history. He’s a legitimate National League MVP candidate.
Hammel is simply a player of the week candidate again.
The right-hander ran his scoreless streak to 25 1/3 innings as he creeps toward the franchise record of 33 straight innings established by Jimenez 13 days ago.
“I don’t have his kind of stuff,” said Hammel, who exited to a standing ovation after allowing just eight singles in 7 1/3 innings. “But to be mentioned in the same breath with the likely Cy Young Award winner is pretty cool.”
Hammel has staged a remarkable U-turn. He landed on the disabled list with a groin injury after posting a 9.16 ERA in his first four starts. Since returning, he pressed Ctrl-Alt-Del, rebooting to the tune of a 5-1 record with a 2.05 ERA.
“He trusts me, and I trust him,” catcher Miguel Olivo said. “He’s putting the pitchers where he wants.”
Milwaukee helped the right-hander out with some reckless hacks. But many of their misguided swings were the result of Hammel’s stuff. Scouts said afterward that he had better cut and late ride on his pitches. He made a habit of blending in sliders with fastballs on both sides of the plate.
“The difference is that I am executing my pitches in my mind before I throw them,” said Hammel, who was unthreatened after escaping a bases-loaded jam in the first inning.
The Rockies’ offense came early, which amounted to an exhale after the devastating loss of Tulowitzki. Brad Hawpe, hitting cleanup, doubled home Ryan Spilborghs in the first inning. Spilborghs filled Tulowitzki’s third spot in the lineup, but Carlos Gonzalez could shift there beginning tonight.
“I am ready for it. My approach won’t change,” Gonzalez said.
After singling in the second, Ian Stewart scored the club’s second run on Hammel’s squeeze bunt.
“He had quite a night for himself, didn’t he?” manager Jim Tracy said.
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
