SAN DIEGO — On a jolting day at Petco Park, in an unsightly 13-3 loss, the Rockies went from hoping their past was behind them to confronting another difficult stretch with little room to stumble.
Hide the banana peels.
In this strange and confusing season, the Rockies welcome the Giants to Coors Field tonight for a series in need of results, not exasperation.
“These are the biggest games we have played so far,” catcher Miguel Olivo said. “But we are going home, and we will feed off the energy of our fans.”
The Rockies sit five games behind the division-leading Padres and three games back in the wild-card race with 10 games remaining before the all-star break.
It’s just that the Rockies are getting harder to figure out at a time when the schedule demands they began trekking down a season-defining path. Their much-maligned offense is hinting of its potential, even without star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. Colorado has averaged 5.9 runs and 11 hits over its last eight games. And yet, the Rockies are 4-4 in that stretch.
It’s akin to pedaling the Tour de France on a stationary bike.
That’s because just as they are starting to hit, they are struggling to pitch. The bullpen ERA has ballooned from 2.39 in April, a franchise record, to 5.55 in June. Struggling left-hander Franklin Morales was optioned to Triple-A after his meltdown Wednesday, replaced by Esmil Rogers.
As with any relief corps, team performance is tied to the rotation. If starters go deep into games — something no one but Ubaldo Jimenez did consistently in the first month — the manager uses the bullpen when he wants to, not when he has to.
Wednesday was a snapshot of what can go wrong when veering off course. Jeff Francis, in his first clunker of the season, worked three innings (facing five hitters in the fourth without an out) and tied a career high with eight runs allowed. He was also tagged by Chase Headley’s line drive in the left triceps. Though sporting an ugly bruise, Francis said he should be able to make his next start.
“I have had bad outings before, but this ranks right up there,” said Francis, adding that the timing stinks.
The Padres’ six-run fourth and Clayton Richard’s career-high 10 strikeouts erased any doubt about the outcome, switching the focus to this weekend’s big series. The Giants trail the Rockies by a half game. It’s hard to label the Rockies underachievers because of their injuries: Tulowitzki is likely out until August and pitcher Jorge De La Rosa won’t return until next Thursday.
But the next 10 days are important, regardless of their roster and health. The Cardinals and Padres follow the Giants to Coors Field.
In their two most recent playoff appearances, the Rockies have mocked deficits. But last season, their four-month sprint left them exhausted in the postseason. Manager Jim Tracy hasn’t hidden from the fact that he’s much more interested in a methodical march than a miracle finish.
“These are very, very important games. We have an opportunity between now and (next) Sunday to get a lot closer,” Tracy said. “That has to be the goal.”
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
Looking ahead
TODAY: Giants at Rockies, 6:40 p.m., FSN
Location is everything in pitching. But for Aaron Cook (2-5, 4.69 ERA) it isn’t so much about his pitches, but where he pitches. He has been a beast at home, where he has won twice this season with a 2.40 ERA while holding opponents to a .207 average. Cook has won only one game in the division this season. The Giants, it seems, signed Pat Burrell (12-for-19) just to face the right-hander. Rookie Madison Bumgarner (0-1, 5.14) has failed to live up to the hype from two years ago. The 20-year-old is still considered a top prospect, but he must grow up fast, given the little margin for error.
Troy E. Renck, The Denver Post
Upcoming pitching matchups
Friday: Giants’ Tim Lincecum (8-3, 3.13 ERA) at Rockies’ Jhoulys Chacin (4-7, 3.51), 6:10 p.m., FSN
Saturday: Giants’ Barry Zito (7-4, 3.43) at Rockies’ Ubaldo Jimenez (14-1, 1.83), 6:10 p.m., FSN
Sunday: Giants’ Matt Cain (6-7, 2.93) at Rockies’ Jason Hammel (6-3, 4.32), 1:10 p.m., FSN
Monday: Off
