CINCINNATI — That game the Rockies could have stolen Friday night but didn’t? It would have come in handy one night later.
There was no close game to steal this time. All the Rockies wanted to do Saturday after their 8-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds was circular-file it and move on to today’s series finale at Great American Ball Park.
“You’re going to have these kinds of nights,” shortstop Clint Barmes said. “We haven’t had very many of them, but it’s baseball.”
Said manager Jim Tracy: “We weren’t given much of a chance to get ourselves completely involved in the game because we didn’t pitch very well at all.”
As in, Jorge De La Rosa didn’t pitch very well at all. De La Rosa, in his second start after 2 1/2 months on the disabled list, looked like his old self. His very old self, unfortunately. The guy the Rockies were hoping had left the building, never to return again.
De La Rosa pitched like the journeyman whose career hit the rocks three years ago, not the pitcher who electrified the baseball world in the final four months of last season. He lasted 3 1/3 innings and threw 59 pitches — 30 balls, 29 strikes.
That’s no way to operate in the place they call Great American Small Park. De La Rosa served up three home runs, and all three came after he had fallen behind in the count. Drew Stubbs hit two before Brandon Phillips’ three-run shot in the fourth — on a 3-1 crush-me fastball — sent De La Rosa to the clubhouse to look for answers.
“It was a tough game for me tonight,” De La Rosa said. “My command was not good. I’ve got to forget this game and get ready for the next one. I’ll be OK. It’s my second start. I can pitch better than that. I will be better than that.”
Only time will tell, of course. The fact is, De La Rosa has lasted 7 2/3 innings in his two post-disabled list starts and allowed 11 earned runs and four homers, jumping his ERA to 6.16.
Maybe most troubling is that he has largely abandoned his slider and curveball, both of which were lethal in 2009, when he won 16 of his last 19 decisions. De La Rosa said he has confidence in them, but Tracy didn’t see enough of them to know.
“I basically saw a fastball-changeup pitcher out there who wasn’t throwing fastballs for strikes and was pitching behind in the count,” Tracy said.
If only De La Rosa were the lone issue. One night after the Rockies collected five hits and couldn’t cash in a bases-loaded, no-out situation in the eighth inning, they had three hits against Edinson Volquez, who was making his 2010 debut after Tommy John surgery and a 50-game suspension.
What to do? What else? Bounce back. The Rockies have turned that into an art form this season. As ugly as things have been at times, they have yet to have a four-game losing streak.
Don’t look now, but they have lost three straight, and Aaron Cook, who has yet to win a road game, is on the mound today.
“We’ve got to come back and keep grinding, keep doing what we’ve been doing,” Barmes said. “That’s the type of team we are, and I don’t see that changing.”
Jim Armstrong: 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com
Looking ahead
TODAY: Rockies at Reds, 11:10 a.m., FSN
Aaron Cook (3-5, 4.88 ERA) has reached the enough- already stage of his season: He’s tired of losing on the road. Good news: He’s 2-0, 3.14 in four starts at Great American Ball Park. He’s facing rookie lefty Travis Wood (0-0, 2.18), who will be making his fourth start. Wood pitched eight perfect innings in his last outing against the Phillies. He is only 5-feet-11 and 165 pounds, so he won’t overpower anyone. He relies on a newly developed cutter and a lethal changeup.
Upcoming pitching matchups
Monday: Rockies’ Ubaldo Jimenez (15-1, 2.20 ERA) at Marlins’ Anibal Sanchez (7-6, 3.66), 5:10 p.m., FSN
Tuesday: Rockies’ Jeff Francis (2-3, 5.14) at Marlins’ Nate Robertson (6-7, 5.10), 5:10 p.m., FSN
Wednesday: Rockies’ Jason Hammel (7-4, 4.07) at Marlins’ Ricky Nolasco (9-7, 4.66), 5:10 p.m., FSN
Thursday: Rockies’ Jorge De La Rosa (3-2, 6.16) vs. Marlins’ Josh Johnson (10-3, 1.62), 10:10 a.m.
