MIAMI — Forget, for a moment, the final score. Frame the Rockies’ defeat in another way: the pitching matchups at the bottom of the Rockies’ pregame notes.
They face Florida’s Josh Johnson today in a matinee. He has been the National League’s best pitcher since May 1 and exists as a clear and present danger to Ubaldo Jimenez’s Cy Young candidacy. Johnson is followed Friday by Philadelphia’s Roy Halladay. Despite a 10-8 record, the former Arvada West star has posted seven complete games and has limited opponents to a .248 average.
Nothing against Ricky Nolasco, but he’s a Pip to these Gladys Knights. He was the guy to beat. Instead, the Marlins right-hander continued his dominance of the Rockies on Wednesday night in a 5-2 Florida victory.
“He made a lot of good pitches when he had to,” said Rockies slugger Jason Giambi, who was robbed of two hits on terrific defensive plays. “We aren’t quitting. We are just are falling a little short.”
Nolasco, lukewarm against the rest of the league, was Tabasco against the Rockies again. He improved to 5-0 in his career with a 2.27 ERA, including two wins this season. He left the Rockies 2-4 on their 11-game roadie with baseball’s version of Arm & Hammer waiting on the mound the next two days.
“Well, playing in the National League West, we are used to facing great pitching every night,” outfielder Seth Smith reasoned.
The final line — eight innings, two runs, four hits — suggests that Nolasco overwhelmed the Rockies. In truth, he gave them pitches to hit early in at-bats.
But once he reached a 1-1 count, Nolasco turned nasty, continually fooling Colorado with breaking pitches.
It was in stark contrast to Jason Hammel’s first two innings. The right-hander, who has been the Rockies’ best starter for the better part of six weeks, couldn’t turn off the faucet. After two quick outs in the Marlins’ first at-bat, back-to-back doubles by Dan Uggla and Jorge Cantu created a 2-0 deficit.
In the second inning, promising rookie Gaby Sanchez mashed a two-out, center-cut fastball for a three-run home run.
“If that second inning gets put down,” manager Jim Tracy said, “it changes the complexion of the game.”
The Marlins collected five hits in their first 10 at-bats. And finished just 1 for their last 17 against Hammel.
“That’s disappointing. I had good stuff, but made some mistakes,” Hammel said. “I showed some guts getting through seven. But I need to learn from this.”
A comeback became a rumor when Florida’s Cody Ross intervened. The Rockies threatened in the sixth inning with Giambi at the plate and Seth Smith and Carlos Gonzalez, who left with a bruised left finger, on base. Ross intercepted Giambi’s seat-seeking missile, fully outstretched as he hit the wall.
“It’s not like, ‘Oh, my God, we have lost some games,’ ” Giambi said. “There’s really no secret to (surviving this stretch). We just have to keep battling and grinding.”
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
Looking ahead
TODAY: Rockies at Marlins, 10:10 a.m., no TV
Jorge De La Rosa (3-2, 6.16 ERA) feels like he has been rushing his delivery, creating poor mechanics. His first two outings since missing 10 weeks with a torn pulley in his left middle finger have been abysmal (11 earned runs, six walks in 7 2/3 innings). As with Jeff Francis, the Rockies can only exercise so much patience. De La Rosa beat the Marlins on April 25 when he originally hurt his finger. Josh Johnson (10-3, 1.62) is the NL’s best pitcher. He has given up more than a single run once since May 8. He has held opponents to a .199 average at Sun Life Stadium. Slumping Brad Hawpe is 2-for-5 against him.
Troy E. Renck, The Denver Post
Upcoming pitching matchups
Friday: Rockies’ Aaron Cook (4-5, 4.56 ERA) at Phillies’ Roy Halladay (10-8, 2.40), 5:05 p.m., FSN
Saturday: Rockies’ Ubaldo Jimenez (15-1, 2.38) at Phillies’ TBA, 2:10 p.m., KDVR-31
Sunday: Rockies’ Jeff Francis (2-3, 5.14) at Phillies’ Vance Worley (season debut), 11:35 a.m., FSN, TBS
Monday: Rockies’ Jason Hammel (7-5, 4.23) at Phillies’ Joe Blanton (3-6, 6.03), 11:05 a.m., FSN
