PHOENIX — Forget Vin Diesel. Troy Tulowitzki plays “Fast and Furious” as well as anyone. The emotion that fuels torrid stretches can also work against him during slumps.
Entering Thursday, he hadn’t homered in 16 games and had managed just one hit in his previous 21 at-bats. His helmet has paid the price, getting slammed repeatedly into the ground.
Those, the all-star shortstop explained, are snapshots, not defining moments.
“Having gone through the adversity I have in my career has helped tremendously. A couple of years ago, I would have been in complete panic mode,” Tulowitzki said. “I believe in my abilities, and I will be back where I need to be shortly. As long as we are winning, I am fine.”
Tulowitzki has run into some bad luck. He was robbed of a double Wednesday — chalk came up, but it was ruled foul — and flied out to the warning track. He has also slipped into a bad habit.
“I need to get back to using the big part of the field. I have gotten a little bit pull- happy,” Tulowitzki said. “Part of it is how they are pitching me.”
Before the series finale, manager Jim Tracy met with Tulowitzki. Tracy wanted to go over the shortstop’s workload. The plan is to give the Tulo his first day off next week against the Mets.
“There’s no way it was going to happen this weekend,” Tracy said.
The Rockies make their first trip to San Francisco. The defending world champions have struggled to gain traction, and it’s the first series in recent memory when their top pitchers haven’t been lined up for the Rockies.
“It’s important. They have been bit by the injury bug,” Tulowitzki said. “It’s a chance to create some more distance, and that’s going to help, because you know it’s going to come down to the wire.”
Footnotes.
Jose Morales started at catcher, opening the door for Chris Iannetta to play the entire weekend series. Iannetta is becoming more comfortable hitting from the eighth spot. “With all the walks I got, I was missing pitches I should hit,” he said. “I am starting to find a level of aggression I need.” . . . Todd Helton isn’t big on memorabilia but is saving the baseball from his 534th double that tied him with Lou Gehrig for 30th on the all-time list.
Troy E. Renck, The Denver Post
