WASHINGTON, D.C. — Jim Tracy knew the question was coming in one form or another, and here it was: What word would you use to describe the Rockies” season as they head of for the all-star break?
“To a certain extent, it’s disappointing, and yet we’re still fighting our rear ends off,” Tracy said before today’s 2-0 loss to the Nationals. “I say that just because of some of the different balls that have had to be juggled and some of the unknowns you’ve encountered along the way.”
The unknowns. Ubaldo Jimenez’s 4-8 record despite having allowed a sublime .158 batting average on the road. Ian Stewart’s .079 batting average going into today’s pre-break finale. Jorge De La Rosa’s season-ending elbow injury. The 14-15 record in one-run games, putting them on pace to approach last year’s 28-30 mark.
And on and on and on.
“You add it all up, you’ve got some work to do,” said Tracy. “We’re working our way through some of these things. Maybe disappointing is too strong a word. There are some things we’ve encountered that if it sounds like an excuse, I apologize to you. Because I hate like heck to sit in this chair and feel like I’m making them, I really do.”
In any scenario, there’s no excuse for not advancing a runner past second base. And that’s exactly what happened this afternoon as the Rockies went into the break with a 43-48 record, a far cry from the 49-39 mark they had at this point a year ago.
Nats starter Ryan Zimmermann (6-7, 2.66) dominated a Rockies lineup that didn’t include Carlos Gonzalez (injured wrist) and Ty Wigginton and Chris Iannetta (resting). Five of the first eight Colorado hitters struck out, including recent minor-league call-up Cole Garner, who whiffed three times out of the six hole.
Jhoulys Chacin (8-7, 3.16) deserved a better fate, but he picked the wrong day to allow a run. Chacin retired the first 11 hitters he faced, but allowed an infield hit to Ian Desmond in the sixth before Roger Bernadina gave the Nats the lead with a broken-bat single.
Pinch-hitter Rick Ankiel, a left-handed hitter, gave the Nationals their second run in the eighth with a home run off left-hander Matt Reynolds.
Todd Helton had two of the Rockies” five hits, all of which were singles. None of their first four base runners advanced to second as the Rockies were shut out for the fourth time in 91 games.
The Rockies didn’t advance a runner to second until the eighth, when pinch-hitter Jason Giambi took a called third strike on a textbook 3-2 changeup from Tyler Clippard and Mark Ellis hit a routine fly ball to center to end the threat.
The Rockies will come out of the break with an eight-game homestand _ four games apiece against the Brewers and Braves starting Thursday night at Coors Field.
Jim Armstrong: 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com.
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