Sure, it’s possible. If department stores can have Christmas in July sales, then maybe the Rockies can reprise Rocktober in August or September.
But with each frustrating loss, any notion of a Rockies resurgence is more difficult to envision. Take Sunday’s 4-3 loss to the Brewers, for instance.
One day after losing by one run, the Rockies did it again. By now, it has become a way of life at Coors Field. A clutch hit here or there that never comes, another virtual punch to the gut.
“I felt all right, but I’m tired of losing,” starting pitcher Aaron Cook said. “Losing games stinks. We’re at a point right now where we’ve got to win, and going out there and losing games, I won’t come in here and be happy and cheery about it. We’ve got to win games, and that’s the bottom line.”
Speaking of which, Sunday’s end result was another lost game in the standings to the Giants, who, wonder of wonders, beat the Padres by one run in extra innings. Now the Rockies (45-50) are a season-worst 9 1/2 games out, having lost seven games in the standings since June 21.
The Giants are 26-12 in one-run games, 10-5 in extra innings. The Rockies? They are 14-17 and 1-5.
“That’s kind of, up to this point, really been the story of our season,” Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. “I would beg the question: If you had just four or five at-bats, if you pick up a hit here or there, the entire situation is reversed. Unfortunately, we can’t come up with those hits.”
Said Jason Giambi, who hit his 10th home run in the sixth off Shaun Marcum, an upper-deck shot to right: “I’m always a glass-half-full guy. We’re in every game. We’re not getting blown out. Unfortunately, we’re not getting that big hit or making that big pitch.”
Cook (0-5, 5.82 ERA) showed some grit under difficult circumstances. He allowed one run through four innings despite three errors behind him — two by Ian Stewart on groundballs by Marcum — before the Brewers chased him with four consecutive hits, including two doubles, in the fifth.
“Give him credit because he waded through three miscues in 4 2/3 innings,” Tracy said. “You could have looked up and that game could have been 6-0 or 7-0, and it was actually 1-0.”
He walked away with another loss, but Cook probably preserved his spot in the rotation. Now for the downside: He’s winless in seven starts and has allowed 54 hits in 38 2/3 innings. But Cook’s future isn’t the issue. Where are the Rockies going, given their so-close-yet-so-far ways?
The Rockies can’t close. The loss was their 13th straight on a Sunday. They’re 12-20 in series finales, including 2-10 at Coors Field since April.
They had a leadoff double in the eighth and couldn’t score, and a runner on second with a run in and no outs in the ninth, but couldn’t push across the tying run. Troy Tulowitzki went down swinging to end it, his third strikeout of the afternoon.
“This is the first time in a long time I felt like we had a legit chance to win (a close game),” Seth Smith said. “That’s something we’ve been missing for most of the season. It’s hard. We should win, we need to, we have to. . . . Maybe we’ll build a streak when we play San Francisco or Arizona.”
Jim Armstrong: 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com
Looking ahead
MONDAY: Braves at Rockies, 6:40 p.m., Root
In his last outing, Jason Hammel (5-8, 4.23 ERA) beat the Nationals, earning his first road win since late April. For a guy three games under .500, he has been remarkably consistent, with 10 quality starts. Derek Lowe (5-7, 4.30) has heard his name in trade rumors, but at 38 and with a $15 million-a-year contract, he isn’t going anywhere. He throws a high-80s sinking fastball and tries to get hitters to chase his slider. Not a good matchup for Ian Stewart (1-for-15 career), who is coming off strikeouts in both at-bats Sunday. Lowe’s career in Denver: 3-5, 5.53.
Jim Armstrong, The Denver Post
Upcoming pitching matchups
Tuesday: Braves’ Brandon Beachy (3-1, 3.21 ERA) at Rockies’ Ubaldo Jimenez (5-8, 4.08), 6:40 p.m., Root
Wednesday: Braves’ Tim Hudson (9-6, 3.44) at Rockies’ Juan Nicasio (4-2, 4.24), 6:40 p.m., Root
Thursday: Braves’ Tommy Hanson (10-5, 2.73) at Rockies’ Jhoulys Chacin (8-7, 3.37), 1:10 p.m., Root
Friday: Rockies’ Aaron Cook (0-5, 5.82) at Diamondbacks’ Daniel Hudson (10-5, 3.56), 7:40 p.m., Root
