LOS ANGELES — Meetings are for losers. It’s not an opinion, but fact. The worse a team does, the more it gathers behind closed doors. Manager Jim Tracy held his third team meeting Tuesday, the club’s fifth this season.
What made this one different was the message. There was no fire and brimstone. Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” wasn’t playing in the background. There was only disappointment. The Rockies have spent the past two weeks embarrassing themselves and were challenged to finish with pride, regardless of the standings.
They promptly fell 3-2 to the Dodgers on Tuesday night before 50,664 fans drawn to the stadium by Fernando Valenzuela bobbleheads.
It has been a difficult stretch — eight losses in 11 games. The Rockies are unable to glance at the clubhouse TV without seeing a player in trade rumors, namely ace Ubaldo Jimenez. He seems to be growing weary of the talk, and barely managed a grin Tuesday when a teammate asked him jokingly why he was still here.
“It’s a business,” Jimenez said. “I have to go out and do my job. I know whatever happens, I will be pitching somewhere.”
Added shortstop Troy Tulowitzki: “Without a doubt, it can be a distraction. But I made up my mind a long time ago that I was going to play the game the same way every day whether we are 20 ahead or 20 back. You have the whole offseason to shut it down.”
The Rockies’ effort was fine, but the execution — all together now — was flawed. They continue to find creative ways to reach defeat. They didn’t hit with runners in scoring position (1-for-12), made critical defensive mistakes and wasted a strong performance by Jhoulys Chacin.
Scoreless after three innings with Clayton Kershaw pitching well, the Rockies’ outfielders put on a display that will never appear in a Tom Emanskivideo. All it took was a dropped popup and a collision by the Rockies to shove the Dodgers ahead 3-0.
Rafael Furcal hit a routine fly to left fielder Ty Wigginton. He one-handed the ball and watched it deflect off his glove. A few moments later, Mark Ellis raced back and caught a popup as he slammed into right fielder Ryan Spilborghs. What should have been a can of corn instead opened a can of worms, allowing a run to score on the suspect sacrifice fly.
Though the Rockies lost the sixth straight game he has started, Chacin finished with a decent line, allowing one earned run in six innings. Kershaw was vulnerable. But with the runners at second and third in the first inning, he escaped by getting Tulowitzki to pop up and Wiggington to strike out.
The Rockies’ runs came on Todd Helton’s fifth-inning single and his seventh-inning groundout. Tulowitzki had a chance to knot the score in the seventh, but he tapped out, literally. His slow roller in front off the plate off Matt Guerrier was an easy out for catcher Dioner Navarro.
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
Looking ahead
WEDNESDAY: Rockies at Dodgers, 8:10 p.m., Root
Aaron Cook (1-5, 5.84 ERA) won for the first time since September, a testament to his bat — see RBI single — as much as his pitches. Helped by a season-high five runs of support, the right-hander grinded through a victory over Arizona. He beat the Dodgers in his only start against them last year, and is 6-7 in 22 career games against L.A. Andre Ethier has nine hits off Cook, including two HRs. Hiroki Kuroda (6-12, 3.19) isn’t starting, he’s auditioning. The Yankees, Red Sox and Tigers are interested — if he’ll waive his no-trade clause. Seth Smith is 6-for-14, two RBIs against Kuroda. Troy E. Renck, The Denver Post
Upcoming pitching matchups
Thursday: Off
Friday: Rockies’ Jason Hammel (5-10, 4.75 ERA) at Padres’ Tim Stauffer (6-7, 3.05), 8:05 p.m., Root
Saturday: Rockies’ Ubaldo Jimenez (6-9, 4.20) at Padres’ Aaron Harang (9-2, 3.45), 6:35 p.m., Root
Sunday: Rockies’ Juan Nicasio (4-3, 4.24) at Padres’ Dustin Moseley (3-10, 3.30), 2:05 p.m., Root
