The Phillies are who the Rockies were supposed to be.
When the alarms blare, their batters don’t flinch, delivering clutch, two-strike hits. When a player makes an error, the pitcher throws him a life preserver with a key punchout. They punish mistakes and put innings to bed.
The Rockies have become everything the Phillies are not, their inferiority to the National League’s best team on display for all to see during Wednesday’s 8-6, victory-completing sweep at Coors Field.
“It’s easy to see the differences between us. Each guy on their team has a role and does it well,” Rockies’ shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said. “We have some pieces, but obviously not the complete package. It’s hard watching how much success they are having given our struggles.”
The Rockies fell a season-high nine games under .500 and were broomed at home for the first time this year.
The discrepancies between the National League’s resident bullies and the lowly Rockies start on the mound. The mystery of Jason Hammel is no longer every other outing, but every other inning. Had the right-hander been functional Wednesday, the Rockies would have escaped with a victory over reigning Cy Young award winner Roy Halladay.
“It’s infuriating. It’s unacceptable,” said Hammel, whose future with the Rockies next season is growing more uncertain with each outing. “We catch Halladay on a day when he’s not dominating, and I didn’t do my job. This loss is on me.”
Of Hammel’s first 20 pitches, six were strikes. He slithered out of the first inning after allowing one run, then quickly squandered a 2-1 lead. The second inning was a snapshot of Hammel’s season. He’s 1-7 in his last nine starts at Coors Field, his ERA inflating to 4.88 overall. Manager Jim Tracy talked about how the Phillies don’t bite on marginal pitches, which is why they feasted on Hammel’s nibbling.
“That’s a lesson for him,” Tracy said.
The Phillies scored seven of their runs with two outs. When healthy, their lineup is a scary blend of speed and power.
Ryan Howard continued writing his diary of havoc this week, punishing Hammel with a two-run double. Howard would later homer off Rex Brothers, the Phillies slugger’s first off a left-hander this season.
The Rockies made life uncomfortable for Halladay, but he didn’t break as he fought command issues. He survived seven gear-grinding innings to pick up his 14th victory, even scoring on a Hammel wild pitch on a close play at the plate.
The former Arvada West standout paved the way for erstwhile Cherry Creek star Brad Lidge’s 100th save as a Phillie and first this season.
“I didn’t even know until they told me,” said Lidge, closing on Wednesday because Ryan Madson was attending the birth of his child. “It’s nice to do it at home, for sure.”
The Rockies were aggressive offensively, stealing two bases. Todd Helton hit his 12th home run. But the Rockies were 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position, when beating the Phillies demands excellence.
“You can see how they take their at-bats,” Tulowitzki said. “Everyone seems focused on winning. We have outside distractions. Guys are worried about arbitration, and other things that are important to them, but don’t necessarily help us. Winning has to be the most important thing.”
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
Looking ahead
THURSDAY: Nationals at Rockies, 6:40 p.m., Root
Once again, Esmil Rogers (4-1, 7.31 ERA) is out to prove he belongs in the Rockies’ rotation. You think Ubaldo Jimenez struggled a little at Coors Field? Rogers is 4-0, 4.07 on the road, but at home he has allowed three homers and 12 earned runs in four innings. He’ll square off against lefty Ross Detwiler (1-0, 2.35), the sixth pick in the 2007 draft who moved into the Nats’ rotation after Jason Marquis was dealt to Arizona. Detwiler is 0-6, 5.03 on the road in 14 appearances. One of his eight road starts came in Denver in 2009, when he allowed six runs in four innings in a 10-4 loss. Jim Armstrong, The Denver Post
Upcoming pitching matchups
Friday: Nationals’ Jordan Zimmermann (6-9, 3.12) at Rockies’ Juan Nicasio (4-3, 3.95), 6:40 p.m., Root
Saturday: Nationals’ Livan Hernandez (6-10, 4.08) at Rockies’ Jhoulys Chacin (8-8, 3.38), 6:10 p.m., Root
Sunday: Nationals’ John Lannan (8-7, 3.65) at Rockies’ Aaron Cook (2-6, 5.34), 1:10 p.m., Root
Monday: Rockies’ Jason Hammel (6-11, 4.88) at Reds’ Homer Bailey (6-5, 4.30), 5:10 p.m., Root
