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The Homestand: Everything Old is New AgainApril 25th, 2008
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Okay, for a few days there, I was officially in Joker-land.
When the Phillies and the Cubbies both came to Coors Field, I was sure the Rocks would take at least three of four (a sweep of the Phillies and a split with the Cubs). The offense was clicking, the starting pitching was holding up, and the bullpen was — as usual — awesome. Sure, there was that minor, little “hiccup” in Houston on Sunday when the bullpen gave up a lead late, but that was just a fluke, right? That couldn’t be the start of a trend, right?
“BZZZZZZ. Thanks for playing. Let’s see what your lovely parting gifts are . . .”
I was so, so wrong. At first, though, I was right. In the two home games against the Phillies, the Rockies were playing great. On Monday, the offense was putting runs up on the board (including hitting a couple of home runs into god-awful wind), and Mark Redman, if not exactly pitching like Cy Young, was still giving his club a chance to win the game and was eating up innings. With a guy like Redman — the 5th starter — you really can’t ask for too much more.
That’s not a knock, by the way. It’s just that a 5th starter in baseball is kind of like a blind date. You don’t expect too much, and you may suffer through a few really bad ones, but every once in a while you find yourself sitting across from a person you really, really like. You’re pleasantly surprised. You’re even glad you’re on the date. You even start thinking that maybe this will lead to something later on that night . . .
Dirty old man.
Mark Redman is that blind date for the Rockies. He’s going to have a few rough outings, and we can’t expect too much from him. But every once in a while, he’s going to turn in a great performance, and we’re all going to be pleasantly surprised. Monday’s performance was a little like that. He wasn’t exactly lights out, but he was still pitching well. Granted, Jimmy Rollins wasn’t in the line-up for the Phillies, but Redman was still doing a good job holding them in check nonetheless. I was feeling pretty good about the Rockies chances. It really seemed like they were going to take that crucial first game. But then . . .
The bullpen.
Like Sunday, the bullpen couldn’t hold the lead. In this case, Taylor Buchholz had two outs in eighth inning when he, umm, stumbled, and the Rocks lost 9-5.
Still, no need to panic, right? Two games of bullpen trouble is still a fluke, right? A glitch. And the Rockies still had a chance to split the series, which is always good.
“Wrong again, boy-o!”
Tuesday was even worse. Again, the offense was great, rallying back time and time again to put the club in a position to win, and Francis, while still not the ace the Rockies need him to be (still looking for that first win, Jeffy), was keeping the score close. And then . . .
Manny.
Granted, he only had a one-run lead to work with, but still, he’s the Closer. He’s earned that spot. That title. That responsibility. He told — and showed — the Rockies last year he could handle these types of situations. Just not on this night, apparently. No, on this night, he looked more like this Closer . . . 
And the Rockies lost 8-6.
So they were swept by the Phillies. That hurts. But still, maybe it was just a off-night for Manny. He can’t be perfect every time, right? This isn’t something to worry about, correct?
“Why do you keep on playing? Do you enjoy this pain?”
After blowing a late lead again for the fourth (!) straight game on Wednesday night, this time against the Cubs, who — granted — are one of the hottest teams in baseball right now, Clint Hurdle finally made the move most of us fans moaning in the Rock Pile were waiting for . . .
As C-3P0 would say, “Thank the Maker.”
Look, I have tremendous respect for Manny Corpas. For any Closer, for that matter (even you, Kyra Sedwick, how you grill those suspects and work those confessions, my, my, my . . . but I digress). To face that kind of pressure night after night has to be taxing. So I’m willing to cut Manny some slack. He’s still a great pitcher, and probably still a great closer, he just needs a rest. Let him get his head on straight before he completely loses it.
And the Rockies are in a great position to do that. After all, the Rocks have two great closers available: Manny and Brian Fuentes, the guy who was the closer last year until he went through the same thing Manny is going through right now and lost his job to Corpas. And since then? Fuentes has been great. Great! And he’s ready to be the closer one more time (Thursday’s much needed win over the Cubs certainly proved that).
Everything old is new again.
So maybe this is exactly what Manny needs. Maybe this is exactly was Fuentes needs. Maybe by platooning these guys as “dual closers” is exactly what the Rockies need.
I just wish it hadn’t taken a frakkin’ four game losing streak for us to figure it out.
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