Slumping shortstop Troy Tulowitzi was benched Monday night and might spend more than one game observing the action. He's hitless in his last 19 at-bats with eight strikeouts and has just four hits in his last 39 at-bats with 15 strikeouts.
For the season, Tulowitzki is 9-for-54 with team-leading figures in both walks (11) and strikeouts (17). "We have to find a way to get him back on track," manager Clint Hurdle said. "The kid can hit, but he's not hitting. His strikeouts are alarming, and he knows that."
Tulowitzki finished the spring strong and got off to a quick start in the regular season. He homered in each of his first two games and hit safely in his first five games before going into a 4-for-39 funk with 15 strikeouts.
Hurdle and hitting coach Don Baylor have studied Tulowitzki's at-bats and devised a plan to help him get back to where he was as spring training was winding down, when he was laying off the high fastball instead of swinging through it.
Hurdle also said it's time Tulowitzki got back to doing what he does best -- pulling the ball.
"I feel he is trying too hard to go the opposite way," Hurdle said. "The guy is a pull hitter. There are times you get too cautious. It's like going out and instead of playing to win, you play not to lose."
Asked how long Tulowitzki will be out of the starting lineup, Hurdle said, "I don't know. We are going to take it one day at a time."
ROCKIES 12, PADRES 7: The Rockies stole eight bases, five by rookie Dexter Fowler, and scored four runs in the third to go ahead 6-4. Ian Stewart drove in three runs, and Garrett Atkins, Todd Helton, Brad Hawpe and Clint Barmes each had two RBI.
