2B Clint Barmes had no walks in his first 52 at-bats, hardly a surprise since he walked 17 times in 417 plate appearances last year. But Barmes gives the Rockies some punch batting eighth, having opened the season 13-for-48 with four doubles, three homers and seven RBIs. Todd Helton played in 15 of the first 16 games and started 14 of them. But the power stroke he showed in spring training had been missing. He began the season 14-for-55 with two doubles and one homer. Troy Tulowitzki and Chris Iannetta, two young players the Rockies hoped would show improvement, were trying to dig their way out of huge holes.
PLAYER NEWS: --LHP Glendon Rusch was awarded Monday's 12-7 victory over San Diego, which originally was given to RHP Jason Grilli by the official scorer. Rusch relieved starter Jason Hammel in the fourth, retired six straight at one point and allowed two runs in 2 2/3 innings. Grilli replaced Rusch and retired the four batters he faced.
--Rookie CF Dexter Fowler's five stolen bases Monday were two more than the Braves have as a team this season. Rickey Henderson, the all-time leader with 1,406 stolen bases, stole five bases in a game once, in his 1,419th game, and Lou Brock (938 steals, 2,616 games) and Tim Raines (808 steals, 2,502 games) never had a five-steal game.
--SS Troy Tulowitzki, who did not start Tuesday for the second straight game, broke a string of 19 hitless at-bats with a single in the seventh after entering the game on a double switch in the top of that inning. He grounded into a double play with the bases loaded to end the eighth. Tulowitzki has five hits in his past 41 at-bats.
--C Chris Iannetta is hitting .143 (6-for-42) with no hits in nine at-bats with runners in scoring position. He started 13 of the first 18 games, including four of the previous five before Tuesday when he wasn't in the lineup. Asked how close Iannetta is to regaining his form, manager Clint Hurdle said, "The game will tell us. He has shown some better swings. We'd like to get to the point where there's (some) hard contact. You'd like to see the ball jump off the barrel."
--RHP Jason Marquis is the only Rockies starter to earn a win since April 10. He has three victories since then -- April 10 against the Phillies, April 15 at Chicago and April 26 against the Dodgers.
--RHP Ryan Speier threw 20 pitches in a bullpen session Monday and is scheduled to throw again Wednesday. He went on the 15-day disabled list April 21 retroactive to April 19 with a strained left hamstring.
MEDICAL WATCH:
RF Brad Hawpe (sore neck) left the April 27 game and didn't play April 28. He might sit out a few more games.
LHP Franklin Morales (strained left lat) went on the 15-day disabled list April 22.
RHP Ryan Speier (strained left hamstring) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 19. He threw a bullpen session April 27.
RHP Taylor Buchholz (partial tear in right ulnar collateral ligament) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 27, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on April 22. The Rockies are being very cautious with Buchholz, trying to make sure the partial tear doesn't become a full-blown one and require Tommy John surgery that would sideline Buchholz for about a year.
LHP Jeff Francis (left shoulder surgery in February 2009) went on the 60-day disabled list April 5. He likely will miss the entire season. Recovery time ranges from six to 12 months, meaning it's possible Francis could pitch in September but not very likely.
ROTATION:
RHP Aaron Cook
RHP Ubaldo Jimenez
RHP Jason Marquis
LHP Jorge De La Rosa
RHP Jason Hammel
BULLPEN:
RHP Manuel Corpas (closer)
RHP Huston Street
LHP Alan Embree
LHP Glendon Rusch
RHP Jason Grilli
RHP Matt Belisle
RHP Matt Daley
CATCHERS:
Chris Iannetta
Yorvit Torrealba
INFIELDERS:
1B Todd Helton
2B Clint Barmes
SS Troy Tulowitzki
3B Garrett Atkins
INF/OF Jeff Baker
INF Omar Quintanilla
OUTFIELDERS:
LF Seth Smith
CF Ryan Spilborghs
RF Brad Hawpe
OF Dexter Fowler
OF/INF Ian Stewart
