Submitted by TotalAccess on Fri, 04/09/2010 - 19:16
The talent was never in doubt.
Jorge De La Rosa has as good of stuff as any left-hander in the league. The only one who ever doubted that was De La Rosa himself.
Not anymore.
The lefty mixed 94-mph fastballs with 83-mph change-ups that kept the Padres guessing all day long as the Rockies rolled to a 7-0 victory in front of a record crowd of 49,509 at Coors Field for the home opener on Friday.
De La Rosa went seven shutout innings, striking out nine Padre hitters and giving up only one hit: a hit-and-run single that bounced right past where second baseman Clint Barmes would have been planted had the runner not been in motion.
While De La Rosa has been making strides since June of last season, it looks as if he has finally realized just how good he can be.
Jorge De La Rosa has as good of stuff as any left-hander in the league. The only one who ever doubted that was De La Rosa himself.
Not anymore.
The lefty mixed 94-mph fastballs with 83-mph change-ups that kept the Padres guessing all day long as the Rockies rolled to a 7-0 victory in front of a record crowd of 49,509 at Coors Field for the home opener on Friday.
De La Rosa went seven shutout innings, striking out nine Padre hitters and giving up only one hit: a hit-and-run single that bounced right past where second baseman Clint Barmes would have been planted had the runner not been in motion.
While De La Rosa has been making strides since June of last season, it looks as if he has finally realized just how good he can be.
In a similar situation in early 2009, with the stadium jam-packed and the excitement of an opening day start, De La Rosa would have collapsed.
He would have struggled to find the plate, and when the umpire called the first ball on a questionable spot, it would have been over for the lefty.
Not this De La Rosa. This is a new man on the mound for the Rockies. The young lefty is one of the keys for the Rockies if they have postseason expectations.
Not this De La Rosa. This is a new man on the mound for the Rockies. The young lefty is one of the keys for the Rockies if they have postseason expectations.
If Friday was any clue as to how he will perform, the Rockies and their fans have nothing to worry about.
Despite scoring seven runs, the game was a nailbiter until the eighth inning, when the Rockies extended a 3-0 lead into a 7-0 advantage after Barmes launched a three-run home run into the left-field seats.
Troy Tulowitzki finished 2-for-4 with a double in the eighth, setting the table for Barmes, and Brad Hawpe went 2-for-4 with a double of his own to get the scoring started.
The Rockies (2-2) take on the Padres again on Saturday in the middle game of a three game set at Coors Field.
Despite scoring seven runs, the game was a nailbiter until the eighth inning, when the Rockies extended a 3-0 lead into a 7-0 advantage after Barmes launched a three-run home run into the left-field seats.
Troy Tulowitzki finished 2-for-4 with a double in the eighth, setting the table for Barmes, and Brad Hawpe went 2-for-4 with a double of his own to get the scoring started.
The Rockies (2-2) take on the Padres again on Saturday in the middle game of a three game set at Coors Field.
The home team sends Jason Hammel to the mound. He will be facing an up-and-coming prospect for the Padres in hard-throwing Mat Latos.
For more on the Rockies visit RockiesReview.com
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For more on the Rockies visit RockiesReview.com
This article is also featured on InDenverTimes.com
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