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Matt Holliday put his own spin on the phrase "Lima time." That's the self-promoting phrase pitcher Jose Lima uses to sum up a victory, but for Holliday, it will always summon memories of his first major league home run.
Lima started Thursday for the Los Angeles Dodgers and was hit hard by Holliday,
who continued to seize his opportunity with the Colorado Rockies. In addition
to his homer, Holliday doubled against Lima and drove in three runs as the Rockies
beat the Dodgers 7-1 in a game played in a steady drizzle and halted after six
innings following a rain delay of 36 minutes.
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Shawn Estes (3-1) helped send Los Angeles to its first series loss this season in his Coors Field debut for the Rockies. The Dodgers offense amounted to two singles in the fourth against Estes, who retired 17 of the 21 batters he faced, worked fast and allowed his teammates to quickly return to the shelter of the dugout.
"He went out and didn't let the elements bother him at all," catcher
Charles Johnson said. "He stayed aggressive early and kept the defense
rolling. On a day like this, it was a big performance."
The start of the game was delayed 70 minutes in anticipation of a storm that
never arrived. But the possibility of bad weather limited the announced attendance
to 19,667, the smallest in Coors Field history and the first time attendance
has dipped below 21,000.
Lima retired the Rockies in order in the first, but they batted around in the
second and scored four runs, aided by two Los Angeles errors. Vinny Castilla
began that rally with his sixth homer, extending his RBI streak to a career-most
eight consecutive games.
Holliday drove in Colorado's second run with a double to right-center, and hit
a two-run homer in the third, driving a 3-1 changeup into the visitors' bullpen
in right-center. After going 0-for-7 to start his major league career, Holliday
has gotten a hit in four consecutive games, going 8-for-12 with three doubles,
one homer and four RBI in that stretch.
"He's not timid at all," Todd Helton said. "That's the best thing.
He's going up there and seeing the ball and letting it go. He's not feeling
for anything. He's playing like he's been here a long time."
Holliday has played six games since being recalled April 14, when Preston Wilson
went on the disabled list because of an injured left knee that was operated
on Monday. In the absence of Wilson and Larry Walker, the Rockies are looking
for run production from another outfielder.
Enter Holliday, whom manager Clint Hurdle put in the lineup one week ago in
St. Louis and gave simple words of advice.
"You know, 'Be in awe of nothing, respect everything,' " Hurdle said.
" 'Don't fall into the trap of being wide-eyed and bushy-tailed here. Play
the game. Don't give anybody too much credit. Slowly and surely, you'll earn
their respect.'
"He's been very methodical, very consistent in his approach. And he's given
us all we could ask for right now."
The Rockies were able to put a run-producing bat in left field last year with
Jay Payton. But Payton's career with Colorado was a here today-gone tomorrow
episode, and Hurdle made a loftier comparison, drawing a parallel between Holliday
and Dante Bichette.
"He almost brings back thoughts of a Dante, for me," Hurdle said.
"He's a big guy who can swing the bat and can run. Defensively, he needs
a little work. That's putting him in a pretty lofty group. He reminds me of
Dante early in his career, very early in his career."
Not surprisingly, Holliday was honored to be linked offensively with Bichette
and said he wasn't overly concerned before pulling out of his 0-for-7 dip.
"I was seeing the ball well and actually hit a few balls hard," Holliday
said. "I wasn't flustered too bad, and once I got the first hit out of
the way, it kind of relieved a little pressure."
He was more elated than relieved about his first homer, which accounted for
the Rockies' final two runs and came on Holliday's 18th major league at-bat.
That hit blew the game open for Estes, who took the mound 2-3 with an 8.12 earned-
run average in 12 previous games at Coors Field.
"I didn't change a thing," said Estes, whose first three starts were
on the road. "I knew when I signed with the Rockies, if I tried to change
the way that I pitched at home, it was going to be a long year."
For Estes, it was a short day in his initial appearance before the home fans.
"Yeah," Estes smiled, "all 10 of them."