Griffey’s 400th homer doesn’t stop Rockies
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, April 11, 2000
The Associated Press
DENVER – In their home opener, the new-look Colorado Rockies looked a lot like the old Rockies on offense, getting two-run homers from Mike Lansing and Todd Helton.
Tuesday, April 11, 2000
DENVER – In their home opener, the new-look Colorado Rockies looked a lot like the old Rockies on offense, getting two-run homers from Mike Lansing and Todd Helton.
But, in a departure from their traditional Rockies horror pitching show, they also got six strong innings from Rolando Arrojo, who shrugged off Ken Griffey Jr.’s historic 400th homer to earn the first win by a Colorado starter this season.
The Rockies, de-emphasizing the long ball in favor of improved pitching, defense and speed, beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-5 Monday.
Griffey, the youngest player to hit 400 career homers, tied it 1-1 in the fourth with an opposite-field shot off Arrojo. It was his second homer of the season and second in as many days.
At 30 years, 141 days, Griffey beat the previous mark, set by Jimmie Foxx, who was 30 years, 248 days old. Griffey is fifth on the career list among active players, trailing Mark McGwire (525), Barry Bonds (447), Jose Canseco (431) and Cal Ripken Jr. (403).
Griffey’s homer came on the 50th birthday of his father, Reds coach Ken Griffey Sr. It was the fourth time he has homered on his father’s birthday.
”I tell my dad it’s a cheap way of not buying him a gift on his birthday,” Griffey said. ”So he’ll get this ball. My mom got 399, and he’s got 400.
”But it’s on his birthday, so it’s a special moment for both of us, especially that I can do it in front of him.”
Arrojo left after deflecting a double-play grounder with his pitching hand, a play that ended the sixth. X-rays were negative, leaving him with a bruise on the middle finger of his right hand. He allowed two runs and six hits.
”It’s fine,” Arrojo said. ”I won’t miss any work.”
Colorado returned to Coors Field following a shakeup that saw new GM Dan O’Dowd overhaul the Blake Street Bombers, who hit home runs but failed to make the postseason since 1995. Just 10 players remain from the opening-day roster last year.
”We wanted to come out and show that this team has changed, and changed for the better,” Helton said. ”Our starting pitching gives us a chance day in and day out.”
Monday’s game was the first at Coors Field for new manager Buddy Bell.
”I like it,” Bell said. ”It seems like we were gone forever. Everybody is happy to be back home. We played well and got some timely hits, and Arrojo was very good.”
Reds manager Jack McKeon, whose team rallied from a 7-2 deficit with three runs in the ninth, said, ”We had chances, but we let too many of them get away from us early. We always come back.”
Second-inning doubles by Jeff Cirillo and Darren Bragg put the Rockies ahead 1-0 off Steve Parris (0-2).
Colorado chased Parris with a four-run fifth. Arrojo led off with a single and scored on Tom Goodwin’s triple. Lansing followed with his third homer of the season, Larry Walker singled, Cirillo walked and Bragg hit an RBI single off Hector Mercado.
In the sixth, Cincinnati loaded the bases with no outs on singles by Alex Ochoa, Chris Stynes and Barry Larkin, with Griffey next to bat. Griffey hit a sacrifice fly, but Arrojo induced ex-Rockie Dante Bichette to hit into a double play.
Colorado loaded the bases with one out in its half in an inning that was interrupted for 13 minutes by a power outage. After the delay, Walker hit into a double play.
Cirillo hit his second double and scored on Helton’s second homer of the season in the seventh off Scott Sullivan.
The Reds cut the lead to 7-5 in the ninth on David Cromer’s first major league home run, a three-run shot off David Lee.
Stan Belinda got the final out for his first save.