Wetteland Rocked in Rockies

DENVER — In his first visit to Coors Field, John Wetteland learned why the place is a pitcher’s nightmare.

Wetteland gave up a three-run homer to Andres Galarraga and a bases-loaded walk to Walt Weiss in the ninth inning Wednesday, giving the Colorado Rockies a 10-9 victory over the Texas Rangers.

Wetteland, who had given up only three runs in 28 2/3 innings all season before the Colorado series, said the home-run pitch wasn’t where he wanted it. Tuesday night, he struck out Galarraga in a similar situation.

“Last night it worked,” said Wetteland (4-1). “Today I tried the same thing. The ball didn’t stay up. If anything, it was down. I wanted another foot on that ball. He did a heck of a job hitting the pitch.”

Wetteland, who pitched in the NL for Montreal before Coors Field opened, refused to blame the ballpark for his sudden failings.

“It’s not a silly park,” he said. “The ball flies, but the dimensions are huge. That ball goes out of many of them.”

Colorado, which won for the second time in six interleague games, scored three runs off Wetteland in the ninth Tuesday. But Galarraga’s strikeout against Wetteland stunted the rally as the Rangers won, 10-8, in 11 innings.

“Last night, he threw me a couple of fastballs inside and high, and then threw me a slider ‘in’ for the strikeout,” Galarraga said. “Today, he threw me two fastballs again, and I was waiting for the slider.”

In the ninth, Ellis Burks reached on shortstop Benji Gil’s throwing error and Larry Walker singled for his third hit. Galarraga then tied it with his opposite-field homer to right, his 19th.

Wetteland gave up a double to Dante Bichette and walked Vinny Castilla intentionally. The Rockies loaded the bases when Kirt Manwaring laid down a sacrifice bunt and Wetteland was late with his throw to third.

Weiss worked the count to 3-and-2 and, after fouling off two pitches, drew the game-winning walk off Wetteland, who blew his fourth save in 19 opportunities this season.

“In that situation, the pressure is definitely on the pitcher,” Weiss said. “I was in the hit-and-run mode, I was ready to swing. But when he throws that hard and the pitch is down and in, it’s going to be tough for me to get to it, so I just let it go.”

Curtis Leskanic (1-0) pitched to one batter in the ninth for the victory.

Walker raised his major-league best batting average to .417 by going three for five. Center fielder Damon Buford robbed Walker of another hit with a diving catch in left-center in the sixth.

Burks hit his 17th homer and Bichette added his 10th, both solo shots, for Colorado.

Ivan Rodriguez went three for four with two runs batted in for the Rangers, who lost for the first time in five games. Rodriguez’s two-run single past a drawn-in infield in the ninth had given the Rangers a 9-6 lead.

The Rangers came undone with two errors in the seventh and another in the ninth, fueling Colorado’s rally.