PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) Troy Tulowitzki finally homered to drive in his first run of the spring Tuesday night in the Colorado Rockies‘ 10-6 loss to the San Diego Padres.

The Colorado shortstop said his spring numbers have little bearing on what he tries to accomplish during the exhibition season. He also is aware it’s a luxury he is afforded because of his five-plus years of service time and the 10-year, $157.75 million contract he signed before last season.

”It’s different from when I was young and trying to make a team where you have to have some results,” Tulowitzki said. ”It really doesn’t matter if I’ve got no hits. I’m going to make the team. You don’t worry about it. You worry about controlling the game at the highest level and that’s when you become a real good player.”

Though he carried a .364 average into Tuesday, Tulowitzki only described his 22 at-bats this spring as having gone ”OK.”

But he was pleased with his three trips to the plate against the Padres, including his first-inning solo home run off Joe Wieland. Tulowitzki lined a 0-1 fastball over the fence in left-center.

Tulowitzki later grounded out to third base and popped out to third.

”I’ve had great springs and not very good seasons and I’ve had terrible springs and great seasons,” Tulowitzki said. ”At this point in your career, you’re working on a process more than you are results. I’ve felt OK, not great. Tonight, I was happy with my quality of at-bats. I felt more in control and that’s all you’re really working on.”

Padres outfielder Will Venable has worked all offseason with new hitting coach Phil Plantier on a consistent approach at the plate. Venable went 3 for 4 with a double, two singles and two runs. He also stole a pair of bases and raised his spring average to .364.

”The setup and stance is the same all spring,” Padres manager Bud Black said. ”The consistency is there. He’s seeing the ball better. He’s laying off borderline pitches. He’s swinging at strikes and taking balls. That’s something he has to continue to do. I think he has found some consistency.”

Rockies catcher Ramon Hernandez left with a left knee contusion after he was hit by a pitch in the second inning. Hernandez said he was sore and expects to have a bruise, but isn’t concerned about long-term damage.

Hernandez, who signed a two-year deal worth $6.4 million with Colorado on Nov. 30, hit .282 with 12 homers and 36 RBIs in 91 games for Cincinnati last season.

Rockies starter Jhoulys Chacin gave up three runs, seven hits and walked two in three innings.

Chacin, 11-14 with a 3.62 ERA in 31 starts last season, struck out two. One of Colorado’s top three starters, Chacin left his previous start with a blister on his right index finger. But the blister didn’t factor into Chacin’s troubles against the Padres.

”I felt a bit stronger,” Chacin said. ”But I was leaving all the pitches up. I just have to work on more of a downhill plane. I’m not going to change anything. I just have to keep working and keep it down.”

Cameron Maybin hit a solo homer in four at-bats for San Diego, and Jesus Guzman had a pinch-hit grand slam.

Padres third baseman Chase Headley had two hits and walked twice in five plate appearances. Colorado second baseman Jonathan Herrera hit a two-run homer.

Colorado Rockies’ Chris Nelson attempts a leaping catch on a ball hit by Arizona Diamondbacks’ Matt Davidson during the ninth inning of a spring training baseball game Saturday, March 3, 2012, in Scottsdale, Ariz. Nelson dropped the ball, and Davidson was safe at first. The game ended in a 1-1 tie. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

PEORIA, Ariz. — This is his time.

That’s what Chris Nelson knows even if he would rather not delve into what it means. This opportunity, seemingly forever out of his reach as a first-round draft pick trudging through the minor leagues, has dropped into his lap.

With the chances of Casey Blake making the Rockies’ roster decreasing because of a neck injury, Nelson has a prime opportunity to go from faceless bench player to starting third baseman.

“I have been feeling like I could play every day as long as I have been coming to big-league camp. I take the same approach. I try to have fun with it and let my game take care of itself,” said Nelson, who’s endlessly smiling. “To stress about how many people

are competing for this and that, that’s just a distraction I don’t need right now.”

Nelson is no longer a kid. He’s 26 and out of options. This might not be his last chance at an everyday gig, but it could be his best.

“The message is clear: Take advantage of this,” manager Jim Tracy said. “He has responded.”

Once considered one of the Rockies’ top young players, Nelson was derailed by injuries and inconsistency. His career highlight remains his straight steal of home Sept. 9, 2010, at Coors Field in a win over the Reds.

Nelson hit .250 in 63 games last year, splitting time between second base and third. He was frequently the victim of a roster crunch, yo-yoing between Denver and Triple-A Colorado Springs. He arrived

in Scottsdale for spring training as a favorite to win a bench job.

Now he’s in line to help patch a position that helped sink the Rockies last year, possibly splitting time with the versatile Jordan Pacheco.

“He has the tools. Now it’s about getting the most from them,” shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said.

Nelson learned from last season, showing maturity after demotions. Rather than pout in Triple-A, cliché behavior, he played better.

“I didn’t want there to be

any question marks about me,” Nelson said.

That attitude served him well over the winter as he welcomed Rockies infield coach Rich Dauer to Atlanta for three days of defensive workouts in January.

Even if the third baseman is penciled in as No. 8 in the Rockies’ lineup, Nelson has to hit more to be a starter. His right wrist healthy — that limited him last September — Nelson has shown improvement turning on inside pitches. He’s batting .267 in 30 at-bats, but leads the Rockies in line outs.

“It just comes down to being consistent,” Jason Giambi said.

Nelson understands the landscape. It’s possible that he will merely keep the seat warm for top prospect Nolan Arenado, shifting Nelson back to a utility

role.

But baseball doesn’t always follow script. Nelson was once Arenado, a can’t-miss prospect, and his route became a slalom course.

And just as this path opened to third base, he was hit with a fungo groundball in the right temple during batting practice Friday.

Nelson all but waved off treatment. No time for this. Not now.

“It was a little scary,” Nelson said. “I was like, ‘Hold on, for a minute.’ I didn’t want to get hit by a batted ball. After that I told them, ‘I am good. I am good. No problems.’ “

Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1294 or trenck@denverpost.com

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) – Jhoulys Chacin blames poor grooming for a blister on his right index finger.

“I just cut my nail too short and I get a blister,” Chacin said. “It’s nothing to worry about. Everything is fine. I’m going to make my next start anyway.”

Chacin pitched three scoreless innings before leaving with the injury and the Colorado Rockies beat a Chicago Cubs split squad 7-5 Thursday.

In good spirits afterward, Chacin said he will make his next start Tuesday against the San Diego Padres.

Cubs second baseman Blake DeWitt also left the game with an injury. He was hit by a pitch on his right arm in the fifth inning. He will be reevaluated.

Cubs starter Rodrigo Lopez gave up two runs and six hits in three innings, striking out two. He stayed in the game after a comebacker hit him in the lower back in the third inning.

The Cubs’ Junior Lake and Colorado’s Wilin Rosario and Jordan Pacheco each hit home runs.

Chacin — who is expected to be the Rockies’ No. 2 starter — said the blister popped up on the tip of his finger when he was throwing in the bullpen before the game. The blister grew as he pitched, so the Rockies pulled him before the fourth inning. He threw 44 pitches, 28 for strikes.

Chacin said he had trouble gripping the ball because of the blister.

“They got all the blood out,” he said. “Tomorrow, we’ll see how it feels.”

Rockies manager Jim Tracy said he expects Chacin to make his next start, and Chacin would have stayed in if it had been a regular-season game.

“Chacin is rounding into form,” Tracy said. “The important thing is his fastball command. For the most part today it was there. When that is there, his breaking stuff is very, very difficult to deal with.”

For the Cubs, Lopez said he was satisfied with his three-inning outing. He’s competing for one of two open spots in the starting rotation.

“I want to make the rotation,” he said. “As long as I have a shot, I’m going to fight for it. At the end, it’s not my decision.”

Lake hit a three-run home run off Christian Fredrich. Rosario smacked a two-run home run off Lopez. Pacheco hit a two-run home run off Alberto Cabrera that gave the Rockies a 6-4 lead in the sixth.

Chicago’s Bryan LaHair went 3 for 5 with a double.

NOTES: Rockies rotation candidate Jamie Moyer will not pitch against minor leaguers Friday because of stiffness in his left leg, Tracy said. . Rockies third baseman Casey Blake looked good in batting practice Thursday, Tracy said. He has been out since Monday because of a stiff neck. He had neck surgery in September. .Starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz will pitch against minor leaguers Wednesday rather than his scheduled start Sunday because of stiffness in his hip. .

   (Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

As a closer, Neftali Feliz needed a fastball and velocity more than finesse and defense.

Not so as a starter.

Feliz used his fastball early before relying on his slider and changeup to escape trouble twice, giving up a run in three innings of the Texas Rangers’ 6-1 loss to the Colorado Rockies split squad Wednesday.

“I felt comfortable,” said Feliz, who allowed four hits and struck out three. “I was trying to hit my spots and I did it. You have to feel confident.”

Feliz started strong, striking out Eric Young Jr. on three pitches and then striking out two of the next three batters, primarily using his blazing fastball.

But when the Rockies hitters started settling in and five of seven batters reached base, Feliz went to his secondary pitches to induce inning-ending double plays in the second and third to limit the damage.

“You can’t rely only on your fastball,” Feliz said. “You have to be comfortable with any pitches you can use to get outs.”

Feliz was a starter in the minors before earning the closer’s role the past two seasons. Last spring, the team flirted with dropping Feliz into the rotation before moving him back to the bullpen midway through camp.

“I appreciate the team giving me the chance because it always was my dream to be a starter in the major leagues,” Feliz said. “You stay more with your teammates in the game, you think more about what you have to do and the adrenaline goes even higher because you’re going to be in the game longer.”

Feliz now is throwing four pitches consistently _ a fastball, curve, slider and changeup _ and Texas manager Ron Washington said that’s enough.

“He doesn’t need seven pitches . cuttin’, sinkin’, splittin’,” Washington said with a laugh.

Feliz also received some help from his outfielders. Marco Scutaro lifted a high fly ball that Josh Hamilton pulled back from over the left field bullpen wall in the first.

The scene was replayed in the third when Nelson Cruz made a leaping catch of Tim Wheeler’s fly to right inches in front of the top of the wall.

Hamilton left the game one inning after his defensive gem when he jammed his right heel stopping himself after chasing a double down the line by Todd Helton.

Helton finished 2 for 3 with two doubles and an RBI, and Jordan Pacheco went 3 for 3 with three runs driven in.

Rockies right-hander Tyler Chatwood made a strong statement in his bid for a spot at the tail end of the Colorado rotation.

Chatwood held the Rangers to one run on four hits. He walked one, struck out two and threw 30 of 50 pitches for strikes.

“Early on I was getting ahead of the hitters and just kind of not letting them battle back in the counts,” said Chatwood, who faced Texas a handful of times last season while with the Los Angeles Angels. “Later I was falling behind but trying to battle back and I made some good pitches when I needed to.”

Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler returned to the lineup after missing three games with stiffness in his lower back and had two of the Rangers’ six hits.

NOTES: Chatwood got some defensive help of his own when Scutaro caught Kinsler too far past third base after Elvis Andrus’ single in the third and started an inning-ending rundown. . Hamilton was icing his heel in the clubhouse and is listed as day-to-day. . Rangers C Mike Napoli missed his fourth straight game with a strained left groin muscle. Napoli likely will DH when he returns rather than move immediately behind the plate. . Rockies 3B Casey Blake sat out his third straight game with a stiff neck.

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) – Drew Pomeranz’s first hiccup this spring had nothing to do with his arm.

Pomeranz pitched two more scoreless innings before leaving with tightness in his right hip and the Colorado Rockies beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-2 on Tuesday.

Considered a top prospect, Pomeranz was acquired by the Rockies last summer in the trade that sent Ubaldo Jimenez to Cleveland. The 23-year-old left-hander, drafted fifth overall in 2010, is a projected member of Colorado’s rotation this season after making four starts for the Rockies last year.

Pomeranz has showed his talent all spring, tossing seven shutout innings. He retired all six batters he faced Tuesday, but had to leave earlier than expected. He was scheduled to pitch another inning or two but came out of the game because of his hip.

“It was tight warming up. It stayed stiff. I could have still pitched but there’s no point in pushing it,” Pomeranz said. “It’s nothing serious. Just a little tightness. If I had to pitch, I could still pitch. I’m not worried about it.”

Certainly, there’s nothing wrong with his arm.

“I felt great out there,” Pomeranz said, adding that his command was the best he’s had “in a long time.”

Without trying, Pomeranz said he’s developed a natural cut fastball, a pitch that breaks in to right-handers.

“Sometime last spring it started naturally cutting and staying for strikes,” Pomeranz said.

The Rockies got a close look at Pomeranz late last season, when he went 2-1 with a 5.40 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 18 1-3 innings.

“We thought he was a really, really good pitcher when we saw him last September,” manager Jim Tracy said. “This spring is a little bit better than we saw last September.”

Dodgers starter Chris Capuano sailed through the first inning and had two outs with nobody on in the second. Then he ran into trouble. He gave up a walk and hit a batter before Eric Young Jr. slapped a run-scoring single and Jonathan Herrera knocked in two more runs with a single.

Tracy praised a long leadoff at-bat by Young, who worked his way back from 0-2 to 3-2 before he was called out on strikes.

“I personally think even though he got called out on ball four, the leadoff at-bat of the game was tremendous,” Tracy said. “I think that helped shorten Chris Capuano’s outing, no question.”

Scott Van Slyke tripled for the Dodgers. Tony Gywnn Jr. and Tim Federowicz doubled.

Fernando Nieve pitched 2 1-3 innings of scoreless relief, prompting manager Don Mattingly to say Nieve is a candidate for the team’s final bullpen spot.

“He’s a little different as a starter and reliever,” Mattingly said. “He’s more of a power guy when you get him out of the `pen. … He’s interesting.”

The Dodgers stumbled in the field, committing four errors — three by middle infielders.

Still, Mattingly said he feels good about his middle-infield defense, which includes Dee Gordon at shortstop and Mark Ellis at second base. The backups figure to be Jerry Hairston Jr., who made two errors at shortstop, and Adam Kennedy.

“I think those guys are all real comfortable,” Mattingly said, while acknowledging Hairston and Kennedy are both more comfortable at second base.

On the other side, Tracy was happy with his team’s baserunning.

“The biggest thing that jumped out at me today was how we ran the bases,” he said. “That’s as well as we’ve done it all spring — aggressive, taking the extra base, forcing the issue. It was really fun to watch.”

NOTES: Michael Cuddyer will play first base for Colorado on Wednesday night in a split-squad game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields. Tracy said he also wants Cuddyer to get the experience of shifting from the outfield to first base during games. … The Dodgers entered with the National League’s lowest spring ERA at 3.11. They also ranked third in the NL with a .290 batting average and first with a .377 on-base percentage. … Andre Ethier made a great running catch in the right-field corner on a drive off the bat of Colorado’s Chris Nelson.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP)—Juan Nicasio needs no reminders of the frightening
line drive last summer that fractured his skull, broke his neck and nearly
killed him.

The Colorado Rockies’ stocky right-hander got one anyway.

In his first start since that game on Aug. 5, when Washington’s Ian Desmond
scorched a fastball off his right temple, Oakland’s second hitter, Eric Sogard,
sent a heater whizzing by Nicasio’s head in the first inning of the Athletics’
6-4 win Friday.

“It was close. I said, `Oh (shoot)!” Nicasio recounted. “Oh my God, it
was close to me. But I don’t think about it.”

After wiping his brow and taking a deep breath, Nicasio got back on the
mound and seemed unfazed by the close call. He threw three impressive innings,
scattering five singles, allowing one unearned run, walking none and striking
out two.

Nicasio threw in an intrasquad game earlier in the week, his first action
without an “L” screen to protect him, and the Rockies were eager to see if
he’d be shy Friday, recoiling or cutting off his follow through to protect
himself because of what happened to him.

“I see no sign of that whatsoever,” Rockies manager Jim Tracy said.
“That’s so encouraging to see.”

Tracy, himself, cringed at the comebacker, though.

“I can’t really tell you how I felt about the baptism by fire, if you will,
when I saw that one line drive go back through the middle. I mean, it didn’t
take very long for that to happen,” Tracy said. “But, actually, maybe a good
thing as we move forward. But I can tell you this, the ball was coming out of
his hand big-time. The slider, it’s there.”

He threw first-pitch strikes to 11 of the 13 batters he faced, and his
fastball topped out at 94 mph.

Nicasio, who went 4-4 with a 4.14 ERA and 58 strikeouts with 18 walks as a
rookie last year before he got hurt, is trying to make the Rockies’ rotation
just eight months after the accident that landed him in the hospital for 11 days
and had doctors—who usually see fractures of the C-1 vertebra in diving or
auto accident patients—wondering if he’d ever walk again, much less pitch in
the majors.

Nicasio, who never lost consciousness when he got hurt last summer, said he
had no flashbacks, even when Sogard sent the screamer whizzing past him.

“Yeah, I’m not thinking about what happened last year,” Nicasio said.
“I’m not thinking nothing about that. Now, it’s a new season, you know? I don’t
think about last year.”

Everyone around him still does.

“I think I’m thinking about it way more than him,” shortstop Troy
Tulowitzki said. “It seems like he’s past it and moved on. It is a good story.
I mean, it’s crazy to me.”

“It was amazing, it’s nice to see that guy going back to the mound after
all that stuff that he went through,” slugger Carlos Gonzalez said. “This
guy’s a tough guy. It’s not easy to do what he’s doing right now. He’s a
competitor. He’s unbelievable.”

Tulowitzki said he was awed by Nicasio even before the game.

“Today we started off with what we call rag-smash, it’s basically pitchers
fielding comebackers, and he made it to the finals,” Tulowitzki said. “That
was impressive to me. I was thinking for a guy to be last year on the field just
laid out on the mound from a line-drive comebacker … it speaks volumes about
how fearless of a kid he really is.

“And then to see him take the mound today, there was some balls hit hard
back up the middle. Just to see him attack the strike zone even after those
things happened is pretty impressive,” Tulowitzki added.

Brandon McCarthy allowed two earned runs on four hits in 4 2-3 innings for
Oakland, and Jerry Blevins picked up the win by retiring the only batter he
faced.

Tulowitzki hit two doubles and scored twice off McCarthy to put the Rockies
ahead 2-1 before the Athletics rallied for four runs off Tyler Chatwood in three
innings.

Oakland manager Bob Melvin said Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes will make his
first start Saturday against Cincinnati. He’ll bat second and play center field
in his spring training debut.

“We’re just looking forward to seeing him out there and being part of the
team and doing some things in the game,” Melvin said. “That’s all part of the
camaraderie and chemistry. So, I think he’s looking forward to that, too.”

Notes: DH Manny Ramirez will also return to the Athletics’ lineup Saturday.
… This was the only meeting between Oakland and Colorado this spring. …
Rockies new closer Rafael Betancourt returned from a stiff neck that had
sidelined him for a few days by throwing a 1-2-3 ninth.

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. — It was a fleeting moment in a spring training game, forgotten the moment it was over, but for Rockies manager Jim Tracy, it was huge. In the first inning of Monday’s Rockies-Diamondbacks game, Carlos Gonzalez morphed from slugger into professional hitter. With no outs, two strikes against him and the Diamondbacks’ infield playing deep, Gonzalez slapped a groundball to second, easily scoring Eric Young from third base.

“Carlos did some great situational hitting,” Tracy said. “To muffle down and recognize that the infield was playing back, then hit that hard grounder and score the run, that was great to see. That was an area we failed in last year.”

The Rockies will need that type of approach

up and down their lineup to improve offensively over their dreadful 2011 performance, when they routinely failed to bring home runners from third with less than two outs, and hit just .245 with runners in scoring position, 11th in the National League.

This season, with a young pitching staff expected to struggle, the offense must display a more sound approach at the plate to give the Rockies a shot in the NL West.

That’s partially why the Rockies brought in the gray-hair brigade featuring outfielder Michael Cuddyer, second baseman Marco Scutaro and third baseman Casey Blake. All are veterans with reputations for being smart situational hitters. All have been asked to pass on their knowledge to the kids on the club.

“We

acquired guys that know how to put together a quality at-bat,” said Cuddyer, a former Twins outfielder. “A veteran understands the situation at all times. They understand that with a man on third and less than two outs, you don’t have to get a base hit to score a run. As a young player, it’s hard to understand that you can just hit a little groundball and still score the run. That’s a win right there.”

Cuddyer, who hit .284 for Minnesota last season, said he has told younger hitters to work

on understanding a pitcher’s thought process.

“You have to understand what the pitcher is trying to do to you in certain situations. That’s half the battle,” Cuddyer said. “If you are trying to hit a ball to the outfield and drive in a run, but he’s throwing power sinkers in the dirt, why are you still trying to hit it high and deep? So you have to adjust to him, or you have to wait for a mistake and don’t miss on that mistake.”

Jamie Moyer, the 49-year-old lefty trying to prolong his career, is convinced that smart, unselfish at-bats breed winning baseball.

“On the winning teams I have played on, guys embrace those at-bats,” Moyer said. “It becomes contagious.”

Rockies hitting coach Carney Lansford is convinced

that quality at-bats are the direct result of how well a hitter works on situational hitting before a game. He has no patience for hitters who put on a pre-game show during BP.

“It’s not just a home run derby,” he said. “Anybody can get in the cage and do that. Yeah, the fans go ‘ooh’ and ‘ah,’ but then the game comes and the guys goes 0-for-4 because he’s pulling off the ball.”

Todd Helton, a .323 career hitter, puts in the type of work Lansford wants. During a recent practice, Helton drove five pitches to right field. Satisfied, he switched up, trying to take the ball the other way. He fouled off two pitches, chastising himself for his failure before finding his stroke and smoking two balls down the third-base

line.

“When I think ‘professional hitter,’ I think of Todd,” Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said. “He works the count, he fouls off a pitcher’s best pitches, he has a plan. Every at-bat, whether he gets a hit or not, he never looks overmatched and he’ll wear the pitcher down to get a walk.”

Tulowitzki, an aggressive hitter, is never going to be as patient as Helton, but he’s working to become a more well-rounded hitter.

“The next step for me is hitting in situations with two outs and a man on second,” Tulowitzki said. “I want to drive in that runner so bad that I tend to open up my strike zone. Sometimes I would rather get an out and get my swings in rather than take a walk. That’s something I have to grow up about and

get better at. Becoming a professional hitter is a long process.”

Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1720 or psaunders@denverpost.com

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Jhoulys Chacin’s spring training debut was all about the fastball.

In the first two innings of the Rockies’ 6-5 win over the Diamondbacks on Monday Chacin consistently threw strikes (21 in 29 pitches), and for the most part, he commanded that fastball, consistently hitting 92-93 mph. He threw just one slider and two curveballs.

The Rockies won the game in the ninth inning on a walk-off, solo home run by Ben Paulson. He crushed a pitch by Jonathan Albaladejo beyond the right-field wall.

Chacin, projected as either the No. 1 or No. 2 starter, was pleased with his first Cactus League outing.

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