Fowler's thought after slide: concern for friend

DENVER -- Rockies center fielder Dexter Fowler simply wanted to pick up his team Saturday night. He succeeded with a two-run single and later a hard slide into third base that knocked the ball out of the hand of the Pirates' Pedro Alvarez. Fowler was able to score on that play, which was the last run of a five-run inning in the Rockies' 6-4 victory.

But immediately after scoring, he said his concern was Alvarez, who sustained a laceration on his left index finger, which was bandaged immediately. Alvarez started Sunday's game against the Rockies. The two are friends from the youth travel baseball circuit.

"I was just trying to see if he was all right," Fowler said. "That's one of my guys. We used to play against each other. I played for East Cobb [outside Atlanta], and he played for the Bayside Yankees out of New York. We'd get together at the tournaments.

"We were supposed to hang out [after the game], but he got hung up. I hung out with Andrew McCutchen. 'Cutch' is my guy, too."

Fowler hopes the big inning has a carry-over effect.

"Guys know in their heads we can do it, it's just going out and doing it," Fowler said.