DENVER -- Leadoff hitter is the latest job description for Rockies all-purpose player Willi Castro, and the early returns are that he is a viable option for manager Warren Schaeffer.
Castro doubled twice, scored a run and drove in another to lift the Rockies to a 7-6 victory over the Rangers at cold and rainy Coors Field on Monday night.
“I feel really good being a leadoff hitter, especially when you’re seeing the ball pretty good,” Castro said. “It’s going out there, trusting yourself and having really good at-bats.”
Edouard Julien’s .324 average through April made him the first option at the top of the order, a spot he has occupied 27 times. But Juilien has gone 3-for-40 in May, including active stretches of 1-for-26 in his last nine games and 0-for-19 in his last six.
However, Schaeffer’s matchup-oriented roster allows him to try different guys. Jordan Beck, who went to the 10-day injured list on Monday with a left hamstring strain, has done it seven times, mainly against left-handed pitching. Jake McCarthy has led off five times, Troy Johnston three, and Mickey Moniak and Tyler Freeman two apiece.
The switch-hitting Castro -- also a multi-position defender, mainly in the infield -- has batted first in two games this homestand, and the Rockies have won both.
According to Schaeffer, Beck sustained his injury during fielding activities before Saturday’s game against Diamondbacks lefty starter Eduardo Rodriguez. Castro led off and went 2-for-4 in the Rockies’ 4-2 victory.
This time, Castro doubled to begin a two-run first inning against Rangers lefty starter MacKenzie Gore, who left at the end of the inning with left lat tightness.
Batting right-handed in the sixth, Castro swatted a double to right-center to drive in a needed run that expanded the Rockies’ lead to 7-3 -- before Rockies righty reliever Victor Vodnik yielded three runs in the eighth.
“The two times we’ve used him there, it’s because Beck was hurt -- he has been leading off pretty much all year against left-handers,” Schaeffer said. “Willi got a shot with that happening, and he’s looked great doing it. A switch-hitter, he’s perfect for [that spot].”
The new assignment may be what Castro, in the first year of a two-year deal with the Rockies, needs to find lasting consistency. Before Saturday’s solid night, he was in an 0-for-15 stretch over five games. And if there is a place for Castro to find his swing, Coors is it. He is slashing .339/.394/.424 in his first 18 games at Coors Field, as opposed to .147/.205/.250 in 20 road games.
“It’s one of the fields that you see the ball better than at other fields,” Castro said. “You feel really comfortable at the plate. Every time we come here, we want to do some really special stuff.”
The Rockies made the most of their seven hits, with the formerly slumping Ezequiel Tovar’s first-inning double being the only extra-base hit outside of the two by Castro. Power hitting is intermittent at best, but the Rockies can win if they have multiple innings of productive at-bats.
“It’s a long season, and a lot can change,” Castro said. “Some of the games we’ve lost have been by one run or two runs. But if we bring energy every day -- the way we came into that game today -- and do little things right, it makes a big difference.”