TUCSON - The Rockies have a lineup that is one of the most respected in the game, what with the addition of Willy Taveras at the top to set up things for the thundering middle of Garrett Atkins, Todd Helton, Matt Holliday and Brad Hawpe.

"We have guys who have done it," manager Clint Hurdle said.

Then there is the Rockies rotation.

It is built around the promising abilities of Aaron Cook and Jeff Francis but quickly turns to Rodrigo Lopez, who is trying to resurrect his career, Jason Hirsh, who is trying to establish his career, and Josh Fogg, who is trying to extend his career.

On a team with a questionable track record, there's no bigger question than the Rockies' starting pitchers, and they know it.

"You are not going to get respect from the league until you go out and earn it," Hurdle said. "That's something we've got to do. Until then, people will have questions."

Lately, Rockies starters haven't provided very good answers.

Fogg made his final exhibition start in a 13-9 loss against Arizona at Tucson Electric Park on Tuesday afternoon, charged with 11 runs (10 earned) in 3 2/3 innings during which he gave up three home runs to Diamondbacks outfielder Sam Hairston Jr. and another to pinch hitter Tony Clark.

It came one day after Hirsh made his final exhibition appearance by giving up six runs in six innings of a 6-3 loss to the Oakland Athletics.

Hirsh and Fogg will make their final tuneups for the regular season by starting against each other in a minor-league camp game Sunday in Tucson while the rest of the team is working out at Coors Field in anticipation of Monday's regular-season opener against Arizona.

Hirsh is scheduled to start April 6 at San Diego in what will be the Padres' home opener and the San Diego debut of 300-game winner Greg Maddux. Fogg is expected to start the next night against the Padres.

"You never want to have a bad day like (Tuesday), but it's better to have had it (Tuesday) than April 7," Fogg said. "I have 10 days until my first official start of the season."

Hurdle warned against overreacting to a spring training game.

"We haven't even gotten to Opening Day yet," he said.

But he also acknowledged changes could loom.

It's easier to be flexible when there are options.

The Rockies have two potential options that are intriguing in Brian Lawrence, who will start the season pitching on a medical rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Colorado Springs, and rising prospect Ubaldo Jimenez, another member of the Sky Sox's season-opening rotation.

And there's Byung-Hyun Kim, upset he lost out in the fifth starter battle with Fogg, and Taylor Buchholz, who has starting experience but will start the season in the Rockies bullpen.

"That was our plan in the offseason, to create depth," Hurdle said. "We feel we have done that. We have provided ourselves with options."

Jimenez is the most promising, a power-armed right-hander who has been one of the top prospects at each level on his way through the Rockies farm system. He split last year between Double-A Tulsa (Okla.) and Colorado Springs.

Lawrence, who won 15 games with San Diego in 2004, is the most intriguing.

The last time he pitched in a game that counted was in the 2005 playoffs. In March 2006, Lawrence underwent shoulder surgery. He has answered plenty of questions spring training, compiling a 4.50 ERA in three exhibition starts and also pitching well in a "B" game against the Chicago White Sox and a minor league team.

"You love the way he competes," Hurdle said. "He pitches with a chip on his shoulder. He's not far from being back to where he was before, and he talks about feeling even better than he's ever felt before."

But - and it's a big but - the Rockies have been cautious with him so far. They have provided him a bit more rest between assignments than the other pitchers. He has responded to that, and now it's time for Lawrence to start picking up the pace to see how his body responds.

"He's only thrown 75 pitches once, and now we're going to try and get him 90," Hurdle said of an exhibition game Friday against Colorado Springs in which Lawrence and Lopez will both start.

"Then we will give him four days off and he will go into a five-game schedule. We've given him some room along the way and we are not going to suddenly push the process now."

COLORADO	ab	r	h	bi	ARIZONA	ab	r	h	bi
Finley cf	4	1	0	0	Drew ss	4	1	1	1
Frey lf	1	0	0	0	Cruz p	0	0	0	0
Matsui 2b	5	1	2	0	Krynzel ph-rf	1	0	0	0
Affeldt p	0	0	0	0	Byrnes rf	3	2	2	1
Atkins 3b	3	1	1	0	Sadler 2b	1	1	1	0
Carroll 2b	1	0	0	0	Hudson 2b	3	2	2	0
Helton 1b	4	1	2	1	Johnson c	1	0	0	0
Menechino 3b	1	0	1	0	Jackson 1b	4	0	1	2
Holliday	4	1	1	2	Carter 1b	0	0	0	0
Becktel rf	1	0	1	0	Tracy 3b	5	1	1	0
Baker rf-1b	4	1	1	1	Glant p	0	0	0	0
Tulowitzki ss	3	1	1	1	Carrasco p	0	0	0	0
Mabry ph	1	0	0	0	Hairston lf	4	3	3	5
Bernier ss	0	0	0	0	Young cf	5	1	3	0
Iannetta c	3	2	3	2	Snyder c	3	1	2	1
Fogg p	2	0	2	2	Slaten p	0	0	0	0
Kim p	1	0	0	0	Barden 3b	1	0	1	0
Spilborghs ph-cf	2	0	1	0	Eveland p	0	0	0	0
					Clark ph	1	1	1	2
					Woody p	0	0	0	0
					Ojeda ph-ss	2	0	0	0
Totals	40	9	16	9	Totals	38	13	18	12
Colorado......601	200	000	-	9	16	1
Arizona......122	601	10x	-	13	18	0

E - Atkins. DP - Colorado 2, Arizona 3. LOB - Colorado 10, Arizona 8. 2B - Fogg 2, Iannetta, Matsui, Byrnes, Young, Sadler, Barden. 3B - Drew. HR - Holliday, Hairston 3, Clark. CS - Young, Hudson. S - Eveland.

COLORADO	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
Fogg, L	3 2/3	13	11	10	3	2
Kim	2 1/3	3	1	1	2	2
Affeldt	2	2	1	1	0	1
ARIZONA	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
Eveland, W	4	11	9	9	1	4
Woody	1	1	0	0	1	0
Cruz	1	1	0	0	2	3
Slaten	1	1	0	0	1	1
Glant	1	2	0	0	0	0
Carrasco	1	0	0	0	1	0

HBP - by Fogg (Snyder). WP - Eveland. Balk - Kim.

T - 3:02. A - 5,583.

Today's game

Rockies (Aaron Cook) vs. Cubs (Mark Prior), 2:05 p.m. MDT, Ho Ho Kam Park, Mesa, Ariz. (No TV or radio).

ringolsbyt@RockyMountainNews.com

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