Scary start for Cubs' Silva as losing skid hits five
DENVER - The Cubs had more than a five-game losing streak to worry about Sunday during an 8-7 loss to the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.
Their starting pitcher, Carlos Silva, went to the hospital after coming out of the game in the first inning with an abnormally high heart rate.
The Cubs described the ailment as PSVT, or paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, which has as it symptoms palpitations, or a rapid heartbeat.
The 31-year-old right-hander retired the first batter he faced, but after he walked Jonathan Herrera, assistant trainer Ed Halbur paid a visit to the mound. After the next batter, Carlos Gonzalez, singled, head trainer Mark O'Neal came out, and Silva was taken out of the game.
The Cubs said paramedics stabilized Silva on the way to the hospital and that he's fine, but he'll be kept overnight for observation and that his status to pitch on his next turn is up in the air. It's the first known episode of this condition to the Cubs, they said.
"Whether it's the altitude or not, I don't know," said acting manager Alan Trammell, who added that the team noticed something when Silva stepped off the mound after walking Herrera. Denver is at mile-high altitude, and the Cubs initially thought Silva's problem was related to that because his initial problem was difficulty breathing.
The Cubs summoned Rockies doctors before Silva went to the hospital.
"A little scary," said left fielder Alfonso Soriano. "I talked to Geo (catcher Geovany Soto) and (shortstop Starlin) Castro, and they told me he couldn't breathe very well. I'm worried about him. It can be because we're in Denver here. I hope that he's OK."
Silva lasted only 15 pitches, and he was relieved by left-hander James Russell. The Rockies scored twice in the first inning and four times in the second to take a 6-1 lead.
The Cubs trailed 8-1 heading into the seventh inning, but they scored twice in the seventh, once in the eighth and three times in the ninth to make it close. Soriano was robbed in the ninth by center fielder Dexter Fowler's leaping catch at the wall. Fowler had to be taken off the field in a cart after crashing hard into the wall.
"I don't know if he caught it over the fence," Soriano said. "I had a very good swing."
The Cubs fell to a season-low 13-games under .500 at 46-59, and they're just one-half game ahead of the fifth-place Houston Astros in the National League Central. Despite being swept by the Rockies, Trammell said his team has not quit.
"We could have rolled over," he said. "In a game like that today, you're losing your starting pitcher. It would have been very easy (to quit). So it's to the guys' credit. I think we've answered that."
Added center fielder Marlon Byrd: "We haven't backed off all year. That's one of those things. We're putting it all out there. The problem is, it's not enough. We're not coming away with wins. We've got to figure it out some way, somehow."
Bruce Miles' game tracker Rockies 8, Cubs 7Streaking: Center fielder Marlon Byrd singled in the first and third innings and hit a 2-run triple in the ninth. He extended his hitting streak to seven games. Streak snapped: Right fielder Tyler Colvin went 0-for-4 with a walk and a run scored, as his hitting streak ended at eight games. Long time coming: Alfonso Soriano hit his 19th homer of the year in the eighth inning. It was his first homer since July 23. Tough lefty: The Cubs scored 4 of their runs against the Colorado bullpen. Rockies lefty Jorge De La Rosa started and worked 62/3 innings, giving up 8 hits and 3 runs.False512381Cubs starter Carlos Silva allowed two runs and left in the first after only 16 pitches.Associated PressFalse