Brave Bullpen Costs Glavine

DENVER —  Mark Wohlers may be gone, but the problems remain in the Atlanta Brave bullpen.

John Rocker, trying to settle in as the Braves’ new closer, gave up three runs in the ninth inning as the Colorado Rockies rallied for a 5-4 victory over the Braves on Saturday.

“I really didn’t have that good a feel on my breaking ball, but when you throw 101 mph, who needs a breaking ball?” Rocker said. “I’m confused, really. That’s about the best stuff I’ve ever had.”

Though he hit 100 mph twice on the radar gun, Rocker (0-1) struggled with his control, walking two in the ninth to set up Darryl Hamilton’s RBI single that scored Pat Watkins with the winning run.

“Straight gas. That was all I was looking for,” Hamilton said. “That guy throws hard. I was looking to make contact. There was no plan other than making contact and hope it falls.”

Pinch-hitter Angel Echevarria tied the score with a one-out single that scored Todd Helton and Mike Lansing, setting up Hamilton’s soft line drive to left-center. Watkins scored just ahead of the throw from center fielder Andruw Jones.

“I didn’t expect the play to be that close,” Watkins said. “I got a good jump on a slicing line drive and honestly thought I would be able to walk in. Jones made a great play and a great throw.”

Rocker, pitching for the first time in eight days, looked rusty as he walked Helton, gave up a single to Lansing and walked Watkins after being ahead in the count. He nearly put Watkins away with an 0-and-2 slider.

“After you see two 98- to 100-mph fastballs on the black, how do you lay off that pitch when it’s 88 or 89 mph?” Rocker said. “It starts in the same place and dies down. How do you lay off that? I don’t know. They did a good job.”

Rocker inherited Atlanta’s closing job after a season-ending injury to Kerry Ligtenberg and wildness by Wohlers, who was traded Friday.

Chuck McElroy (1-0) retired all four hitters he faced to get the victory in relief.

Tom Glavine avoided his first three-game losing streak in three years but got a no-decision after giving up two runs in seven innings for the Braves, who were playing for the first time in three days.

Atlanta was rained out in Philadelphia on Thursday and got snowed out in Denver on Friday.

AROUND THE LEAGUE / Wohlers Put on Disabled List

Mark Wohlers was put on the 15-day disabled list because of an anxiety disorder, a day after the Cincinnati Reds got the struggling reliever in a trade with the Atlanta Braves. The Reds got the 29-year-old right-hander from the Braves for pitcher John Hudek. Cincinnati also will receive at least $4.4 million from Atlanta to cover Wohlers’ big salary.

After running into severe control trouble last season, he walked six in only two-thirds of an inning this season.

Wohlers said he hopes to find a more successful approach with the Reds.

“I think I’m not going to make every pitch life and death,” he said. “I’m not going to put pressure on myself to make every pitch a perfect pitch.”

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Starting in the minors for the second time in his bid to earn a spot with the Chicago Cubs, Hideo Nomo struck out 10 Las Vegas Stars and gave up two runs and three hits in six-plus innings for the triple-A Iowa Cubs at Des Moines, Iowa.