"Rafael Betancourt has warmed to having his feet in the fire. When he first took over for the injured Huston Street, Betancourt was reluctant to even talk about closing out of respect for his teammate.

That was before he went 7-for-8 in save opportunities with cold-blooded efficiency.

"I love the pressure," Betancourt said. "I love knowing that when I go in that I have a chance to win the game for the team. If they want me to keep doing this, I would be fine with that."

Betancourt's performance has caused the Rockies to rethink their bullpen. General manager Dan O'Dowd said he's "open-minded" about the closer role. Executives from opposing teams expect the Rockies to shop Street, who is due $7 million in the final year of his contract.

For his part, Street has remained mum about losing his job because of an injury."