Forget thinking outside the box. It’s time to think inside the batter’s box.

Coors Field Lite has gone the way of MySpace and DVDs. This is old-school, grip-it-and-rip-it baseball, including Wednesday night, when the A’s rallied in the ninth inning to beat the Rockies 10-8. Oakland’s Brandon Moss has three home runs in the last two games. If you told me Randy Moss hit a pair, I’d believe it.

It’s not even worth drawing a conclusion on the outcome until the first 10 runs are scored. Someday the Rockies might pay the ransom for the humidor, freeing it to become a wet towel draping these XBox statistics.

Until then, the only extra moisture appears to be the tears dripping from starting pitchers’ eyes. Jeremy Guthrie melted down Tuesday, twice tipping his cap before taking his frustration out on the bubblegum trays in the Rockies’ dugout.

With that in mind, the Rockies need to be open-minded to alternative lineups. The pitching isn’t going to get remarkably better this season. It will improve, because, frankly, it can’t get much worse. But the only way the Rockies are going to win at home is by hitting like a slow-pitch softball team.

So it’s time to maximize all the pieces. Michael Cuddyer, second base, anyone?

Hold on for a second. I am not suggesting this is a long-term arrangement, especially with Josh Rutledge seeing more time at the position in Double-A. But with Troy Tulowitzki on the disabled list and his return delayed with Wednesday’s setback, the Rockies need to start considering all options to keep Dexter Fowler and Tyler Colvin in the lineup.

Manager Jim Tracy said Wednesday that Colvin needs to play every day. That’s not going to happen as an outfielder in the current alignment. He needs to be able to sneak in a few starts at first base, and he could get a little more time in the outfield if Cuddyer goes to second base once a week.

Tracy didn’t dismiss the idea out of hand when asked about it.

“It’s a possibility,” he said before mentioning his concerns about Cuddyer hurting his knee from a takeout slide while turning a double play.

Cuddyer, who hit two home runs and doubled Wednesday against the A’s, played second base and third base last season. He’s not going to third again.

“That train has left the station,” Cuddyer said with a smile.

But second base? He’s not terribly uncomfortable there. He even took groundballs at the spot during batting practice for the first time Wednesday. He said it was a coincidence. But again, with Tulo out longer than expected, the Rockies must put all the cards on the table.

They could start the experiment on the road next week in Philadelphia and Texas, whose ballparks are offensively tilted.

In the long run, the Rockies are never going to win without better pitching. As Clint Hurdle said repeatedly: Offensive numbers create all-stars and pitching and defense produce playoff berths. The postseason, how- ever, is not a concern this year.

The Rockies are going to continue gnashing their teeth with a rotation cutting its teeth. Forget a pitching coach. The rotation needs a pitching couch with a nest in a tree of trust and understanding.

Colorado’s rotation posted an 8.75 ERA the previous 22 games. And there’s no immediate help on the way. Tyler Chatwood and Drew Pomeranz struggled in back-to-back Triple-A starts Tuesday and Wednesday.

As it stands, the Rockies’ chances of winning and providing entertainment center on scoring runs, not preventing them. Try Cuddyer at second base. And give Colvin a random start at first base.

When a team is closer to last place than first, while playing in a pinball machine, it’s time to think inside the box.

Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1294 or trenck@denverpost.com