Rockies’ Chacin responds to O’Dowd’s criticism

DENVER — It’s impossible to overstate the importance of Jhouyls Chacin to the Rockies. With a breakthrough performance, the rotation becomes sturdier, and since the team’s season appears to hinge on its starters at this point a 200-inning, 3.30 ERA effort from the young right-hander would go a long way in making the Rockies competitive. General manager Dan O’Dowd told The Post last week that he was “not happy” with Chacin’s offseason, concerned about his weight and the inability to reach him at times after the pitcher decided to train in Venezuela rather than Arizona. A source close to Chacin — one that talks regularly with him — said in the same story that the right-hander was working out and would report to spring close to last year’s weight. What that weight was exactly is a bit of a question. Chacin said last February upon arriving in spring training that he had lost “5-to-6 pounds” after finishing the 2010 ...