Rock Solid Recap: Halladay Serves As Olivo's Slumpbuster

Rockies 4, Phillies 3

As I said earlier... to call this a big win would an understatement.

The Rockies didn't beat Roy Halladay, but they knocked him around quite a bit. Great swings up and down the lineup. High pitch counts. Bascially they made him work harder for his money than any other Halladay opponent this season. This approach needs to carry over to every pitcher, not just the elite ones.

Aaron Cook pitched a fantastic six innings. Seriously. I'm not a fan of the quality start stat, because I think it needs to be adjusted for ballpark and opponent, but this qualifies as a quality start on any scale. He kept the Rockies in the game and held down a terrific offense. I'm very pleased with Cook.

Running Thoughts: Cook vs. Halladay

Lineup Card


It's what?  39 degrees?  As if Roy Halladay didn't have enough going for him.  

I don't know what approach the Rockies should take in this one.  Maybe they should hand out binoculars to everyone in the first five rows of the stands.  Even that probably wouldn't help.  

Top 1st

Aaron Cook gets through the first unscathed.  It was difficult though, as Melvin Mora failed to turn yet another routine double play ball.  I mean this was tailor made for 4-6-3, he bobbled it, fell on his ass, and recovered to throw out Howard at first.  Cook struck out Werth to end it.

Lineup Card: Doubleheader Game 1

Let's try this again!

Rockies Lineup

• CF Gonzalez
• LF Smith
• 2B Mora
• RF Hawpe
• 1B Helton
• 3B Stewart
• C  Olivo
• SS Barmes
• P   Cook

Nice to have Carlos Gonzalez.   Tulowitzki wisely ruled out because of the cold.  That makes me hopeful that all Rockies have stretched out probably in this weather.  

Phillies Lineup

• CF Victorino
• 3B Polanco
• 2B Utley
• 1B Howard
• RF Werth
• LF Ibanez
• C   Ruiz
• SS Valdez
• P  Halladay