Rockies 5, Astros 3 (Boxscore)
Winning Player: One game in, one tough decision on who deserves to be the Rockies winning player. I thought Troy Tulowitzki had a terrific game with the early sac fly, a pair of defensive gems, and then the ninth inning home run — which you'll see later — that went over the train tracks and vacated Minute Maid Park all together.
Jeremy Guthrie had a very strong seven inning Rockies debut, and rightfully earned his National League victory. Todd Helton and Michael Cuddyer were also important cogs with their two-out, opposite field run scoring hits in a pivotal third inning rally.
But my vote for the Rockies winning player goes to left-handed setup man Rex Brothers. After the Rockies took the lead in the top half, Brothers breezed through his first eighth inning appearance 1-2-3 with a pair of overpowering strikeouts and a weak groundout. That got the Rockies right back into the dugout feeling good, and then from there they added the insurance run that basically sealed the victory.
Many outings just like are sure to follow for young Mr. Brothers.
Turning Point: Jim Tracy's decision to pinch-run Eric Young Jr. for Ramon Hernandez after his eighth inning lead-off single paid off immediately with a stolen base. Of course, one minute later, it was on the verge of turning into a disaster when EY was caught in between second and third on a ball in the dirt that was blocked by Astros catcher Jason Castro.