Rock Solid Recap: Road To 100 Hits Dead End

Rockies 7, Diamondbacks 4 (13 innings) (boxscore)

It's over. Our season long regional nightmare is all over.

Five years to the day they defeated the San Diego Padres 9-8 in 13 innings to win the National League Wild Card, the Colorado Rockies won another clincher in 13 innings with the 7-4 win over the Diamondbacks. OK, yeah, so this win was just a little bit less significant in the grand scheme, but it was still meaningful as they officially avoided to century mark in the loss column.

Whew.

RIP: Road to 100.

Winning Players: Chris Nelson & Charlie Blackmon

The Rockies had 13 hits in 13 innings. Seven of those belonged to Chris Nelson & Charlie Blackmon.

I think Nelson deserves top billing because he's the one who delivered to go-ahead RBI single in the 13th. That capped a night where Nelson was seeing the ball very well and had a number of good swings, including a couple drives that had home run distance but ended up just foul. Either of those staying fair would have changed the game a lot sooner.

Then again, it was Blackmon who had four hits, including the single that made it 5-3. That would actually ended up being the winning run, so you could make an argument for either.

It's kinda like the Miguel Cabrera-Mike Trout debate for the AL MVP, only not even close.

Turning Point: Josh Rutledge had a really rough four-strikeout game, but he's also a big reason the Rockies stayed alive. His two-out RBI double (scoring Blackmon) in the 8th tied the game. Tyler Colvin followed with his own RBI double, so things looked pretty good at that moment. Of course that was only temporary.

Drew Pomeranz's Line: 5 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 7 K, 2 HR, 80 pitches (51 strikes)

All things considered during this mostly uninspiring season for Drew Pomeranz, this was a positive note to go out on. Sure, he allowed a couple homers (both solo) and threw in a couple walks, but he stayed on track and never allowed any particular inning to escalate or become a potential disaster. That may not sound like much of achievement to my newer readers, but if you've been reading these recaps all season and looking at the pitching lines, you know how difficult that has been for Pomeranz and this entire staff.

It's a nice ending, but it's really only the beginning as Pomeranz enters this important offseason. Because of this season's results and stunted development, next year almost has to be two steps forward just to get where the Rockies wanted and needed Pomeranz by the end of this season, and maybe three steps forward to reach his potential. I'll settle for one step, as long as it's not another one sideways or backwards.

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Rock Solid September Recap: These Are Rare

Rockies 4, Diamondbacks 2 (boxscore)

Since starting this blog in 2010, the Colorado Rockies record in games from Sept. 15 on is 9-33. That's including Monday's win over Arizona, which broke a nine-game losing streak.

That bad. That real bad.

But Monday was good... so let's talk why they finally won one.

Winning Player: Andrew Brown

Was leaning towards Tyler Chatwood here but Andrew Brown's late home run changed my mind. It was a solo shot in the 8th, but that insurance run was a big one to get for Rafael Betancourt. Brown also had a double earlier in the game and a run-scoring groundout. Productive night all around offensively, and the adventurous catch out in right field was a highlight too.

Watch Andrew Brown's opposite field homer

Watch Andrew Brown's nice catch

Honorable Mentions: Chatwood (more shortly), the bullpen (more shortly), along with Charlie Blackmon and Tyler Colvin who each contributed two hits.

Turning Point: After Arizona scored two in the 4th to take a 2-1 lead, the Rockies battled right back with two of their own in the bottom half (Brown's RBI and a D.J. LeMahieu RBI single). Chatwood then put up a big 0 in the 5th to stabilize things, which allowed the bullpen to bring it home.

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Rock Solid Recrap: D-Backs 8, Rockies 7. So Close.... Yet Not Really

Diamondbacks 8, Rockies 7 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: The Rockies were done in by two big offensive innings. The first was the 1st, which has been a problem for Rockies starters all season. Arizona scored three there against Jhoulys Chacin on a triple, two doubles and a single.

Arizona then put up a five-spot in the 5th against Carlos Torres, Josh Outman and Edgmer Escalona. That inning included four walks (none intentional) and was the turning point in the game.

Jhoulys Chacin's Line: 4 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 2 K, 84 pitches (51 strikes)

Chacin rebounded from the rough start for a strong finish, but of course that early pitch count cost him the opportunity to work deeper in the game. I don't know for sure that he could have given Colorado another decent inning or two, but I long for the days when a professional pitcher in Colorado was given that chance. Don't you?

Highlight of the Night: Between Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez, we're likely to see a number of Todd Helton's records fall over the years. But it was Wilin Rosario who moved past his mark for home runs as a rookie with his 26th on Saturday night. Congrats to Wilin!

Watch Wilin Rosario go yard again

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Rock Solid Recrap: Giants 6, Rockies 3. 15 To Go.

Giants 6, Rockies 3 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: If you've seen one Rockies-Giants game from AT&T Park, you've seen them all. Misplayed flyballs into triples, wild pitches, caught stealings, former Rockies that stunk getting big hits and once great baseball players grounding into double plays for the Rockies. It's all there for you, but it's just a small portion of the usual problems.

Turning Point: 7th inning. Giants leading 3-0. Rockies loaded the bases with one out. In comes Jeremy Affeldt from the Giants bullpen. In comes Jason Giambi from the Rockies bench. One pitch. 4-6-3 double play. Rally dead. Baseball game essentially over.

So the question I ask you now is the one I sarcastically (I think) asked on Twitter: How long before the Rockies ink Giambi to that next one-year contract?

Jeff Francis' Line: 5 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 78 pitches (53 strikes)

Speaking of one-year contracts, I'd give one to Jeff Francis in a heartbeat. Francis has shown he has plenty left in the tank to be an above average bottom of the rotation guy, and as we've seen repeatedly over the years, you can never have enough starting pitching depth in New York, Detroit, Atlanta, anywhere, and that's especially true in Colorado.

Bullpen's Line: 3 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 K

Really could have used one of those lights out nights from the bullpen, but instead we got a shaky Carlos Torres (1 ER), a sputtering Josh Roenicke (1 ER) and the usual Josh Outman (2 ER).

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Rock Solid Recrap: Giants 2, Rockies 1. Just Like Always.

Giants 2, Rockies 1 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: One day after allowing 12 runs to the San Diego Padres at Petco Park and only losing by one run, the Rockies hold the mighty San Francisco Giants to two runs... and again lose by one run.

Bet nobody saw that coming.

And by nobody I mean everybody.

Turning Points: What makes a loss like this one all the more frustrating though is Madison Bumgarner walking five batters in six innings and the Rockies not making him pay for it.

• Dexter Fowlers starts the game with a walk... and then he's caught stealing. 

• Chris Nelson leads off the 2nd with a walk. Andrew Brown follows with a single. But that rally dies on a D.J. LeMahieu double play. 

• Fowler and Josh Rutledge walk with one out in the 4th. Jordan Pacheco and Wilin Rosario fail to drive them in.

• Andrew Brown walks in the 6th... caught stealing (picked off). 

Turning any single one of those walks into a run would have changed the entire outlook. Instead, Bumgarner gets off the hook repeatedly and the Rockies get absolutely nothing going against San Francisco's tough bullpen. Same result we've seen seemingly 1,000 times over the past few seasons against those guys.

Jhoulys Chacin's Line: 5 IP, 1 ER. 5 H, 1 BB, 2 K, 80 pitches (50 strikes)

Solid outing that very likely would have stretched out to an excellent outing with a couple more innings of work. But I'm just happy to see Jhoulys throwing this well and looking healthy because that's all that truly matters right now.

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Rock Solid Recrap: Drew Pomeranz Continues To Scuffle

Padres 4, Rockies 3 (boxscore)

Drew Pomeranz's Line: 3 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 67 pitches (42 strikes)

Pomeranz just can't get it together, which almost makes me wonder if the Rockies should shut him down now, let him clear his mind and come back with a fresh start next spring. I know getting him the innings to develop and gain experience are important — which is why I hated the paired pitching system from the start — but I think enough might be enough already this season. His confidence is low, and there may not be much more to gain over the last 2 1/2 weeks.

Bullpen's Line: 5 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 4 K

Carlos Torres, Edgmer Escalona (he never goes away), Will Harris, Josh Outman and Josh Roenicke were marvelous and played a big role in the Rockies almost coming back here. Collectively, they were the Rockies biggest positive for about the 120th time this season.

Turning Point: There's a big difference between 1-0 and 4-0. That's why Jesus Guzman's three-run homer in the 3rd was the turning point.

Highlight of the Night: Two more hits for Chris Nelson, including this RBI double he ripped in Colorado's three-run 7th inning.

Watch Chris Nelson stay warm

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Rock Solid Recrap: Outman? More Like Out Of The Rotation.

Cardinals 9, Rockies 3 (boxscore)

Josh Outman's Line: 3 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 5 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 70 pitches (34 strikes)

Stick a fork in Outman, he's done as a starter in the Rockies paired pitching system.

In the 1st inning, Outman walked two and threw two wild pitches. That led to one run. In the 2nd, he walked the opposing pitcher, Kyle Lohse, after a 12-pitch plate appearance. In the 3rd, something reasonable actually happened - he allowed a solo home run to Matt Holliday.

And then he was done, because all of that took 70 pitches.

There's no way Jim Tracy could justify starting Outman again this weekend in Washington after this miserably inefficient, all-around dreadful performance.

Well, I take that back, there are ways Tracy could justify it in his OWN mind, we'd just all lose OUR minds trying to sort through the rambling explanation.

Anyway, the Rockies will have to figure out if they like Outman in the bullpen or if he needs mechanical (more like mental) tuneup at Colorado Springs. I'm guessing it'll be the former, but I'm not sure there's much to be gained from him throwing 3-4 innings at the beginning, to likely throwing 2-3 innings in the middle.

What. A. Mess.

Tyler Chatwood's Piggyback Line: 2 1/3 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 1 BB, 1 K, 63 pitches (30 strikes)

Two pitchers from the same team in the same game throwing at least 60 pitches, and neither can crack 50% on strikes thrown.

I bet that doesn't happen very often.

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Lineup Card: Rockies @ Cardinals 7-2-12

Sunday's Recrap: Kip Bleepin' Wells

Lineups 

Colorado Rockies (30-48)

1. Eric Young (CF)
2. Marco Scutaro (SS)
3. Carlos Gonzalez (LF)
4. Michael Cuddyer (1B)
5. Tyler Colvin (RF)
6. Jordan Pacheco (3B)
7. Chris Nelson (2B)
8. Wilin Rosario (C)
9. Josh Outman (P)

No Dexter Fowler tonight, because... well... we really don't know at this point. Probably just a Jim Tracy decision, but Troy Renck is looking into it anyway.

No Todd Helton tonight, either. That's easier to explain. He's struggling and Jim Tracy feels like Michael Cuddyer is emerging from his June swoon, so Cuddyer plays. Also, Tyler Colvin needs to keep playing.

Update: Troy Renck reports Dexter Fowler is sitting tonight with a sore left lat muscle and Todd Helton is nursing a sore hip. Please disregard my previous analysis. 

St. Louis Cardinals (41-38)

1. Rafael Furcal (SS)
2. Jon Jay (CF)
3. Matt Holliday (LF)
4. Carlos Beltran (RF)
5. Allen Craig (1B)
6. Yadier Molina (C)
7. David Freese (3B)
8. Daniel Descalso (2B)
9. Kyle Lohse (P)

More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: @Townie813 & @HeavenHelton

Rock Solid Recap: Josh Outman Starts Are Fun!

Rockies 11, Nationals 10 (boxscore)

Winning Player: Edwin Jackson

Only kidding. It's Tyler Colvin, who led the Rockies offensive attack with four hits (just a double shy of the cycle) and five RBIs. But he certainly wasn't the lone Rockie to have a productive afternoon. Dexter Fowler, Marco Scutaro, Carlos Gonzalez and Chris Nelson all contributed three hits apiece as Colorado pounded out an even 20 on the afternoon.

But I definitely will give Edwin Jackson an honorable mention. The Rockies absolutely brutalized E-Jax into submission during their glorified batting practice exhibition that would make even Jeremy Guthrie and Alex White cringe. But I guess we shouldn't be too surprised considering Edwin entered the game with a 13.91 ERA against the Rockies in SIX career starts.

Ugly.

Turning Point: The Rockies blew a 7-0 second inning lead and a 10-9 ninth inning lead because winning convincingly and on time apparently bores them. But it's OK, because Marco Scutaro sent the crowd home happy with a two-out, walk-off single in the 11th inning after a seven-pitch at-bat.

Way to go, Marco!

Highlight of the Night: Watch Marco Scutaro's game winner

Josh Outman's Line: 3 IP, 5 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HR, 67 pitches (41 strikes)

Well, Outman should have no beef with the offense. They have staked him out to 11-1 and 7-0 leads over his last two starts, yet all he has to show for that is 7 2/3 innings of total crap, one unintentional shoulder bump with the manager and zero wins.

I vote we replace him with Drew Pomeranz soon, or maybe even one of the youth campers from Tuesday. Frankly, I'll take any replacement aside from Guthrie, White or Guillermo Moscoso.

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Rock Solid Recap: Rockies 11, Rangers 7. Let It Sink In

Rockies 11, Rangers 7 (boxscore)

Winning Players: The Offense

On Friday, the Rockies collected 12 hits and only managed one run. Today, they collected 16 hits and turned that into 11 runs.

That's a much more efficient day at the office, and it helped that all nine spots in the order contributed at least one hit (six had multiple hits, Dexter Fowler was the lone Rockie with three). Also, all nine either scored at least one or drove one in, but no single player had more than two of either.

Excellent balance up and down the lineup card.

Turning Point: 3rd inning, Rockies were leading 1-0 and had the bases loaded with one out. Michael Cuddyer popped up for the second out, leaving us wondering if this was going to be a replay of last night. But Tyler Colvin quickly squashed that, blooping a two-run single into short left field. That was a relief. And then the red hot Chris Nelson followed right up with a two-run single of his own, pushing the advantage to 5-0.

It's a lot more fun to deliver two-out daggers than it is to receive them.

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Lineup Card: Rockies @ Rangers 6-23-12

Friday's Recrap: That Went Surprisingly Well

Lineup

Colorado Rockies (26-43)

1. Jonathan Herrera (SS)
2. Jordan Pacheco (3B)
3. Carlos Gonzalez (LF)
4. Jason Giambi (DH)
5. Michael Cuddyer (1B)
6. Tyler Colvin (RF)
7. Chris Nelson (2B)
8. Wil Nieves (C)
9. Dexter Fowler (CF)

Josh Outman (0-3, 8.41)

Listen, I appreciate Jonathan Herrera for what he is more than just about anyone, but only in Jim Tracy's warped mind is flip-flopping Herrera with Dexter Fowler a good idea. I don't care if Fowler is struggling lately. I don't care if Herrera has three singles and a double today, therefore justifying Tracy in his own mind. Leave Fowler the hell alone and let him try to figure his own way back to being the Dexter Fowler we saw in May without having to worry about where his name is on the card, or if it's even on the card.

Texas Rangers (44-27)

1. Ian Kinsler (2B)
2. Elvis Andrus (SS)
3. Josh Hamilton (LF)
4. Adrian Beltre (3B)
5. Michael Young (DH)
6. Nelson Cruz (RF)
7. Mike Napoli (1B)
8. Yorvit Torrealba (C)
9. Craig Gentry (CF)

Colby Lewis (6-5, 3.00)

More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: @Townie813 & @HeavenHelton

Rock Solid Recrap: This Really Is The Road To 100

Phillies 7, Rockies 2 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: The Rockies showed up. The Phillies showed up. This game was pretty much over when those two things happened.

Turning Point: The Rockies led 1-0 (I kid you not) in the 3rd inning and Josh Outman was one out away from working three scoreless when he walked Jimmy Rollins. Naturally, Placido Polanco followed that up with an RBI double to tie the game. One inning later, Outman was again one out away from a scoreless inning when John Mayberry hit a two-run homer.

Long story short, the Phillies scored 6 of their 7 runs with two outs.

Josh Outman's Line: 4 1/3 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 72 pitches (40 strikes)

Game 1 of Jim Tracy's latest failed experiment (more on that later) went about like you'd expect. Josh Outman was, in two words, Josh Outman. That basically means a lot of baserunners, and the Phillies capitalized on their opportunities with those timely two-out hits. That said, without the new pitch count Outman likely gets through the 5th. That would have been nice for the bullpen.

Bullpen's Line: 3 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HR

Adam Ottavino finally had a rough night (allowed all three runs), but I suppose we should get used to those now that he'll be overworked even further.

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Lineup Card: Rockies @ Phillies 6-19-12

Sunday's Recrap: Another Completely Dreadful Sunday

Check out the Q & A I did for the entertaining Phillies blog That Ball's Outta Here

Lineups 

Colorado Rockies (25-40)

1. Eric Young Jr. (CF)
2. Marco Scutaro (SS)
3. Tyler Colvin (LF)
4. Michael Cuddyer (RF)
5. Todd Helton (1B)
6. Jordan Pacheco (3B)
7. Chris Nelson (2B)
8. Wilin Rosario (C)
9. Josh Outman (P)

All I can say is stay tuned to tonight's Recap. I may have a thought or two on Jim Tracy's latest stroke genius. 

Philadelphia Phillies (31-37)

1. Jimmy Rollins (SS)
2. Placido Polanco (3B)
3. Hunter Pence (RF)
4. Carlos Ruiz (C)
5. Shane Victorino (CF)
6. Ty Wigginton (1B)
7. John Mayberry (LF)
8. Michael Martinez (2B)
9. Cole Hamels (P)

More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: @Townie813 & @HeavenHelton

Rock Solid Recrap: Here's Your Free 90 Feet, Mr. Crisp

Athletics 10, Rockies 8 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: The Rockies hit extremely well. Got a starting effort from Josh Outman that sadly probably qualifies as a best case scenario. The bridge relievers (Adam Ottavino, Rex Brothers and Matt Belisle) weren't exactly sharp, but managed to get the ball to Rafael Betancourt with an 8-7 lead.

And then it happened. The 9th inning.

Turning Point: Coco Crisp led off that 9th inning with the most Coors Field bloop single possible (a popfly that dropped between LeMahieu, Cuddyer and Fowler), and then advanced to second on Jemile Weeks' bunt. I guess it was a sacrifice(?) but it took a great play from Betancourt and Helton to get that out.

That brings us to our big turning point here.

Crisp is an aggressive base stealer. He grabbed 49 bags last season. Had a respectable eight this year despite a DL stint. So naturally Betancourt pays him no attention and Crisp takes the 90 feet without so much as an acknowledge from Rosario, because he was already high-fiving Mike Gallego when the pitch was received.

A handful of pitches later, Crisp scored the tying run on a shallow flyball to right field. Michael Cuddyer made the play close at the plate, but Crisp expertly slid around the tag. So we had some bad luck involved here that put Crisp on base in the first place. That is what it is, and who knows how the Weeks at-bat plays out in a different scenario. But that lack of attention to detail with Crisp at second is what's mind-boggling and maddening.

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Lineup Card: Rockies vs A's 6-13-12

Tuesday's Recrap: Tape Measure Home Runs & One Really Dumb Bunt

Lineups

Colorado Rockies (24-36)

1. Dexter Fowler (CF)
2. Marco Scutaro (SS)
3. Tyler Colvin (LF)
4. Michael Cuddyer (RF)
5. Todd Helton (1B)
6. Jordan Pacheco (3B)
7. Wilin Rosario (C)
8. Chris Nelson (2B)
9. Josh Outman (P)

In case you haven't heard (if you haven't, you're the only one), Troy Tulowitzki left his first rehab game this afternoon after aggravating the left groin injury that put him on the DL.Tulo had homered and singled prior to feeling pain and asking out of the game, so it looked like he was ready to pick up where he left off, but now he's back in Denver to receive further treatment and evaluation.

(I hate this season passionately)

Oh, and Carlos Gonzalez sits tonight to make room for the hot-hitting Tyler Colvin. Colvin will likely start for Helton tomorrow, and then has an easy path to the lineup this weekend with the DH in play.

Oakland Athletics (29-35)

1. Jemile Weeks (2B)
2. Colin Cowgill (CF)
3. Seth Smith (RF)
4. Yoenis Cespedes (LF)
5. Brandon Inge (3B)
6. Josh Donaldson (C)
7. Brandon Moss (1B)
8. Cliff Pennington (SS)
9. Tommy Milone (P)

Cespedes returns to Oakland's lineup after a week plus absence. That's wonderful news for my fantasy team, and terrible news for Josh Outman and the five Rockies relievers we'll be seeing tonight.  Heads up on the concourse. 

More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: @Townie813 & @HeavenHelton

Rock Solid Recrap: Offense Cools Further, So-Called Starting Pitching Remains Awful

Diamondbacks 6, Rockies 1 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: Dreadfully boring game. That's the first problem.

Also, the Rockies offense is no longer scorching hot... or even simmering. We can thank Ian Kennedy and now Wade Miley (8 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 5 K) for that. For an illustration of how outstanding Arizona's top two pitchers were, the Rockies only had four baserunners tonight after managing seven in their shutout loss on Tuesday.

This is bad news if it's a trend, because as I said several times during the recent hot streak, the Rockies will not be able to overcome rough offensive nights very often. It's sad and it's true. They'll need to come out swinging against the Angels this weekend or it could look an awful lot like the Atlanta series a few weeks back.

Turning Point: Arizona scored five runs in the first three innings against Josh Outman. Three of those runs came on two-out base hits. It's a problem that has plagued this pitching staff all season long, and I can tell you each and every one has stung just as bad as the one before. They're daggers.

Josh Outman's Line: 3 IP, 5 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 1 K, 69 pitches (40 strikes)

I'm not sure how to analyze or evaluate these spring training type Outman outings.

Well, actually, this one I can. He wasn't fooling anybody in Arizona's weakened lineup (no Upton or Kubel), and he couldn't make the pitches he needed to limit the damage. In other words, it was Jeremy Guthrie's last two road outings all over again... without the tape measure homers.

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Lineup Card: Rockies @ D-Backs 6-6-12

Tuesday's Recrap: Guthrie Stinks, Kennedy Dominates

Lineups

Colorado Rockies (24-31)

1. Dexter Fowler (CF)
2. Marco Scutaro (2B)
3. Carlos Gonzalez (LF)
4. Michael Cuddyer (RF)
5. Jason Giambi (1B)
6. Jordan Pacheco (3B)
7. Wilin Rosario (C)
8. D.J. LeMahieu (2B)
9. Josh Outman (P)

Arizona Diamondbacks (26-30)

1. A.J. Pollack (LF)
2. Ryan Roberts (3B)
3. Chris Young (CF)
4. Paul Goldschmidt (1B)
5. Miguel Montero (C)
6. Aaron Hill (2B)
7. Gerardo Parra (RF)
8. John McDonald (SS)
9. Wade Miley (P)

I've lost track of how many different lineups Kirk Gibson has used this season, but I'm pretty sure we haven't seen the same one twice in our eight games against them. Of course injuries — a couple serious, most nagging — have played a big role in the constant shifting, but it's also a strategy that worked for Gibson in 2011. 

More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: @Townie813 & @HeavenHelton

Weekend Recap: They Beat LA!

Friday

Rockies 13, Dodgers 3 (boxscore) 

Winning Players: The offense... again

The offense continued sizzling on this night against the surprisingly effective 2012 version of Chris Capuano. The boxscore was pretty to look at with Dexter Fowler contributing three more hits (two runs, two RBI), Michael Cuddyer touching the plate four times (home run included) and Wilin Rosario delivering the knockout punch with a three-run 6th inning homer.

There wasn't a single hole in the lineup among position players, and that was ultra-important given the piggyback pitching plan going into this game.

Josh Outman's Line: 3 1/3, 0 R, 2 H, 1 BB, 5 K, 55 pitches (37 strikes)

Couldn't ask for much more out of Outman under the circumstances. A very effective line.

The Bullpen's Line: 5 2/3, 3 ER, 8 H, 3 BB, 4 K

The walks and two runs belonged to Carlos Torres (two innings). Adam Ottavino (1 2/3 - 0 R), Matt Belisle (1 IP - 1 ER) and Esmil Rogers (1 IP - 0 R) closed it down efficiently.

Highlight of the Game

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Rock Solid Recrap: Blake Street Brutality

Diamondbacks 9, Rockies 7 (boxscore)

I had a bad feeling we'd be in store for a miserable game this afternoon while writing last night's all positive recap. Sure enough, that bad feeling played out before my eyes. Well, at least until I stabbed them with a fork during the top of the 8th inning.

What Went Wrong: I hope you have some time on your hands. 

Rockies pitching walked nine. Five of those came from starter Juan Nicasio, but only one of his scored. Josh Outman (1 walk) and Rex Brothers (2 walks), on the other hand, were not effective enough to overcome theirs, and while Matt Belisle's didn't score, it forced Jim Tracy's hand and made him use up Josh Roenicke for one batter to finish the 7th.

That's worth nothing because had the game gone extra innings, Colorado would have been out of pitchers.

I also didn't understand Jim Tracy's use of the double switch there since Roenicke didn't return for the 8th. He brought in Michael Cuddyer during that switch to replace Tyler Colvin in right, so I don't think he gained much of anything defensively (a better arm for less range). Of course this comes just two days after Tracy didn't use a double switch when he absolutely should have to avoid Josh Outman leading off an inning, so who knows what the hell kind of logic this guy is using. If any.

PS: The Rockies also ran out of position players forcing Alex White to pinch-hit with the bases loaded in the 9th. Not that the double switch made a difference in that happening. Jim would have found another way to kill his bench I'm sure. In fact, I'm pretty sure Jim would have gone through the whole 40-man roster today if that was available.

Anyway, back to the pitching. Walks are killer as we know. So are two-out runs. Today, the Diamondbacks scored all nine of their runs with two outs. And they all came in the final five innings.

Brutal.

Also brutal? How about Ramon Hernandez's final two at-bats.

In the 8th inning, Diamondbacks reliever David Hernandez had just walked Todd Helton and gone full with Jason Giambi (who singled to load the bases) when Ramon offered at the first pitch and popped out to shallow center. No advancement from the runners there.

Arizona's Hernandez would walk two more in the inning helping Colorado tie it, while further driving home my frustration with Ramon's AB.

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Rock Solid Recap: Marco Scutaro Helps Rockies Escape San Francisco With Unexpected Split

Rockies 5, Giants 4 (boxscore)

Winning Player: Marco Scutaro

Scutaro was out of the starting lineup tonight and didn't enter the game until an 8th inning double switch. That still left him plenty of time to play hero as his lead-off home run (first as a Rockie) in the 9th provided the difference in the game.

Highlight of the Night: Watch Marco Scutaro's home run through a flock of seagulls

Turning Point: Of course it wasn't an easy path to get to that moment. The Rockies led 4-1 in the 7th before Josh Outman and Matt Belisle worked together to allow San Francisco to tie the game. More on that debacle and where the blame ultimately lies a little later.

When the bottom of the 8th rolled around, Jim Tracy continued to show confidence in Rex Brothers by throwing him into the fire. Naturally, four batters into the inning, the Giants had the bases loaded on three walks (one intentional). Everybody had a pretty good idea on how this would end, but Brothers actually flipped the script this time by overpowering and striking out both Brandon Belt and Melky Cabrera to escape the jam.

If I'm Bob Apodaca, I'm calling Brothers into the video room first thing tomorrow to make him watch that entire inning pitch-for-pitch, and then repeatedly tell him how damn good he can be and how much easier his life will be if he attacks hitters and trusts himself. That message needs to become lodged in his head.

Jeremy Guthrie's Line: 5 1/3 IP, 1 R (0 ER), 4 H, 4 BB, 4 K (season high), 90 pitches (50 strikes)

Was hoping Guthrie would be more efficient and work a little deeper in his return, but looking back at how the outing unfolded, I'll certainly take this line. The Giants had plenty of opportunities to make it an even shorter outing, but Guthrie survived it by making a quality pitch every time he needed one. He even racked up a couple strikeouts in those spots and doubled his season high overall.

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