Lineup Card Game 2 vs Philadelphia

Rockies Lineup

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

I don't disagree with starting Mora against Halladay (he's 22-for-76 lifetime).   I just find it strange that Tracy was so desperate to get Eric Young in the lineup last week that he had him play LF.  Now that 2B is open for a couple days, he turns to Mora and Young is planted on the bench.  

Who else is ready for Chris Iannetta to return?

Also, the Rockies have placed Franklin Morales on the DL and recalled Edgmer Escalona (love that name).  His stay should be a short one (unless someone else gets hurt) as Jason Hammel will be activated to start tomorrow.  Of course it's possible Esmil Rogers will go down to resume starting at AAA.  

Phillies Lineup 

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

We''ll have the rest later, but that's scary enough as is.

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We Need Couch Time

All of us.

I'm frustrated. You're frustrated. Some Rockies fans are even talking to themselves in their tweets. This isn't healthy.

We all need to sit down and talk about the problems here. In place of my usual game preview, we are going to start doing just that. We're going to have little couch sessions to vent our frustations and hopefully make ourserlves feel better. At the very least I'm sure I'll feel better.

What would make me feel better today?

Well, I'd like to vent on Denver Post sportswriter Mark Kiszla.

Mark Kiszla remains one of the worst sportswriters I've ever read. I thought my ideas were all over the place. This guy jumps to conclusions and offers some of the dumbest solutions to problems you could possibly imagine.  And often offers even dumber solutions to problems that don't even exist.

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Rock Solid Recrap: Several Bullets Lodged Firmly In Foot

Phillies 9, Rockies 5

The Rockies hung around and hung around. It even looked promising a couple different times. But the reality is that the Phillies never lost control of the baseball game, and the Rockies never were in a realistic position to win it.

That's because the Phillies were never going to shoot themselves in the foot. They were just waiting for the Rockies to shoot themselves in the foot, and then they jump all over them for their mistake.

In the 5th, Melvin Mora couldn't turn a double play (again) which led directly to a run on that play. This allowed the inning to contunue, and then another run scored one hitter later as Seth Smith booted one in LF.

In the 6th, a two out, two strike wild pitch by Matt Daley gave Philly another gfit.

In the 8th, Brad Hawpe drops a flyball that should have ended the inning. That did NOT lead to a run, but folks, it was costly. That meant Randy Flores had to come in to face one batter (Chase Utley), whom he retired.

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Running Thoughts: Smith. vs Kendrick

Preview

Lineup Card

Here we go.  This should be interesting.

Rockies lining up in their three announcer setup tonight.

1st Inning

• Shane Victorino triples on an 0-2 pitch.  Smith simply can't make a quality 0-2 pitch.  
• Polanco with the sac fly.  Hawpe made a great throw from fairly deep right.  Good try.  
• Another 0-2 basehit, this time by Chase Utley.  
• Smith strikes out Howard.  He's throwing strikes tonight, no doubt about that.  Now he just needs to find more quality strikes.  
• And then he walks Werth on four pitches.  Maybe I need to shut up.  
• Strikes out Ibanez.  High pitch count inning but limited the damage.  
• Phillies 1, Rockies 0
• Jason Giambi with a laser RBI single to even the score.  Much needed hit for team and player.  
• Rockies 1, Phillies 1
• Good first inning of baseball.  

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Lineup Card: Game 1 vs Philadelphia

Rockies Lineup

Could be a rough night defensively with Mora and Giambi on the right side.  At least Young isn't in LF again.

• LF Smith
• CF Fowler
• RF Hawpe (fresh off the DL)
• 1B Giambi
• 2B Mora
• 3B Stewart
• C  Olivo
• SS Barmes
• P   Smith

Tulo is day-to-day with his quad strain.  It's not the same quad he tore in 2008, and the MRI was clean.  That's obviously great news.  He will still be rested at least a couple days to help assure a repeat of 2008 doesn't come about.  

Lineup courtesy @TroyRenck.  Renck also tweeted some Jim Tracy thoughts on Jason Giambi.  

Phillies Lineup

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

You know how good the first six are. Greg Smith needs to find out a way to get as many outs as he can from the 7, 8 and 9 spots.  That won't be easy because Ruiz is also a terrific hitter and pain in the ass for the Rockies.