Rock Solid Recrap: Rockies Effort Rhymes With City

Cubs 6, Rockies 2

Losing Player: Everyone

What a mess.

This isn't March 18th in Mesa, Arizona against the Cubs split squad.  It's May 18th.  The games count now.  Going through the motions and getting your swings in isn't good enough.  Not when you're struggling for consistency and the team you're playing is desperate for wins.

Don't be fooled by what you saw.  The Chicago Cubs are far from a good baseball team.  Heck, I didn't even think they played all that well or inspiring these last two games themselves, but it was more than enough to own the Rockies.

That's embarrassing.

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Lineup Card: Game 2 @ Chicago

Rockies Lineup

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

After several unexplainable lineup changes while the offense was doing fine, Tracy elects to stick with the same lineup three straight days while it's struggling.  I'm NOT complaining.  I like the consistency.  I just don't understand the logic sometimes.  

Another note.  Chacin's two great starts came with Paul Phillips.  His last start was with Olivo and he wasn't so good.  Is there something to the chemistry Chacin and Phillips built in AAA this April?  Who knows.  Hopefully he'll bounce back tonight so I don't have to think about such useless things.  

Cubs Lineup

• RF Fukudome
• 2B Theriot
• 1B Lee
• 3B Ramirez
• CF Byrd
• LF Colvin
• C   Soto
• SS Castro
• P   Silva

Last night was stone cold proof of Aramis Ramirez being a Rockie killer.  Struggles or no struggles, he's going to collect a back-breaking hit.

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Rock Solid Recrap: Wrigley Horrors Continue

I can't think of one single pleasant memory of a Rockies game at Wrigley Field.  Actually, I can't think of a pleasant Wrigley Field pertaining to anything. Nothing good ever seems to happen there.

Cubs 4, Rockies 2

That was a dreadful performance by the Rockies offense and their manager tonight.

The pitching -- the guys who weren't exhausted -- did a fine job. Aaron Cook seems to be in a good rhythm right now. I hate to say he's "back" or what not. He's just pitching well, which is refreshing to see.

Rafael Betancourt had a dominant inning of work. Thumbs up to that.

Matt Belisle was untouchable for two innings. Unfortunately, Jim Tracy, who appeared unprepared by not having Esmil Rogers warming up sooner as the Rockies were batting, decided to push him for a third inning -- on Belisle's third consecutive day pitching.

That's what we call playing with fire. Fire burns.  Jim Tracy got burned.

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Lineup Card: Game 1 @ Chicago

Rockies Lineup

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

Cubs Lineup

• CF Fukudome
• SS Castro
• 1B Lee
• 3B Ramirez
• RF Colvin
• LF Soriano
• 2B Fontenot
• C  Hill
• P  Wells

Randy Wells is a very plain right-handed pitcher but he's very effective.  That pretty much describes the whole Cubs rotation to be honest.  Ryan Dempster stands out a little bit, but he's not due to throw in this short series.

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Bad Wrigley Field Memory

May 30th, 2008

Remember that day? (Boxscore)

Aaron Cook takes the mound against Ted Lilly and the Chicago Cubs.

Rockies score four in the first behind a Helton 3-run HR and a Chris Iannetta RBI double. Three more in the third thanks to an Iannetta 2-run and an Omar Quintanilla RBI single.

Take a 9-1 leads into the 6th. It seems like a lock they will climb to 13 games under .500.

And then Cook loses it... quickly.

Bottom 6th: Fukudome hits a 2-run HR. Jim Edmonds follows that up with a solo HR. Suddenly it's 9-4.

Bottom 7th: Henry freaking Blanco hits a 2-run HR off Cook. Finally after Micah Hoffpauir singles (what the hell ever happened to him -- he could hit), Clint Hurdle figures out Cook is gassed. In comes bad 2008 Manny Corpas.

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