Running Thoughts: Cook vs. Richard

Preview

Lineup

Huston Street could begin a rehab assignment on Monday.  That's awesome news.  

The Rockies are getting very close to being healthy, which makes this next stretch of games even more important.  I mean tonight in San Diego.  I mean this weekend in LA.  I mean next week vs Philly.  

You don't want to dig a hole now with these guys on the verge of returning.  Stay afloat, keep the pressure off them when they return, and then get ready to take off in a big way in the middle of the month.

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Lineup Card: Game 3 @ San Diego

Rockies Lineup

• LF Young
• CF Fowler
• 1B Helton
• SS Tulowitzki
• RF Gonzalez
• 3B Mora 
• C  Olivo
• 2B Barmes
• P   Cook

Where's Paul Phillips?

Kidding.  

I will predict that Ian Stewart's slump will continue as long as he's in and out of the lineup every other day.  I don't think it's necessary he sit against all lefties, especially a lefty like Clayton Richard.  

Clayton Kershaw, Johan  Santana, Jonathan Sanchez, Barry Zito.  Those are the lefties you rest him against.  Otherwise, just let him take his ABs and enjoy having his glove in the lineup.  

I'll have the Padres lineup when it becomes available.

Padres Lineup

• CF Gwynn
• 2B Eckstein
• 1B Gonzalez
• 3B Headley
• RF Venable
• LF Blanks
• SS J. Hairston
• C   Hundley
• P   Richard

That looks like a lot of groundball outs for Aaron Cook.  

I Demand Stability

The more I think about the lineup (and the CONSTANT shuffling) the more I want stability.  For the next 500 or so words I'm going to tell Jim Tracy how to fill out his lineup card and provide his team with that stability.

My Lineup Card (tonight vs San Diego)

CF Fowler
LF Spilborghs
1B Helton
SS Tulowitzki
RF Gonzalez
C Olivo
3B Stewart
2B Barmes
P Cook

This will not just be the lineup tonight, this will be the lineup for the next several days (insert Seth Smith for Spilborghs vs.a righty).

When Brad Hawpe returns, your lineup should look like this.

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Rock Solid Recrap: You Can Blame Morales

Padres 3, Rockies 2

And you'd be right to do so. He plain and simply failed at his job tonight.

He came out missing the strike zone, which ultimately led to home plate umpire Mark Carlson squeezing him the rest of the inning (especially the Gonzalez AB). And you know that didn't end well at all.

There's obviously some work that needs to be done on the mental side for Franklin. Taking him away from pressure situations in the short term might be a smart move, but I'm honestly not sure who you replace him with given Betancourt, Daley and Corpas not being very sharp lately.

That'll be something that will have Jim Tracy tossing and turning in his hotel room tonight.

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Running Thoughts: Smith vs LeBlanc

Preview

Lineup Card

San Diego opens their broadcast showing highlights of Greg Smith's last outing.

<---- A lot of that from Smith.

1st Inning

• LeBlanc starts off with an efficient 1-2-3 inning.  Would have preferred a run or two to help Smith settle in.  Can't always get what we want.  
• Thank you Tony Gwynn Jr.!  Swings and pops up the first pitch.  
• After a basehit by Eckstein, Olivo guns him out on a failed hit-and-run.  That's right.. help the kid out.  
• And now Gonzalez walks.  Not the worst result in the world.  
• Headley grounds out.  Not a smooth start by any means, but encouraging!
  

2nd Inning

• 6 up, 6 down for Barry Zito Wade LeBlanc.  Lots of ugly, off balance swings in the early going. 
• Scott Hairston has a couple good swings that go foul, so Smith walks him, then turns around and picks him off.  We'll just take the outs.  
• And another walk.  That's three.  Command just isn't there.  
• Smith gets a popup and a strikeout of Torreabla.  Ubaldo is seen taking notes on how he did that.
  

3rd Inning

• LeBlanc has a MUCH wider strike zone than Smith does.  Stewart called out on a ball that was 8 inches outside.  
• Greg Smith breaks up the perfect game with an infield single.  That figures!
• LeBlanc returns the favor by singling off Smith.  
• 5 Padres reached the first time through.  2 hits, 3 walks, 2 outs on the bases, 4 regular outs.   
• Mora drops a liner.  Should have been a double play.  Now Gwynn gets to run instead of the pitcher.  
• That's three scoreless for Smith so far.  Not all pretty, but indeed all scoreless.  Let's get the kid some runs now!

4th Inning

• Rockies load the bases with one out and leave them that way.  Ian Stewart was screwed again on a couple strike calls.  Smith isn't getting those calls I assure you.  
• Padres on the board first.  Jerry Hairston triples to deep left center, scoring Headley from first.  Smith has been playing with fire all night.  Finally catches up.  
• Padres 1, Rockies 0

5th Inning

• Let's wake the bats up already.  Smith is keeping you in the game.  Reward him!  
• Greg Smith leads off with a double.  EY fails to move him over or do anything productive.  
• However, CarGo picks him and doubles Smith to the house.  Good to strike right back.  
• Helton drives in the go ahead run on a hard single to right.  Who needs a home run?  
• Rockies 2, Padres 1
• I often wonder how Todd Helton only has three Gold Gloves.  Plays like the one he just made on Tony Gwynn are what make me wonder.  
• Smith follows that up with his 5th walk.  Sets up Adrian Gonzalez.  
• Mora botches another double play ball.  Runner on 2nd with two outs.  
• So Smith gets through five.  I have to believe his night will be over with a chance to win.  

6th Inning

• Rockies offense quiet in the 6th.  
• Daley hits the first batter.  Kyle Blanks should have hit into a double play, but Mora's turn was painfully slow.  His third time failed DP of the night.  
• And now the bases are loaded.  Matt Daley is off his game a little bit lately.  Not good with how Rafael Betancourt is also struggling.  
• Randy Flores to face Tony Gwynn.  
• Flores gets the out... on a wild pitch to the screen and the deflects back to Olivo.  Blanks out at home. 
• Whew.  

7th Inning

• Another quick and silent inning offensively.  That's great... just keep applying that pressure on the pitching and defense.  
• Now it's Joe Beimel.  Burning through pitchers quickly this evening.  
• Fowler in for Young defensively.  Mora still in defensively.  Why?
• And now the Padres are pecking Beimel to death.  1st & 3rd with one out.  They're going to bust through one of these times.  
• Tulo with the tailor made 6-3 double play.  Keeps Mora out of the equation.  

8th Inning

• Offense: WAKE UP.  Need more runs.  
• I said WAKE UP.  
• Manny Corpas handling the 8th.  Jim Tracy's confidence in him must be soaring.  
• Veanble triples on an 0-2 pitch. Ugh.  
• Tie game.  Sac fly by Jerry Hairston.  
• I'm sure we'll be seeing Heath Bell now.  Great.  
• Rockies 2, Padres 2

9th Inning

• It will be Heath Bell.  Good luck waking the bats up against him.  
• Finally Ian Stewart breaks the slumber with a two out walk.  At least there's a pulse.  
• That amounts to nothing.  So yeah, have to hold them again.  
• Rockies turn to closer Morales in a tie game on the road.  Alright.  Matches up with lefties at least.