Rock Solid Recap: If we didn't see it, did it really happen?

I heard a rumor the Colorado Rockies played a baseball game Saturday afternoon, and won that baseball game by playing hard all afternoon, not making too many stupid mistakes, not giving away at-bats, and maybe just being the better overall baseball team.

Can anyone confirm this?

Rockies 7, Dodgers 6 (13)  (boxscore)

I guess I'll just have to go based on the boxscore.

This team. I swear. One day I compliment them or a specific player, the next game they repay me with a dud. One day I rip them for not battling all nine innings, the next game they battle for 13 innings and pull out a dramatic and exciting victory.

I can't win... but at least they did... apparently.

Quite a few guys/items to touch on here, so we'll go one-by-one.

Esmil Rogers: Every start is the same pattern. Bad first inning, recovers in the second and third, and then tires/struggles in the middle innings. But there is slight progression in that he's able to go over 100 pitches now with consistency, and that's allowing him to work through his mid-game struggles and in this case pitch through the sixth. That's a big plus for a tired bullpen.

Also, the final numbers are rarely pretty, but they aren't disastrous either. To me he's not an awful #5 in the NL West as it currently stands. He's not nearly as solid there as Jason Hammel was at his best, but he's passable. And I'd still like to see him take his regular turn in the rotation the rest of the season so we can see if he's a serious contender for the same role next season.

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Lackluster Recrap: I'm very sad for Jason Hammel

Dodgers 8, Rockies 2 (boxscore)

Well, so much for Jason Hammel getting on track and stringing together good starts for the first time in two months. Wow, this one here was actually about as bad as it can get when you consider who was missing from the opposition's lineup. Namely, Andre Ethier.

But really, the Dodgers plain stink no matter who's suiting up. so whatever hell you'd like to give Hammel for this one is more than justified.

While you're at it, give the offense some hell too. I understand they were fighting an uphill battle right out of the gate, but you honestly can't win that battle when only two or three guys are fighting for every at bat on a given night. Again, it's everybody or two or three. We need those periphery guys to step it up in every game, but especially games like this one.

Aside from Troy Tulowitzki, who's so locked it right now it's ridiculous. Aside from Todd Helton, who's just Todd Helton. Aside from Jason Giambi, who obviously doesn't play often. And aside from Carlos Gonzalez, who's fighting those nightly battles for the Rockies, and who's winning them at a successful clip?

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