Rock Solid Recrap: Donnie Who?

Marlins 9, Rockies 8

Here are the five things you need to know about tonight's game.

1. Sloppy

The Rockies defense once again opened doors for the opposing offense. Doors that, at least early in the game, the Marlins offense couldn't have opened themselves against Jimenez. He had things going very well.

By the way, those errors include one by Jimenez, and another by Herrera which was pretty ugly on a sure DP ball.

The errors don't include a Hanley Ramirez RBI bunt single that I thought Jimenez should have handled cleanly. So it kinda boils down to...

2. Ubaldo Falters

He couldn't pitch around the 3rd inning miscues once they started piling up. The extra pitches needed to get through that inning then caught up to him in the 6th.

A knock, a walk.  Next thing you know Mike Stanton (who had Ubaldo's number all night and looks like a keeper in their OF) launches an offspeed delivery into the second deck for three runs.

A lot of that goes on Ubaldo for not battling through traffic (It'll all show up on his ERA), but it kinda leads in to the my next point as well.

3. Where's Miguel Olivo?

Ick. Aside from the HR in Cincy, he looks completely lost in the box. Seriously. I don't know why a pitcher would throw a fastball at this point. Nothing but ugly offerings on offspeed crap.

Also, the pitch selection a couple times allowed Ubaldo to get beat with his secondary pitches. Not really sure what the thought process was behind those, but yeah, not good.

It should also be noted he's had a couple passed balls and his throws haven't been on the mark much either. Could the career long platoon/backup catcher's extensive playing time be catching up to him? Just reality of who he is in the long run? Simple slump after inactivity for 4 days?

Time will tell.

4. Johnny Herrera hits his first career HR.

It's only fitting that Herrera would hit his first HR at a moment like that. The kid is clutch and the kid is pretty special when it comes to finding a way (small or large) to win or get in position to win a game.

Granted, his error in the third basically gave away two runs. That was a big part of the problem there. But in yesterday's 1-0 game win, he saved at least one run with a diving play up the middle. A suicide squeeze or whatever you need, Johnny gets it done.

His impact on this team is nothing but positive in every fashion.

5. Donnie Murphy hits a walk-off HR.

I don't know who the hell Donnie Murphy is.

Check that.

I didn't know who he was. Now I'll never forget him.

That's a little disrepectful to say about a guy who's achieved even one degree of success at the ML level, but for crying out loud, he just walked off on Huston Street! That doesn't compute with me.

In fact, I think I need to go back and make sure that really happened. While I do that, here's tomorrow's starting pitching matchup.

Jeff Francis vs. Nate Robertson

We've seen Aaron Cook step up at a time the Rockies desperately needed him to. Can Francis follow suit?

I must admit I'm not optimisitc based on his recent showings, in addition to a Marlins lineup that is strictly right-handed power. If they can get a few of Jeff's soft fastballs away up in the RF jet stream, look out.

And yes, I rewatched it

And yes, it still sucks.

Lineup Card: Rockies @ Marlins

Rockies Lineup (50-41)

• LF  Smith
• 2B  Herrera
• CF  Gonzalez
• 1B  Giambi
• C    Olivo
• RF  Hawpe
• 3B  Stewart
• SS  Barmes
• P    Jimenez

Marlins Lineup (44-47)

• LF  Bonafacio
• 1B  Sanchez
• SS  Ramierez
• 2B  Uggla
• 3B  Cantu
• CF  Ross
• RF  Stanton
• C    Paulino
• P    Sanchez

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Rock Solid Recap: Halfway to 100 Wins

Of course they won't get there, but 50 is still half of 100.

Rockies 1, Reds 0

Staying positive while attempting to provide a realistic persepctive isn't always easy.

Aaron Cook, Chris Iannetta, and Huston Street made it a little easier today.

Aaron Cook

The Rockies desperately needed the Ohio native's best today.

• 7 IP
• 6 H (scattered just enough)
• 0 R
• 1 BB
• 5 K (tied season high and a couple were very well timed). 
• 82 pitches -- 58 strikes
• 12 groundouts -- 4 flyouts.

Those ratios and things all qualify in the good-to-great range. Add them all together and they equal Cook's first road win of the season.

Highlight: Cook's 7 Shutout Innings

Chris Iannetta

Fantastic game by Chris. The HR will get most of the pub -- it's a worthy highlight to be sure -- but the job he did behind the plate with Cook and the bullpen is what really sealed this win.

He asserted himself several different times with trips to the mound. I don't keep track of stuff like that, but it seemed to me that each visit was well timed and meaningful.  That's a sign his comfort and confidence as a catcher are rising with each start.

Dare we give Miguel Olivo any credit for that?

If Iannetta continues moving the direction he's going now, the Rockies will be employing the most valuable backup backstop in the league. That's a far cry from where they were a month ago.

Highlight: Chris Iannetta's Solo HR

Huston Street

Were you a little worried?

I wouldn't blame you.

For me, though, Huston Street is the truest definition of a closer you can find. I watch him. I see the opponent bloop a hit in here and there. First and third, one out, no outs. I don't get worried.

Heart rate accerlates a couple beats a minute, but it's not the overwhelming feeling of dread I've had with the other 900 closers we've seen in the Rockies history.

Maybe I'll get uneasy when Tracy uses him four days in a row, or the first couple appearances off the DL, but my general feeling with Street is this guy in a Top 5 closer in baseball. If healthy, the Rockies have a bargain on their hands -- and will also soon have a brand new all-time saves leader.

Highlight: Street Closes The Door

Jonathan Herrera

Lost the hitting streak, but provided two superb Web Gems.

Highlights: Diving Stop, Great Throw

Travis Wood

He's going to be really good. He's already more than good enough to fill a 4th-5th rotation spot. He may never reach Volquez territory (ace stature) in their organization, but the Reds don't need him to either.  Their rotation depth will make the Reds very dangerous in 2010 and well beyond.

Wood gets the majority of the credit for holding the Rockies offense in check today. That said, they still need to find ways to scratch together an extra run here and there. Their inability to do so has been the difference between wins and losses on several occasions already.  That won't change in Florida and Philadelphia.

Tomorrow

It's Ubaldo day.  Which means scratching and clawing for the extra run or two will definitely be the difference in a win or a heart-breaking, low-scoring loss.

Lineup Card: Rockies @ Reds

Who approved of these early Sunday games?

One week ago today the Rockies were ever so close to tying San Diego for first place in the West.  Now the Rockies are ever so close to falling five games out.  That 50th W is proving to be pretty elusive.  Let's snatch that sucker today and start playing really good baseball for 9 complete innings, not 2-3 innings.

Rockies Lineup (49-41)

• CF  Fowler
• 2B  Herrera
• RF  Gonzalez
• 3B  Mora
• LF  Spilborghs
• C    Iannetta
• 1B  Eldred
• SS  Barmes
• P    Cook

Reds Lineup (51-41)

• 2B  Phillips
• SS  Cabrera
• 1B  Votto
• LF  Gomes
• RF  Nix
• 3B  Cairo
• CF  Stubbs
• C    Miller
• P     Wood
  

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Rock Solid Recrap: The Reds Are Definitely Contenders

That much is not up for debate.

What could be up for debate is whether or not Cincinnati is the best team in the National League right now. Assuming they're adding a healthy and effective Edinson Volquez to the mix... then I don't know who I'd put ahead of them.

They have offense, defense, pitching in the rotation and in the bullpen.

Yikes.

Another thing up for debate is what exactly are the Rockies?

Can we base our answer on one homestand that featured several heart-stopping victories?

Or should we base our answer on the other 80 games where sloppy defense, inconsistent offense, amateurish baserunning and poor managing stuck out like sore thumbs?

Discuss amongst yourselves on that. I think I know which way I'm leaning until I finally see something resembling sustained solid baseball without the aid of incredible late inning heroics.

The sooner than happens the better. They'll never survive this roadtrip playing the baseball we've seen the first two nights in Cincinnati.  No chance at all.

Reds a lot, Rockies not much

It would easy (and lazy) to put all the blame on Jorge De La Rosa tonight.

Yes, he obviously isn't right out there. That was pretty apparent in the first inning when every pitch was doing the same thing and ending in the same place. Became a lot more obvious once the Reds figured it out and made him elevate his flat ptiches.

Sadly, as obvious as it was to us and the Reds, Jim Tracy either didn't notice or didn't care enough to pull him while the game was within reach. Those three extra batters he squeezed out of Jorge after Drew Stubbs' second HR, resulted in three more runs.

Game over.

You kept Jhoulys Chacin in your bullpen for a reason, Jim. USE HIM. He's not that far removed from the rotation. Getting 4-5 innings out of him wouldn't be that much of a stretch.

De La Rosa wasn't a pitcher having a rare bad outing tonight. He's a guy two starts removed from the DL that has been pretty dreadful in each start, in addition to the last AAA start right before that. It really makes no sense leaving him out there to die.

What's wrong with DLR? I'm guessing either lingering discomfort in the ligament or a lack of trust in the ligament. If you don't feel like you can grip the ball without doing damage, you're cooked out there. De La Rosa looks completely cooked.

If that problem can't be corrected, or if he's still hurt, fine, you have to move on again and put Chacin back in the rotation. But you're also back to putting a lot of pressure on Jeff Francis and Aaron Cook. Can they step up? That's the problem.

In other news tonight. The offense started out promising but couldn't mount a meaningful threat after the first inning.

Nine strikeouts for Volquez in six innings of his return. He's good. He's probably going to get better, but still. An ugly showing from 1-8 in the order.

Tomorrow

It won't get any easier at all. This Travis Wood kid we'll see for CIncinnati? Heard the name? He's the one who, in his third ML start, took a perfect game into the 9th ininng AT Philadelphia. This will be ML start #4.

I suppose he won't do any better than the last one, but I'm guessing offense will tough to find again. Good luck to Aaron Cook.