Sunday, August 1, 2010

Rock Solid Recap: Bittersweet Sweep

Sweet -- It's a sweep!

Bitter -- No more games with the Cubs in 2010.

Sweet -- Dexter Fowler's game-saving catch.

Bitter -- Dexter Fowler's potentially bad injury suffered on the game-saving catch.

Here's the highlight of the play.  Fowler's Game-Saving Grab


I'm pleased with the result. Not entirely pleased with the overall performance.

It was good enough to beat a Cubs team that has pretty much mailed it in. However, these incomplete nine inning performances weren't good enough to get through a rough road trip. Will this type of effort be enough to beat the Giants on Tuesday and Wednesday?

With an 8-1 lead in the 7th inning, it should have never come down to a game-saving catch by Dexter Fowler. Unfortunately, it did. Thankfully he made the catch. Now we just hold our breath and hope it's nothing more than the hip and rib contusion he has been initially diagnosed with.

MRI is scheduled for tomorrow.

I'm sure he would have made the same effort in a 10-1 game, so the situation may not have dictated the injury. Then again, with the adrenaline flowing and the understanding of what might have been if that ball isn't caught, Dexter may have actually shifted into a gear he's not used to.

Let's be honest.. he doesn't need to step on the gas very often. Usually he can coast on flyballs most humans would need to jump on a horse to run down. Sometimes that's to his advantage.  Sometimes it isn't.

Jorge De La Rosa

I would say he's about 100% at this point. Another outing like this one and I think we'll be safe to assume good things going forward.

And how about those basehits? Smoked two right back through the box. Nice piece of hitting!

Huston Street

Closers can't focus in non-save situations. It's the nature of the beast, though I still don't completely understand why. Managers haven't exactly caught on to this and always seem willing to play with fire and/or beg for drama by throwing them out there. I don't understand that either. It almost never fails to backfire.

Tomorrow

Off day!

Tuesday

It's Jonathan Sanchez vs Aaron Cook at Coors Field.

Runs will be scored.

Lineup Card: Rockies vs Cubs

August already.  Welcome to the dog days of summer.

Let's get a sweep!

Rockies Lineup (54-50)
  1. CF  Fowler
  2. 2B  Herrera
  3. LF  Gonzalez
  4. SS  Tulowitzki
  5. 1B  Giambi
  6. RF  Smith
  7. C    Iannetta
  8. 3B  Stewart
  9. P    De La Rosa
I'm feeling a big day with the lumber for Mr. Iannetta.

Cubs Lineup (46-58)
  1. RF  Colvin
  2. SS  Castro
  3. 1B  Lee
  4. C    Soto
  5. CF  Byrd
  6. LF  Soriano
  7. 3B  Baker
  8. 2B  DeWitt
  9. P    Silva
Yeah... that's the same (Blake) DeWitt that has been a thorn in the Rockies side.  

Links: CarGo's Cycle

Links

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Rock Solid Recap: Walkoff Cycles FTW!

Well we're starting to see things we've never seen. That must mean the Rockies are back at Coors Field and playing good baseball.

ML record 11 straight hits. Franchise record 12 runs in an inning. Walk-Off cycles.

Yup. Things we've never seen before.

Unbelievable.


Carlos Gonzalez

What else would you like me to say? Just watch the walkoff to complete the cycle for yourself.  (Highlight)

Jason Hammel

So deserved a win tonight. Seems this team just can't find a way to get him one lately. Whether it be offense, defense, bullpen, sometimes all three, the Rockies don't support Hammel the way they support the other four starters.

Hammel was pretty much in control from the game's first pitch. He rolled rather easily through the first four innings, needing only 33 pitches. Had somewhat of a defensive lapse from Melvin Mora on a ball down the line in the 5th. One run scored directly on the play and a second run was set up at 3rd base with no outs.

After three more solid innings, Hammel, at 86 pitches, was lifted after two batters reached in the 8th.

Rafael Betancourt

Blew away Starlin Castro with some gas. Couldn't slip the cheese past Derrek Lee through. Three-run bomb to straight away center tied it up.

Huston Street

For the second straight appearance after the ambulance ride, Huston Street needed only 5 pitches to cruise through a 1-2-3 9th inning. Efficiency. He get the W.

Melvin Mora

6-for-6 from the 8th inning last night through the 7th inning tonight. I wonder if Tracy finds a way to keep his bat in the lineup tomorrow.

Tom Gorzelanny

For the second straight season, Gorzelanny's start at Coors Field results in a Rockie hitting for the cycle.

Last year it was Troy Tulowitzki on a Monday night in mid-August. Gorzelanny only lasted 1 1/3 that night because Dexter Fowler blistered his chin with a line drive. He lasted much longer tonight, and actually pitched himself a pretty decent game overall.

Tomorrow

Rockies go for the sweep with Jorge De La Rosa. Cubs attempt to win the season series with Carlos Silva.

Advantage Rockies.

Lineup Card: Rockies vs Cubs

The last time the Rockies won a game by 10+ runs (last Tuesday in Florida), they went on to lose 8 games in a row.  So I hope you'll pardon me if I don't get too overly excited about last night's historic breakout inning against a really questionable middle relief core.

For last night's game to mean as much as Rockies fans so desperately want it to, it has to be followed up with another win.  This team can't afford to turn right back around and lose 3-2 or 8-4 or 10-1.  They have to follow up and keep the good feelings going.

Here's the lineup they'll attempt to do that with...

Rockies Lineup (53-50)
  1. CF  Fowler
  2. 2B  Barmes
  3. LF  Gonzalez
  4. SS  Tulowitzki
  5. 3B  Mora
  6. RF  Spilborghs
  7. 1B  Hawpe
  8. C    Olivo
  9. P    Hammel
Iannetta sits against another lefty. Why?  That he's even sitting at all right now kind of drives me crazy.  That he's sitting against yet another lefty makes me wonder what Jim Tracy sees from his dugout perch that the rest of us don't.  

PS: Iannetta should be rested by now, right?  Or is little Ashlyn not letting him get his rest?  

PSS: Johnny Herrera... where has thee gone?   

Cubs Lineup (46-57)
  1. RF  Colvin
  2. SS  Castro
  3. 1B  Lee
  4. 3B  Ramirez
  5. CF  Byrd
  6. LF  Soriano
  7. C    Soto
  8. 2B  Fontenot
  9. P    Gorzelanny 
Get to Gorzelanny early.  Get into this Cubs bullpen early.  Chances are good things will happen.  

Let settle Gorzelanny settle in.  Let fill-in manager Alan Trammel setup his 'pen the way he wants it, maybe using Marmol or 4-5 outs if he can, then you're in real danger of letting the game slip away.

Also... I like that Trammel filled out his lineup card early.  Lou usually leaves us waiting until 90 or so minutes before first pitch.