In what could very well be the game of the year, or at least the game of the year that wasn’t televised, the Rockies walked off on the Dodgers today, thanks to a 3 run home run by Jason Giambi. Leading up to that was 9 innings of nail-biting baseball full of excellent pitching, questionable managing and the worst blown call you will ever see.
Pomeranz had a very solid outing, giving the team a fighting chance with Kershaw on the opposing mound. He did issue four walks, but went 6 2/3 (a career high for him) and only gave up one run on four hits. His five strikeouts helped the base on balls go down easier. Kershaw didn’t fair as well, going 7 1/3 while giving up five runs on seven hits.
Oh, and three of those seven hits were home runs! Cargo went deep twice and Rosario went yard on him as well.
The worst call you will ever see in your life, thankfully, was one that benefited the Rockies. It came in the top of the sixth with two out and runner on first. First base ump, and crew chief Tim Welke, was positioned with Todd between him and the bag, so his perception was completely off. The hit from Jerry Hairston was snagged quite masterfully by Nelson, but the throw pulled Todd way off the bag. In the replay you can see how Todd was about three feet from the bag, but Hairston was still called out. Lucky break!
Helton Blown Call
The questionable moves came in the top of the eighth for the Rockies. With the Rockies up 2-1, Jim Tracy decided to let Rex Brothers pitch to Jerry Hairston. Brothers was brought in to pitch to Ethier and proceeded to give up a single after having him at a 1-2 count. So, instead of bringing in Esmil to pitch to Hairston, Tracy went with Brothers. Brothers gave up a two run double which put the Dodgers up 3-2.
CarGo HR High 5 – photo by Rox Addict
In the bottom of the eighth Dex had an RBI single and CarGo hit his second 2 run home run to put the Rockies back up by two. The other tricky situation came in the top of the ninth, when Tracy decided to walk Matt Kemp with Kennedy already on first.
So, with runners on first and second and two outs, Betancourt threw a pitch that Dee Gordon hit to straight away center. Kemp was sent home (having come from first) and Tulo’s throw was weak and offline. Walking Kemp, the tying run, didn’t pay off.
But it did setup the action in the bottom of the frame.
Giambino Walk Off – photo by Rox Addict
Both EYj and Scutaro walked to start the ninth and Johnny Herrera laid down the perfect bunt to move them over. With one out and runners at second and third, Donny Baseball decided that he would rather face Giambi than Cargo.
Bad decision.
Giambi sent the second pitch he saw over the center wall and the Rockies officially had their second Walk Off of the season!
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The more I watch that video the farther away Todd is from the bag
We were just looking at it too. Todd was so far off the bag it’s hilarious.
We all saw it … Except for Welke!
Jared…Just a note about games not televised by Root.
Since you have the DirecTV Extra Innings package, go to channel 720-1. That will have eight screens with games on. You will be able to watch the game on a very small screen. Hardly ideal, but it’s better than nothing. I watched most of today’s game that way.
I agree that it’s absurd that we can’t watch the other team’s telecast when the game is not available locally.
that is exactly how i watched it – on the “game mix”…it isn’t ideal, but i was able to at least see it…i took pictures of it and posted it during the chat…
I did not agree with the decision to walk Kemp. But I’m going to choose to believe that had Betancourt pitched to him, Kemp would have homered. Same result.
This game was meant to end the way it did.
First visit to Coors this season. Great seat, Club level, 6 rows back, on-axis w/ 3rd base liine. Exciting game; Pomeranz very commendable after yesterday’s embarrassment.
So what did I do? Got frustrated after top of ninth + left. Caused them to win, though…
Chacin sent down, someone else (to be announced) to be called up.
Can’t believe Tracy walked Kemp to put the tying run on. That’s just incredible. Kemp is a really good hitter who’s off to an even better start, but there’s no way that’s a defensible move. No way. The only way would be if the pitcher was due up next and the Dodgers were out of pinch hitters.
But he made up for it by using Giambi when the situation called for it. Wish I could’ve seen that one. Nice taking 2 of 3 from the Dodgers. Everyone wants a sweep, but with how the NL West has dominated us lately I’ll take 2 of 3.
I agree completely, Aggy.
absolutely agree with walking Kemp…who is winning the majority of games for LA? I am betting the majority of managers would have done the same thing. Weren’t they doing the same when Bonds was killing the ball regardless of the juice scenario? Give me Gordon anytime over Kemp. Turned out good for LA but that happens…I would have been glad to see him walk 12 times during the series. End result, Rox take the series!
Go Rox..
The problem with walking Kemp is that if Gordon somehow gets on you have another big problem at the plate in Mr. Ethier.
In this case Gordon doubled so the Rox could safely walk Ethier. But suppose Gordon singles or reaches on an error. Now you have Ethier with the bases loaded or with one run in and 2 on base, and it would be crazy to walk him in that situation.
I figure I would have complained either way if the outcome was negative, so I’m not going to over scrutinize Tracy’s decisions in the ninth.
Can’t believe that call at first. haha.
Loving the ability to hit late for this team. Complete 180 from last year.
I saw in a report on the Sky Sox game that Tyler Chatwood left the game early with “an apparent injury”. Anybody have any info on this? Does that leave Alex White as the likely candidate to swithch teams with Chacin?
Man, work just cramps my baseball lifestyle! I saw we were down a run in the 9th, then had to go to a meeting. Thank goodness for JD and RWO! Seriously, I go here now instead of other sports sites, the Post, etc. to read the Rockies recaps!!!!
Way to go Giambi!
Or Julian, the “apparent injury” to Chatwood could be the call from O’Dowd telling him to report for duty …
De La Rosa, first rehab start for Modesto: 3 IP, 2 H, 4 K, 1 BB, 0 runs allowed.
No wonder Don Mattingly was ticked off at the umps. But I’ll take it. I know alot of you are upset that the game was not televised. Actually to me that was a bonus. I had lots of work to do this afternoon and was able to listen to the game (except when the phone rang) and get work done. If it was on TV, I would have been running to watch every few minutes.
Another error tonight for Pacheco at 3rd. That’s 3 errors in two nights, for a total of 4 since being sent to CS. The good news is he’s hitting over .400 though.
Yikes, that Pacheco 3B thing is still a major work in progress. Plus they’ve had him catch a couple games, making me wonder if they still aren’t thinking super-utility guy. Renck reported that the Rox have an interest in Jorge Cantu, which is pretty amazing if true given that Cantu is just plain washed up. He does know Vinny Castilla from their Team Mexico days. I think I’d rather sign Vinny.
That was truly the worst call I have ever seen I was sitting right on the first base line.
This whole crue most of the series there have been a few close questionable calls.
It was bad but I still remember the time when Aaron Miles was playing for the other team and the runner for the Rockies was called out on an apparent assist from Miles to their 2nd baseman. The only problem was that when the play ended, Miles still had the ball and the 2nd baseman had never received the ball to make the play.
Updated the post with some pics I got from Rox Addict…thanks again for his amazing pics…
You gotta click on the Cargo High 5 pic and see it larger…great shot!
Also how Moyer just looks, “ho hum” going to the celebration at home…classic…
I suggest that Jared likes the photo of Cargo because of the two young ladies in row five wearing their Rockies “shirts”. LOL.
Hell I just gave the sitting next to me high fives for those 2!
Jaredean knows a great pic when he sees it ; )
i LOVE that Iannetta caught Weavers no-hitter…and that CJ Wilson gave him props:
“YES!!! No hitter for weaver!! What a game. Everyone was so nervous the last 3 innings but he has everything working with Iannetta. Brilliant” – CJ Wilson Tweet
Good thing that Weaver walked a guy, otherwise Iannetta’s passed ball on a third strike would have been the difference between a no-hitter and a perfect game.
That would have been the worst – almost like missing the call at first to cost a perfect game – almost…
That can’t be … Jim Tracy says Iannetta is not good at calling games. There must be some mistake. Maybe he was getting mysterious signals from Yorvit Torrealba.
Lots of interesting comments. Yes, it’s too bad that the Rockies didn’t get Pacheco to focus on 3B last year when it seemed clear to me and others that that was where the Rockies needed him the most. If they had had him playing 3B full time starting last year, then he would probably be further along now, maybe even the starter at 3B for the Rockies. So, now, by the time that Pacheco gets his bearings at 3B, the Rockies will be giving the job to Arenada, so they might as well let him also catch some games and be the super utility guy. Their player development befuddles me.
McBride is hitting well at CS. Could he develop into a major leaguer?
Good outing by DLR. Hopefully, we’ll see him back in a Rockies uniform by July. We certainly need him in the starting rotation.
The Denver Post reported that Chatwood had some minor sounding health issue, so his short outing may not be due to his being called up. I assume that it’s going to be Alex White who is called up to take Chacin’s spot in the rotation, with probably Putnam getting called up short term to be in the bullpen.
DLR in July – where did that come from? All the reports that I have read say that he is scheduled to make a couple starts at three minor league levels. So if that means say 5 more starts with a start every 5 days, he should be ready and stretched out by June 1st – assuming he has no set backs.
“Yes, it’s too bad that the Rockies didn’t get Pacheco to focus on 3B last year”
Not to beat a dead horse Julian but as I have said several times, corroborated by stories from Jack Etkin and the DP, it was very apparent to me the Rockies braintrust are not on the same page. This was followed up during the offseason by comments from Mr. O’Dowd stating they had too much invested as a catcher to give up on that yet.
ESPN is reporting that the Giants’ Pablo Sandoval has a broken hamate bone injured while taking a swing last night. He had a similar injury last year and missed 41 games.
Yep, my dad called me earlier. Surgery on Friday and probably gone for 6 weeks
Wasn’t it also the broken hamate that Tulo got when hit by pitch in Minnesota about two or three years ago? If memory serves me, it cost him about 30 or so games.
On another unrelated note, an Ian Stewart error helped the Reds overcome a 3-0 deficit in the 9th and walk-off on the Cubs.
and Ian Stewart still below the Mendoza line despite getting two hits today.
Nice to see Cubs fans aren’t placing the blame on Stewart for the loss…look at the comments below the story:
http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/9794/cubs-defeat-hinges-on-stewart-error
Yeah, I don’t follow the Cubs that closely anymore, but my impression of Marmol is he is a guy who walks the bases loaded and then strikes out the side. Play with fire and get burned.
added a new poll to this post (that is also on the front page)…