It isn’t the first time the team has wasted a grand slam this season, and the way they are currently playing, it most likely won’t be the last. On April 29th Helton hit a grand slam that only succeeded in getting the team into extra innings, eventually leading to a loss.
Tonight’s first inning Grand Slam from Todd just proved that the Rockies may, at times, be great at opening a game, but keeping the lead is another matter entirely.
Helton's Wasted Grand Slam Celebration
In a game that was more reminiscent of slug-fest days of yore, Cuddyer went 4-4 with two long balls and 3 RBI’s, while Scutaro surprised many by going 4-5. Helton only had the one hit, but his 4 RBI’s were half of the team total.
Colvin, the guy going absolutely insane at the plate lately, didn’t do so well in the three-hole. He was 0-5 while leaving five stranded. Perhaps the pressure of hitting third was too much for him.
Seth Smith continued to show why he was a poor trade choice, as he went 2-5 with a two-run HR in the first, and a double in the ninth. He was the difference maker for the A’s, crossing the plate in the ninth on a Brandon Inge double that became the go-ahead, and eventually the winning run.
Oh, and his home run was off of none other than left-handed Josh Outman. Those with medium to long memories will recall that Seth Smith was often benched with left-handed pitching on the mound because he “struggled” against south paws. The powers that be apparently didn’t feel that the best way to improve his average was to give him consistent exposure. Oakland has no such qualms, and it is paying off for them. Too bad Tracy didn’t have the faith in Smith necessary to start him everyday.
The hardest part of all? This game was actually very winnable. If it wasn’t for the rare meltdown of Rafael Betancourt in the ninth, the team would have broken the losing streak and perhaps given the fans something to cheer for.
As it turned out, Betancourt blew his second save of the season, giving up three earned runs in the ninth to give the A’s a 10-8 lead, and ultimately take the loss.
This team will lose 100 games in the year of the fan.I,for one,am glad Smith’s gone.He was a butcher in the outfield last year,miserable against lefties,and not fast enough to play Coors field.Note the A’s have used him alot at DH in the weirdo league they play in.Accept for Bettencourt,the veterans[old guys]really stepped up and tried to play for pride.As an old guy who prides himself on declaring the team done for the season,long before the purple koolaid wears off on others,I hearby am the first to declare the season over.Put the fork in them-they’re done!Play for next year,try the AAA starters,put Octivino in the rotation,play Colvin every day until he gets Dexter disease,trade Scutaro,Fowler[sorry],EYjr.[sorry Pooter],Gutherie[good luck],fire Tracy,put a drone strike on O’Dowds office,sell the team to Elway and Bowlen,hire Ryan Sandberg,and make Taco’s available whenever the opposing team scores 7 or more! That should tell you all how much fun watching this team has become for this senior citizen.Oh yeah,I’m letting my Post sub.expire and cancelling my cable sports package.Night all.
And to think I paid $119.95 for the opportunity to watch this all summer. Anyone who questions whether I am a true fan need look no further than the fact that I will continue to watch this mayhem the rest of the summer. This is absolutely painful.
So now we have a “rebuild” year for 2013, although I don’t know exactly what it is we are rebuilding from. I will continue my subscription next year as I watch the 2013 team rebuild for 2014, and so on and so on. This team has been rebuilding since 1995.
Bob you probably paid $179.
Mike, it was $114.99 for the year with mlbtv.com. I’ll bet you are thinking of the DirecTV package. The mlbtv.com package is down to $99 now. That is a great deal since you save 15 bucks AND would have avoided the first three months of Rockies baseball.
Hi Bob. LOL!!!
I was think about Extra Innings. I think I pay $179 a season for it.
So these losses are 56% more expensive for you!
at least you guys don’t have both like i do!!! Talk about a waste of money
Good thing my company pays for the Extra Innings and I pay the MLB.tv (although just this month because it was on a $2 special)…
It makes sense that one of the few people with a little value on this team start stinking it up. (Betancourt) Maybe they could trade EYJ for something if they gave him this time to show that he can play second base!! Why the hell not!! What do they have to lose? Maybe they could end up with a pretty good second basemen out of the deal!
It was a total team effort to lose this one. From BIB DOD’s decision to trade Smith, to Outman’s fabulous outing, to the bullpen gradually pissing away the Rockies’ lead, to a costly throwing error by Scutero that eventually helped choke up a run, to Nelson misplaying a double down the line even though he was guarding the line, to the Rockies batboy who apparently put away and locked up the bats after the 4th inning and threw away the key.
What was amazing was how easy this one was to script. Big lead to start, poor 4th inning to let the A’s back in it, gradual bullpen meltdown, and defensive errors to seal the deal. Classic.
I forgot to add MFL Jim Tracy’s mishandling of the bullpen in the 7th. He started playing the left/right match-up game which ended up setting up perfectly for the A’s: with Smith facing Belisle. Fortunately for the Rox Nelson made a great play to rob Smith. But that’s the kind of routine mis-management from the Skipper that costs us ballgames.
I haven’t written much lately cuz I’ve run out of patience. I’ve gone from being an optimistic fan and being an active RWO writer to a zombie. I’m just at a point where I’m basically a zombie watching reruns of “The Bad News Bears”. I’m just watching the games hoping against hope that something will happen soon enough to shake up the coaching/management staff. While I bide the time watching the reruns, I’m just rooting for the future all stars and imagining what they will do in 2013 and beyond. My fantasy 2013 Rockies team has Mike Scioscia at the helm and Dave Duncan as the pitching coach. Terry Francona as bench coach. Too bad it’s just a fantasy as long as the Montforts are counting the money rolling in from the turnstiles and concession stands.
This is 2012 and the Year of the Fan here in Colorado, so we all should be thrilled that the Rockies have had great weather and no rain outs at home as best that I can remember. There that’s it – that’s all you get – for it being the Year of the Fan.
The long list of mistakes (my fingers are still tired from blogging them) made by DanO and J Tracy along with the buzzard injury luck have distroyed any “hope” for the rest of 2012, “and” apparently little “change” will be coming for the Fans for 2013. I would like to suggest that the Monforts at least consider reversing that well known polical slogan.
Somebody once said that there are really very few truly new ideas, the best that you can hope for is being able to borrow/steal those great ideas from other successful people. For my HOPE and sunshine today, I give you the long down trodden Baltimore Orioles. You guessed it with a new GM and a new manager, the long time losers (not quite up to Cubs level) have now produced a competitive MLB ball club.
For my very little remaining senior sanity let’s try “change” (throw the bums out) and THEN “hope” (you can find someone better)! There really is nothing to lose at this point, right?
Year of the Fan is perfectly appropriate as far as it goes, because it does not specify whose fans they are honoring.
Year of the Opponents’ Fans is the more exact phrasing.
I don’t know what else to do, other than to continue to demand change. Are there enough baseball fans in Denver to matter? Or is the crowd at Coors mostly there to do the wave and buy concessions? We who love the game, rather than the “ballpark experience” must make ourselves heard.
DEAD ON …
Wyorox and Mike,
I agree 100%. I was there last night. Twice the fans tried starting the wave (once successfully) while Rockies relievers were on the mound trying to work out of jams.
Another thing that amazed me was that after Todd’s GS, when he came out to bat in the 2nd, I stood up to give him another standing ovation. Everybody else in the stadium: near silence. I wonder if people are paying attention to the ebb and flow of the game and remember who did what.
Last night didn’t bother me so much. Not sure if its because I’m used to the losses or because I can forgive Rafael struggling once in a while, considering he hasn’t really pitched in a save situation in a while.
Still would be nice to see this offense spread out the runs a little. Just because you score 3,4,5 runs in the 1st doesn’t mean you can pack it all back up for the rest of the game.