The stars were not entirely aligned Sunday at Coors, with blown calls and missed chances almost taking one from the team.
But in the end the Rockies walked away with a win, splitting the series with the Marlins and finishing up the seven game home-stand 5-2.
Drew Pomeranz had the mound to himself for four eventful innings. After the Rockies gave up four runs in the first on Saturday to start the game against the Marlins, the last thing the team needed to do was fall behind again before even getting their first at bat.
It looked like they were about to do exactly that as Pomeranz almost suffered the same fate as Chatwood. He watched as Benifacio reached first on what was credited as an error to Josh Rutledge, even though replays showed it was clearly a blown call. Then a double and two ground out’s later and the team is down 1-0. The next two batters were walked (one intentionally), and that loaded the bases and the déjà vu was on.
Thankfully Pomeranz pitched his way out of it, giving the team a chance from the start, something Chatwood failed at on Saturday.
Putting up runs against Josh Johnson would prove difficult, especially after EYj and Josh Rutledge, two of the teams hottest hitters in August, left the game early with a strained rib cage and tight left quadriceps, respectively. Add to that a missing CarGo (bereavement leave), Cuddyer (placed on DL yesterday) and the bevy of other missing heavy hitters (Helton, Giambi, Tulo, etc. etc. etc.) and getting runs against anyone would seem bleak, let alone one of the premiere pitchers in the game.
But that didn’t stop Jordan Pacheco.
All of the Rockies runs would come in the fourth. After a Josh Rutledge single, Dexter Fowler hit an RBI double and then stole third. The stolen base was unnecessary as Jordan Pacheco would bring him home with ease, hitting his second home run of the season, putting the Rockies up 3-2.
Thankfully three would be all it would take.
Pomeranz eventually calmed down, leaving after four innings with a respectable line of 3 hits, 1 earned (solo HR) and three strikeouts, his biggest blemish being four walks issued. The bullpen was fantastic, putting up five scoreless innings between Ottavino (3 ip, 1 h, 3 k’s), Belisle (retiring three batters on nine pitches) and Betancourt.
The blown calls were a focus after the game, four in total with three against Colorado – one negating a run by the Rockies at the plate, and Tracy briefly touched on it post game:
They were a few questionable calls today, one of which cost us a run in the first inning on the very first play of the game, but that’s all I’ll say about that.
Tracy only spent a brief moment arguing one of the calls, and as one commenter on the MLB site suggested that maybe he was too tired from getting tossed earlier in the week and could use some time on the DL himself.
Ottavino pitching out of mess by Rutledge + Brown on pop in the 5th, as the MFL noted, was key. Ottavino is becoming a force.
This was a really nice win, given that our nine played their 13 all day. Yes, we got the benefit of one call at first base, the Rutledge single I believe, that got the Rox one run. This of course can be argued as a make-up call for the Ruledge “error” in the first inning.
The worst may have been the out call on the 6-5-2 double play that ended the eighth inning. Had the call at the plate been correct, and I don’t think it was even close, the Rockies would have had a fourth run and still been batting with another runner in scoring position.
This really brings into question the quality of umpiring any more. This was not the first game this year with really bad calls, right Mr. Miketober’s gravatar?
Careful, you will wake EdTheUmp. There is no such thing as a make-up call
Besides, didn’t we already have that make-up call during the SF series?
Meanwhile, @!#$@!!* Jeremy Guthrie went 7 2/3, 2 R, 3 H, 1 BB for Kansas City.
I read the words “lost a no-hitter” and Jeremy Guthrie in the same sentence and thought, wow, this is not the same guy we saw here. Here’s a summation of his time in KC before his game against Chicago:
“As strange as it would seem, you did, in fact, read that correctly. After two miserable starts to kick off his time spent with the Royals, Guthrie has now thrown three straight quality starts with an ERA of 1.29, a K:BB of 18:4, and a run of 15 straight scoreless innings. Feel free to pinch yourself now. While he’s been nothing short of fabulous over these last three starts, he’ll have to take on the White Sox next, a team that is second in run production against right-handed pitching with 404 runs scored and 105 home runs.”
Then he goes 7.2 innings with 2 unearned runs and a no decision.
Here’s a pitcher who let Coors invade his mind so completely that he couldn’t pitch when he was on the road, let alone at home.
All the sudden Kansas City looks like geniuses. Cabrera suspended, Sanchez hurt, and Guthrie looks like Cy Young.
What can you do?
I know some of our member’s favorite past time is lamenting how brilliant old Rockies such as Franklin Morales or Felipe Paulino have been.
To me, it doesn’t mean we should have kept them. You don’t keep watering pineapple trees in Colorado expecting them to grow fruit.
The solution is recognizing EARLIER who to keep and who to move in time for them to give back better return in trade, or not chase the wrong players altogether.
This wasn’t a call to lament the loss of Guthrie, I’m glad he’s gone. It does prove, however, that pitching is often more mental than physical at the big league level.
I agree. There’s a reason why someone like Betancourt is doing fine in Colorado. He’s approaches hitters the same bulldog style whether he’s on the road or at home.
Don’t forget Esmil Rogers…a player i think we could have tried harder with…
2012 W/Rockies: 8.06 ERA (25 innings pitched)
2012 W/Indians: 2.43 ERA (33 innings pitched)
I know many were down on him, but he really did have some great stuff when he was on…sadly, like Morales, he wasn’t consistent for us…looks like he is for the Indians…
“You don’t keep watering pineapple trees in Colorado expecting them to grow fruit.”
Awesome.
After I posted that I remembered they actually grow on bushes or something.