There are a lot of problems with the Rockies. Most can be explained through lack of experience, injuries, lack of management, etc. But the one big flaw facing this team lately is the lack of hitting in key situations by certain key players.
Last night it was Jason Giambi who came up with bases loaded in the top of the seventh. He promptly hit into a double play on the first pitch he saw. After the game many fans questioned why CarGo wasn’t the pinch hitter.
Tonight that question was answered. CarGo was put into a situation that his talent and salary should be able to match. It is no secret that when he is on his game even nasty sliders are no problem. But this season that’s been pretty rare, especially after the All-Star break. He has one of the worst records on the team since August 1st, hitting .254 | .342 | .358 with only 2 HR’s and 26 ko’s on 134 AB’s. So when CarGo stepped up to the plate in the fifth with the Giants up 3-1 and the bases loaded, you had to feel like it was another slump inducing situation. Especially with Cain dealin on the mound.
But Dexter Fowler was on first because Cain’s GPS batteries seemed to die during his at-bat, and the ball was anything but over the plate. Pitches were way outside, dirt-bound and eventually coming at the head of Fowler before he walked, his third of the night. So CarGo, just a few feet away in the batters box, had an excellent view of the potential for another walk if he played it right.
He didn’t.
As he has been so prone to do, CarGo hit a nice slow roller to Mr. Scutaro and the bases loaded ended up a bust.
Perhaps the Home Run Derby Curse is real after all.
CarGo did tell the DP that he would spend the summer in Florida working on getting better. Here’s hoping he spends the bulk of it trying to recognize how to take a walk.
OTHER LOW-LIGHTS:
- Kung Fu Panda golfed an excellent inside-low pitch by Chatwood for a 3-run home run. It was an instance of great pitching, better hitting.
- The Rockies only had four hits: two by Nellie and two by Blackmon.
- Ottavino gave up three earned runs in one inning of work on 27 pitches.
- Rosario continued to depress with his lack of catching/throwing skills. He had a throwing error, missing second completely on an attempted steal.
- The Rockies have lost 12 of their last 14 games.
- The Giants have beaten the Rockies 13 times this season.
Since the magic run in 2007,this team has to be one of the worst Sept.teams of all time.I am not knowledgeable enough to say they quit after Labor day every year,but it sure seems like it.It’s a further and final insult in the “year of the fan”,and especially galling to those of us who are true fans and true believers.To end each season so pitifully takes me to Thanksgiving to get over it.To realisticly see no reason to look forward to next year is tough when one is 66 and would love to see one more shot at a world championship in one’s lifetime.Thank God for you all and this site.Hope we can keep each other sane and hopeful until spring training brings out the boyish naive belief that the new season will bring back the magic once again.
We are here for you Gary…It is the “Year of the RoxWalkOff” fan!
Some quick stats for your theory:
2008: 9-14
2009: 20-11
2010: 14-17
2011: 9-16
2012: 4-13
So, 2009 (the “mini-magic” run) was the only other September worth remembering…these are all from Sept 1st through the end of the season…we are on pace to be worse than 2011 it seems…
I didn’t have a problem with CarGo’s AB. Obviously I did not like the result, but it was a pretty good AB.
He took the first pitch which was off the plate, but the ump saw fit to give Cain a sympathetic strike 1 call. He did swing and miss at the next pitch and looked bad doing it. But then he battled back, fouling off at least 2 pitches and working the count to 2-2 before grounding out.
But I agree that our big money guys have been less than stellar in the clutch. Remember FOPO Tulo? Cuddy and Helton have been okay. But the Rox really need Tulo and Cargo to step up in these situations and at least hit for their average.
I do think he did a little better at working the pitch count that normal, but the end result was completely typical of his AB’s as of late…doesn’t matter if he fights off pitches or just stands there – he seems to be either guessing wrong or swinging blindly…and the result is that he almost always rolls over on a pitch that usually would have been called a ball had he not swung…he doesn’t get anything of substance in play – at least not lately during his massive slump and watching him hit slow grounders to the 2nd baseman is getting quite old…just hope he shakes it off in Florida over the break…
Reading the Post’s article on Cargo this morning, when discussing next season’s lineup I found it interesting to read that Cargo didn’t mention Pacheco. When mentioning names and positions he lists Nelson or Arenado at 3rd. Was this a Freudian slip on his part?
And he didn’t mention Tyler Colvin either. He should play first base regularly.
Probably lost in translation…
I think Pacheco should be looked at as our catcher for when Wilin melts down…he didn’t do bad when he played a few games back behind the dish, so i think that would be a great fit – especially when he could play first/third on his “non-catch” days…