Rockies 5, Braves 2

Atlanta Braves vs. Colorado Rockies – Box Score – August 24, 2010 – ESPN.

The story, once again, was defense; the Braves committed two errors, or were “charged” with two “errors”, as the case may be, but they were just sloppy all night. The Rockies, on the other hand, turned four double plays. Who do you think is going to win that game?

After Martin Prado hit into the first of those double plays in the first inning, Carlos Gonzalez hit a two-run homer for the Rockies to give them the lead. The Braves cut that in half in the bottom of the inning with a solo homer by Alex Gonzalez, but after that didn’t do much to threaten to tie, and when they did get a baserunner they would just hit into another double play.

The Rockies got it to 3-1 with a homer in the sixth, so of course the Braves got one run in the seventh, with AAG driving home Matt Diaz from second with a two-out single. But that was it. And Saito gave up two runs in the eighth when he struck out a hitter only to see him reached on a passed ball (McCann was crossed up, it appeared) and the next man singled. After that, the ninth was pro forma.

110 thoughts on “Rockies 5, Braves 2”

  12. They don’t play well in Colorado but they really ought to score more runs in Coors Field. But the overall sloppiness has become troubling. They aren’t really playing solid ball even when they win on a regular basis. The pitching gives them a chance to win every night.

  13. Howard strikes out on a checked swing and is ejected for chucking his bat away in anger — he then runs toward the ump, his teammates have to restrain him. Phillies out of players, they’ll have to bring in a pitcher to play the field.

  14. LOL Ryan Howard…Good luck Sillies with a pitcher playing the field

    If I were an umpire, I wouldn’t want Howard running at me.

  15. Mark “the Machine” Melancon continues to dominate. And by dominate, I mean walk guys, throw wild pitches, and eventually squeak out of the inning.

  17. It’s funny. Ryan Howard gets tons of RBIs and hits home runs all the time. He’s the premier power hitter in the league.

    Despite this, I was totally glad when Utley walked and he came up to bat. The ejection is icing.

  18. 14- Even better, the Phils’ bullpen is also depleted. It’ll be a starting pitcher out there.

    Edit: The Phillies’ new left fielder, Roy Oswalt.

  19. Just realized something pretty shocking

    Prado – .317 avg, 14 hrs, 47 RBIs, .849 OPS (470 AB)
    Utley – .274 avg, 11 hrs, 39 RBIs, .828 OPS (292 AB)

    If someone would have told me that Prado would have a higher OPS than Utley at this time of the year I would have assumed they were on drugs.

  21. another umpire baiting a player. i like howard and he seems like a good guy, but my hate for the phillies wins, so good job ump.

  29. @26, I must be on a huge delay. I read your comment right before I saw it, so you had time to see it and type it before it mlb.tv got it to me.

  43. Gload got ejected for sympathetically yelling his head off after Howard got tossed and started running like a maniac towards the 3rd base ump. Gload’s on the DL, so it didn’t matter.

    And Herndon strikes out. So now he’s 0 for 2.

  52. After Wallace fouled off a bunch, many on hit-and-run plays with Pence running, Herndon winds up plunking Wallace. Pence is probably gassed. Good thing everyone came to the mound to ask Herndon if he still knows where the plate is.

  63. The Astros have had eleven different guys in the 9th spot in the batting order. Obviously, not all of them actually hit, but that’s still impressive.

  71. Utley was born for these situations. We’re looking at THE INFINITE BALLGAME.

    Oh, wait, IBB. This could end here.

  75. Pretty bizarre finish. But… still 2.5 games difference.

    Interesting matchup tomorrow: Happ vs Halladay.

    Gotta win tomorrow, boys.

  80. Houston wasn’t going to have to face Oswalt this series. They actually drug the game out just so he’d take the field.

  82. Kind of a weird reprieve tonight. But FWIW, I think their loss hurts more than ours.

    Wish we weren’t so lame on the road this year.

  83. Why didn’t Chris Johnson just step on the bag instead of throwing to first? Oh well, worked out okay.

  84. Astros: Hey, Roy, come out and play with us.
    Oswalt: Not this time, guys. Sorry.
    Astros: Please? Just one at-bat. We miss you. We’re still your friends.
    Oswalt: Yeah, I know. It’s not you. I pitched right before you came to town. I’m pitching right after. It’s just luck, that’s all.
    Astros: Please?
    Oswalt: No, sorry. Can’t happen.
    Astros: What if we have a really really long game where you guys use up all of your hitters and all of your bullpen, then someone gets injured or kicked out? Would you play then?
    Oswalt: Yeah, sure. Whatever.
    Astros: YAY!

  85. I think, at that point of the game, they’d reached “Take the out, stupid” territory. Rollins had already screwed up one play by going to second, where the guy running from first managed to beat the throw, and everyone would up being safe.

  86. escobar: 3hr 12 rbi 17 runs .762ops in 31 games
    aag: 4hr 21 rbi 21 runs .788ops in 36 games

    i’ll take the venezuelan!

  88. Gonzalez has 8 DRS with the Braves. Escobar has 9 DRS with the Jays. Since I don’t watch Jays games and have no idea how he’s performing by eye, I only have numbers, and the difference looks small. They are both good shortstops.

    So far, they’re pretty equal both ways. The larger questions are whether they’ll still be equal next year and what we’re going to do for SS two years from now when we would still have Yunel under control.

    So far, though, the swap is a wash.

  91. Gonzalez has more errors (again in an absurdly small sample size) and to my eye, he ain’t no Yuni, goofball or not.

  94. And the magic number drops to 35. The Phils really couldn’t afford to go 16 innings tonight given that they are in the middle of a stretch of 24 games in 23 days including their big West Coast road trip for the season. They probably had to leave for San Diego right after the game for three their, three in LA, and then a makeup in Colorado on what should have been their off day. Then it’s a weekend series against Milwaukee at home, then four against the Marlins with a double header on Monday. That is brutal.

  99. @97, that’s true in my case. I didn’t like the trade because I thought it was a downgrade for this year, next year, and the year after.

    Turns out they’ve been playing roughly equally well, and Gonzalez has played more games, so we’ve come out slightly ahead this year so far.

    Now, are the five extra games played worth changing out the arbitration savings on Yunel’s age 28 and age 29 seasons for an inexpensive option on Gonzalez’ age 34 season and a couple of prospects? Probably not.

    However, to date, we’ve come out slightly ahead, which is better than I expected when the trade was made.

  100. @96,

    Smitty,

    Remember that Bobby was at Pearl Harbor and tipped his hat to those Japanese bombers–they did a hell of a job, we’ll get ’em tomorrow.

    Is the glass half empty or half full; are we glad the Phillies didn’t take advantage or upset that the Braves didn’t take advantage? Arguably, the Phillies should be more upset because they are playing the Astros at home while the Braves are playing the Rockies in Denver. And, even with Utley and Howard back, the Phillies aren’t hitting much.

    As an aside, in their last 214 games (starting last year when they were 34-40), the Braves are 125-89, .584, works out to 94 wins over 162 games. I’m not sure how they are doing it (well, it’s mostly pitching I guess), but, like the Padres, the Braves have been one of the better teams in baseball for the last year and a half. Now, if they can continue to be one for the next 8 weeks or so.

  101. @95 – “We still need him, in case someone’s sick or whatever.”

    Now that’s what I’d like to see on my performance review.

  103. that is complete BS….you know lets dont release him so other Japanese players will still continue to come here. KK has probably called everyone in that league saying “stay away from ATL”. Sad thing is he’s actually useful

  104. That’s just Bobby being Bobby. What he meant was, “Although I mostly see him as providing critical relief innings down the stretch, it’s good that he’s building his endurance back in the minors so he can provide an emergency start if necessary. Having a swing man of his quality is a rare luxury; on most teams he would be forced into a starting role.”

    It came out as: “‘He’ll pitch out of the ‘pen,’ Cox said. ‘We still need him, in case someone’s sick or whatever. Now he’s used to starting [again].'”

  105. OK before y’all start throwing rocks, I agree that KK is a useful player. But everyone else is better on the starting staff and his one relief appearance didn’t go well. Maybe he played/complained his way into the dog house? I dunno, just saying.

  108. @90

    A couple of years ago, Manuel got into a heated exchange with some Philly media people during a press conference. One of the reporters told him to “grow up.” His brilliant retort?

    “I done growed up.”

  110. #81

    i know. i have howard in fantasy and that crap turd of a game makes me hate him even more.

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