Don’t blame it on the rain. Blame it on the Rockies. Any time there’s a two-hour rain delay that starts ten pitches into the ballgame, burning both starting pitchers, it’s a pretty good guess that the home team screwed up.
So it was a 9-inning bullpen game. The Rockies were in Hibernation Mode the full time, and the Braves offense didn’t do anything beyond a three-run fifth inning. This game was long, and boring, and bad, and thankfully it ended long after anyone decent should have been asleep, so at least most of us didn’t watch much of it.
David Jake Brigham — who is our new Cristhian Martinez, I guess — came in after the end of the rain delay, and it was pretty clear that he was going to pitch the next few innings no matter what. He promptly gave up two runs in the first and two in the second, providing the Rockies all the margin of victory they’d need. He gave up ten hits and an intentional walk, and he was frankly lucky that he only gave up the four runs.
So it was 4-0 into the fifth, and then the Braves briefly woke up, loading the bases and then scoring three runs on a Jace Peterson double and a Cameron Maybin sac fly. Folty promptly gave a run back in the bottom of the inning but though he looked much better the inning after that, the bats went back to sleep. In a bullpen night in Coors Field, on a night when the Rockies’ first six pitchers had an ERA above 4.80, this team couldn’t score a fourth run.
Come back soon, Freddie. The offense needs a hug.
I’m not sure I’m comfortable with the implications you’re making about those of us who would stay up until 2 a.m. to watch a bad baseball game that it’s clear our team is going to lose.
Looks like we’ve signed our #1 pick. So that’s good.
It was nice of Jake to retire the first batter. Had he completed the walk Wood started, Alex would have gotten the loss. Yeah, I know wins and losses are useless stats, but getting a loss for throwing two pitches would have been a bummer.
Nice recap, AAR. How about we win a few in a row now?
The Padres are looking to trade Kimbrel and Justin Slumpton. I wonder if they’d take half a dozen washout relievers for the pair.
That would be crazy if the Pads hit the reset button, but they did go all in on 2015. If they get more for Upton and Kimbrel than we did, I’m switching hats.
@4: How about Markakis, Grilli, and CJ for the pair? Liberty can throw in a year of free in-room PPV.
Yes! Markakis and CJ for Upton/Kimbrel. Who hangs up first?
I’d like to listen in on the phone call where Hart proposes that one. “You gotta get in on CJ at the start of his hot streak–he just went 3-4 last night, and you know Nick Markakis is due to hit all 13 of his annual homers in the second half.”
Just curious — has anyone witnessed Markakis hit a foul ball that went home run distance? I’ve heard of power disappearing, but this is getting silly.
Per Rosenthal, Beachy called up to LA.
We just signed Vin Mazzaro, which is Italian for “right-handed Dana Eveland.”
@9 I wish him the best and hope he can resurrect his career. Any chance he can be credited with wins while his team takes the loss?
Markakis numbers aren’t really getting silly. He’s positing the same slg% he’s had since 2013. He does have 20 2B’s on the season so there’s that. He’s bought into the Seitz philosophy!
Markakis’ power (measured by ISO, the difference between a batter’s Slugging % and their Batting Average) is down to .062 this year, less than half of his career ISO of .140. For reference’s sake, an .062 ISO is in the Luis Castillo / Juan Pierre neighborhood of batting authority.
Out of curiosity, I have endeavored to figure out what the MLB record is for 2Bs in a single season with no HRs. So far, the highest I’ve found is 42, by Dave Cash, a 5’11”, 170 pound second sacker for the 1977 Montreal Expos. FYI, Pierre and Castillo actually only had three full seasons between them with 0 HRs, and neither of them were really prolific doubles hitters – Pierre had 24 2Bs in one of his two homerless years, Castillo had 23 in his.
The thing is, most players who hit 0 HRs in a season aren’t very valuable and don’t rack up enough ABs to accumulate a lot of 2Bs, and guys who hit a lot of 2Bs each year typically have at least a few of those hard-hit balls sneak over the wall for HRs. It’s a curious skill set to have ample doubles power but nonexistent homer power.
Your league-leading 76th GiDP
Inauspicious beginning. Hope Braves can score a few for Shelby tonight.
How come walking the pitcher only seems to do damage when we do it?
Edit: Whatever I do, I won’t put the blame on you. (If you read this comment in the forest, someone else makes a sound!)
This pitcher is neither Cueto nor Greinke. We just make him look like he is.
Charlie Blackmon’s middle name should be Mars.
@ 18 – If spike had said that, would’ve been perfect!
Coors Field, two marginal pitchers throwing to us and not even close to a run through four: I think we may be in trouble.
Nick markakis will get his homer during this series. Mark it down.
No offense, no defense, no pitching, no hope. Good night.
Power really plays in this park. Too bad we have none 🙁
Be gone, Gomes.
The futility of our offense at Coors Field is truly alarming. Shelby deserves better than this bunch.
Also, I hate Coors Field.
Sellers, we are. But keep Maybin and have Peraza competing at second next March.
Our All-Star, ladies and gents.
And the pitchers that come in now should be sent to a farm upstate.
Why is Gomes even playing in a game with a cavernous outfield?
@18, 19 kudos
We sent Gomes. I have no words.
I miss freddie and the williams
4-4 against three bad teams. This is who we are.
Team sucks.
What if we aren’t very good?
Andrelton Simmons is garbage at the plate.
Only saw the half-inning where Gomes looked like he was spun around, blindfolded & playing pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey in LF.
That was it. It was all IPA & grappa after that.
Recapped.