Recap: Rockies 8, Braves 7
Turning point: With two out in the ninth, Brad Hawpe doubled home Seth Smith from first base to win the game. Luis Valdez, making his major league debut, started the ninth and gave up a one-out single to Smith. After Garrett Atkins flied to left, Hawpe drove Valdez’s 1-1 off-speed pitch to right-center to give the Rockies their third walk-off of the season and just their third win when trailing after seven innings.
At the plate: The Rockies, who hit into four double plays in the first six innings, trailed 3-0 after the first, 5-1 in the third and 7-3 after the sixth but scored five runs in the final three innings. In the three-run seventh, the final two runs scored on Smith’s home run, his seventh of the season. Smith batted third for the first time this season. Todd Helton, the Rockies usual No. 3 hitter, was so ill with flu-like symptoms he never made it to Coors Field but instead stayed home. …..Pinch hitter Ryan Spilborghs, batting with one out in the eighth and runners on first and second, doubled home a run, but Chris Iannetta, who was on first, was cut down at the plate on second baseman Brooks Conrad’s perfect relay throw. …Hawpe led off the second with his 14th homer, and Troy Tulowitzki led off the fourth with his 16th homer, tying Ian Stewart for the team lead in that category. …Conrad went 3-for-5 with three RBI, driving in a run in the first with a triple and hitting a two-run homer in the fifth.
On the mound: Starter Jason Hammel gave up nine hits and five runs in three innings. Jorge De La Rosa, making his first relief appearance since Aug. 12, 2008, against the Diamondbacks, followed Hammel and after pitching a scoreless fourth, gave up a single to Ryan Church and Conrad’s homer to start the fifth. …Matt Daley, Juan Rincon, Joel Peralta (who retired the one batter he faced in the eighth and left with blood underneath the fingernail of the middle finger on his pitching hand), Franklin Morales and Huston Street combined to pitch five hitless innings. ….Braves starter Kris Medlen left after facing two batters in the fifth and allowed six hits and three runs. …Manny Acosta surrendered a homer to Smith and gave up two hits, a walk and three runs in one-third of an inning. …Peter Moylan was charged with his fifth blown save when he gave up a run in the eighth.
Numbers game: .407 average for Smith in the seventh inning or later this season. With his homer in the seventh and single in the ninth, Smith is 24-for-59 and has 13 of his 23 RBI in the seventh or later.
He said it: “Maybe the best character game we’ve had all year, in my opinion.”
Manager Jim Tracy on his team scoring five runs in the final three innings, culminating in an 8-7 walk-off win.
I think the turning point in the game was Stewart single in the 8th, and scoring on Spilly’s triple, tying the game.
best win of the season and seth smith is one of the biggest assets to this club. when the game is on the line he comes through. i cant say enough about brad hawpe’s character as a person and a player. he’s one of the good guys in this league and of this nation as a whole. his comments to 850 koa the other day about being an all star selection says it all for me. he’s the real deal folks
John,
No argument that Stewart’s one-out single in the eighth was a big hit. And after a walk to Iannetta, Stewart scored on Spilborgh’s pinch-hit, which was a double not a triple. On that hit, Iannetta was thrown out at the plate, leaving the game tied at 7.
I’m not dismissing the importance of the hits by Stewart and Spilborghs to tie the game but instead was trying to give proper emphasis to Hawpe’s game-ending double.
Hell of a game by the bullpen there, apart from De La Rosa. Now that’s good to see.
I have always thought that good teams find a way to win games even when they are playing poorly. that is what the Rox did today. They did not get a good start out of Hammel and hit into way too many double plays. It just goes to show you the confidence and winning mentality these guys have. Way to go boys.
Jack- I read today that Seth Smith has been working at first base a little to during practice to possibly back up Helton if Atkins gets traded. How is he doing and when might he play at first if ever?
That was a great win. The Rockies (and we fans, definitely) needed a win like that. It’s true, good teams seem to find ways to win games like this, but the Rockies had not been doing it of late. The Rockies will still need to answer some questions after the break, but for now, it is great to know they still have the ability to fight.
Drew, I was wondering the same thing today. Does Smith have experience at 1st? He is clearly a much worse outfielder than CarGo, but his bat is terrific.
C Thistle, I would think if the Rockies want someone to give Helton an occassional rest it would be a right-handed hitter. Yorvit Torrealba is a possiblity. He has played a lot of first base in Venezuela during hte winters so he can get at-bats but not wear down catching. The other idea is if a roster move is made, Mike McCoy would get the call from Triple-A and a key to McCoy is his versatility. He can play first, second, third, left and right. Matt Murton also could play first, and I would think Ryan Spilborghs could fill in.
While it is only mid-July, losing that game yesterday would have left a bad taste in the Rockies’ mouths as it would have meant a 5-5 homestand. But, now they go into the break with a good feeling with games against SD & AZ coming out of the break. I guess I just don’t see the CarGo experiment working any longer; he is a good 4th outfielder since he can play great defense and run the bases. He is still young, but between time in OAK and now in Denver, he really hasn’t shown he can hit major league pitching. Go with a platoon of Smith/Spilly in left.
Hasn’t Brad Hawpe also played first base in the past?
What kind of player is McCoy? He certainly has put up good numbers this year in AAA?
Has Murton played first base in the past? He has certainly put up good numbers in AAA.
I agree that it’s time to start getting Smith more ABs.
Yeah, good job by the bullpen except for DLR. He’s a mental case. Package Atkins, Gonzalez and DLR for a quality starter who will run to first base. Do the Rockies have a kangaroo court? If yes, how much has DLR been fined? Smith/Spilly in left is a monster, even defensively.
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