Recap: Padres 7, Rockies 3
Turning point:After scoring a run in the fifth, the Padres kept grinding away in the sixth against Jason Marquis, scoring three runs to take a 5-3 lead. Marquis issued four walks, one intentional, to the eight batters he faced in the inning, and the Padres hit just two balls out of the infield _ Adrian Gonzalez’s leadoff double and a sacrifice fly by Tony Gwynn Jr. which scored the second run of the inning. The first scored on Nick Hundley’s infield single and the third came home when Marquis issued a bases-loaded walk to Everth Cabrera, the final batter he faced.
At the plate: The Rockies scored their three runs in the fourth, which began with walks to Todd Helton and Troy Tulowitzki. Both scored on a triple by Garrett Atkins, who scored when Ryan Spilborghs grounded out. …Helton, 1-for-1 with three walks, and Tulowitzki, 2-for-2 with two walks, reached base a total of eight times. …The Rockies struck out 13 times, 11 swinging, and went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. They had runners at first and second with no out in the sixth and were leading 3-2 when Adam Russell, who ended up the winning pitcher, threw called third strikes past Atkins and Ryan Spilborghs and got Yorvit Torrealba to pop out. …Wil Venable hit an opposite-field home run in the second for the Padres, who scored on each of their final at-bats. …Adrian Gonzalez went 3-for-5, finishing a home run shy of the cycle.
On the mound: Marquis, who took the mound with a 2.22 career ERA at Petco Park, lost fastball command as the game went on and left after throwing just 62 of 112 pitches for strikes and giving up eight hits and four walks, one intentional, and five runs in 5 2/3 innings. …Padres starter Clayton Richard allowed three hits, three walks and three runs in five innings with eight strikeouts. He struck out the final five batters he faced before being lifted for pinch hitter Edgar Gonazalez, who singled home a run with one out in the fifth to cut the Rockies lead to 3-2. …Four Padres relievers combined to limit the Rockies to three singles over the final four innings.
Numbers game: 9 runs and 30 strikeouts for the Rockies while losing two of three games to the Padres to finish the season 5-4 at Petco Park.
What I take away from this one…
As valuable as Jason Marquis is to the team right now, and as valuable as he’ll continue to be down the stretch, I don’t see any reason for the Rockies to go above and beyond in order to bring him back next season. Not unless he comes out at a bargain, which he won’t. He wouldn’t be a good value at all.
Aside from that, still no consistency from the offense. Only scoring in one or two innings a game will not do it. Especially not in San Francisco. Not feeling good about this series coming up.
Wow, that was ugly. Breakdowns in all areas of the game. I’m with Townie in not feeling very good about going into SF. No Street, suddenly shaky pen, not much hitting. Not even defense–that play of Smith’s was pretty bad. Not exactly what is needed to boost the fragile psyches of our starters.
With a 4.5 game lead, they don’t have to do much in SF. Even a sweep leaves them a lead. Obviously they want to win at least one, but there’s plenty of breathing room. The pen seems ok to me–they have to give up runs sometime. We already knew Morales isn’t Mariano Rivera.
What yesterday’s game has to do with the question of Marquis’s FA value is beyond me. I don’t see what it told us that the other 1400 innings of his career hasn’t already.
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Trying to get rid of the italics, trying a close em tag…
Do you think he being Jim T. will start EY this series against the righties and let Barmes come in on double switches or will defense be deemed more valuable than speed. I don’t think enough has been said about the runs that Barmes saves, but I don’t like the dynamic of always relying on the Giambi or other pinch hitters to have to come up big in the 8th and 9th.
Yes its fun to watch, but would like Barmes, Stewart and others to start hitting in the first six innings right now.
Not time to panic, because really if they just get one out of three and then two out of three in AZ, I think they are ok over the next 6, anything more would be wonderful.
This is no time to fool around go with “rookies” except Dexter, keep one line-up the rest of the way and go get’em.
I feel confident we’ll get the one desired win we need (probably tonight). Giants offense is gawdawful.
I think the key to tonight’s game will be pitch count for Tim Lincecum and if he has to throw an assortment of pitches to Helton and Smith in long at bats, especially early. If they can get to the bullpen by the 6th inning I think that is a great sign. Not that I am a big advocate of these late comeback and close games, but it’s getting to Fall Ball now and that’s the nature of the beast a lot of the time.
Yesterday’s game had nothing to do with Jason Marquis’ actual FA value, but I believe it had a lot to do with his perceived value among Rockies’ fans.
Anyways, yeah, the Rockies could get swept in SF and still hold 1.5 game lead. Great. But anything less than a series win will disappoint me. This is their last opportunity take care of business with San Francisco. They need to take advantage of that.
Because if they don’t, and then somehow end up tied with SF at the end, guess where the tiebreaker is played? San Francisco. Because the Giants will have won the season series. The importance of this series can’t be downplayed.
Townie, you are so right….got to put them OUT.