Giambi homer caps 6-run rally as Rockies nip Indians
With two out in the fifth, the Colorado Rockies erupted for six runs, three coming on a long homer by Jason Giambi. But what sealed their 8-7 win over the Cleveland Indians was the unearned run they scored on a throwing error in the eighth.
Chris Iannetta‘s walk with two out in the fifth innocently began a six-run rally that included five hits and another walk. The walk came with the bases loaded and Todd Helton batting and brought in the first run. Troy Tulowitzki then doubled home two runs, the ball hitting third base and going into foul territory. Giambi followed with a three-run homer, a 440-foot shot into the Indians bullpen in right-center.
In the eighth, catcher Lou Marson tried to pick Chris Iannetta off first base but threw the ball away and Charlie Blackmon, who was on second base, scored to give the Rockies an 8-6 lead. In the bottom of the inning, Carlos Santana singled with one out against Matt Reynolds. Santana stole second as Rafael Betancourt struck out Orlando Cabrera and scored on Cord Phillips’ single to left.
Third baseman Ty Wigginton cut off Blackmon’s throw and fired the ball to second baseman Chris Nelson, who tagged Cord out _ but not, as replays showed, before Phillips, sliding head-first, touched the base. Second base umpire Sam Holbrook was in position to make the call on the close play and ruled in favor of the Rockies.
Juan Nicasio lasted 4 2/3 innings and gave up seven hits, including two homers, and two walks, and manager Jim Tracy pulled him after he walked Travis Hafner, who had hit a three-run homer in the first, to load the bases. Rex Brothers gave up a looping two-run single to Grady Sizemore, the first batter he faced, to cut the Rockies lead to 7-6. Brothers gave up single to Santana to load the bases but got Orlando Cabrera to line out to center.
Brothers could have been the pitcher of record after starter didn’t go the requisite five innings. But Matt Lindstrom, who pitched a scoreless sixth _ he gave up a one-out single to Marson but got Sizemore to ground into a double play _ was awarded the victory by the official scorer, who has that authority.
Other highlights:
_ The Rockies are 7-9 in one-run games on the road and 10-13 overall in such games.
_ Giambi’s homer was the 422nd of his career and seventh this season. It was also his third three-run homer of this year, the others coming April 8 at Pittsburgh and May 19 at Philadelphia when he had the first three-homer game of his career. The three RBI gave Giambi 1,383 and tied him with Hall of Famer Joe Medwick for 73rd all-time.
_ Tulowitzki, who singled home the Rockies first run in the first, had three RBI, giving him 49 for the season and 18 in 18 games this month. He’s also hitting .356 (26-for-73) this month with eight doubles, two homers and 11 runs scored.
_ Nicasio had pitched at least five innings in his first four major league starts and six innings or more in three of them. He has allowed 35 hits in 28 2/3 innings. In addition to Hafner’s three-run homer, Nicasio gave up a solo homer to Santana in fourth. Nicasio has allowed four homers in his past three starts, a span of 15 2/3 innings.
_ Blackmon went 0-for-3 with a walk, just the fourth time in 13 games he has gone hitless.
_ Huston Street retired the side in order in the ninth, giving up Sizemore’s drive that sent right fielder Seth Smith to the wall and aided by a fine game-ending play by first baseman Todd Helton on a ball hit by Michael Brantley. Street is 21-for-23 in save opportunities and has converted seven straight chances since his last blown save May 20 at Milwaukee.
Computer crashed on first time to post :(
A really quality game all around. Nicasio struggled (Cowboy in the post game said this was a bad match-up for a kid with two trusted pitches tonight and not to panic), and Rex gave up some bloops and Lindstrom still is not hitting his spots, but other than that, this was a great road win.
CarGo – 3 hits, should have been 4. Looked great and steal #11.
Nelson – what a #2 should do including letting CarGo steal 2nd in the 1st inning.
Helton – great ABs
Tulo – put the ball in play and good things happened.
Giambi – just the reason we have him on the roster. Bueno!
Smith – quality ABs and should have had more hits.
Blackmon – did a good job and did not look overpowered, played good outfield, including hitting cut-off man to get the guy at 2nd in the 8th.
Ianetta – good game call and does what CDI does best, get on base.
Matt Reynolds gave us part of 3 innings (thought he should have gotten the win). Betencourt gave up the hit that scored the run but was hitting his spots and seems like he is on the verge of going on a 10 appearences of no-hit ball streak.
Rox had 12 hits, 8 runs, no errors and were 6 of 14 with RISP. Not too shabby against a team’s #1 (al-beit a shaky one).
Worried about Wiggy with pressure situations (has he been playing too much? Is it time to get Stewart back up here so we can evaluate him before trading deadline?), and Lindstrom’s ongoing issues with hitting his spots, but wow, what a great win against a division leader in their home park. Now .500 both at home and road, and only 3 back…considering the bad start after the first two weeks, I think all of us on ITR can be very excited. Let’s hope this sets the trend for the road trip, especially with the current staff ace going tommorow.
Another save for the defense. Anyone else see Smith’s facial expression after he made the catch at the wall in the ninth? Priceless!
Another in a continuing string of impressive “team” wins, with contributions coming from all over the field. With CarGo and Tulo finally both hitting, guys on both sides of those two are filling in with good ABs. Starters need to get back to giving six innings or the pen will run out of gas pretty quickly.
RocketMan you are right, the starters need to go longer. We have Chacin tomorrow who has been doing that. May be we can get a complete game. Hammel usually goes 6 or 7, but I don’t think he’s ever completed a game. And Ubaldo has pitched better lately. Hopefully that “cramp” in the leg is really just a cramp. I’m not sold on Cook. Personally I think he’s done as a starter. Nicasio is just a rookie. He’s going to have games like tonight. I think, sooner than later, that Greg Reynolds will come back to replace Cook.
Tonight we got enough breaks to win the game. Tulo’s double, Sizemore’s blast to right that died etc.. But never apologize for a win. I’ve seen Street lose on 3 bloops. So winning on 2 hard hit balls that found gloves is fine with me.
Great game. Wish everyone on radio and tv would quite talking about moving CarGo down to the 3rd spot. LEAVE THE LINE UP ALONE!!!!
Best news is all the Rox breaks in this game indicate the baseball gods are finally in our corner. Can’t wait for the Yankee series.
Giambi needs to get more starts! I know Todd is doing well but he could use the rest. Giambi is a game changer.
Lots of good luck for the Rockies this game. Tulo’s double, the tag at 2nd, the pick off thrown away at 1st, Street’s HR ball that somehow stayed in the park. I can’t help but feel the Rox got away with one. But considering the bad breaks this team has had this year they deserve every good break that comes their way. Keep finding ways to win.
Don’t mess with the lineup and don’t replace Wiggy because of one bad AB.
Robba, Street had a pretty good expression too. He thought that ball was gone.
They survived Nicasio’s worst outing so far. I think the kid has the stuff to be a good one and this game was just a rookie bump in the road. As others have said good “team” win. I think Tracy made the right move taking Nicasio out in the 5th, even though Brothers gave up the 2 run single. I agree with Miketober, don’t take Wiggy out because of 1 bad AB. Cargo sure didn’t look any better when he struck out. That was a great 2 out rally. Fun to watch that happen.
deep thoughts…
Well that was exciting. Rox really needed this one, set a good tone for the trip, and almost a must win considering the fact that they were going up against Carmona, if they couldn’t eek out a win against him, then ut oh.
Street adds to the drama whenever he enters a game, I miss the shutdown, lites out guy he was in ’09.
I think Wiggy needs to stay until Stewart knocks the door down, good luck with that Stewy.
Lethal this lineup can be, I tell you, lethal. Screw potential, it was. That two out rally was what the team is capable of each inning with this lineup.
Agree, Street isn’t the guy in 09 that he was, but team also could do better with the drama and give some more cushion, so wasn’t so pressurized each time he was out there. But, hindsight perhaps, this will help the team in Sept and dare I say october games.
I saw comment yesterday about Nicasio reminding of Corpas. Have to disagree on that. Corpas looked like deer in headlights after 2007. Nicasio looks like a rookie, BUT he is pitching better than rookies.
Game went Rockies way on the calls, part of the balancing out of baseball. It happens both ways.
I wish Lindstrom would reassert himself as a valid 2nd closer option instead of a scary 6th-7th inning guy. My latest theory with him is that every time he gets a 2 strike count on the batter, he ends up giving up a hit. Sure enough, yesterday the outs he got were on balls in play with <2 strikes. His out pitch needs some work.
So with the bullpen you have
Brothers – good start but coming down to earth now
Reynolds – looking pretty good lately
Lindstrom – can't get strike 3
Belisle – over worked
Betancourt – went through slump but seems to be improving again
Street – Jeckyll & Hyde – sometimes lights out, sometimes very, very hittable.
Did I leave anybody off?
very good assessment Miketober
I think the issue with Lindstrom is similar to the one that hurt Nicasio last night. That is some reluctance to rely more heavily on their obviously deadly heat more than they do. Nicasio got in trouble last night, especially with Hafner, by fooling around with breaking pitches early in the game and good hitters will always hit mistakes like he did. Hafner types pulverize poor or lazy breaking and offspeed pitches. Lindstrom also possesses an outstanding fastball and especially in his case he needs to have more faith in it later in the count. Both these guys can and will do it, methinks. Neither needs to nibble, although starters certainly have to establish something besides a fastball, just not necessarily deep in the count like with Hafner’s AB in the first. Just pound the zone with 95-97 fastballs and let the chips fall where they may. Power against power. Maybe Nicasio should watch video of Ubaldo’s no-hitter. I love the guy amd he has great talent.
Betancourt was having the same problem during his slump. Quickly 0-2 or 1-2, and then about 10 foul balls later he would give up a hit or walk. Lindstrom and Betancourt have no problem throwing strikes, but they need to execute that out pitch, whether it’s a fastball with movement or something nasty.
My concern with Street is that he doesn’t have the big strikeout pitch that most closers have. He can’t rear back and pop one in there at 97. So he will always be susceptible to having to rely on location and changing speeds/sinking the ball. When he is off, he is easily hittable. I totally agree with another poster who begged JT to keep the line-up the same. I think one of the reasons the Rockies have played better the past couple of weeks is that the line-up has been consistent, but Giambi,Spilly, Herrera, etc., are still getting some action. I would keep Todd out of the line-up as little as physically possible. Maybe rest him against CC on Saturday, but even then they need him in there everyday. If someone asked me who I would want to pitch to save my life between Nicasio and Cook, I would go with the rookie. The over/under for Cook on the DL is August 1.
Street is more than adequate. Every and I mean every closer other than Mariano Rivera has days and nights of adventure, in some cases more often than not. Remember Brian Fuentes? He was and has always been considered by most to be reliable, but can he be exciting. Street’s definitely not perfect, but until someone else who’s better comes along he is perfectly good. Leads the NL in saves too, I think.
RE: Relievers.
You forgot to mention Mortenson. He’s been good, but not lights out since moving to the pen. 3 Ernies in 3 appearances, 6.0 IP w/ 3 K’s.
Lindstrom has always suffered from the same problem: great fastball, lack of a real swing-and-miss pitch to finish off hitters. Difficult to imagine that a guy who throws 97 can average only 6.3 K/9, which is what he’s at now.