Big first inning helps Rockies salvage finale with Dodgers
The Colorado Rockies scored five runs in the first inning Sunday and held on to take the final game of a three-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers, 7-6.
Kevin Kouzmanoff drove in four of the Rockies’ seven runs, the first three on a bases-clearing, two-out double in the first inning. Dexter Fowler walked to start the first, stole second and, after strikeouts by Jonathan Herrera and Carlos Gonzalez, stole second and scored on a single by Troy Tulowitzki. Seth Smith followed with a single and Ty Wigginton walked to load the bases. On the first pitch he saw, Kouzmanoff lifted a fly ball into shallow right that glanced off the arm of diving Dodgers right fielder Trent Oeltjen. The hit brought all three runners home and Kouzmanoff ended up at second. He later scored on a single by Eliezer Alfonzo.
The Rockies scored two more runs in the fifth inning. Gonzalez doubled and scored on another double by Smith. With two outs, Kouzmanoff drove in the Rockies’ final run with single to center.
The Rockies needed all seven runs as the Dodgers, as they did in the first two games of the series, threatened to come all the way back.
The Dodgers scored single runs in the first and third off starter Jhoulys Chacin, who pitched with a lot of traffic but mostly avoided damage in the first five innings. But with the Rockies up 7-2, Chacin walked the first three runners in the sixth inning and gave way to reliever Matt Reynolds. Two runs scored, one each on a grounder to short and a sacrifice fly to left. Matt Belisle got the final out of the inning with the Rockies still up 7-4. Chacin was charged with four runs on six hits, walked five and struck out six in five innings, but picked up his 11th win.
Matt Lindstrom came on in the seventh and gave up two more runs with a walk, a double and a single. But Rex Brothers and Rafael Betancourt worked perfect eighth and ninth innings. Betancourt picked up his fourth save.
Gonzalez was 3-for-4, to extend his hitting streak to 15 games but failed to drive in a run in a game for the first time since Aug. 14.
The Rockies now have a Sunday winning streak.
Smith had 2 hits, 2 runs scored, and 1 RBI. You know what that means….
Did I read that right, CarGo failed to drive in a run for the first time in two weeks? That’s it, he is slumping!!! Wow, that is quite the steak. Consider where he was in April and mid-May, considering the guy had a major flu issue and then a wrist issue, can we officially say this has been a good-to-great season? CarGo’s injury issues remind me a lot of Larry Walker – too much hustle and too much talent, but if we ever get a full healthy season (CarGo, dont go home to Venezuela, and please dont get overly ripped this off-season), we might be looking at a real live triple crown candidate and the Coors equivelent of Stan Musial. The only question is where does he play next year? LF is too easy to fill. RF takes advantage of his arm. CF he could be gold glove but if Dex keeps it up that is where he should be. I guess a lot will depend on who is OF mates will be – Smith, EYJr, Blackmon, player to be determined? I like him in LF at Coors and RF everywhere else. But can he still earn his much deserved (and this year more than even last year) GG if he bounces around?
As for Tulo…not a great game but a great series. If this team’s W/L record was flipped I think me might be MVP this year. Last year the question was what player would you choose to start a franchise. I think Tulo is the clear answer.
Now for the big issue. Is Rafeal, a career set-up guy, really this good? We signed him in the off-season through 2012 with a mutual option for 2013. A good deal at the time. But he has been fantastic (aside from the fact that if you are at Coors trying to drive home and make an 8 am meeting he drives you crazy with this ssslllllooooowww pitching ways). We are devaluing Huston Street right now by making him a set-up guy. Street is a good guy, a good teammate, a good reliever (not a closer, based on stuff, buy I diagress). He could potentially fetch something in return, but if he is paid closer money but not closing this off-season if he is dealt the team will have to eat some salary. Betencourt is cheaper, and gives time for Brothers (or Weathers if he can find his form from before the Tommy John) to grow into a closer. I still expect Lindstrom to get dealt before the waiver deals close this week (power arms are always desired and he might pass waivers).
Kudos to Kuzmenoff but really, after going 0 for infinity, while we are glad about his production today, I see no reason to think he is here next year (I suggested earlier this week we see what Jorge Cantu has left in the tank in September).
A win is a win. We should have swept this series and be only 9 back. Instead we are 11 back and the series tells us everything about this season – bad luck, mistakes at the wrong time, James Looney being Babe Ruth when we can least expect it, and not enough starting pitching when we need it. And no…didnt watch anymore after Friday’s blow-up in protest over MLBs continued allowance of Bob Davidson doing anything more than running an instant replay booth.
Still would like to see this team finish over .500. And wreck the DBack this next series. And see Mr. White make us all excited about next year.