Box Score Bytes - Game 2

Mt Elbert:  Fowler (0.143) and de la Rosa (0.298)
Arikaree River:  Tulo (-0.156)

1.  Hard to believe that into the second game of the year pitchers were pitching around CarGo to get to Tulo.  From my second deck perch Tulo is getting pounded down and inside.  Adjustments will have to be made...

2.  Closers - Players You Hate!  By the way, I like Huston.  He is a gutsy closer but I will be honest with you.  At the start of the ninth tonight I left because I can't stand watching him pitch.  In case you are wondering Huston has pitched in 110 games for the Rox and has 56 saves.  He pitches about every two days usually going about an inning.  Tends to give up a hit an appearance but also strikes out a batter.  He tends to face an average of 4 batters and throws about 15 pitches with 10 of them for strikes.  As much as we moan he has only 5 blown saves.

3.  Maybe baseball is all about pitching an defense.  I had four "!" on plays made by Stewart, Tulo, Smith, and CarGo (or call him superman for his flying spread out catch)

4.  Team needs to work on bunting.  Second game in a row that Rox couldn't lay down a bunt to get a player into scoring position, thankfully this time around Fowler smashed a double and scored Iannetta from first.

5.  6 more K's to add to the season, on pace for fro 1,377 or almost 100 more than last year...come on Coach Lansford.

6.  Pardon the scorecard but I was teaching my 8 year old how to score but wow what a series of defensive plays!



Box Score Bytes - Game 1

1.  First off who was the high and low point for Colorado yesterday?

Mt Elbert (highest point in Colorado):  Jose Lopez (0.128 WPA) and Huston Street (0.146)
Arikaree River (lowest point in Colorado):  Tulo (-0.325) and U-Ball (-0.372)


2.  Only the 7th time in Rox history to actually open the new season at home (94, 95, 01, 05, 06, 07, and 11).  Rox are now 4-3 in these games.


3.  Rox played in their 204th extra inning game and have a record of 99 - 105.  45 - 67 all time at home!  7 - 12 against the D-Backs...


4.  D-Backs manager, Kirk Gibson and former Dodger, continues to make Rox suffer at the hands of anything related to LA.  Rox lose fourth straight to D-Backs going back to last year.


5.  So much for Spring Training and attention to details...Rox lose another one run game after going 28 - 30 last year...of course over the long haul Rox are 384 - 385 all time in one run games.


6.  Rox ball started out well yesterday with Fowler getting a walk, moving to second on a wild pitch, and then scoring on a double by Smith but then as the game progressed old habits creeped in.  Eleven strikeouts for the day.  Inability to get the key hit showed up again in 4th (Iannetta on third with one out, no runs) and 5th (CarGo on second with no outs, no runs).  Team started pressing at the end of the game looking for that walk off homer rather than manufacturing a run...


7.  Base running gaffs galore...Rogers (running as a pinch runner? where is EY Jr?) getting thrown out at second with a groundball to short when trying to advance to third.  And maybe Smith not trying to score from first on a line drive single to deep Center in the 8th.


8.  Did the umpires steal a game from the Rox?  Fan interference in the 5th creating the second out in the inning with CarGo on second...and a miss call on a catch by Smith...probably not


9.  And from the uh oh file...should we be concerned that U-Ball only averaged 93 on his fastball yesterday?  Reports indicated he didn't have his normal "bite"


10.  Tracy's Epic Fail for the Day:  Putting Rogers in has a pinch runner...