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Thread: MLB 15 The Show: Smooth Pancakes' Colorado Rockies Franchise

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  1. #21
    Hall of Fame SmoothPancakes's Avatar
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    Looking to break an early four game losing streak that quickly put them in last place in the NL West, the Rockies would go on the road and shock the Giants, sweeping all three games in AT&T Park to climb back into the thick of the division standings.

    Game one ended up being a bit of a pitcher's battle despite the score and amount of hits. A 3 run second inning would stake the Rockies out to an early lead, only for San Francisco to eventually close the gap to 4-3 through 5 innings. Two runs for the Rockies in the top of the sixth inning would end any comeback threat, otherwise, the pitchers largely dominated as both teams had a number of 1-2-3 innings. The second inning was what set the tone as the Rockies would get runners on first and second with no outs, followed by an RBI single to right. A double steal by Corey Dickerson and Justin Morneau would put runners on second and third for Michael McKenry, who would knock them both in with a two RBI single to center field before the first out was recorded. McKenry would also be the hero in the sixth inning, at the time a 4-3 ball game, with a two run home run to center to increase our lead to 6-3, a margin the Giants couldn't recover from.

    Player of the game was Michael McKenry, going 2-4 with a single and a two run home run, scoring two runs and driving in 4 RBI. Another big bat for the Rockies was Corey Dickerson, going 3-4 with three singles and a run scored. Top hitter for the Giants was Nori Aoki, going 1-2 with a single, a run scored, one RBI, a walk and a hit by pitch.

    Winning pitcher was Tyler Chatwood, going 5.0 innings pitched, giving up 5 hits, 3 runs, 2 earned runs, 1 walk and 4 strikeouts for a 4.50 ERA. Rex Brothers got a hold for 2.1 innings of work, Tommy Kahnle got credit for a hold for 0.2 innings of work, and John Axford picked up his first save with a flawless ninth inning. Losing pitcher was Tim Hudson, going 5.0 innings pitched and getting tagged for 9 hits, 5 runs, 4 earned runs and 1 strikeouts for a 5.40 ERA.



    Game two would end up even more so a pitcher's duel as Colorado got on the scoreboard early with a solo home run by Troy Tulowitzki in the first inning. That 1-0 lead would stand until the Giants pushed across a run on a sac fly in the bottom of the fourth inning. The game would remain deadlocked at 1-1 as both starting pitchers took over until the Rockies would finally seize control in the seventh inning thanks to a solo home run by Charlie Blackmon. The Rockies would then add an insurance run in the eighth inning on a RBI single by Justin Morneau for the two run victory.

    Player of the game was Troy Tulowitzki, going 3-4 with two singles, a solo home run, one run scored and one RBI. Charlie Blackmon was also a top hitter for the Rockies, also going 3-4 with a single, a double and a solo home run, one run scored and one RBI. Top hitter for the Giants was Hunter Pence, going 2-4 with a single and a lead off triple in the fourth inning, scoring San Francisco's lone run in the fourth on a sac fly by Brandon Crawford. Winning pitcher was David Hale, who had a career day and improved to 1-0 on the season, going 8.0 innings pitched, giving up 4 hits, 1 run, 1 earned run, no walks and 6 strikeouts to lower his ERA to 5.25. John Axford picked up his second save in as many games with another perfect ninth inning. Losing pitcher was Tim Lincecum, dropping to 0-1 on the year, as he went 7.0 innings pitched, giving up 6 hits, 2 runs, 2 earned runs, no walks and 2 strikeouts for a 2.08 ERA.



    Game three would see a similar start, as the Rockies would cross the plate first in the third inning with a solo home run by Nolan Arenado, followed by a two run home run by Justin Morneau in the fourth to take a 3-0 lead. That lead would evaporate almost instantly in the bottom of the fourth as the first five batters for the Giants reached base. Nori Aoki led off with a single, followed by an RBI single by Buster Posey, which was followed by an RBI single by Brandon Belt, which turned into a fielder's choice by Hunter Pence. Joe Panik would also hit an RBI single, making it all the way to third on an error. That would be enough to drive starter Eddie Butler from the game. Logan would come on in relief, striking out Brandon Crawford before giving up an RBI groundout to Joaquin Arias and punching out Ryan Vogelsong to finally end the inning. Final damage was 8 batters, four hits, one error and 5 runs. While the Rockies would get runners on base in the following innings, they would constantly fail to drive them in. It seemed all but over when an RBI single by Aoki in the seventh inning made it 6-3.

    Then it was Colorado's turn to light up some pitchers. San Francisco lit up Colorado's starter, Colorado would light up San Francisco's bullpen. The eighth started off with a lead off triple by DJ LeMahieu, followed by an RBI single by Daniel Descalso to score LeMahieu. That was all for George Kontos in relief. Jean Machi would come to the mound, promptly giving up a two run home run to Drew Stubbs, his first of the year, to tie the game up 6-6. That was all for Machi. Now came in Jeremy Affeldt. Dickerson would send a pitch all the way to the wall in center field for a triple, followed by Justin Morneau hitting his second home run of the game, another two run shot, giving the Rockies an 8-6 lead and resulting in Sergio Romo coming on to pitch. After two outs by Hundley and Blackmon, Gonzalez would get on base via single and Arenado would be intentionally walked. A successful double steal would put runners at second and third, but while LeMahieu would give the ball another damn good ride, it would find Pagan in center field for the final out.

    While he would only end up getting credit for a hold, the hero of the game was Adam Ottavino. After getting Belt to strike out swinging to start the bottom of the eighth inning, the Giants would try to rally themselves back in it, as Pence grounded up the middle for a single, followed by a single to left by Panik and a single to right by Crawford. That would leave the bases loaded and only one out with Arias up to bat. Despite the immense pressure of the moment, bases loaded, only one out and only a two run ball game, Ottavino buckled down and got Arias to strikeout on a slider low and away. Perez would come on to pinch hit for pitcher Yusmeiro Petit, but he too would end up a victim of Ottavino's slider, frozen up and caught watching a called third strike go by on the outside corner as Ottavino pitched his way out of potential meltdown and got out of the inning.

    Player of the game was Justin Morneau, going 3-5 with a single, and two two-run home runs, scoring two runs and driving in 4 RBI. Drew Stubbs, starting in place of Carlos Gonzalez in left, also had a huge day, going 3-5 with a single, a triple and a two run home run of his own, scoring one run and driving in two RBI. The top hitter for the Giants was Nori Aoki going 2-5 with two singles, a run scored and one RBI.

    Winning pitcher was Christian Friedrich in relief, improving to 1-0 on the year. Friedrich would go 1.0 innings pitched, giving up 3 hits, 1 run and one earned run to make his ERA 3.86. Starting pitcher Eddie Butler only made it 3.0 innings pitched, getting tagged for 5 hits, 5 runs, 5 earned runs, no walks and 4 strikeouts to balloon his ERA up to 15.43. Boone Logan was a savior from the bullpen, eating up 3.0 innings pitched much earlier than anticipated, completely shutting the Giants down in the process as he would give up zero hits and strikeout 5 batters for a 1.59 ERA on the year. Adam Ottavino, in his 1.0 inning pitched, giving up 3 hits and getting 3 strikeouts to keep his perfect 0.00 ERA, was awarded his second hold of the season. John Axford came on in the ninth and sent the Giants down in order to earn his third save in as many games.

    Giants starting pitcher Ryan Vogelsong would go 5.0 innings pitched, giving up 7 hits, 3 runs, 3 earned runs and one strikeout, while Javier Lopez would pick up a hold with 2.0 innings of work giving up just one hit. Vogelsong would lose the win however as George Kontos would go 0.0 innings, giving up 2 hits, 2 runs and 2 earned runs, Jean Machi was smacked with a blown save, his first of the year, going 0.0 innings, giving up 1 hit, 1 run and 1 earned run. And Jeremy Affeldt would be tagged with the loss, dropping him to 2-1 on the year, going 0.0 innings, giving up 2 hits, 2 runs and 2 earned runs. In all, the Giants would use 8 pitchers, starter Vogelsong plus their entire bullpen, in the loss.


    Colorado - 6-10-3
    San Francisco - 4-6-1

    Colorado - 3-11-0
    San Francisco - 1-5-0

    Colorado - 8-15-1
    San Francisco - 6-11-0


    All of a sudden, the three game weekend series at the LA Dodgers has new meaning, as the Dodgers, at 6-3, lead the NL West by a half game over the San Diego Padres, and lead the NL West by a full game over the Colorado Rockies, who sit in third at 5-4. Even just two of three games and the Rockies are potentially in a first place tie. It may only be the middle of April, but a first place tie is still a first place tie, and if the team can be right there fighting, certainly that's enough to get the players to believe and buy into a division chase as the dog days of summer soon approach.
    Last edited by SmoothPancakes; 06-18-2015 at 03:07 PM.

  2. #22
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    Colorado Rockies (5-4) vs Los Angeles Dodgers (6-3)
    April 17-19, 2015
    Dodger Stadium - Los Angeles, California

    Probable Starters:

    Game One - Friday 7:10 PM
    Kyle Kendrick (0-1, 2.57 ERA) vs Brett Anderson (0-1, 0.00 ERA)

    Game Two - Saturday 6:10 PM
    Jordan Lyles (1-1, 5.25 ERA) vs Clayton Kershaw (1-1, 3.86 ERA)

    Game Three - Sunday 1:10 PM
    Tyler Chatwood (2-0, 4.50 ERA) vs Zack Greinke (1-0, 3.97 ERA)


    The Colorado Rockies made one hell of a statement as they opened division play with a three game sweep of the defending World Series champions. Now they head south down the California coastline to visit the first place Los Angeles Dodgers in yet another series giving them a chance to make a statement and prove they belong in the division race going forward, or showing their critics right and proving that they just got lucky and will eventually drift back down to the NL West cellar.

  3. #23
    Hall of Fame steelerfan's Avatar
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    Big time sweep! Now go get those Dodgers!

  4. #24
    Hall of Fame SmoothPancakes's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by steelerfan View Post
    Big time sweep! Now go get those Dodgers!
    Yeah, the Rockies badly needed that! The season may only be a week and a half old, but getting swept by the Cubs put the Rockies in an early hole with the two toughest division opponents next on the schedule. They could have gone into a tail spin. Instead they did the incredible. Dodgers are gonna be a whole other beast though. Going up against Kershaw and Greinke, it's gonna be a battle to get hits and runs.

  5. #25
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    Riding a three game winning streak, following the sweep of the San Francisco Giants, the Rockies would keep the momentum going against the Dodgers as a game 1 victory would result in a three way deadlock for first in the NL West, as the Rockies, Dodgers and San Diego Padres all found themselves sitting at 6-4. The Rockies would fail to get another sweep as the Dodgers would use a big eighth inning to take game two, but Colorado would take the rubber match as Tyler Chatwood pitched a career best game to carry the Rockies to victory.

    The Rockies would continue their hot starts in the first game, as Nolan Arenado would immediately put the purple and black on the scoreboard with a lead off solo home run to left field. After a single by LeMahieu, Corey Dickerson would come on and send a two out pitch into the left field stands for a two run home run to open a 3-0 lead. The Dodgers would manage just two singles in the first inning, before the Dodgers bats would go ice cold, as starter Kyle Kendrick proceed to retire 14 straight batters before Turner broke the spell and reached base with a single in the sixth inning. During that time, the Rockies increased their lead to 5-0 on a third inning sac fly by Drew Stubbs and a solo home run by Dickerson, his second homer of the game, in the top of the sixth.

    Despite throwing a shutout two-hitter up to that point, Kendrick would lose the shutout in the sixth inning as Justin Turner hit a one out single to left field, followed by a two out RBI double to left by Yasiel Puig. Puig would score on the next at-bat as Adrian Gonzalez hit a fly ball to deep right field, only for Dickerson to fail to come up with the catch, allowing Gonzalez to reach third and Puig to score from second on the fielding error. Both teams would get on base in the seventh, but neither could score. The eighth inning would see a career day for Dickerson as he would launch his third home run of the game, a solo shot to right field to make it 6-2. The Rockies would score twice more in the ninth inning on an RBI single by Carlos Gonzalez and a sac fly by DJ LeMahieu to make it 8-2, while the Dodgers would go down three up, three down in both the eighth and ninth innings to end the game.

    Player of the game, by FAR, was Corey Dickerson going an insane 4-4 with a double, a career best three home runs, one a two run shot and two solo blasts, along with three runs and 4 RBI. Top hitter for the Dodgers was Yasiel Puig, going 204 with a single, a double, one run scored and one RBI. Winning pitcher was Kyle Kendrick, improving his record to 1-1 on the year as he went 6.0 innings pitched, giving up 4 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned run, no walks and 3 strikeouts to lower his ERA to 2.08. Rafael Betancourt got credit for a hold with a two hit scoreless seventh inning. Losing pitcher was Brett Anderson, dropping to 0-2 on the year as he would last just 5.0 innings, giving up 6 hits, 4 runs, 4 earned runs, no walks and 2 strikeouts for a 3.60 ERA.



    The second game would see both teams struggle to get runs across the plate as long as both starters were on the mound. The Dodgers would get on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the third with a solo home run by Yasiel Puig. The Rockies would answer back with a fourth inning solo home run by Corey Dickerson off of Clayton Kershaw. An RBI double by Justin Morneau would give Colorado a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth, only to see the game tied back up at 2-2 following an RBI ground out by Andre Ethier.

    After an uneventful seventh inning, both bullpens were in full swing, and that was when the Dodgers would strike, lighting up Rex Brothers in the eighth inning. Howie Kendrick started the activities off with a double, followed by an RBI single by Puig, followed by a single by Adrian Gonzalez. Ethier would single to right field for one RBI to end Brothers’ day. Adam Ottavino would come in to try and close things out, only to get tagged for a two RBI double by Yasmani Grandal, as the Dodgers would score three runs on five hits to take a 5-2 lead before sending Colorado down in order in the ninth for the victory.

    Player of the game was Yasiel Puig, going 2-4 with a single, a solo home run, two runs scored and two RBI. Top hitter for Colorado was Corey Dickerson, going 3-4 with a single, a triple and a solo home run, scoring one run and one RBI.

    Winning pitcher was Joel Peralta, going 1.0 innings pitched, giving up just 1 hit in the eighth inning. Kenley Janson got his fifth save for a perfect ninth inning. Starter Clayton Kershaw went 7.0 innings pitched, giving up 9 hits, 2 runs, 2 earned runs, no walks and 6 strikeouts for a 3.38 ERA. Kershaw was gunning for his 100th career victory, but was pulled from the game before the Dodgers could get the lead for him. Losing pitcher was Rex Brothers, going 0.1 innings pitched in a miserable eighth inning, giving up 4 hits, 3 runs, 3 earned runs, no walks and 1 strikeout to shoot his ERA up to 13.50. Starting pitcher Jordan Lyles went 6.0 innings pitched, giving up 6 hits, 2 runs, 3 earned runs, 1 walk and 3 strikeouts to lower his ERA to 4.50.



    The third game of the series would see the Rockies jump out quick and early courtesy of a two run homer by Carlos Gonzalez. While the Dodgers had shown the ability to comeback in the previous game, they had no answer for pitcher Tyler Chatwood today as they would manage just two singles in the first four innings. Colorado would increase their lead in the fifth inning with an RBI double by Nolan Arenado, while the Dodgers would get just their third and final hit of the game in the bottom of the inning. The Rockies would put the game away in the seventh inning as Chatwood drove in an RBI with a sac bunt, followed by an RBI groundout by Arenado to increase the lead to 5-0. From there it was all Chatwood the rest of the way. After giving up the leadoff single in the fifth inning, Chatwood would retire the final 15 Dodgers batters for the complete game, three hit shutout victory.

    Player of the game was starting pitcher Tyler Chatwood, as he would pitch a complete game shutout to improve to 3-0 on the year, going 9.0 innings pitched, giving up 3 hits, no runs, no walks and 8 strikeouts to drop his ERA to 2.37. Losing pitcher was Zack Greinke, going just 5.0 innings pitched, giving up 6 hits, 3 runs, 3 earned runs, no walks and 3 strikeouts for a 4.41 ERA.

    Top hitter for the Rockies, despite only having one hit while two other players had managed two, was Carlos Gonzalez, going 1-4 with a two run home run, one run and 2 RBI, giving us a first inning lead that would carry to the end. Top hitter for the Dodgers ended up a three-way tie as Howie Kendrick, Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford all went 1-3 with one single.


    Colorado - 8-12-2
    LA Dodgers - 2-6-0

    Colorado - 2-10-1
    LA Dodgers - 5-11-0

    Colorado - 5-8-0
    LA Dodgers - 0-3-0


    Despite taking 2 out of 3 from the Dodgers, the Rockies would still find themselves looking up in the standings, as the San Diego Padres sat in first place with an 8-5 record, a half game ahead of both the Rockies and the Dodgers. And much like how the Dodgers series suddenly became important as the first game arrived, now the Padres series was the must watch series in baseball as the top two teams in the NL West battled for division supremacy.

  6. #26
    Hall of Fame SmoothPancakes's Avatar
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    San Diego Padres (8-5) vs Colorado Rockies (7-5)
    April 20-23, 2015
    Coors Field - Denver, Colorado

    Probable Starters:

    Game One - Monday 6:40 PM
    David Hale (1-0, 5.25 ERA) vs Ian Kennedy (0-1, 7.71 ERA)

    Game Two - Tuesday 6:40 PM
    Eddie Butler (0-1, 15.43 ERA) vs Brandon Morrow (2-0, 3.75 ERA)

    Game Three - Wednesday 6:40 PM
    Kyle Kendrick (1-1, 2.08 ERA) vs James Shields (2-0, 1.33 ERA)

    Game Four - Thursday 1:10 PM
    Jordan Lyles (1-1, 4.50 ERA) vs Andrew Cashner (1-1, 2.84 ERA)


    A three game sweep of the San Francisco Giants and taking a three game series against the LA Dodgers, and the Rockies found themselves within grasp of first place in the NL West as they trailed the San Diego Padres by just a half game, on the eve of opening a four game series against the Padres. While the Rockies have found phenominal early season success, winning 6 of their last 7 games, it has been the road that has been kind to them. So far, with a 7-5 record, the Rockies stand at 7-2 on the road, and 0-3 at home thanks to being swept by the Chicago Cubs in their only home series to date. That Cubs series was one that saw the Rockies struggle mightily, both at the plate and on the mound. The biggest question going into the Padres series, would the Rockies be able to overcome the massive monkey on their back as they returned to Coors Field still looking for their first home win of the season?

  7. #27
    Hall of Fame steelerfan's Avatar
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    Good job with the Dodgers. Another big series ahead, early in the season.

  8. #28
    Hall of Fame SmoothPancakes's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by steelerfan View Post
    Good job with the Dodgers. Another big series ahead, early in the season.
    Yeah, that went a lot better than I expected. Was able to handle business against the Dodgers #5 starter, taking advantage of the match-up. Things went about as I figured they would against Clayton Kershaw. Got some hits, but just couldn't get the runs. Game three was the biggest surprise, getting runs across on Greinke and dominating on the mound. I may need to change some pitching sliders around.

    After watching your game against Oakland to decide the AL West winner and seeing your pitching with analog, I made the switch going from using meter pitching (which I was not the most proficient at, shown by having nearly as many balls thrown as I did strikes in those first three games against Milwaukee) to using analog pitching. It has been a day/night difference. My pitching has become better and more consistent. Maybe too consistent based on the Giants and Dodgers series.

  9. #29
    Heisman jaymo76's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by steelerfan View Post
    Good job with the Dodgers. Another big series ahead, early in the season.
    Quote Originally Posted by SmoothPancakes View Post
    Yeah, that went a lot better than I expected. Was able to handle business against the Dodgers #5 starter, taking advantage of the match-up. Things went about as I figured they would against Clayton Kershaw. Got some hits, but just couldn't get the runs. Game three was the biggest surprise, getting runs across on Greinke and dominating on the mound. I may need to change some pitching sliders around.

    After watching your game against Oakland to decide the AL West winner and seeing your pitching with analog, I made the switch going from using meter pitching (which I was not the most proficient at, shown by having nearly as many balls thrown as I did strikes in those first three games against Milwaukee) to using analog pitching. It has been a day/night difference. My pitching has become better and more consistent. Maybe too consistent based on the Giants and Dodgers series.
    I never disliked the Dodgers until I started playing The Show. Now I despise them. They tend to kick my butt most games and their pitching is beastly good.

  10. #30
    Hall of Fame SmoothPancakes's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jaymo76 View Post
    I never disliked the Dodgers until I started playing The Show. Now I despise them. They tend to kick my butt most games and their pitching is beastly good.
    Yeah, Kershaw was a pain in the ass. I'm sure Greinke will be too in the future. I'll be seeing enough of both of them with as many games as I'll have against the Dodgers.

  11. #31
    Hall of Fame SmoothPancakes's Avatar
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    Halfway through the San Diego series, a couple of trades have taken place.

    Seattle traded C John Hicks (25 years old, 63, A) to Boston for SS Jeff Bianchi (28 years old, 66, C).

    San Francisco traded RP Yusmeiro Petit (30 years old, 73, B) to Boston for SP Brian Johnson (24 years old, 63, C).


    Edit - One more trade occurred on the final day of the Padres series.

    Tampa Bay traded 3B Richie Shaffer (24 years old, 57, C) to the New York Yankees for LF Mason Williams (23 years old, 59, C).
    Last edited by SmoothPancakes; 06-21-2015 at 02:34 PM.

  12. #32
    Hall of Fame SmoothPancakes's Avatar
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    April 22nd turned out to be a rough day for the Rockies minor league system as multiple players ended up injured in games.

    AA New Britain starting pitcher Tyler Anderson suffered a lat muscle strain that would see him potentially sidelined for 1-6 days.

    AA New Britain relief pitcher Ryan Arrowood would suffer bruised ribs during the same game, leaving him sidelined for potentially 1-6 days.

    And AAA Albuquerque closing pitcher Jairo Diaz suffered a strained finger on his pitching hand, leaving him out of action for an estimated 1-6 days.

    Thankfully none of the injuries appear serious and it will just be a couple days of rest needed, but three injuries in one day could be a bad sign if more important players start getting bit by the injury bug, and bit harder.

    Right now the plan is to try to avoid having to place them on the 15 day DL, as the injuries appear minor and at most just 6 days of rest needed. If something changes and the time of recovery expands, then placement on the 15 day DL will be considered.
    Last edited by SmoothPancakes; 06-21-2015 at 12:40 PM.

  13. #33
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    Returning home after a hot road trip along the Pacific coast, it would be a back and forth affair as it would see the Rockies take two tries before finally winning their first home game of the young season. The Rockies would then take that first home victory and turn it into three as the bats came alive in HUGE fashion to take three of four games against the Padres.

    The first game would get off to a rough start as San Diego would plate three runs in the top of the second inning, all on a fielding error by Charlie Blackmon all the way out at the wall in center field. The Rockies would get two of those runs back as Michael McKenry hit an RBI double, followed by a RBI sac fly by Nolan Arenado. But the Padres would pile right back on in the third inning as Justin Upton had an RBI ground out, followed by a two run home run to left field by Wil Myers to make it 6-2. The Rockies would manage one run in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI sac fly by Corey Dickerson and a solo home run by Carlos Gonzalez in the bottom of the eighth inning, but it wouldn't be enough to avoid defeat.

    Player of the game for San Diego was Wil Myers, going 1-4 with a home run, two RBI and one run scored. Top hitter for Colorado was D.J. LeMahieu, going 3-4 with two doubles and a single. Winning pitcher was Ian Kennedy to improve to 1-1 on the year, going 7.0 innings pitched, giving up 9 hits, 3 runs, 2 earned runs, no walks and 2 strikeouts for a 5.51 ERA. Joaquin Benoit (2nd) and Shawn Kelley (3rd) each got credit for a hold in a combined eighth inning effort, while Craig Kimbrel picked up his 5th save of the year with a flawless ninth. Losing pitcher David Hale to drop to 1-1 on the year, only lasting 4.0 innings pitched, giving up 6 hits, 6 runs, 3 earned runs, no walks and 7 strikeouts for a 5.63 ERA.



    The second game would go from a potential blowout to a back and forth nail-biter, all the way to the final at-bat in the bottom of the ninth. The Padres would waste no time in the top of the first inning with a two RBI double by Wil Myers and an RBI double by Jedd Gyorko to jump out 3-0. The Rockies would answer right back with a two run home run to left field by Troy Tulowitzki, nearly sending the ball clear out of the park. A second inning solo shot by Yonder Alonso would put the Padres back up 4-2, before a sac fly by Corey Dickerson in the bottom of the third would score Tulowitzki to pull back within one. At that point, the game went on the verge of a blowout in the top of the fourth inning as pitcher Brandon Morrow hit an RBI double to right, followed by Alonso going yard for the second straight at-bat, this time for a two run home run to put San Diego up 7-3. Then the wheels fell off for Morrow and the Padres. It didn't look good as the first two Rockies batters grounded out, but then some two out magic happened as pitcher Eddie Butler reached first on a throwing error, followed by a ground ball to center by Nolan Arenado. D.J. LeMahieu would deflect a ground ball off the first baseman and reach base safely for a single, loading up the bases with two outs for Troy Tulowitzki. Tulowitzki would come, he would see, and he would go yard for the second time in the game, a two out grand slam to left field to tie the game at 7-7. But the Rockies weren't done yet. Carlos Gonzalez would hit a two out double to center, followed by an RBI double to left by Corey Dickerson to give Colorado their first lead of the game at 8-7.

    The track meet would continue in the fifth inning as San Diego tied the game back up on a fielding miscue during an infield single, allowing Matt Kemp to steal home on the play. The next play would see Gyorko single to right to score Myers for a 9-8 lead. The Rockies would answer right back as Charlie Blackmon hit a sac fly to left field, scoring Drew Stubs from third base to even the score back up at 9-9. After two scoreless innings by the bullpens, the Padres would capitalize in the eighth inning with two RBI triples in the inning to take an 11-9 lead. But the Rockies would not go quietly. A one out pinch hit would get Wilin Rosario on base, followed by a single to right by Arenado. After a double steal put runners on second and third, a ground out by LeMahieu would drive in the RBI as Rosario scored and Arenado advanced to third. Then a two out single to left field by Tulowitzki would drive in Arenado to tie the score back up at 11-11, the game seemingly destined for extra innings at this rate.

    The Padres had a great chance to add to their score as Kemp ended up drawing a walk to start the ninth inning, but Melvin Upton, Jr would come in to pinch run and take off stealing on the first pitch to the next batter, only to be gunned down by an expecting catcher for the first out. A strikeout and a pop out would end the inning for Adam Ottavino on the mound. After a ground out to start the bottom of the ninth inning, Justin Morneau would get a free pass on base courtesy of a hit by pitch. A double to center by Michael McKenry would follow to put runners on second and third and only one out. That would bring up Drew Stubbs, who would send an 0-1 pitch into the gap in left field, rolling all the way to the wall for a single, driving in Morneau from third for the game-winning run, 12-11.

    The player of the game, by FAR, was Troy Tulowitzki, who had a career day, going 4-5 with a single, a double, a two run home run and a grand slam, scoring three runs and driving in 7 RBI. Corey Dickerson also had a big day, going 3-4 with a single, a double and a triple and two RBI. Dickerson would end up one home run short of hitting for the cycle, while Tulowitzki ended up a triple shy of his own cycle. Top hitter for the Padres was Yonder Alonso, going 2-5 with two home runs, two runs scored and 3 RBI. Winning pitcher was Adam Ottavino, who improves to 1-0 on the year, pitching the ninth inning, giving up one walk and one strikeout to keep his ERA at 0.00. Starting pitcher Eddie Butler went just 4.0 innings pitched, giving up 7 hits, 7 runs, 7 earned runs, 1 walk and 3 strikeouts to balloon his ERA up to 15.55. Losing pitcher was Shawn Kelley, who went just 0.2 innings pitched, giving up 2 hits, one run and one earned run in the bottom of the eighth inning for a 6.43 ERA. Starting pitcher Brandon Morrow went only 3.2 innings pitched, giving up 11 hits, 8 runs, 3 earned runs, no walks and 2 strikeouts for a 4.60 ERA.



    The third game of the series would go much better for the Rockies, and be much less stressful for the fans. The Padres would get the early 1-0 lead on an RBI triple by Austin Hedges in the top of the second inning, but the Rockies would answer back in the bottom of the third. With Drew Stubbs standing at third base, Nolan Arenado would reach base on a fielding error to allow Stubbs to cross the plate. Then Wilin Rosario would drive in Arenado with an RBI double, followed by an RBI single down the third base line by Troy Tulowitzki. Finally Carlos Gonzalez would smoke an RBI triple to right center field to put Colorado up 4-1.

    The Rockies would put two more up in the bottom of the fourth as pitcher Kyle Kendrick got an RBI single to drive in Stubbs from second, before scoring on an RBI double by Arenado to take a 6-1 lead. San Diego would manage to plate one more run in the top of the sixth inning as Austin Hedges drew a two out, bases loaded walk to bring in Justin Upton on the free run, but that would be all they could manage. The Rockies would make up that run in the bottom of the sixth inning with a solo home run to left field by Drew Stubbs, followed by a solo home run by Michael McKenry in the bottom of the eighth inning to cap off the scoring at 8-2.

    Player of the game was Drew Stubbs, going 3-4 with two singles and a solo home run, scoring one run and one RBI. Top hitter for the Padres was Austin Hedges, going 2-3 with a double, a triple, a bases loaded walk and two RBI. Hedges was the only San Diego player to get an extra base hit as the other 7 hits all came on singles.

    Winning pitcher was Kyle Kendrick to improve to 2-1 on the season, going 7.0 innings pitched, giving up 7 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned run, 1 walk and 6 strikeouts for a 1.80 ERA. Losing pitcher was James Shields to drop to 2-1 on the year, going just 3.2 innings pitched, giving up 9 hits, 6 runs, 3 earned runs, no walks and no strikeouts for a 2.25 ERA.



    The fourth and final game of the series got off to a familiar start, as the Padres would get a couple of quick and early hits, an RBI single driving in the first run of the game in the top of the first inning. The Rockies wouldn’t wait to respond however, as an RBI single by Justin Morneau and a two run home run to right field by Corey Dickerson gave Colorado a 3-1 lead.

    After a quiet second inning by San Diego, the Rockies would turn this into a blowout. Wilin Rosario would get the action started with a leadoff single, moving over to second on a ground out by Daniel Descalso. Rosario would make it to third base on a bunt out by pitcher Jordan Lyles. Then the top of the lineup would go to work as Nick Hundley lined an RBI single to left field to score Rosario. D.J. LeMahieu would line a single to left to score Hundley from second, followed by a bases clearing two run home run by Morneau. Charlie Blackmon would reach base on a single to center field, followed by Corey Dickerson smacking his second home run of the game, a two run moon shot into the second level seats in right field to make it 9-1 and drive starter Andrew Cashner from the game after just 1.2 innings pitched. Two more runs by Drew Stubbs and Wilin Rosario would result in a monster 8 hit, 8 run inning to see Colorado go up 11-1 after just two innings of play.

    Unfortunately for the Padres, the nightmare would continue in the fifth inning as reliever Kevin Quackenbush would give up an RBI single to Descalso, before eventually pitching into a no out bases loaded jam. The Rockies would take advantage of the packed bases, as Nick Hundley would send a ground ball up the middle into center field for a two RBI single. LeMahieu would ground out for the first out of the inning, but he would drive in pitcher Jordan Lyles from third. Finally a two out double by Blackmon into center field would score Hundley from third to cap off a 6 hit, 5 run inning to turn the game into a 16-1 laugher through five innings. The Padres would manage a leadoff triple, an RBI single and another single to put runners on first and third before Jordan Lyles would close the door in the seventh inning and end his day on the mound. Troy Tulowitzki would come in to pinch hit for Lyles in the bottom of the seventh inning, making the most of his at-bat as he would launch a solo home run into the left field bleachers to up the score to 17-2. Boone Logan and Rafael Betancourt would shut down the Padres in the eighth and ninth to wrap this one up.

    Player of the game was Corey Dickerson, going 2-5 with two two-run home runs, two runs scored and four RBI. Another top hitter for the Rockies was Charlie Blackmon, going 3-5 with a single, two doubles, one run scored and one RBI. Wilin Rosario meanwhile went 3-5 with three singles, three runs scored and one RBI. Top hitter for the Padres was Yonder Alonso, going 2-4 with one run scored. Winning pitcher was Jordan Lyles to improve to 2-1, going 7.0 innings pitched, giving up 8 hits, 2 runs, 2 earned runs, no walks and 6 strikeouts for a 3.96 ERA. Losing pitcher was Andrew Cashner to fall to 1-2, lasting only 1.2 innings pitched, giving up 9 hits, 9 runs, 9 earned runs, no walks and no strikeouts to raise his ERA to 6.53.


    San Diego - 6-9-1
    Colorado - 4-10-1

    San Diego - 11-12-1
    Colorado - 12-17-1

    San Diego - 2-9-1
    Colorado - 8-12-1

    San Diego - 2-9-0
    Colorado - 17-19-0


    With the huge series victory over the Padres, taking three of four at home, that would move the Rockies into outright possession of first place in the NL West with a 10-6 record. That would be made possible thanks to a 6-1 San Francisco victory over the LA Dodgers to drop the blue and white to 9-6 and a half game behind the Rockies. Now comes the challenge of holding onto the first place spot as the Rockies welcome the Giants to Coors Field for a three game weekend series.
    Last edited by SmoothPancakes; 06-21-2015 at 02:42 PM.

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    San Francisco Giants (7-10) vs Colorado Rockies (10-6)
    April 24-26, 2015
    Coors Field - Denver, Colorado

    Probable Starters:

    Game One - Friday 6:40 PM
    Tim Hudson (1-2, 3.06 ERA) vs Tyler Chatwood (3-0, 2.37 ERA)

    Game Two - Saturday 6:10 PM
    Tim Lincecum (0-2, 2.50 ERA) vs David Hale (1-1, 5.63 ERA)

    Game Three - Sunday 2:10 PM
    Ryan Vogelsong (0-2, 4.80 ERA) vs Eddie Butler (0-1, 15.55 ERA)


    Coming off a huge series win over the Padres to claim first place in the division, the Rockies would need to keep the hot streak going as they would try and repeat the results the last time they played the Giants. Only difference, that three game sweep came at AT&T Park. The Rockies would have to try and pull off the sweep at home this time around.

    The potential good news for Rockies fans, they would see the exact same pitching match-ups that they did when the Rockies swept the Giants the week before, as the exact same list of probable starters top the list again this time, with Hudson/Lincecum/Vogelsong up for the Giants and Chatwood/Hale/Butler expected on the mound for the Rockies.
    Last edited by SmoothPancakes; 06-22-2015 at 03:50 PM.

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    This series would see it all, a double digit track meet, a pair of extra innings battles, and a day of struggles for the Rockies as they would drop two out of three to the Giants to end their seven game homestand.

    The first game would start slow and then turn nuts. The Rockies got on board first with a solo home run by Troy Tulowitzki in the third inning. Then the Rockies would go nuts in the third inning, as back to back singles, a bunt and another single would load the bases with one out. D.J. LeMahieu would single to drive in one run and leave the bases full. That would bring up Tulowitzki again, and Tulo would empty the bases as he would smoke a grand slam to straight away center field, sending the ball swimming in the fountain. They weren’t done yet however as Corey Dickerson would hit a two out triple, and then get a free pass home as a throwing error from the outfield to third base would send the ball flying into the dugout and out of play to make the final damage 6 runs and 6 hits to open a 7-0 lead.

    That lead would last for all of one inning as the Giants would come up in the top of the sixth inning. Two singles and a ground out would put runners at second and third, followed by an RBI ground out to score one and leave a runner at third. Despite having two outs, the Giants would pour it on with three straight RBI doubles and an RBI triple to cut the score to 7-5. A seventh inning sac fly would make it 7-6 before a two out eighth inning single would tie the game, followed by an RBI double to give San Francisco an 8-7 lead. The Rockies would answer back in the bottom of the eighth inning as pinch hitter Charlie Blackmon would launch a two run home run to center field, followed by a solo shot to left by Nolan Arenado to give the Rockies a 10-8 lead. That lead would almost instantly vanish as Nori Aoki would hit a one out single, followed by a walk to Joaquin Arias. An RBI double by Hunter Pence would score Aoki and a squeeze bunt by Adam Duvall would go for a successful single and an RBI as Arias would cross the plate to make it 10-10. The Rockies would load the bases in the bottom of the ninth, but could not get the win.

    Headed into the tenth inning, a leadoff triple to Matt Duffy would spell disaster as Aoki would line a two out RBI single into right field to give the Giants an 11-10 lead. Somehow, the Rockies would answer back with a leadoff single by Arenado and a two out RBI single by Carlos Gonzalez to knot the score back up at 11-11. Rafael Betancourt would shut the Giants down in the eleventh inning with two ground outs and a strikeout. Bottom of the eleventh inning, after a Wilin Rosario fly out, Michael McKenry would swing at a 1-2 fastball and would launch it into the left field bleachers for a walk off solo home run, giving the Rockies a 12-11 win in eleven innings.

    Player of the game was Troy Tulowitzki, going 3-6 with a single, a solo home run and a grand slam, scoring two runs and driving in five RBI. Michael McKenry would be the hero of the game, going 4-6 with three singles and the walk off home run, scoring three runs and one RBI. Top hitter for the Giants was Nori Aoki, going 3-5 with three singles, two runs scored and two RBI. Matt Duffy was also a top hitter, going 3-5 with a double and two triples, scoring one runs and driving in two RBI.

    Winning pitcher was Rafael Betancourt, going 2.0 innings pitched, giving up 2 hits, 1 run, 1 earned run, no walks and 3 strikeouts for a 2.57 ERA. Tommy Kahnle got credit for a hold, his third of the season. Boone Logan and John Axford each got tagged with their first blown saves of the year. Starting pitcher Tyler Chatwood would go 5.2 innings pitched, giving up 6 hits, 4 runs, 4 earned runs, no walks and 6 strikeouts for a 3.28 ERA in the no decision. Losing pitcher was Santiago Casilla to drop to 0-1 on the year, going 2.1 innings pitched, giving up 6 hits, 2 runs, 2 earned runs, no walks and two strikeouts for a 3.24 ERA. Jean Machi was tagged with his second blown save in the eighth inning. Starter Tim Hudson would last just 3.1 innings pitched, giving up 10 hits, 6 runs, 5 earned runs, no walks and four strikeouts for a 4.71 ERA.



    The second game would end up a low scoring pitcher’s duel. The game would start quiet as neither team could find much success. The Rockies would manage to get on board first as Nolan Arenado hit an RBI single to right for in the third inning to stake a 1-0 lead. That would last until the fifth inning when pitcher Tim Lincecum hit a two out single to right field, followed by an RBI triple by Nori Aoki to even the game at 1-1. Two innings later, a one out sac fly by Gregor Blanco would drive in Adam Duvall to put the Giants up 2-1. The Rockies would manage to push across a run in the bottom of the eighth inning as D.J. LeMahieu hit a single to center field to drive in Arenado. From there, despite both teams getting runners on base, neither team would reach home plate until the eleventh inning.

    In the top of the eleventh, Adam Ottavino would get two strikeouts, but would also walk Arias. That would bring up Jackson Williams, who would hit a line drive to center field. A misplay by Charlie Blackmon and a fielding error would allow Arias to score from first and would also allow Williams to sprint around the bases, sliding across home plate for the “inside the park home run that wasn’t” thanks to a bad throw pulling the catcher halfway down the first base line. With that, the Giants would grab a 4-2 lead. The Rockies would put up a fight as Michael McKenry would lead off the bottom of the eleventh with a double, moving over the third base on a ground out by Drew Stubbs. Charlie Blackmon would hit a sac fly to left field to score McKenry and make the score 4-3, but Wilin Rosario would go down swinging on a low and away fastball and the Giants would claim the victory.

    Player of the game was Nori Aoki, going 2-6 with a double, a triple and an RBI. Top hitter for the Rockies was D.J. LeMahieu, going 5-5 with four singles, a double and one RBI. Winning pitcher was J.C. Gutierrez to improve to 1-0, going 1.0 innings pitched, giving up 1 hit, 1 walk and 1 strikeout in a scoreless tenth inning. Jeremy Affeldt would get his first save of the year and S. Romo would get pegged with his second blown save. Starting pitcher Tim Lincecum went 6.0 innings pitched, giving up 9 hits, 1 run, 1 earned run, no walks and 6 strikeouts for a 2.25 ERA. Losing pitcher was Adam Ottavino to drop to 1-1, going 2.1 innings pitched, giving up 2 hits, 2 runs, 2 earned runs, 1 walk and 3 strikeouts to bump his previous perfect ERA up to 2.00. Starting pitcher David Hale went 7.0 innings pitched, giving up 4 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned run, 1 walk and 5 strikeouts for a 4.30 ERA.



    The third game of the series would find the Giants jumping out to an early and insurmountable lead. An RBI double by Brandon Belt and a sac fly by Hunter Pence would score two runs in the first inning, an RBI single by pitcher Ryan Vogelsong would score one in the second, and a two RBI double by Joaquin Arias would score two runs in the third inning to jump the Giants out to an early 5-0 lead. A sac fly by Belt in the fifth inning and a fielder’s choice by Vogelsong in the sixth would bring across two more runs to make it 7-0. The Rockies would finally get on the board in the bottom of the sixth as Daniel Descalso would launch a solo home run to right field for his first round tripper of the season, but the Giants would answer right back in the seventh as Hunter Pence launched a solo home run to center to make it 8-1. An eighth inning sac fly by Charlie Blackmon and a solo home run to right field by Corey Dickerson would be all the further the Rockies could manage in the 8-3 loss.

    Player of the game was Buster Posey, going 4-5 with three singles, a triple and three runs scored. Top hitter for the Rockies was Daniel Descalso, going 3-4 with two singles, a home run, two runs scored and one RBI. Winning pitcher was Ryan Vogelsong to improve to 1-2 on the year, going 8.0 innings pitched, giving up 13 hits, 3 runs, 3 earned runs, no walks and 6 strikeouts for a 4.30 ERA. Losing pitcher was Eddie Butler to fall to 0-2 on the season, going just 4.1 innings pitched, giving up 9 hits, 6 runs, 6 earned runs, no walks and 5 strikeouts for a 14.67 ERA.


    San Francisco - 11-16-2 F/11
    Colorado - 12-23-2

    San Francisco - 4-7-0 F/11
    Colorado - 3-16-2

    San Francisco - 8-12-1
    Colorado - 3-13-2


    That series loss would rip the guts out of the Rockies momentum, dropping them to 11-8 on the year and into second place in the NL West, falling a half game behind the LA Dodgers (11-7). The Rockies would return to the extremely friendly road, as they would close out the final three days of April with a visit to the last place Arizona Diamondbacks.

  16. #36
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    Colorado Rockies (11-8) vs Arizona Diamondbacks (7-11)
    April 27-29, 2015
    Chase Field - Phoenix, Arizona

    Probable Starters:

    Game One - Monday 6:40 PM
    Kyle Kendrick (2-1, 1.80 ERA) vs Bronson Arroyo (1-2, 2.76 ERA)

    Game Two - Tuesday 6:40 PM
    Jordan Lyles (2-1, 3.96 ERA) vs Chase Anderson (1-1, 2.33 ERA)

    Game Three - Wednesday 6:40 PM
    Tyler Chatwood (3-0, 3.28 ERA) vs Jeremy Hellickson (0-3, 4.29 ERA)


    Coming off a disappointing series loss to the San Francisco Giants, the Rockies would try to regroup as they headed on the road, where they currently own a 7-2 record, with a three game stretch through Arizona to close out the month of April, before opening up May with a three game swing at San Diego.
    Last edited by SmoothPancakes; 06-23-2015 at 02:42 PM.

  17. #37
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    Damn, buddy. That game 2 loss hurts. 16 his and only 3 runs.

  18. #38
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    Quote Originally Posted by steelerfan View Post
    Damn, buddy. That game 2 loss hurts. 16 his and only 3 runs.
    Yeah, that one was harsh.

    Same story with game 3. Got runners on base both games but just couldn't get them across the plate.

  19. #39
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    Quote Originally Posted by SmoothPancakes View Post
    Yeah, that one was harsh.

    Same story with game 3. Got runners on base both games but just couldn't get them across the plate.
    Saw that. At least game 3 wasn't close though. Game 2 - ugh!

  20. #40
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    Quote Originally Posted by steelerfan View Post
    Saw that. At least game 3 wasn't close though. Game 2 - ugh!
    That's true! Game 3 was pretty well over early. Game 2 was definitely the heart ripper. Had LOADS of opportunities to score more runs, just didn't drive them in when it counted.

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