Monday, August 24, 2009

Post-Scoreboard-Watching Thread: Giants Play Scorpion, Rockies Play Frog

ROCKIES 6, GIANTS 4 (14)

Dodger fans were having fun with tonight's marathon game at Coors Field. Jim Tracy had burned through seven pitchers, finally leaving in Adam "Mark" Eaton (ERA hovering around 8) in for 55 pitches, which burned Tracy when two triples and a backfired IBB resulted in a three-run top of the 14th inning, giving the Giants a 4-1 lead. Insurmountable, right?

Not for the Giants, whose nature is so hard-coded to screw the Dodgers, even at sacrificial cost to themselves. Remembering that their playoff chances are only about 11% anyway, the Giants went ahead and coughed up a huge hairball, watching Giant reliever Justin Miller walk in the Rox' pitcher (the aforementioned Eaton) on five pitches to cut the lead to two runs. And then, just for icing, Bruce Bochy brings in Jerkin' Merkin Valdez, whose second pitch of the ballgame results in a walk-off grand salami for Ryan Spilborghs. Game over, Rockies win and take three of four from the Giants.

On the bright side, the Rockies' 14-inning victory depleted their bullpen a day before they start a three-game series with the Dodgers, and the fact that we saw Jason Marquis pitch eight innings of one-run ball means that he's spent for this series too, which is also good. But a puny three-game divisional lead means that a series sweep by the Rockies would (gulp!) tie up the NL West altogether.

Damn Giants.

UPDATE 11:19p: I suppose, upon further review, that the whole scorpion-and-the-frog analogy doesn't work all that well for the frog part, since the Rockies ended up winning the game rather than drowning in the river (except for the bullpen depletion, perhaps). Well, half of the metaphor worked.

UPDATE #2 (8/25, 6p): One day later, I'm still aghast at the Rockies' comeback. Just check out the fangraphs win probability chart for this game. Unbelievable.

artwork by Zoe Piel

15 comments:

rbnlaw said...

I now officially hate the Giants more than I hate George Lucas.

Bayareadfan said...

Wow, that's alot of hate.

Meanwhile, at McCovey Chronicles...

http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2009/8/24/1001312/post-game-thread-giants-concede

MR.F said...

The Rockies' emotionally high will plummet tomorrow.

Steve Sax said...

Can you tiny URL it, bayareadfan?

Steve Sax said...

@fanermam: so spake the white furry teddybear!

NicJ said...

Reading the Giants blogs make me feel a whole lot better.

We will take 2-3 in colorado. The last time we were there we got there manager fired because we beat them so badly. The last time we played them in LA they were the hottest team in baseball and we held them to like 5 runs for the whole series and won 2-3. Loney loves to hit in coors. Fatter Martin is starting to look a little better behind the dish. Manny despite his struggles still comes up big in important series (ex. last SF series). We are running into the weakest part of the Rox rotation and their bullpen sucks. Hamel is more inconsistent than Kershaw and has a 7 ERA at home. Despite us going through a rough patch our pitching has been pretty excellent, last time i checked we were tied for the best ERA in the majors.

The boys in blue will bring it, i just know it.

NicJ said...

What kind of lame "Beat LA" giveaways will the ROX be handing out? SD had towels this year and AZ made those stupid little signs in dbacks colors last year.

Bayareadfan said...

Yeah, this is better:

http://tinyurl.com/m5zret

Their hearts were just ripped out tonight.

Steve Sax said...

Wow NicJ, you basically wrote my post for tomorrow...mind if I use some of the content and cite you?

NicJ said...

I would be honored sax.

Omit any gramatical errors though, haha.

Josh S. said...

The Scorpion-Frog analogy works if the frog represents Dodger fans.

"Sure, we'll help you hold off the Rockies."
*blows 3-run lead and loses*
"What can I say? It's my nature to screw over the Dodgers."

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

That ruined my morning.

karina said...

@Rbnlaw why the hate on Mr. Lucas?

We have good news here, a tired bullpen for the Dodgers, who own the Rockies at his home this season.

@Mr LASF why do the Giants ruin your morning?. It'll be nothing more than hope all day long 'till game time.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

Just take a look at the stadings, Karina.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

*standings