Rockies Burn the Midnight Oil

So last night, after jumping for glee like a kid on his way to Disneyland when the Avs smacked down Minnesota and turned Game 6 into the potential series decider, I switched over to the Rockies game that I had been keeping an eye on. Last time this happened, I switched over to a 0-0 game only to see Ubaldo get worked for a 6-spot. Tonight, I watched into the 8th, saw Francis finally sit down after a sweet performance, then I left the room to put my three-year old son to bed. It was already 10:00, and with small kids in the house, the West Coast late games are tough to stick with. So I put Sammy to bed, came down to check some email, and popped in to MLB.com to see what had happened… and it was still a scoreless tie in the 10th.

Well HOTDOG says I. Turn the TV back on, and watched this pop-fly/double-play/swing-and-miss extravaganza go on until 11:00, when the Rocks grounded into yet another double play in the top of the 13th, and at that point, I bailed. I told my wife as I turned out the lights that it’s just too early in the season to stick with the late west coast game until the bitter end. I did so figuring by midnight, it would be over and I would check in the morning to see a 1-0 game, probably ended off of a walk-homer given up by the Rocks weary bullpen.

Well HOOBOY says I this morning. 22 innings. The game went another 3 hours AFTER I bailed in the 13th. The Padres walk in a run in the 14th? Really? Then they score in the bottom half? REALLY? Then another 7 scoreless innings before Tulo drives in the game winner? REEHEEHEEHEEEELLLLYYYY?

To be honest, I never would have lasted until 2am, I would have probably given up after the re-tie of the 14th. But wow. You just don’t expect games like this in April. And to see that the Rockies hung with it, and did not give it away out of fatigue, shows shades of the character we were fortunate to witness last August and September. Every game matters, they learned last year. To play those kinds of games, and to come away from Petco with a 2-1 advantage, is solid - even if they did play 40 innings in three days to get there. Here’s to hoping they are not completely wasted in Houston tonight… but if they come out flat, I think we can forgive that.