Colorado Rockies at San Francisco Giants 4-30-10 recap & analysis
Barry Zito stifled the Rockies' bats Friday night
- Image by Scott Ableman via Flickr
So here we are at the end of April and the Rockies have a chance to be +.500 in April for the first time since 2005. I’d say that’s an accomplishment considering how bad the Rockies consistently are early in the season. If they play the way they did last year with this year’s April performance, they will end up with 96 wins.
Just to reinforce how impressed I am, at this point I had them at 2 games under when I ran the numbers at the beginning of the season.
Today features Aaron Cook vs. Barry Zito.
Zito is pitching great with a 3-0 record and a 1.32 ERA. He’s never done that through April not even in his glory days in Oakland. You have to expect that he can’t keep up this pace. On the other hand, Aaron Cook finally put it together last game. Historically, Cook is streaky. Win 5, lose 3, win 5, lose 3, and end up 15-9 at the end of the season. He lost his first three and won his last one, so I’d say the Rockies chances look good to have Cookie roll and Zito humbled.
Rockies Line Up tweak: Carlos Gonzales to the 3, Todd Helton to the 5. That’s a lot of speed at the top now going Eric Young Jr., Dexter Fowler, Gonzales 1, 2, 3. Helton hasn’t shown he still has the power to hit 5, though. Is Tracy thinking Todd will be singling people in? He’d need a lot of singles, but then again he’s more than capable. Also, Melvin Mora is playing 3rd base tonight. Probably to get another righty into the lineup.
Top 1st Rockies 1-0
Young’s patience at the plate earned a bag, then his legs, a sacrifice by Fowler (which was a bad call – Dex was safe), and a single by CarGo get the Rockies the first run of the game. Beyond that there are two stolen bases already by the Rockies on the slow moving Zito. Note: Bengie Molina had perfect throws on both steals.
Zito is having a little trouble finding the strike zone to star but his stuff is so tricky to figure out if it’s a strike or not who knows if that’s a problem.
Bot 1st Rockies 1-0
Cookie gets the outs but not very efficient; 19 pitches and a walk to Edgar Renteria. But more troubling is that 2 outs were fly outs to outfielders. Cookie pounds the strike zone with a heavy sinker. He should be getting ground balls every batter. Can’t judge him on it yet, it’s just troubling.
Top 2nd Rockies 1-0
Barry Zito seems to have settled in. He’s doing what he’s known for; making batters miss hit the base ball and fly out. Cookie better be on his game tonight.
Bot 2nd Rockies 1-0
I suppose if Aaron Cook settles in too we may see a lot of quick fly out followed by a lot a quick ground outs. Another walk in the inning canceled out by a double play. And the Juan Uribe hit a fly out (where have I seen that before?).
Top 3rd Rockies 1-0
The Circle Change Up is one of the hardest pitches to master in baseball, once you do it is one of the hardest pitches to read as a batter. You need a strong, strong arm but you get a lot of backwards Ks. Two so far in the game for Zito.
Bot 3rd Rockies 1-0
Perfect card but an awful lot of fly outs for Cook. I don’t know if San Fran has made a point of swinging low to try to hit his sinker or what; but a sea level, if they’re skying it, something is wrong with the sinker. Of course, maybe San Fran’s lineup really is that bad.
Top 4th Rockies 1-0
Well the Rockies get another base runner due to yet another “I’m terrified of Todd Helton so I’m going to pitch it three feet of the plate ‘unintentionally” walk, but the rest of the lineup can’t solve Zito. The Lefty is working inside on righties an awful lot. No fear in that man right now.
Bot 4th Rockies 1-0
A two out duck fart single to right center get the first hit out the game followed abruptly by the second, a second pitch grounder through the second base hole by Aubrey Huff. Then a 4 pitch walk to Mark DeRosa loads the bases. And the Juan Uribe of all people finds the second base hole with a ground ball for two runs. Apart from the walk it was all bad luck and all of it with two outs.
Also in the inning was a snap throw to second that Miguel Olivo almost put into center field. Clint Barmes made a falling sideways and backward catch to save to free base.
Top 5th Giants 2-1
The Rockies follow it up with a pair of singles by Mora and Barmes followed by a sac bunt by Cook, and a past by Molina lets the tying run in. Mora got lucky with a ground ball that found the third base hole but Barmes was a very good piece of hitting.
Last year the most frequent thing I would yell at my TV was “Keep Your Shoulder Up, Barmes!”. Clint has the worst tendency to drop his shoulder for a power hit when the pitch is something he should just make contact with. He’s doing a much better job this year of hitting for contact.
Bot 5th Tied 2-2
Leaving the ball up in the zone finally cost Cook. Another walk, a well fought off high inside pitch for a single by John Bowker, and a lucky little infield single by Pablo Sadoval set up the Huff double over EYJ’s head. But then Cook looked much better…after all the run came in
Why does Cook pitch with confidence only after he’s let runs in? I mean I like the idea of a solid pitcher getting angry and laying into a team, but he should do that after a hit or a bad call not after a run.
Top 6th Giants 5-2
Barry Zito is showing no signs of having a problem pitching with the lead. Pair of ground outs, one for a double play; 11 pitches to get it done even with the walk to Helton.
Bot 6th Giants 5-2
Aaron Cook seems to have put it back together. After a leadoff double by Nate Schierholtz, Cookie got Zito to bunt poorly and held Schierholtz on second. And then got two ground out by the top of the order.
Top 7th Giants 5-2
So after I compliment Cook his day is over. Probably doesn’t matter. Even if he had pitched well the rest of the way the Rockies offence is showing no signs of life. One more inning with zero baserunners.
Bot 7th Giants 5-2
Manny Corpas comes in the deal with the 7th and maybe 8th. I think he may have found himself again. He’s throwing the ball with confidence over the inside of the plate and testing batters with high fastballs. One walk with two outs but no threats.
Top 8th Giants 5-2
Dexter Fowler laid into a bad pitch and earned a double but the batters following him didn’t do as well. CarGo tried to outsmart them with a bunt and it backfired. And then a pretty good 8 pitch at bat by Tulo goes down in flames with a foul out. The Rockies just can’t put two hits together tonight.
Bot 8th Giants 5-2
Randy Flores came in to pitch the 8th. It may have been his best pitching performance of the year. 12 pitches, and three quick outs. But the Rockies must find some offense against a pretty good San Fran closer. Probably a good performance in vain.
Top 9th Giants 5-2
Sergio Romo pitching.
I a decent 5 pitch at bat Todd finds his pitch and misses it. He grounds out to 2nd Base Mark DeRosa. One Out.
Miguel Olivo akes a try at a pitch on the outer half and pop it up behind the plate. Two Out.
Melvin Mora takes about the same outer half pitch to right center for a double. Two Out, runner on second.
The Rockies Bring in Seth Smith to hit for Clint Barmes and the Giants counter with Jeremy Affeldt. Beware the Curve Ball.
On a 3-1 pitch after 3 straight balls, Sethh Smith can’t get a hold of an a low in side fastball. Ground out to First Base. Game Over.
Giants 5-2
Both the Giants and the Rockies did ok, not great. The Giants got the hits with people on base while the Rockies couldn’t find the ball with people on base. Cook had one unlucky inning and one bad inning, and that was enough for the loss. Enough for Zito to work with.
Congrats to Barry Zito. He is pitching like he never has before (literally). He’s never been 4-0 in April. Once he settled in, his stuff was unhittable tonight. Sometimes his Circle Change would trick someone into not swinging and accepting a strike out, but mostly his Curveball would seduce a swing on an impossible pitch. 8 innings, 5 Ks (3 Backwards), in total.
The Rockies offense needs to figure out a way to generate consistent pressure, because consecutive innings with no base-runners followed by 3 hits for an extra 1-2 runs isn’t working. I’d recommend patience at the plate, but they look fairly patient in most at-bats. Rocks need to barrel up the ball. Of Course, it’s now May 1 and the Rockies are a mere game under .500… perhaps I should be patient.
