When Greg Smith goes against Jair Jurrjens on the road, you don't expect to win. You would need a very effective start from Smith or an uncharactistically uneven outing from Jurrjens. The Rockies received neither and actually walked eleven Braves, yet still nearly stole the game and the series in Atlanta today.
Up one in the ninth inning, Franklin Morales yielded a single to Martin Prado. After a sacrifice fly, young second base umpire Damien Beal then called a phantom balk on Morales, erasing a strike and sending the tying runner to third. Rattled, Morales walked Brian McCann. Troy Glaus grounded into what appeared to be a 3-6-1 game-winning double play, but umpire Jeff Nelson called Glaus safe at first. Jason Heyward then grounded a two-strike fastball to left field for a walk-off win. It is Franklin Morales' second blown save this season, though arguably neither were his fault.
Matt Diaz ended Atlanta's hitless streak with a trible on Greg Smith's second pitch, who walked seven and allowed five hits. The lefty wiggled out of jam after jam, stranding eight runners in 5.2 IP. Carlos Gonzalez helped Smith out by gunning down Melky Cabrera trying to score in the third inning, but Smith slammed the door himself the rest of the time, striking out the final batter of the first, second, fourth and fifth innings.
With no control of his fastball whatsoever (53 of his 108 pitches were balls) and pedestrian stuff, Smith gritted and worked his way through, giving the Rockies a chance against the talented young Braves' right-hander.
Ian Stewart singled in Troy Tulowitzki after a double in the second inning. Only two baserunners reached after that hit until Stewart's at-bat in the seventh inning. He turned on a 92mph fastball and wrapped it around the right-field foul pole for a tie game, and Carlos Gonzalez followed suit a laser shot down the line in right, quite probably the lowest trajectory of any home run in the majors this season.
Comments of the Day:
two breaks in one inning... geez
by atl192485 on Apr 18, 2010 2:48 PM MDT
Definitely out, god the umps are terrible
Another uninnocent, elegant fall into the unmagnificent lives of adults...
by Smoltz's Beard on Apr 18, 2010 2:48 PM MDT
(Both taken from the Talking Chop Game Thread)
The Rockies appeared to steal this game and series, but moments later, it was stolen back. The disgusting Fangraph and Roll Call after the jump.
WPA Heroes:
WPA Zeroes:
Franklin Morales (-.820): 0.2 IP, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 H, Balk
Todd Helton (-.151): 0-for-4, K
Seth Smith (-.126): 0-for-3
Roll Call:
Andrew T. Fisher, controlled_slide, 3nS, biondino, Rock Oax, pedalpusher, The Lodo Magic Man, Silverblood, Muzia, PinchHitLancePainter, GoRockies!!, Chrysicat, SDcat09, butterfly, Foxhole Atheist, RhodeIslandRoxfan, airforcefoo, midwest roxfan, Hollidayrain, Oldfoagie, Colsportsfan, purplesocks, 4thturn, WanderingRoxFan, Shoemaker, holliday5, Paleface Destro, desecrator09, Jim Jiminez, Rox Girl, free7694, ddavis539, MADness, mkorpal, BroJB, NewMexicanSteven, realmenwearpurple, Blake20th, DieHardRox, avsrock90, tulolgit2quit, TuLoRocks2008, Maris6161, bleedspurple, MarshallMcCard, Jeff Aberle, Russ Oates, Squeaky, wolf213, arpagamos, Rocktoberforever, SpaceFlare, theshiva, BittenAnkles, holly96, Maria M, dds_dave, BeefySwats, fantasyfencing, wagthedog
Total Users: 60
Total Posts: 1663
Total Threads: 2