Game Wrap: Rockies 3, Reds 2 as Anderson sizzles and Matzek wobbles

The Rockies first game of the day was a mostly uninteresting affair, narrated by some of the most obnoxious radio guys I've ever heard. As such, I was forced to tune out after Brett Anderson's five crisp innings, and it sounds like I didn't miss anything, apart from what was apparently like a truly bizarre 9th inning.

The Good:

I'm really starting to like Brett Anderson. He breezed through a full-strength Reds lineup with ease, ripping through five innings of one run ball. He gave up some hard contact, but continually pounded the zone, walking none and striking out two. He's like the polar opposite of the guy we traded for him, Drew Pomeranz, who nibbled the zone worse than a school of piranha.

Manny Corpas, Jayson Aquino, and Adam Ottavino also pitched scoreless frames.

Charlie Culberson, Wilin Rosario, and Matt McBride both had two hit days. DJ LeMahieu reached base three times with a single and a pair of walks.

The Bad:

Josh Rutledge went oh-fer, with a strikeout. Michael Cuddyer had a couple hard hit liners, but they both found leather, and he is now sitting at .059 in the batting average department. This guy led the league in batting last year. Of course spring training doesn't matter, but it's still fun to point out the peculiarities of baseball.

The Ugly:

Oh Tyler Matzek. Let's take a gander at this line: 0+ IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 0 K. In the 9th inning. Of a two run game.

This outing reminded me of the final hole of the US Open in Tin Cup, where Kevin Costner resolutely dumped ball after ball into the water. But that was fiction, and had elements of character growth and eventual catharsis. This was just uncomfortable.

Matzek issued four straight walks, bap bap bap bap, to make the game 3 to 2. Someone must have woken Walt Weiss up from his afternoon nap at that point, as the skipper finally pulled the struggling pitcher.

Mike McClendon came in and promptly forced a three-two groundout and a game ending double play, no fuss no muss.

Spring Training sure can be weird.