Rockies Leave Texas with Heads Held (Pretty) High

Rockies 2, Rangers 4

My prediction prior to the beginning of this series was that the Rangers would score 30 runs. They scored 15, half as many as I thought they would. And the Rockies scored 14, which is about twice as many as I thought they would. So in the distorted part of my brain reserved for “expectations regarding the 2012 Rockies,” this was a winning weekend! The fact that it actually wasn’t will be conveniently ignored.

Poor Alex White. I kind of feel bad for him. Saturday he watched his rotation-mate Josh Outman get 92 pitches and go 6 innings, and I’m sure he thought he’d be allowed the same leeway if he executed his game plan yesterday. Unfortunately, he seemed to be lacking both execution and a game plan, and he exited with 2 outs in the 3rd, at 78 pitches. He allowed all 4 runs the Rangers scored, on a pair of RBI doubles in the 2nd and a 2-run triple in the 3rd. More crummy defense by Wilin Rosario (10 PASSED BALLS AND IT’S NOT EVEN MIDSEASON) did not help matters. But White had trouble getting ahead in the count and the Rangers took advantage. White can be proud, at least, that he didn’t allow any home runs, something of a rarity for him.

The bullpen certainly agrees with Jeremy Guthrie – knock on wood. In his second long relief appearance, he went 3 1/3 innings and didn’t allow a single run. He did deal with some traffic on the basepaths and make his first throwing error of the season, but any scoreless outing from him is a quality one. I will take it. And from there Adam Ottavino and Matt Reynolds each pitched a hitless inning. It’s just too bad that the Rockies couldn’t put up the necessary runs to pull out a win.

The worst part of the Rockies’ offensive performance was that it was another situation in which they outhit the other team and still scored fewer runs. They racked up 11 hits and only managed to cross the plate twice. They were an abysmal 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. They left men on base in every single inning and hit into 3 double plays. They didn’t even manage to score at all until the 9th, when they loaded the bases with no out and actually came up with a single and a sacrifice fly. Of course, Marco Scutaro tried to advance to 2nd on said sac fly, and when he was thrown out there you knew this thing was about to come to a screeching halt. Which it did.

Oh well. They won one game out of three, which is more than I thought they’d win. See, sometimes being a pessimist really pays off in the happiness department.

The Rockies head home today to face the Nationals in a 4-game series.