Rockies Outmash Padres To Win Weekend Series

National coverage only noticed the game yesterday between the Colorado Rockies and the San Diego Padres because it was an excuse to oooh and awww at the offensive explosions at Coors Field. As far as Rockies and Padres fans were concerned, it was a relatively significant game considering the fact that both teams are out of contention for a series in September. The Rockies were hoping to continue their winning ways by wrapping up a successful homestand. The Padres were hoping to win the series to maintain the momentum of a recent hot streak and bury the Rockies in last place in the process.

Ultimately it was the Rockies who pulled out a hard-fought 11-10 victory. Yesterday I listed a nucleus of young players that included Dexter Fowler, Josh Rutledge, Jordan Pacheco, Tyler Colvin, and Eric Young Jr. I have good information from sources close to sources familiar with sources with knowledge of the situation that Chris Nelson reads Rox Pile and felt slighted by the fact I left him off that list. To prove his point, he bashed a go-ahead 3 run homer yesterday that was ultimately the deciding blow in the game.

Chase Headley, a Fountain Fort Carson alum and former opponent of this writer (true story, even if I only pinch ran in the game), got healthy in the game, knocking 4 hits and driving in 6 runs. While he has not reached the status Adrian Gonzalez once held on the Padres, he is still becoming the “guy who scares you on that team.” If nothing else, he is getting more help from the likes of Carlos Quentin, but the switch hitter has become a legitimately dangerous hitter without any of the Petco Park or San Diego Padres qualifiers. He just gets the job done.

Obviously a game in which the pitching staff surrenders 10 runs represents a step back, but given the recent progress on that side of the ball, things are still pointing up for this team. If the Rockies want to truly show us that they want to play good baseball for the rest of the regular season, they can do so by playing .500 ball on a wicked upcoming road trip that starts in Atlanta today.