Tulowitzki, Rosario Key Blowout Victory Over Giants

The Colorado Rockies scored 10 runs again Saturday night. The difference was they did not let the San Francisco Giants chip away at the lead or make a comeback. They just put the game away and turned it into a laugher. Final score: 10-2 Rockies.

And I do mean a laugher. Reliever Wilton Lopez batted in the game. The Rockies are near the top of the National League in a number of offensive categories; I have to believe they are running away with “at-bats by relief pitchers.” Anyhow, if baseball has an equivalent of garbage time we saw it last night. You know, like in basketball when the guy at the end of the bench whom everybody loves gets to play the last two minutes and gets a standing ovation upon entering the game. Saturday night it was something like that, and it was a welcome situation for the Rockies after two night of nail-biters.

Rosario’s home run. Image: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Troy Tulowitzki and Wilin Rosario were the offensive heroes in this one. Tulowitzki went 4-for-5 with 2 RBI. Rosario went 2-for-5 with 3 RBI and the game’s only home run. That is worth noting again: there was only one home run in this game. Some might see that the Rockies scored 10 runs and assume that they turned off the humidor or switched in some juiced baseballs or something (ah hem, I’m looking at you, losing pitcher Tim Lincecum). It was just a steady and relentless offensive attack with baserunners and opportunistic at-bats up and down the lineup.

On the mound Tyler Chatwood proved what we already knew: he should never have been demoted to AAA in the first place. He did scatter 7 hits and 4 walks, two numbers that need to improve in his next outing. But Chatwood still managed to go 5.2 innings and allow only 1 run, enough to get the job done.

The Rockies have to sustain a good level of play beyond this series and this month for these wins to matter. But if they do matter, we might note this weekend as the moment that they finally punched back against the Giants. If the Rockies want to really end the weekend with a bang they could defeat Barry Zito, the ace of the Rockies Killers All-Stars, on Sunday. That task might me made even more difficult by the fact that Juan Nicasio is on the mound for the Rockies.

Look at it this way: it will sure be impressive if they do find a way to steal a win, right?