Matt McBride’s grand slam lifts Rockies to victory (Video)

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You remember that trade that the Colorado Rockies infamously made with the Cleveland Indians. You know, the one where they appeared to treat Ubaldo Jimenez like dirt as they dealt him to Cleveland for Drew Pomeranz, Alex White, and Matt McBride.

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Fast forward to 2014, and only one of those players is still with the team that he was sent to in that trade. That would be McBride, who at the time was unquestionably a throw-in. He was a spare part. He was an insignificant part of the deal.

Considering the fact that Jimenez was sketchy and then bolted Cleveland the moment he had pitched well for them, and considering that Pomeranz and White have both been moved along by the Rockies, and considering that Pomeranz lampooned his 2014 season by losing a fistfight with a chair, how much would McBride have to do to make that trade a win for the Rockies?

When every featured piece of the deal returns complicated and ultimately disappointing results, how much production does the overlooked player have to provide to make it an unexpected victory for his team?

With pitching being the currency of Major League Baseball, the Rockies will never truly call that Jimenez trade a win (though they did flip Pomeranz into Brett Anderson, so in that sense their grade is still “incomplete”). Even still, it is oddly satisfying anytime the versatile McBride comes through.

McBride might be a fringe big leaguer at best; to his credit he was batting a solid .305/.345/.487 through 51 games in Triple-A this season. On Wednesday night he came through in a big spot and keyed a 5-2 Rockies’ victory.

With the bases loaded and the Rockies down 2-1 in the sixth inning, McBride faced Danny Duffy. It appeared Duffy wanted to get the ball in on the righty’s hands; that plan failed as Duffy got way more of the plate that he would have hoped for.

McBride sent a line drive grand slam into the glove of a fan standing just beyond the left field wall, and the Rockies had a thrilling moment to enjoy on this night.

Check out video of the home run below.