Colorado Rockies Win; Arenado Makes Play Of The Year

Apr 14, 2015; San Francisco, CA, USA; Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) scores in the second inning of their MLB baseball game with the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports

Christian Bergman took the hill in a spot start against Tim Hudson and the San Francisco Giants Tuesday night and WHO CARES BECAUSE NOLAN ARENADO MADE THE BEST PLAY YOU’LL SEE ALL YEAR IN THE EIGHTH INNING.

Christian Bergman threw four scoreless innings in a spot start, and the bullpen came through with five scoreless innings of relief as the Colorado Rockies strung together four runs and beat the San Francisco Giants 4-1 on Tuesday night at AT&T Park in northern California.

In the top of the first, the Rockies wasted a Charlie Blackmon single (followed by a double play) and a Troy Tulowitzki double, and Christian Bergman took the hill in a spot start in place of Jorge De La Rosa.

Bergman fell behind of Giants’ hitters early, but it didn’t burn him in the first as he took advantage of San Francisco’s left-handed heavy lineup.

A Nolan Arenado doubled led off the top of the second inning against Giants’ starter Tim Hudson. Corey Dickerson brought Arenado home with a single, and eventually worked himself around the bases before scoring on a wild pitch to give the Rockies a 2-0 lead.

DJ LeMahieu then singled to center to continue his season-opening hitting streak, but he was stranded to end the frame. Nevertheless, the first time through the lineup, the Rockies got five hits and a sacrifice against the winningest active pitcher in Major League Baseball. On the road.

Christian Bergman held the Giants scoreless through three innings despite racking up a relatively high pitch count, and entering the fourth, the Rockies retained their 2-0 lead.

In the fourth, back-to-back singles by Dickerson and Nick Hundley brought up LeMahieu, who executed a perfect safety squeeze to put the Rockies ahead 3-0 off Hudson.

After allowing two runners with no outs in the fourth, Bergman bore down on Hector Sanchez, Brandon Crawford and Tim Hudson and got out of the jam unscathed, again.

Bergman was done after four, having allowed four hits and two walks, with four strikeouts in 85 pitches (55 strikes). He gave way to Scott Oberg making his Major League debut with the Rockies in the fifth inning of a 3-0 game.

Oberg stranded Nori Aoki on third base, and the Rockies took the three-run lead to the sixth inning. By this point, though, Hudson had retired eight straight Rockies and the bats calmed down considerably.

In the bottom of the sixth, recently demoted closer LaTroy Hawkins came on and had a six-pitch inning. After Hudson threw a scoreless seventh, Christian Friedrich shut the Giants down in the bottom half of the inning and continued the Rockies’ great bullpen work.

Rafael Betancourt came on for the bottom of the eighth with the 3-0 cushion, and allowed a bloop single and a walk to start the inning.

That only allowed Nolan Arenado to make the play of the decade on a foul pop-up.

Some more looks:

After the Giants pushed a run across, Charlie Blackmon made a leaping catch at the center field wall to rob Buster Posey from tying the game, and it was an afterthought coming behind Arenado’s insane play.

In the top of the ninth, the Rockies scored another run on a Wilin Rosario RBI groundout to take a 4-1 lead, and went to the final stanza bringing Adam Ottavino in to close the game.

Ottavino struck out the side in the ninth because he’s filthy.

Scott Oberg earned the win in his Major League debut, and the bullpen was once again nails, throwing five innings and allowing just one run – their first earned run of the entire season.

The Rockies and Giants finish their series tomorrow night in San Francisco, before the Rox get an off day Thursday in Los Angeles, and then begin a three-game series against the Dodgers.