Cain Buries Colorado
Things were looking interesting for the Rockies in the NL West entering the weekend. A series sweep over the Giants would move them to only half a game behind with seven to play and a good chance to move into the playoffs in the last two weeks of the season. But the Rockies couldn’t handle Tim Lincecum in game 1. Despite their game 2 victory, a loss in the third game of the series would knock them 4.5 games behind San Francisco and at least 3.5 behind Atlanta for the Wild Card. Thanks to a brilliant performance from Matt Cain, Colorado’s season is now effectively over.
Cain had some help, particularly from home runs by Freddy Sanchez and Cody Ross, but Cain’s fantastic performance stands tallest for the Giants. Over a complete game, Cain only allowed two runs – a Melvin Mora pinch hit home run in the 8th inning. The Rockies could only muster two more hits and a walk off Cain while striking out eight times.
Not only was Cain brilliant, but he was brilliant in the context of a close game. He took the 2-0 lead staked to him by the Sanchez home run and ran with it. The Rockies were within three until the 7th inning, and then after the Mora home run, Cain had to shut the door on a potent Rockies offense in the 8th and 9th. Overall, Cain earned a whopping +.469 win probability added in the start – as a total of +.500 is required for the team to win the game, you can almost say that Cain won the game by himself.
The loss doesn’t quite eliminate the Rockies, but with six games to go for San Francisco and seven for each of San Diego and Colorado, the Rockies are in dire straits. Any combination of three Colorado losses or San Francisco wins now ends the Rockies NL West hopes, and any combination of four San Diego wins or Rockies losses would end any Wild Card hopes. Not only did Matt Cain utterly dominate and shut down the Colorado Rockies offense on Sunday afternoon, but he also buried their season. The Giants can now turn their attention for the rest of the season on what should be a stupendous race against the Padres and Braves for the final two NL playoff spots – all three teams are within a game of each other, and surely all three are glad to have the Rockies securely in their rear-view mirrors.
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A good thing the Rockies passed on him to take Francis 16 picks earlier, of course taking Greg Reynolds right ahead of Lincecum and Longoria hurts more
A good thing that Francis worked out better than Bryan Bullington, Chris Gruler, Adam Loewen, Clint Everts and Scott Moore too…
Classy ballclub you guys have there. Mascot behind the plate (only in the late innings) trying to “distract” the pitcher and an unauthorized ball-doctoring process which has been in place for nearly a decade. It’s like a GD freak show at the circus in the abomination you call a ballpark.
Yes, I agree Tyler. Colorado is the biggest joke around. They try to have their mascot do bush league tactics, they whine about the Giants suspicions, and then they get their ass handed to them by Timmy and Cain and their purple dinosaur season is over.
I wish I could say I’m sad for Colorado. Oh wait, Colorado and their stupid mascot can go to hell as far as I’m concerned.
yeah but it still hurts
Cain didn’t bury the Rockies – their bullpen did. Tracy got all the kudos in the world when they came back and made the playoffs; maybe he should get some of the blame for going to that bullpen early and often….but, then again, just because Peter Gammons digs Houston Street, it certainly doesn’t mean he can successfully close out ball games. Must be the name, “Houston Street”….kind of like “Penny Lane”, almost lyrical-even has a nice ring to it.
It’s “Huston”. (Still every bit as lyrical.) And I think his track record seems to indicate he’s a pretty reliable closer, however you want to spell his name.
Are you talking about for the season or last night? Because if it’s the former, then you’re the only one talking about it, and if it’s the latter, then you’re wrong.
Who are you talking to? If it’s me, then I’m (quite obviously) talking about over the course of his career. A 1-game sample means about-as-close-to-zero-without-being-zero in assessing someone’s ability to close, or hit, or whatever. I was (again, pretty obviously) answering the statement “just because Peter Gammons digs Houston Street, it certainly doesn’t mean he can successfully close out ball games.”
“Classy ballclub you guys have there. Mascot behind the plate (only in the late innings) trying to “distract” the pitcher and an unauthorized ball-doctoring process which has been in place for nearly a decade. It’s like a GD freak show at the circus in the abomination you call a ballpark.”
Perfectly said, my friend. Perfectly said.
Lets just be glad Colorado’s bush league shenanigans did not help them make it this year.
As far as the juiced ball thing, I’m willing to give them a pass, because there is no evidence.
But that stupid mascot needs to be dealt with. It is flat out comical that MLB allows Dinger to purposefully try and distract pitchers and start jumping up and down on the visiting dugout. Trust me, this kind of behavior DOES affect pitchers, just like any assclown behind home plate waving his arms. Usually Umps tell the jerk behind the plate to cool it and it gets dealt with. But not with Dinger. Stupid dinosaur gets to do whatever he wants. It’s a shame and something needs to be done about it.
Tulo against Barry Zito, Chris Ray, Brian Wilson, and Santiago Casilla: 4 for 5, 1 HR, 1 BB, 5 Rbi’s
Tulo against Timmy and Cain combined: 0 for 7, no bb’s.
Good job of hitting against the superior pitching, Tulo. Really helped your team out big time.
Really? I mean…really? You’re going to complain about the guy who’s had a historically good September stretch run? Ungrateful much?
Biggest series of his year so far and he did jack diddly against the Giants aces. No doubt Tulo is a great ball player and had an unbelievable september, but he didn’t show up when they really needed it.
That a fallacy in thinking; they wouldn’t have *been* big games to begin with without him being so, so incredibly huge for the first 3 weeks of September.