Box Score Bytes - Game 136

- Game 71 of the Great Tracy Experiment (Train Wreck): Record 31-40. Chacin gets the embarrassing loss (see below).  Pitched well although not as efficient compared to his other starts.  Starter's record is now 12-31 with 28 no decisions and bullpen record of 19-9.

- Rox continue to find new ways to lose a game.  Today's was more embarrassing than most as Chacin misplayed the return throw from the catcher and allowed a pass ball resulting in the runner from third taking home.  As this season goes this run was enough and Rox loss another 1-0 decision...the second in as many days!

- In the crazy world of stats this is the first time in 28 years that a team won consecutive 1-0 games with both runs being unearned.

- With as bad as Rox pitching has been, it has seemingly masked the fact that the defense behind those pitchers as also been truly awful.  Not only do we lead the league in errors but almost all the advanced defensive stats also suggest that our fielding this year as been bad.  

- Elias also reports this is the just the second time in Rox history they have played three straight games where one team failed to score.  Last time this happened was 2009.

- Braves trounce the season series by taking six of seven games.

Box Score Bytes - Game 135

- Game 70 of the Great Tracy Experiment (Train Wreck): Record 31-39.  White pitched effectively, too bad well pitched game added to his loss total.  Starter's record is now 12-30 with 28 no decisions and bullpen record of 19-9.

- Rox have played in 28 1-0 games in their history (approximately 1% of their total games!).  This is their second such game this year.

- Rox have been strike out kings this series having 12, 11, and 12 K's in each of the three games so far this series.

- Pacheco's hit streak hits 14 games.  In this stretch he is hitting .365 and raised his overall average to .313.

Box Score Bytes - Game 134

- Game 69 of the Great Tracy Experiment (Train Wreck): Record 31-38.  Pomeranz continues to struggle and not understand the concept of being efficient.  While he threw 3 innings of scoreless baseball he threw 72 pitches to get there.  Being that it would take him 216 pitches to get through 9 innings at this pace something has to start clicking with him.  In 17 starts he is averaging 13 outs per start.  Starter's record is now 12-29 with 28 no decisions and bullpen record of 19-9.

- Six shutout of the year for the Rox pitching staff.  Of course we are still last in the league in this category...

- Pacheco has a quiet 13 game hit streak going on.

- CarGo collected his 22nd homer and 83rd RBI.  Nice season for someone who probably doesn't see anything to hit on a daily basis....

Box Score Bytes - Game 133

- Game 68 of the Great Tracy Experiment (Train Wreck): Record 30-38.  Chatwood can't do much on the road in Atlanta, giving up 6 runs (5 earned, sound familiar?) in three innings of work.  Starter's record is now 12-29 with 27 no decisions and bullpen record of 18-9. 


- Rox strikeout 12 times and our pitchers get a lesson on how it should be done.

- Although the score looked bad, Braves only had 5 hits and 6 runs, while Rox had 5 hits and 1 run...know how the Padres fill after yesterday's performance against us in a losing effort.

Box Score Bytes - Game 27

-  Amazing how many Braves fans there are in this country.  Having grown up in Atlanta, the Braves used to not draw anyone.  Then they had the 10-15 year stretch where they were really good, they were on TBS broadcasted around the country, and then sort of became America's team (?).  Today's game even the upper deck corners were filled.  Pretty rare...

- Quirky box score today as Scutaro's first three at bats were outs to each of the outfielders, F7, F8, and F9 in the bottom of the sixth.  Then Herrera flied out to center and CarGo flied out to left to complete the cycle.

- Braves outscored us 29-19 (outhit us 42-25) in the series and was their first series sweep in Colorado since August 2003.

- Rox finished the homestand with a 3-6 record....boys this isn't how its done in Colorado.  You have any desire to get to the playoffs you need to win 50 games at home.  At 8-10 that means you have to go 42-21 the rest of the way...

- With the Rox staff in shambles you do realize that Hammel is now 4-1 for the Orioles...and as bad as Ubaldo's been he still is 3-2 after a win today.  Wow O'Dowd and his greatness really has to be questioned at this point.

- Interesting read between the lines in Saunder's Denver Post article today about several position players getting frustrated with the pitching staff.  This is time for Tracy to do his managing thing and try and prevent this rift from getting bigger.  Position players probably don't like playing behind all the time.  You could see it today they were just pressing.  Frustration levels are high.  This road trip could truly bury the Rox.  They need to reach deep down and start playing for each other...

Box Score Bytes - Game 26

- How long of a season is it going to be?  Rox were up 8-3 after 5 complete inning and were then outscored 10-1 in the last 4 frames

- Rox commit 4 errors!  Yeah nothing like a veteran squad to play tough defense.  Tulo commits his 7th of the year after only committing 6 all of last year.  Tulo needs to pull his head out and start acting like a team captain. This team is dismal in every facet.

- Tracy indicates that was the worst game of the year for us?  At least he is honest when he said Rox score 17 runs in the first two games of the series and have two losses to show for it...

-  Rosario hit two homers and Cuddyer had a grand slam...on the bright side of things.  This marks the third grand slam in this homestand!  And even Moyor got into the act with his first hit of the year and 50th of his career.  His first hit came on August 22, 1986 off of Reds' pitcher Ted Power with a single to short. Terry Francona played RF that day for the Cubs

Box Score Bytes - Game 25

- Rox honor Chipper Jones? What is the etiquette for that and why? Guy has played 122 games against us, 558 plate appearances, 104 runs scored, 150 hits, 31 home runs (These are the most home runs against any team outside of the NL East), 0.322 batting average, 0.427 OBP, and 0.607 slugging percentage. Instead of red carpet treatment at the ballpark they should have it at the airport when he leaves town!

 - For last night's game I decided to stand above the bullpens all game. Rox have instead stands in around these areas. It was actually kind of nice. The view is a bit far and you can't see the scoreboard but you can watch the relievers warm up. Amazing how loud the smack of the glove is. Also from this advantage point you can see all the opponents hits up the middle. It's amazing really how many balls come back up the middle when Rox are pitching...

 - I finally rediscovered this webpage which tracks balls in play.  Here were all the 2011 singles.  Hard to say if any one side gets a higher distribution and unfortunately 2012 data is not up yet.  Below this is tonight's game.  Nice cluster of 5 hits right at centerfield...

- Rox are now 59-99 all time against the Braves

- Not that Moscoso was pitching lights out but he came unglued in the 5th when a foul ball was initially called fair then overturned.  The batter went on to get a single, Braves went on to score 4 runs and retake the league.

- Helton now 21st and all alone with 561 doubles.

Box Score Bytes - Game 99

1) Nothing like the inability to win a game after leading 4-0...

2) Tough to see the team battle, take back leads, and yet still lose. This is the story of the year!

Box Score Bytes - Game 98

1) Walk Off!

2) Good defense win games

3) Nicasio loves pitching at home...UPDATED 4-1 at home, 0-3 away. 1.98 ERA at home, 7.04 away. Funny thing is he has more strikeouts away (2 more) but tends to walk more away. Interesting he he has given up 3 more hits on the road and yet allowed 15 less runs to score at home.

Box Score Bytes - Game 97

1) U-Ball's last home start? Hope not...

2) Rox first win this year against the Braves...again our long time nemises 57 - 92 all time, worst winning percentage against any team in NL.

3) Games like this just continue to mask the overall poor performance of this team. Outscoring the opponent by 9 runs bumps up the runs score versus runs against and just continues to make us think this team should be better than it is...

Box Score Bytes - Game 96

1) Amazing that management hasn't fixed the sun issue at Coors...Helton losing the ball in the second inning sealed the Rox fate

2) Who is Freeman and why does he hate the Rox so much? UPDATE: After the series he finished 14/32 with 6 home runs in 8 games!

Box Score Haiku - Game 88

1) Swept...not exactly what the Rox needed right before the all star break...realize Rox have played in 171 four game series from 1993-2010 and have only been swept 16 times?

2) And now Blackmon is hurt?  Good golly we are a walking MASH unit.

3)  Hey at least Aaron Cook can be our designated pinch runner!

Box Score Bytes - Game 87

1) Leave it to the Rox to make a guy batting under 0.200 a star...

2)  Thanks for the memories but frankly Cook no longer belongs on a major league mound.  No sinker no chance

Box Score Bytes - Game 86

1) No CarGo and No Tulo - 'nuff said

2) Morale victory?  We out hit Braves and still lost by two runs

3) 5 games in and Mark Ellis is batting 11 for 22...go figure

Box Score Bytes - Game 85

1)  How bad are the Rox against the Braves -Let me count thy ways 23 - 49 all time in Atlanta (only worse winning percentage is New York), against the Braves in general 57 - 92 (worse all time record against any NL team), and 5-17-2 record in series in Atlanta.

2) I hate the holiday hats

3) U-Ball throws 117 pitches in 5.1 innings...yikes not very efficient

4)  Rox get 4 hits...whoopee