Box Score Bytes - Game 59

Inning 1) Rox actually take an early lead with a Tulo single. How important is an early lead? Rox are 484 - 212 (0.695 winning percentage) when leading after the first inning from 1993 - 2010.

Inning 2) Nothing doing, Mortensen allows two singles but gets out of the inning.

Inning 3) New look lineup tonight with CarGo batting first and Helton back in three hole.

Inning 4) 18 pitches between the two pitchers...needless to say not much going on at this point. Standard night at PetCo or the Litterbox which I like to call it.

Inning 5) Rox go down with three K's and Padres go down with three groundouts

Inning 6) Two doubles for the Rox but Nelson gets greedy and gets thrown out at third. Too bad since Helton hit another double.

Inning 7) Brothers has his Big League debut and Belisle closes the inning.

Inning 8) Bullpen gets into trouble by loading the bases but Reynolds strikes out for the third out. Rox go into the 9th leading by one run. Ughh hate West Coast baseball. They need an anti-humidor!

Inning 9) Rox offense awakens with double, a triple, and single. Rox go up 3-0. Street wraps up the night with two K's and flyball.

Nice win

Rox Talk - Week 10

The Week That Was

A 2-4 week against the Dodgers and Giants. The Rox currently stand at 27-31. Five and half games behind the Giants for the division lead in fourth place. Currently 13-15 at home and 14-16 on the road, the Rox have outscored its opponents 248-242 (expected wins is 30 versus historical wins at 26). On pace for 75 wins with 693 runs scored and 676 runs against. Playoff indicator (Runs scored/Runs Against ratio) is 1.02 (1.16 indicates high playoff potential).

How tough has it been?  Rox scored 10 runs last week!  Throw out the first two games in LA and in the last four games of the week the Rox only allowed 6 runs and only went 2-2 in that stretch.  Oh yeah and don't forget when our Rox got 18 on base against LA and only scored one run!

How tougher has it been?  Hammel pitches a no hitter through five and two-thirds yesterday and Rox still lose 2-1.  The Rox are currently on pace to score 693 runs?  Lowest in team history?  No not yet, that would be 740 in 2005.  That year they finished 67-95 and that is because pitching gave up 862 runs.  This year staff is on pace for almost 40 runs better than their history and Rox are still 4 games under 0.500! 

How toughest has it been?  Rox are 11-17 in the division and 16-14 against everyone else.  In those 28 games in the division Rox have scored 110 and only allowed 119 runs to score (138 vs 123 against everyone else).   Rox should probably should have 2 to 3 more wins...

And this isn't just the Rox, the league average runs scored is down about 10% from 2000 - 2010 and at this rate about 2,400 less runs will be scored in the MLB.

In the end, I remember reading an early season preview indicating that once again the Rox pitching would be solid but the decider would be the offense.  I scowled at such a thought and wonder what moron would ever think a team playing half its games at Coors would have an offense problem...now I no longer balk at such a suggestion.  This team is anemic.  I just haven't seen anything like this before.  The ball has got to start bouncing our way sometime this season, right?  I can't tell you how many times at Coors I have seen a hot shot up the middle only to be snagged by a middle infielder just shading correctly in that direction to make an easy out.  This sums it up, this Tulo article would indicate he his hitting better but actually doing worse!

Box Score Bytes - Game 58

Inning 1 - Inning 5)  Awesome

Inning 6)  Still OK, tied game still within reach

Inning 7)  Still in this

Inning 8)  Rox must consistent reliever gives it up

Inning 9)  Good night moon, good night Rox

Extra)  This game just a microcosm of the season...great starting pitching, no offense...I sound like a broken record!

Box Score Bytes - Game 57

Inning 1) Chacin struggles through a 22 pitch inning.

Inning 2) Chacin labors through a 23 pitch inning but game still scoreless

Inning 3) Rox get their first hit, Chacin keeps up

Inning 4) Why was CarGo running with Tulo at the plate? Maybe trying to make something happen? Gets thrown out and ends the inning.

Inning 5) Well maybe CarGo sees the future because Tulo singles, gets to second, then scores on an error. Whoopee Rox lead 1-0.

Inning 6) Small ball works...EY gets on, bunted to second, and then Tulo scores him...Yeah and Chacin armor dented by a one run homer. Guess it is OK because it was Cody Ross bobblehead day!

Inning 7) One, two, three by Lindstrom.

Inning 8) Rox get Smith to third but can't get him home, will this come back to haunt the Rox? Nope Betancourt gets the job done

Inning 9) Uh oh Street comes in...big breath...but 10 pitches later game over...Rox win 2-1. How rare is a 2-1 win? Rox are 47-250 when they score 2 runs from 1993-2010. How rare are 2-1 games? There were 91 games with a 2-1 score.

Box Score Bytes - Game 56

Inning 1)  59 degrees with a light mist in San Fran tonight...Summer still on hold in the Bay...as was  the offenses

Inning 2)  Typical game in San Fran...all pitching, no offense...baseball gods must be punishing San Fran after what Bonds did to the baseball....

Inning 3)  Nicasio gets a double...Rox first hit of the night, go figure

Inning 4)  Rox show some life with the Big Three...walk by CarGo, double by Tulo, and groundout by Helton to score the night's first run.  And of course the Rox pitcher's can't hold a lead as Nicasio gives up three runs in the bottom half.

Inning 5)  Rox mount a challenge in the 5th by getting the bases loaded (Nicasio gets his second double of the night) and Helton at the plate...just what the Doctor ordered except for the groundout back to the pitcher...

Inning 6 -8) Rox fall asleep at the well sending up the minimum....Giants have scored their average so now they just throw out their pitchers to keep the lead

Inning 9)  Rox finally show some life against the Beard, but Spilly and Smith can't get it done with two on and the Rox go quietly into the night

Extra)  Rox had 5 hits and two were by Nicasio!  Rox were 1 for 13 with runner's in scoring position.

Box Score Bytes - Game 55

Inning 1) Frustrating start for Rox, two on, two out and Helton K's but positive start for U-Ball on the mound...10 pitches to retire the side.

Inning 2) Wiggy triples!! There is a lumbering giant on the base paths. Nice sac by Morales to get Rox an early lead. U-Ball comes back with a 9 pitch, one-hit inning.

Inning 3) Rox manufacture another run with a double, bunt, and sac fly. While it is not exactly rox em sox em baseball, I think this type of baseball on the road wins you games, that and some good starting pitching!

Inning 4) Helton hits out his 7th souvenir for the season...wow the miracles of P90X. Jimenez gives up his 2nd single but gets out of the set with no damage

Inning 5) Smith gets second hit of the night...not your prototypical lead off guy but if he gets on base that is what the Rox need. U-Ball cruising with an 8 pitch bottom half.

Inning 6) When is Tulo going to get going? One hit, one walk night but is batting 0.251 for the season. U-Ball's first struggle of the nigh with a lead off single and 20 pitch inning but closes it out with 2 K's

Inning 7) Rox had man on 2nd and 3rd with one out but Smith fails to deliver. Insurance runs would have been nice especially late in the game but U-Ball comes back with a 5 pitch wonder inning. Vintage Jimenez

Inning 8) Tulo gets first hit of night and bases become loaded but Fowler (he who was hitting well with RISP) can't get anyone home. In a typical night, these last two inning failures to score with men on would doom the Rox but U-Ball throws a 12 pitch bottom half and continues to hold Dodgers down.

Inning 9) Things get nervous with Furcal getting the fourth hit of the night to get the Dodgers going but three straight outs with a K in the final at bat and U-Ball goes the distance with his first win of the year (finally, sigh of relief, and fantasy owners rejoice everywhere!)

Extras) 106 pitch complete game seven strikeout for U-Ball. Hopefully this is the turning point for his season. Rox needed something positive as they moved into the month of June. Rox finally had some luck in a low scoring game but have to look at it that they left a bunch on. Third shut out of the year by the staff...95th in their history

Box Score Bytes - Game 54

Rox are now 1/3 of the way through the season.  I like to break the season into nine 18 games sets (i.e. like nine innings). 

Obviously the last 18 games were tough especially at home where the Rox hope to make up for their road struggles.  Some of the numbers are also masked by run outburst when Rox scored 12 and 15 runs.  Take those two games out and Rox averaged a measly 3 runs! 

But to try and put a positive spin on things, the Rox, with as bad as they have been playing, are still only 4.5 games back.  If your read this article it would suggest our team isn't dead yet!  But we are on life support.  The only thing going for us is that we've done this before (can lightning strike twice?) and we have been worse off at this point at the end of May:

2007: 25-29

2008: 20-36

2009: 20-29

2010: 27-24

So it's not too late but Rox got to turn it around and show some life.  Unlike last night...2 runs on 5 hits and 10 strikeouts.