So i Went to A Baseball Game

Well yesterday i went to a baseball game.  To get the whole "Denver" experience, i sat in the purple row - the row in the upper deck that is one mile up (Denver kind of fudges the mile high status by a little).  There are actually pretty good sight lines there (i kind of wish i had a decent camera there, well for a while).  i just so "lucked" into seeing Jamie Moyer pitch.  i liked Jamie Moyer when he was in Seattle.  However, he had a few things working against him in this start - a hot day and high altitude. 


As for the game... The Atlanta Braves staked the Rockies a 6 run lead.  Four of those runs were the result of a grand slam by Michael Cuddyer in the first inning.  In the second inning, the pitcher Jamie Moyer, flailed at a 2-2 pitch and hit it between the third baseman and the left fielder.  He would later score on a double. 

The Braves finally scored in the third inning when Carlos Gonzalez, the left fielder, dropped the ball with two outs.  Then dark clouds started forming on the horizon (both literally and figuratively).  Jamie Moyer started missing up in the zone.  In the 5th inning, the Braves started hitting Moyer a little harder and scored two runs.  The Rockies got those two runs back on the first of two home runs by their catcher, Wilin Rosario. 

Now the sixth inning came and the lightning was getting closer (and it was getting windy).  Moyer gave up back to back home runs and then a single (he gave up 6 runs, but was not that bad until the 6th).  He was then removed by Esmil Rodgers, who struggled to throw strikes. In total, the Braves score 9 runs in the 6th and 7th (5 in the 6th, 4 in the 7th). 

Delay 1: one of the hitters on the Braves fouled a ball off a little to the first side of first base side of home plate (maybe 10-15 rows deep).  i saw the ball go back and then shoot into the air.  It turns out that the ball likely hit someone.  There was a 10-15 minute delay as the staff assisted the person.  Anyway, it ended with someone being carted off in a stretcher. 

Delay 2: it was the 8th inning when the non-forecast rain moved into the area.  It started to rain big drops, fairly hard.  Then an announcement came over the PA - it said everyone in the upper deck had to move to the lower levels.  Like i'm scared by a little lightning. By the time i got down the stairs to the lower level, the game was in a rain delay. 

When the game finally resumed, the Rockies got a hit then grounded into a double play.  The Braves would score one more run in the 9th.  In the 9th, the Rockies went out weakly - capping a strange game.  This capped a game where the Rockies had 4 errors (including two dropped balls by the outfielders).  The Rockies scored 9 runs - and still lost by 4. 

Overall, Coors field is kind of a nice stadium (i got the cheap seats both times i've went - and the Rockies have lost both).  The Rockies however, are a different monster.  i see them as a .500 team with an ok offense, a weak defense and a highly questionable pitching staff (Jamie Moyer is leading the team in ERA) - also an overrated (possibly downward trending) short stop.