Rare Betancourt Sighting in Rox Win

It was only the seventh sighting of Rafael Betancourt this month and he almost pitched a clean inning, allowing no runs on two hits, to snap the 9 game losing streak as well as a few Arizona fan’s brooms in the process.

He wouldn’t have been needed if it wasn’t for the better than average work by Tyler Chatwood.  Chatwood picked up the rare win as a Rockies starter, putting him at 5-5 for the year.  He pitched 5 2/3 of three-hit, two-run baseball.  His only real mistake was giving up the two runs in one swing of the bat to Jason Kubel.

The Rockies offense was spraying balls all over the place and the final score of 4-2 could have been much higher if it wasn’t for some amazing inning ending double-plays by the DBacks.  One such play, in the bottom of the first, saw Tyler Colvin sliding hard into second and getting kicked in the head by a spinning Jake Elmore.  Elmore was able to throw out Nelson, despite the acrobatic rotation over the bag and his cleat coming into contact with Colvin’s skull.  It would be the first of two inning ending double-plays that saw Rockies runners stranded at third.

Not to be outdone, the Rockies had a few impressive plays, most coming from Josh Rutledge.  One could tell Rutledge has been watching Tulo tape as he threw out runners from deep in the hole and pirouetting behind second.

Andrew Brown proved he is adept at hitting the other way as he took a ball over the left field wall in the eighth, giving the Rockies an insurance run.  It wasn’t quite a “leave the park and bust Rich Dauer’s windshield” hit, but he’ll take it.

For those hoping for further Rockies collapse, perhaps tying up the team record for losses in a season, they will have to wait another day.  The Cubs will be in town for three and the battle for second to last place in the majors.  Both teams are tied with identical records at this point, 59-94.