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Matchup Thread Game # 74 at Rockies



Wandy Rodriguez   Jamey Wright
2 - 3, 7.64 4 - 7, 5.31

Mountain time start tonight, and as psyched as I am with the series victory over the Rangers, this one tonight scares me, and really, all three do.

Although better with their baggage packed as of late, Houston has yet to win their tenth on the road. And if you check carefully, you'll find that Colorado does have a winning record at home. As well they should; this is still a sick, mutant ballpark, and strange things happen there as a matter of course.

Broken bat homers, bloop doubles, grand slams hit by the pitcher--these kinds of things occur with appalling regularity at the stadium just off Blake Street.

And although the 2005 Rockies are young, and not yet very good, they have still been able to harness some of the freakish offensive mojo that resides at their home park. Of course, the Rockies are 5 - 31 on the road, but 20 - 17 in Denver. They've hit 26 homers on the road, and 40 at home. They've slugged .343 on the road, and .480 at home. Even their ERA is better in Denver. . . .

Our ace in the hole doesn't mean as much as it usually does, either. Clemens, too, has been ambushed at Coors: the Rocket has a 5.59 ERA in two starts at Coors with a WHIP over two and less than 10 innings pitched. And if they can rock Roger, what might they do to Wandy? If you thought the shellshocked look that Rodriguez had after the loss to the Cardinals was bad, it may have only have been a prelude to the way he'll look after tonight.

Yikes. This scares me.

You see what I've done for the preview, just broken down everyone's OPS vs. the three starters for the series. I understand a lot of the younger players in these games haven't seen their counterparts much, but shucks, that don't bother me none, I'm the king of the small sample size.

OPS vs.. . .       OPS vs.. . .
Jamey Jason Byung Wandy Roger Roy
Wright Jennings Kim   Astro   Rockie Rodriguez Clemens Oswalt
.668 .875 .333   Brad Ausmus C1 J.D. Closser --- .333 ---
.000 --- --- Raul Chavez C2 Danny Ardoin .000 --- ---
1.688 .756 .700   Lance Berkman 1B Todd Helton 2.250 1.333 .705
.793 1.125 .250 Craig Biggio 2B Eddie Garabito --- .000 ---
.533 .533 ---   Adam Everett SS Desi Relaford .500 .382 .000
.705 1.667 --- Morgan Ensberg 3B Garrett Atkins .000 .667 ---
.667 1.833 .533   Orlando Palmeiro OF1 Dustan Mohr .667 1.333 1.333
1.000 .000 --- Willy Taveras OF2 Brad Hawpe 1.667 1.000 .000
--- .667 ---   Chris Burke OF3 Preston Wilson 1.000 1.133 .775
.000 .000 --- Jason Lane OF4 Cory Sullivan --- .500 ---
.000 2.667 .500   Mike Lamb Util/PH Luis A. Gonzalez 1.250 .667 ---
.000 --- --- Wandy Rodriguez P1 Jamey Wright 1.000 --- ---
--- .000 ---   Roger Clemens P2 Jason Jennings --- .000 ---
--- --- --- Roy Oswalt P3 Byung Kim --- --- ---