Rockies in danger of being broomed out of the Bay Area

So much for psychology. The Rockies were crushed 9-1 by the San Francisco Giants on Monday to begin an important three-game series -- and I hoped the size and scope of the humiliation, coupled with the return of ace pitcher Ubaldo Jiminez to the mound, would result in a Colorado...

By Michael Roberts

September 16, 2009

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So much for psychology. The Rockies were crushed 9-1 by the San Francisco Giants on Monday to begin an important three-game series -- and I hoped the size and scope of the humiliation, coupled with the return of ace pitcher Ubaldo Jiminez to the mound, would result in a Colorado bounce-back. Instead, Jimenez looked rusty and uncertain in a 10-2 loss that was even more painful to watch than its predecessor, if only because of sheer redundancy. That makes tonight's matchup between the Rocks' Jorge De La Rosa and the Giants' Matt Cain loom even larger than it would have under ordinary circumstances. On Monday and Tuesday, the Rockies looked so much like playoff pretenders -- a squad that folds against good teams on the road -- that they managed to reenergize a Giants club that seemed to be venturing into surrender-Dorothy territory. San Francisco will be just a game and a half back in the wild-card standings with another victory, and the Rocks will have squandered almost all of the advantage they gained during a 9-1 homestand. Even so, the next contest isn't a must-win from mathematically. But from a confidence standpoint, it's mighty close.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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