Colorado Rockies 10, Cleveland Indians 2: Lack of Scoring Dooms Tribe

It will take two games in a row for the Indians to continue their series winning streak.   Losing 10-2 opening a three-game set will do that to you.

Coors Field did not live up to its scoring-friendly reputation for the Indians, although they did manage nine hits during the contest.  Pit that against 17 hits and 10 runs for Colorado though, and you can kiss the baby. 

Man, these Indians are frustrating.

With the Boston Celtics winning the NBA title in a dramatic blowout, now the only major sport to really concentrate on is baseball.  I suppose you could count golf in there. 

Nah, not really. 

Tennis?  Another nope.  Nascar?  Oh, all right, I’ll give you Nascar. 

If my choice is cars driving around in a circle waiting for a collision or a grand slam walk-off home run, I’ll take the homer, assuming of course its not against the Tribe, a feat seen way to many times this year.

Paul Byrd stunk for the second outing in a row, giving up nine hits and five runs in just four innings of work. 

This on the heels of the announcement Fausto Carmona is still feeling some pain in his hip after a three inning rehab assignment and he’ll be shelved again does not make the Indians once bullet-proof starting rotation any more comfortable.

Colorado’s Greg Reynolds looked like a lock to be sent back to the minors, until he mystified Indians hitters during his best outing of the year, going six innings and surrendering only one run. 

The Rockies led off the scoring in this one and never looked back.  A pair of two-run home runs in the third and fourth innings gave them a 4-0 lead before the Indians got on the board in the top of the fifth.

Jhonny Peralta, the leader of the offense on this particular evening with three hits, led off the inning with a triple to right.  RBI road-man extraordinaire Casey Blake sac-flied him home.

The Rockies got the run right back in the bottom of the inning.  A single by Jeff Baker and a Matt Holliday double scored Baker and earned Byrd a trip to the bench.  Scott Elarton came on and got out of the inning but could not escape the sixth.

Colorado added two more in the sixth on a Reynolds single, a Holliday single, a Todd Helton walk, and a Garrett Atkins single that scored Reynolds and Holliday.  Scott Elarton has been a bright spot since being called up in mid-relief, but didn’t have it on this particular evening.

The Rockies would add another three spot in the bottom of the seventh, this time with Rick Bauer on the hill. Cris Iannetta singled, Omar Quintanilla doubled, and Wily Taveras tripled, plating the two on base.  Holliday singled Taveras home, accounting for the three scores. 

The Indians added a run on two hits in the top of the eighth. 

Jamey Carroll led off the inning with a triple.  Ryan Garko sac-flied him home.  After Shin-Soo Choo was hit by a pitch and Peralta singled, it looked like the Indians might string something together, especially with Blake coming up.  He flied out to center to end the inning.

The Tribe lost ground on both the White Sox and the Twins in the AL Central.  Interleague play resumes Wednesday night with the lefty matchup of Aaron Laffey versus Jeff Francis.  Game time is 9:05 CT.