Very Cold Home Opener in Chicago
April 13th, 2009 | by wutae3 |Not only was the weather cold for the Home Opener in Chicago but the Rockies bats were also cold. The game was delayed due to the rain for an hour and a half and the Rockies never awoke after the tarp left the field. Colorado could not scratch out a run for the first time in the 2009 season and they ended up with only one hit that came in the seventh inning off Garrett Atkins’ bat.
Ubaldo Jimenez also had a tough day. He had trouble finding the strike zone all afternoon. He ended up walking six batters in 3.2 innings. Jimenez was able to limit the damage by striking out five Cubs but it took a toll on his endurance as he ended up throwing 104 pitches. He surrendered three runs on four hits.
The key play of the game came in the fourth inning. With one out and a man on first, Jimenez induced Ryan Theriot into a groundball. Troy Tulowitzki fielded the ball and threw out Ted Lilly at second. However, Jeff Baker wasn’t able to turn the double play as he threw the ball into the dirt and Todd Helton wasn’t able to dig the ball out. The inning was extended by the Baker error and the Cubs ended up scoring two runs and taking a 3-0 lead. The Rockies never recovered.
Tags: Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, Garrett Atkins, Jeff Baker, Ryan Theriot, Ted Lilly, Todd Helton, Troy Tulowitzki, Ubaldo Jimenez
By Chris on Apr 14, 2009
Thankfully the Rockies won’t play all their games in 37 degree weather all season. I’m sure the lack of ivy on the outfield wall makes picking up the baseball more difficult, but the Cubs were able to see enough of the ball to generate the few hits they needed to win the game. All part of the learning process for the Rockies hitters.