Yesterday marked Day Six of Ballpark Tours Rocky Mountain High Redux – and tourers celebrated with a day game (in beautiful baseball weather, museum visits and a night on the town. BBRT Highlights for the day included an “Immaculate Inning;” a look at Lou Gehrig’s; a virtual ski jump; a 438-foot home run; and a Rocky Mountain Oyster Po’ Boy. Read on for details.
Day Six – Game Five – The Immaculate Inning
There is lots to write about for Day Six of Ballpark Tours Rocky Mountain Redux, but we’ll start with the game – won by the Pirates 4-3 – because it included a first for me as a fan.
In the top of the fourth inning, Rockies’ starter German Marquez – who had already given up eight hits and three runs (in three innings) pitched an “Immaculate Inning.” Yes, Marquez, who had been battered around pretty well to that point, retired the side in order, notching three strikeouts on just nine pitches (becoming the 85th pitcher in MLB history to throw an immaculate frame). Not only that, he did it against the top of the Bucs’ order – LF Corey Dickerson, CF Starling Marte and RF Gregory Polanc0 – three of Pittsburgh’s most dangerous hitters. Marquez, who fanned ten Pirates in six innigns of work (and got the loss), indicated all three fourth-inning whiffs came on curveballs. In his six innings, Marquez gave up ten hits and three walks (three earned runs).
MULTIPLE IMMACULATE FRAMES
While “Immaculate Innings” aren’t exceedingly rare, multiple Immaculate Innings are pretty unique. On April 18, 1964, Sandy Koufax became the first (and still only) MLB pitcher to throw three immaculate innings in his career. Four other pitchers have tossed multiple (two each) immaculate innings: Lefty Grove – who did it for the Athletics; Nolan Ryan – Mets & Angels; Randy Johnson – Astros & Diamondbacks; and Max Szcherzer – Nationals. BBRT note: Nolan Ryan is the only pitcher to throw an immaculate inning in both the AL and NL. The Astros were in the NL when Johnson threw his for them.
The Pirates put up two runs in the first, on three singles (Marte, 3B Colin Moran, 2B Adam Frazier) and a double (Polanco). They added one in the third on a single by Moran and a double by Frazier. The Rockies fought back with a two-run homer (off Pirates’ starter Chris Archer) by LF David Dahl in the fourth. The score stayed at 3-2 until the top of the eighth, when the Pirates played small ball and touched Rockies’ reliever Adam Ottavino for a run on a walk (1B Josh Bell), a rare error by five-time Gold Glove winner 3B Nolan Arenado (SS Adeiny Hechavarrria), a pinch-hit bunt single (Josh Harrison) and sacrifice fly (Dickerson). The Rockies got the run back in the bottom of the inning when reliever Kyle Crick hit Arenado with a pitch, SS Trevor Story singled him to third and 1B Ryan McMahon brought Arenado home with a single. Crick and reliever Felipe Vazquez then shut the door and preserved a Pirates’ 4-3 win. (Vazquez’ 26th save in 30 opportunities.)
We had great seats for this day game – just 37 rows from the field, to the left field side of home plate. Note that despite all the video boards and technology providing info around the part, out-of-town scores are still posted by hand on the old-style scoreboard in right field.
BBRT saw a couple of turning points in this tight contest.
In the sixth, down by a run, the Rockies’ Charlie Blackmon – who had opened the inning with a single – attempted a one-on, no-out stolen base, and was tossed out at second (on a challenged play) by Pirates’ catcher Francisco Cervelli. BBRT’s playbook says you should attempt the steal if you are ahead by one, but not when you are down by one. (The Rox did not score that inning).
Then, in the eighth, with the score 4-3, the Rockies had runners on first and third, with two outs and pinch-hitter Chris Ianetta the plate. Ianetta hit what looked like a run-scoring single between first and second, but Pirates’ 2B Adam Frazier made a diving (game-saving) stop and threw him out at first. Game – Set – Match.
A few other highlights from a tight game:
- Rockies’ LF David Dahl‘s 438-foot home run in the fourth.
- Pirates’ 2B Adam Frazier’s three-hit day.
- The fact that the Rockies first hit (bottom of the third) came off the bat of pitcher German Marquez – who is now hitting .357 on the season (15-for-42). #More WhyIHateTheDH.
- A little NL ball for us AL fans – five pinch-hitters.
- A rare error for five-time (every season he has been in the NL) Gold Glover Nolan Arenado.
- A great Rockies’ 7 (LF David Dahl) to 6 (SS Trevor Story) to 1 (C Tony Walters) relay to nail the Pirates’ Francisco Cervelli at the plate in trhe fifth inning.
- On ball four of a walk to Rockies’ LF David Dahl in the fifth, Chris Archer’s errant pitch got past catcher Francisco Cervelli, smashed hard into the stone behind home plate and shot past Cervelli (appearing to go through his legs) going back into the infield. Dahl did not take second, so there was no wild pitch.
The Coors Field Bloody Mary
Coors Field’s Bloody Mary came from the Smirnoff stand (Section 136) at a price of $9. A plus right away is that they asked if I wanted a single or a double and if I wanted mild, medium or hot. Choice is always good. Among the other positives, good vodka, fair pour and plenty “hot.” On the negative side, it could have used a dash of salt and the only condiments were lime and lemon wedges. Something salty like a pickle spear or olive would have added a lot. Still a nice Bloody Mary, and a 7.5 on a scale of ten.
Well, I did it. I had the Rocky Mountain Oyster Po’ Boy ($9.25) at Coors Field. Right up front, it’s not seafood, but it’s great. Loads of deep-fried, breaded “Mountain Oysters” on a hoagie bun – with sweet/sour garlic slaw, creamy guacamole, green chile ranch dressing, pico de gallo and a healthy topping of cotija cheese. Delicious. If you go to Coors Field, try it, you’ll like it.
The Garlic Fries and Helton Burger also got good reviews from our group.
And thus ends BBRT and Ballpark Tours Coors Field adventure. More to come on this trip, as we move on to Kansas City – and read on for more from Denver.
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The Colorado History Center – and other museums.
A Ballpark Tours Kind of Story … from the Colorado History Center
On June 27, 1870, the final spike was driven connecting Denver to the transcontinental railroad line – and the ceremonial spike (in silver) was to be sent to former Governor John Evans, president of the Denver Pacific Railroad, to be used in an official ceremony.
The actual spike never made it. The miners responsible for its safe transport pawned it in Denver, drank away the proceeds and slept through the ceremony. John Evans used a substitute spike and later recovered the silver spike form a Deniver pawn ship.
Now wouldn’t that group fit in to the “back of the bus.”
—-THE PLAY BALL EXHIBIT—
Before Wednesday’s Rockies game, a group or BPT trekkers, myself included, headed out (walking distance) to the Colorado History Center, which just happened to be featuring a Play Ball Exhibit – the Marshall Fogel Collection (billed as one of the greatest sets of baseball artifiacts ever). We went ($12) and it was.
I knew we were in for a treat when the first thing we saw were game-used (and mostly autographed) bats of 43 Hall of Famers and baseball stars – from
Ty Cobb to A-Rod. I was very pleased to see my personal favorite Eddie Mathews’ (signed ) bat in the collection – and Twins’ fans will be glad to hear that the bats of Rod Carew, Harmon Killebrew and Kirby Puckett (Puckett’s unsigned) were also in the collection.
The exhibit also included artifacts from such icons as Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio,Ted Williams, Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, and Sandy Koufax – each with uniforms and unique items, like Ruth’s glove, Gehrig’s 1936 MVP pocket watch and Hank Aaron’s bat.
GAMBLERS AND CHEATERS
The Play Ball exhibit included a “Gamblers and Cheaters” display case with signed uniform tops from Pete Rose and Mark McGwire, as well as artifacts from the 1919 “Black Sox.”
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We also visited the Colorado Centennial State in 100 Objects Exhibit – which covered Colorado history with one item from each of 100 years. Some that caught my eye: a shotgun (1869) from stage coach driver John Cisco; John Denver’s (1986) Special Edition Yamaha Guitar; and a Pot Smoking Water Pipe made especially for the 2014 Denver County Faor.
Then there was the Colorado Stories A-Z; Living West; and Destination Colorado exhibits – informative (lots of history, culture and current Colorado information) and, at times, even interactive – like a vitual ski jump, a trip down an 1850’s mine shaft and a chance to wear a bit of legendary Colorado sports apparel.
All in all a great pre-game visit. I should add that other trekkers highly recommended both the American Museum of Western Art and the Denver Art Museum – with emphasis on Native American art.
FOR THE FOODIES
For the foodies among BBRT readers, I went with a small group to the 5280 Burger Bar on the 16th Street Mall for supper. My choice was a pair of jumbo sliders: The Mediterranean (Colorado-raised lamb, butter lettuce, marinated cucumbers, feta cheese and a Calabrian Chilio Aioli) and The Durango (Black Angus Beef, pecan-smoked bacon, jalapeno cream cheese, red leaf lettuce, roasted red pepper and fried onion straws). I washed it down with Malbec. Other fanned out across the area for both casual and fine dining – as well as live music and late-night cavorting.
Now it’s on to Kansas City and the Cardinals/Royals. More reports from the road to come.
I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT
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Member: Society for American Baseball Research; The Baseball Reliquary; The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
