US Baseball Pro

DENVER – The Colorado Rockies are, once again, back in the game and are now on the playoffs after being out of the scene for a year.
On Thursday, pitcher Aaron Cook has made a four-hit ball to hit eight innings after resting for a moth due to a sore shoulder. Garrett Atkins also made three homeruns which gave them the ultimate 9-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Rockies have finally taken out their rival Atlanta and took their hands off for the NL wild card. The Rockies also does have a fighting chance to knock the Dodgers for the NL West crown too if ever the Rockies could win all their games in Los Angeles.
Troy Tulowitzki believed anything can happen as soon as the game starts. With the Dodgers already losing their last four games and now out of the game, the Rockies were on the show. Fans shouted and firecrackers lit the sky when the game was over.
The celebration was a loud one and full of excitement. They celebrated and did not worry about the next games for the moment. This year is different unlike in the past two years when the Rockies won 21 of the 22 games but ultimately made their way to the World Series.
Last fall when Matt Holliday was traded for outfielder Carlos Gonzales, the team got a rocky start. Winning only 18 of their 28 games, Dan O’Dowd fired manager Clint Hurdle and replaces him with Jim Tracy. Tracy was asked by O’Dowd to be the team’s manager because he wants to see the men play better. Tracy spends an hour thinking if he will accept the offer and now under his management, the Rockies are in 73-40 and leads the only possession for the wild card race.
In 1995 and 2007, the Rockies already reached the NL wild card gathering an unbelievable 21-1 in the World Series. They were defeated by the Boston though because of their absence in the game. The Colorado Rockies had their best score in 2007 with a mark of 90-73 winning wild card tie with San Diego.

PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Phillies has defeated the Houston Astros on Wednesday night with a score of 10-3. This gave the Phillies their third straight NL East title. Brad Lidge was happy with the win although he was booted out and had an ovation when Scott Eyre retired the first two batters and just needed one pitch to finish it.
Lidge saw the towels waving as soon as the victory is almost at hand and he feels awesome. He just likes the crowd and it reminds him when people were also celebrating because of their perfect season last year.
Raul Ibanez also had the time of his life when he hit a career-high 34th homer while Jimmy Rollins made a double and triple for the team. The Phillies want to have a record on becoming the first repeat champions and want to pattern this winnings to the New York Yankees who have won the World Series in three straight years from 1998-2000.
All-Star second baseman Chase Utley asks the fans if they are having fun and said there will be more wins coming.
Kendrick with 3-1 hits two but makes four strike outs. Martinez had only four innings which allowed him to make three runs and six hits on his first appearance after recuperating from a neck strain in Atlanta last Sept. 19.
The Phillies used to be the laughingstock of the NL but since they began their winning streak celebrations are becoming common. Now that the weakest team in professional sports is having the time of their lives, they are thinking of building their own dynasty after winning the franchise’s second championship last October.
Pitcher J.A. Happ said he did not assume they will win again but they are expecting it and there is a difference between assuming and expectations. There will be more winnings when they return, he added.

On Thursday, the San Francisco Giants won a 7-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Tim Lincecum hits out seven while Andres Torres homed in and did an RBI triple which makes the Giants finished their home schedule early.

Lincecum who has a record of 15-7 did an excellent job before putting down Arizona leadoff man Chris Young. In this match, Lincecum has been able to outdo Dan Haren for the aces. His manager, Bruce Bochy is wishing Lincecum will be considered for another NL Cy Young Award even though the man has a lag on his winning total. Lincecum is known for his hard-throwing right hand and he ended the year with 261 strikeouts which are only less four strikeouts from last year.

The Giants were out of the game on Wednesday night but people came to see Lincecum’s play. They also want to say goodbyes to infielder Rich Aurilia who could probably not to play next year. Aurilia got a standing ovation every time he goes to the plate and tipped his helmet. His fans chanted his name “Richie! Richie!” Aurilia was with the giants from 1995-2003 making 12 seasons.

Manager Bochy took Aurilia to the first base during the ninth and then put Travis Ishikawa in place of him.

When Lincecum got two on top of the eight innings the crowd cheered for him. He tipped his cap to the crowd and disappears into their dugout.

Randy Johnson was also applauded. Now a 46-year-old veteran, he holds a record 303-game winner. He became a reliever since he had a shoulder injury.

When the game was in the end of the fourth, Diamondbacks’ manager A.J. Hinch and Mel Stottlemyre Jr, pitching coach were both ejected from the game.

The reason: Stottlemyre went to Haren  after a talk with John Bowker but plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt intervened to stop the discussion assuming they have talked long enough. Then Stottlemyre argued with Wendelstedt who goes back to home plate. Wendelstedt was tossed out of the game and Hinch also joined the argument and was also ejected. This is Hinch’s third rejection this season while Stottlemyre’s first.