Ernest Banks shoulda been at the field. It was a beautiful day/night for ballgames. They played two. Rockies win, Rockies win … again.
Ernie coulda enjoyed watching the seamless Tuesday afternooner – four runs, 14 hits and no errors. With temperatures in the 70s and the sky high, in a ballgame between two teams with visions of the postseason dancing the light fandango in their heads, the Rockies defeated the Dodgers 3-1.
Mr. Cub woulda loved the night moves – 17 runs, 28 hits and still no errors. Under a man-in-the moon bright sky, the Rockies, in Broncos valiant fashion, scored on the final pitch, a two-run detonation by Toddy Ballgame, to whip-lash the Dodgers, 9-8.
Sayonara, Saito.
Despite what the nonbelievers (your correspondent included) assert, the Rockies will not give up – in a game or on the season. None is old enough to remember World War II American Gen. Anthony McAuliffe, who was ordered by the Germans to surrender at Bastogne.
“NUTS!” he replied.
The Rockies, down to their last out Tuesday night, beat and tied the Dodgers (79-72), then went nuts.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Rockies’ performance was baseball at its purest essence – as a young left-handed pitcher threw in the tradition of Warren Spahn (10 strikeouts and only one run, a solo homer in 6 2/3 innings), a legitimate MVP candidate produced his 123rd RBI, a just-out-of-the-carton pinch hitter got his first major-league hit (an RBI double), and a wide-eyed closer retired his 21st consecutive batter in seven games to earn his 15th save in 15 opportunities.
It took nine runs in nine innings Tuesday night.
Only problem was, the 76-year-old Ernie Banks, who lives in the Los Angeles area now, didn’t attend the games, and neither did many others.
A couple of veteran, right-handed scalpers stood like lonely cardboard carriers outside the park at game time. “Almost nobody’s come out today,” one said. “You’re wrong,” the other said. “Maybe 8,000.”
They were selling third-base seats cheaper than Rockpile prices – and had no takers. A woman was pulling her cooler away. Couldn’t give away tickets or tamales.
The Rockies announced a crowd of 23,282. Somebody’s pants were on fire.
According to these ancient eyes, about 5,000 patrons of the game, give or take 22, were scattered about. It was not a crowd, but a cluster.
The Rockies claim their smallest gathering in team history was the 18,119 that gathered two years ago on Sept. 22. I have seen the largest Rockies crowd, 80,227, and I have never seen a smaller assembly than Tuesday’s, a makeup of a rainout.
FSN Rocky Mountain wasn’t interested in the matchup, despite being a major player in the Rockies’ ownership. The ballgame was not shown.
FSN and the FANS apparently were waiting for the later game, featuring crafty left-handed starters Mark Redman, new to the Rockies, and David Wells, the old-timer of the Dodgers. “Crafty” is a word you substitute for “washed up.” Each was smacked for three runs in the first and didn’t stay around to figure.
But the Rox and the Dodgers gave an actual crowd of 23,271 something to talk about.
During the two-hour intermission (while the cluster left and the crowd arrived), the Rockies and the Dodgers were calm and collected. You couldn’t tell who won or lost. The only commotion in the clubhouses happened at the buffet tables.
“We know we got to win just about every game,” said Jeff Francis after his magnificent effort on the mound to pick up his 16th victory, a club record for a left-hander. Joe Koshansky produced his first major-league hit, a double that should have been a triple if he hadn’t stopped, and Manny Corpas continued to be perfect since taking over as a closer.
In the nightcap of the twinbill (bills and caps?), Matt Holliday and Todd Helton got their Rox first two hits of the season off Dodgers closer Takashi Saito for the comeback. H&H got the two biggest hits of the season.
The Dodgers and the Rockies are playing catch up in the National League West, chasing Arizona and San Diego. They play two more.
After Tuesday’s doubleheader, Ernie Banks woulda, coulda, shoulda wanted to play three.
Staff writer Woody Paige can be reached at 303-954-1095 or wpaige@denverpost.com.
