No Joy in Mudville

"Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville—mighty Casey has struck out."

Rockies fall short of win No. 12

By C.J. Moore / MLB.comDENVER -- Brandon Webb, Conor Jackson and the Diamondbacks got in the way of what seemed to be the Rockies' destiny on Friday night in front of 48,190 at Coors Field.

The Rockies' 11-game winning streak came to an end with a 4-2 loss.

The Rockies' playoff dreams didn't end with the loss, but they're not much more than dreams with two games to play. If the Padres go on to win on Friday night against the Brewers, the Rockies will need to win their final two and have the Padres drop their final two to tie for the Wild Card.

While Francis (17-9) wasn't at his best, giving up four runs over six innings, the Rockies offense also lost the magic that enabled the 11-game winning streak.

After the Rockies had scored 76 runs in their past 11, Brandon Webb muzzled the Colorado hit attack.

Matt Holliday's RBI single in the third inning and a Brad Hawpe RBI in the seventh was all the Rox could muster against Webb.

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Rockies Homepage MLB.com

I haven't followed baseball since a child, when Joe DiMaggio slugged for the New York Yankees. In those days the Dodgers were in Brooklyn and no major league baseball took place in Denver. This summer I started watching the Denver Rockies play on TV, because Joe was watching them. It is no exageration to say that they have been a joke since their beginnings a few years ago. Toward the end of the season this year they caught fire. They won their series against the Yankees, the Phillies, and then the Dodgers. They were up for a Wild Card in the World Series playoffs.

I actually know the names of a lot of the players, which position they play, and how well they can bat. I scream my throat sore! And tonight, with all of Colorado, I crossed my fingers, and hoped they would beat the Phoenix Diamondbacks in the first of their three game series at home in Denver, their last series of the season. Oh well, there is always next year. I'm used to that; after all, I'm a Broncos fan!