Again, I missed most of this game because I was watching the Charlotte Knights play here in Nashville.
This time, I missed the rest of the game because I came home in time to see the last 25 minutes of the Leagues Cup final between Nashville SC and Inter Miami.
That accounts for the most I've ever watched MLS -- or MLS teams -- in one sitting, but tickets were running close to $1,000 after fees because Messi's on Miami, so it had the makings for a watershed moment in local sports history. It turned out to be a helluva game with a number of close calls in the final minutes, then 11 rounds of penalty kicks. I was sufficiently entertained.
As for this one, bullet points:
*Jesse Scholtens followed the best start of his career with the worst start of his career. Uncharacteristic control problems undermined him from the beginning, as he ended up walking five batters over three innings and throwing just half of his 86 pitches for strikes.
*Four of those walks came in the first inning. He issued a pair of them with one out, and then Brendan Rogers' grounder to the hole exceeded Elvis Andrus' range. He gloved it, but he wasn't under control enough for a clean exchange, and that allowed the runner to score all the way from second. Scholtens then reloaded the bases with another walk before Elias Diaz hit a two-run single to make it a 3-1 game.
*For the second straight night, first-inning problems overshadowed Andrus' contributions in the top of the inning. He led off with a walk, moved to third on Luis Robert Jr.'s one-out steal. After Andrew Vaughn struck out, Andrus broke for home on a casual Freeland pickoff move in Robert's direction, and was able to dive into the plate just before the tag for the rare steal of home.
*Scholtens had a chance to stop the bleeding in the second after Yoán Moncada made an incredible cross-diamond throw on a grounder down the line for the second out, but Nolan Jones hit a bouncer that hopped over Vaughn for a cheap two-runs ingle that made it 5-1.
*The Rockies effectively sealed the game in the fourth when Elehuris Montero hit a two-run triple over the head of Oscar Colás on what could be most charitably described as a clunky route and clunkier leaping attempt.
*The Sox offense was actually OK at answering, scoring in four different innings. The youth movement regained those two runs in the top of the fifth when Carlos Pérez singled, Colás doubled, and Lenyn Sosa drove them both home with a single to center. Andrus then reached base for a third time in five innings to keep the threat alive, but Andrew Benintendi was rung up, followed by groundouts from Luis Robert Jr. and Vaughn.
*The Rockies just happened to score in five innings, and all were crooked numbers. Charlie Blackmon hit a two-run homer in the seventh, and when Robert answered it with a solo shot, the Rockies had the last word with a two-run Montero double. He went 3-for-5 with four RBIs and was a homer short of the cycle.
*For the second straight game, every Sox pitcher was scored upon. Banks, Jimmy Lambert and Lane Ramsey each gave up a pair after Scholtens' ugly three innings.
*Andrus had another plus game, going 2-for-4 with a double, a walk and a stolen base. His OPS is up to .643.
*Sosa had two hits as well. He also struck out twice, but he needs progress wherever he can find it.
*The White Sox and Rockies have identical records, but Colorado probably has more life in it the rest of the way.
