The Secret To Winning ILP Games

Get the pitcher out. The pitcher. The automatic out batting ninth. 

In both games at Denver, the game-winning RBI -- the ribbie that gave the hitter's team a lead it never surrendered -- belonged to the Rockies' pitcher. A bases-loaded walk to Jason Hammel on Friday, and tonight a two-run single by Ubaldo Jiminez, batting average going in .000, doughnut hole for 16, on the first pitch Phil Coke threw him, 2-0 Rox in the second. 

Tonight's game, like last night's, thus took early shape and form. It became the kind of night when you expect Ryan Strikeout to actually do something positive. And he did, doubling in two in the sixth to reduce the deficit to 4-3. 

But it was the big loveable teddy bear, Miguel Cabrera, The Big Man -- the Pretenders' equivalent of Clarence Clemons -- who flied out with the tying run on second to end the game.