19-Aug-2019 / Associated Press
DENVER (AP) — Garrett Hampson didn't think about being a hero. He only wanted to hit a ball deep enough to score Yonathan Daza from third.
His approach paid off and kept Colorado's faint playoff hopes alive.
Hampson hit a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the 10th inning, and the Rockies rallied to beat the Miami Marlins 7-6 on Sunday, completing a three-game sweep.
Nolan Arenado homered twice for Colorado, which has won four straight and swept a series for the first time since June 18-20. It took a wild finish in which the lead changed three times after the seventh inning.
"It's not an easy thing to do in this game, so it felt good to do it," Arenado said of the sweep. "I don't know if we're in it or out of it, we just have to focus on ourselves and win ballgames."
The Rockies loaded the bases with no outs in the 10th against Jeff Brigham (2-2). Daza had an infield single, Raimel Tapia reached when his grounder got past Isan Díaz — the second baseman's second error of the game — and Ryan McMahon singled.
The Marlins brought right fielder Brian Anderson into the infield, leaving two outfielders. Brigham struck out Ian Desmond before Hampson lifted a 1-0 breaking ball to left to score Daza.
"I was hoping it was going to be deep enough and then I looked out there and there was nobody out there," Hampson said. "Got the job done. It's what you play for. It's what you want to do."
Arenado gave the Rockies a 4-3 lead in eighth inning with his 30th home run of the season, a two-run shot off of reliever Austin Brice. Colorado's Wade Davis, who moved back into the closer's role he lost to Scott Oberg two weeks ago, started the ninth by walking Jorge Alfaro. Lewis Brinson doubled and Neil Walker singled to tie it.
Carlos Estévez came on and allowed a sacrifice fly and Brian Anderson's double, which gave Miami a 6-4 lead. But Díaz couldn't field a grounder cleanly in the bottom of the inning, helping the Rockies tie it against Ryne Stanek.
Charlie Blackmon's RBI single and a sacrifice fly by Trevor Story sent the game to extra innings.
"Obviously I was just trying to get an out," said Díaz, who was playing in his 13th game since being called up from the minors. "I was a little too quick to the ball, a little too fast. The thing is to catch the ball first. I didn't do it."
Miami manager Don Mattingly said the rookie learned a tough lesson.
"We'll make sure we talk with him," he said. "It is something I think that'll help him. You don't want to have that lesson. I've learned that lesson the same way. It's not an easy one to swallow, but you do come out on the other side of it."
Blackmon hit his 26th homer in the sixth to cut the Marlins' lead to 3-2.
Harold Ramírez had three hits and two RBIs to help put the Marlins ahead. Starter Jordan Yamamoto struck out nine in 5 2/3 innings.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rockies: RHP Oberg was placed on the 10-day injured list with a blood clot in his right arm. Oberg had a procedure to dissolve the clot at a hospital on Saturday and stayed overnight, manager Bud Black said. Colorado recalled RHP DJ Johnson from Triple-A Albuquerque.
PEP TALK
Estévez was pitching for the second straight day and starting to feel the effects of throwing 31 pitches, so when Brinson came up with two outs and a runner on in the 10th, Black ran out to talk to him.
"I got a runner on, got two outs and he came out to check on me," Estévez said. "I told him, 'Honestly, I'm tired but I got one more in the tank.' He said, 'Go get him, blow one by him.'"
Estévez struck Brinson out on three pitches, the last a 97-mph fastball.
"He was tiring a bit and I wanted to let him know he was still throwing the ball well," Black said. "His matchup with Brinson was critical."
UP NEXT
Marlins: RHP Elieser Hernández (2-5, 5.40 ERA) will open a three-game series at Atlanta starting Tuesday. It will be his third start and eighth appearance against the Braves.
Rockies: RHP Chi Chi González (0-4, 6.57) takes the mound at Arizona on Monday for the start of a three-game series against the Diamondbacks.
19-Aug-2019 / NU Athletic Communications
The anticipation is over: adidas and the University of Nebraska partnered to the jersey every Cornhusker fan has wanted, the Nebraska black jersey. Known as the “Blackshirts,” a reference to the Cornhuskers' starting defensive unit, the nickname became the key inspiration behind Nebraska’s 2019 alternate uniforms.
Uniforms use a black base with traditional red and white accents Personifying the players’ relentless attitude, a skull-and-crossbones logo sits on the jersey’s sleeve caps The jersey features a body-mapping design, using a ribbed, knit pattern on the chest and shoulder pads to produce a refined fit, while knit engineered mesh channels feature Climacool technology to provide enhanced breathability and cooling zones.
No date has been announced for when the jerseys will be worn. Follow Huskers.com as well as NU's social media channels on twitter (@Huskers & @HuskerFBNation) and Instagram (huskers & huskerfbnation) for more information on Nebraska’s 2019 alternate uniforms as details are announced.
Fan interested in buying a replica uniform can shop here.
15-Aug-2019 / Associated Press
DENVER (AP) — Nolan Arenado lingered near the batter's box a little longer than usual as he stared at his liner.
It wasn't to admire. It was simply to make sure.
In a season that's been so foul for Colorado, he wanted to double-check that his deep drive indeed stayed fair before celebrating.
Arenado hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning to give the Rockies a 7-6 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday.
A rare bright spot in what's been a trying stretch for a club that's all but assured it won't be making a third straight postseason appearance. The Rockies are 14-33 since June 21, which is one of the worst marks by winning percentage in the majors over the time frame.
"It's been a grind for all of us individually and as a team," said Arenado, who'd left four runners on base before connecting on his 27th homer of the season. "It feels good to come out with a win right there."
After Trevor Story was hit by a pitch to start the ninth, Arenado launched a fastball from Archie Bradley (3-5) over the fence in left — and just fair. It was Arenado's third career walk-off homer and first since June 18, 2017, against San Francisco.
"I hit it good," Arenado said.
Bradley threw it good, too.
Immediately after contact, Bradley began walking toward the dugout. He knew. He had his career-best string of 17 1/3 scoreless innings snapped.
"This is our last time here and I'm not sad about it," Bradley said about Coors Field. "I will be the first person happy to get out of here."
Arenado was doused with Powerade soon after crossing home plate and mobbed by teammates. Colorado ended a string of five straight losses to Arizona.
Arenado's homer came after Ketel Marte delivered a two-out, run-scoring bloop single in the top of the inning to give the Diamondbacks the lead. Marte dropped a slider from closer Scott Oberg (6-1) just over the head of Story, who turned and threw home too late. It was Marte's career high-tying fourth hit of the day.
Eduardo Escobar hit a two-run homer and Wilmer Flores added a solo shot in the sixth to give Arizona a 5-2 lead. The Rockies tied it up on pinch-hitter Ryan McMahon's three-run homer in the bottom half of the inning off Yoshihisa Hirano.
"That was fun, huh?" McMahon cracked. "I had a good time."
The Diamondbacks' bullpen was pressed into duty earlier than expected when starter Robbie Ray left in the third inning because of spasms in his lower back. Ray made one warmup pitch before the trainer came out to check on him. He said he could've pushed through, but he didn't "want it to turn into something that is a bigger issue."
It was far from a defensive clinic for the Diamondbacks, who committed a season-high four errors. Christian Walker, Nick Ahmed and Marte were charged with errors on fielding plays and Flores on a throw.
"This," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said, "is a tough game to absorb."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Diamondbacks: OF David Peralta has been dealing with a stiff neck and didn't start on his 32nd birthday. He entered in the seventh as part of a double-switch and had a single in the eighth.
FREELAND'S DAY
Rockies starter Kyle Freeland allowed two runs in the first before settling down. He fell apart again in the sixth in surrendering three more. The scuffling left-hander who finished fourth in the NL Cy Young voting a season ago allowed five runs over six innings in the no-decision.
EYE CONTACT
Lovullo is impressed by the poise of rookie outfielder Josh Rojas, who was acquired in the deal that sent Zack Greinke to Houston.
"He looks me in the eye when he talks to me," Lovullo said. "Young players have a tough time doing that."
Lovullo still has a hard time believing that Rojas lasted until the 26th round of the 2017 draft before the Astros selected him.
"They uncovered somebody that's pretty special," Lovullo said. "This looks like a first-round draft choice to me."
Rojas didn't start but entered as part of a double-switch in the sixth. Rojas had a double.
UP NEXT
Diamondbacks: Begin a four-game series against San Francisco on Thursday. Lefty Alex Young (4-2, 3.32 ERA) gets the start for the Diamondbacks.
Rockies: After a day off, the Rockies host Miami for three games. Righty Jon Gray (10-8, 4.06) takes the mound Friday after skipping his scheduled start Tuesday due to a sore left ankle. The Marlins will throw right-hander Sandy Alcántara (4-10, 4.44).
15-Aug-2019 / Hometown Family Radio Sports Network
LINCOLN, NE —Today, the coaches for the 62nd annual Shrine Bowl of Nebraska were selected. The following Nebraska High School football coaches will represent the North and South teams respectively:
NORTH TEAM
Head Coach: Mark Macke — HC, Lincoln High (A)
Asst. Coach: Rusty Fuller — HC, St. Paul (C2)
Asst. Coach: Josh Deines — HC, Sandhills/Thedford (D2)
Asst. Coach: Bryan Soukup — HC, Blair (B)
Asst. Coach: AJ Santos — Defensive Coordinator, Lincoln High (A)
Asst. Coach: Paul Cloutier — Special Teams Coordinator, Grand Island (A)
SOUTH TEAM
Head Coach: Ryan Thompson — HC, Ashland-Greenwood (C1)
Asst. Coach: Evan Klanecky — HC, Centennial (C1)
Asst. Coach: Jay Lanstrom — HC, Omaha Central (A)
Asst. Coach: Troy Huebert — HC, Central City (C1)
Asst. Coach: Nate Tonjes — Offensive Coordinator, Ashland-Greenwood (C1)
Asst. Coach: Brant Loewe — Running Backs Coach, Skutt Catholic (B)
Lincoln High Head Football Coach Mark Macke, who has led the Links back into Nebraska high school football prominence, will guide the North team on the field. During the 19 seasons he was a Creighton Prep assistant football coach and the offensive coordinator from 1992 through 2010, the Junior Jays were in the Class A playoffs 17 times with state titles in 1999 and 2004, and runner-up finishes in 2000 and 2003.
"I feel extremely honored and humbled to be selected as the North Head Coach. I was very fortunate to be an assistant in 2011. That was a wonderful experience not only for myself, but for the players as well," said Macke. "It's my goal that this will be another meaningful experience and that our players and coaches understand the true value of the Shrine Bowl and what it means to play in this game."
Ashland-Greenwood Head Football Coach Ryan Thompson, who led the Bluejays to seven straight playoff appearances between 2009 and 2015, a pair of Class C-1 state runner-up finishes in 2013 and 2014, and quarterfinal showings in four other seasons will lead the South team on the sidelines.
"I am very honored to be selected as the head coach for the South team in this year's Shrine Bowl Game. It is humbling to be associated with a long list of great coaches and players who have been involved with this game over the years," Thompson said. "Most importantly, I look forward to having our team support a great cause for an outstanding organization."
Dave MacDonald, Executive Director of the Nebraska Shrine Bowl remarked, "We are excited to have Coach Thompson, Coach Macke, and their assistant coaching staffs join us in our mission to support Shriners Hospitals for Children. The talent their teams have exhibited on the field is a testament to their tremendous leadership. We are grateful for their direction both on and beyond the field this year."
The 62nd annual Nebraska Shrine Bowl game will be played at the University of Nebraska-Kearney’s Ron and Carol Cope Stadium Foster Field in Kearney, Nebraska on Saturday, June 6. All proceeds from the game benefit Shriner’s Hospitals for Children.
14-Aug-2019 / NU Athletic Communications
Lincoln, Neb. -- The Nebraska football team practiced in full pads on Wednesday for just under two hours while splitting time inside the Hawks Championship Center and outside on the Ed and Joyanne Gass practice fields.
Offensive Coordinator Troy Walters spoke to the media after the conclusion of practice and began his session talking about the success of the offense in this past weekend’s scrimmage.
“As an offense we are executing at a faster pace,” Walters said. “Even the younger guys are picking up their sense of urgency and their tempo. The veterans on their first three possessions went down and scored. The next three, the defense shut us out. It’s a win-win. We win some and the defense wins some. It’s been good competition throughout camp.”
Walters continued by discussing the improvement and depth at the wide receiver position.
"I think we are going to be a pretty good unit,” he said. “A lot of guys have not played a whole lot, I’m putting them in pressure situations in practice, so that when the game comes around, they are ready to go. Going against our defense and secondary day in and day out makes our guys better. Iron sharpens iron. Those guys are making the young guys better. They are making everybody better. The reps we get against our secondary are going to make us better.
“We can play with seven or eight guys on the perimeter. If a guy goes down, we have another guy that is able to step up. I am very pleased with the receiving group. We are not satisfied. We have some work still to be done. I am very pleased with the effort, camaraderie and what they have given us so far.”
Walters was asked about sophomore wide receiver Javeon McQuitty and his recent play during practice.
"He has done a great job,” Walters said of McQuitty. “He understands the offense. The biggest thing is he is confident. Last year he wasn’t very confident. He kind of was more reactionary. Now he goes and makes things happen. He’s got that confidence. He made plays in the scrimmage. He keeps getting better and has that sense of urgency. He wants it. He wants to be a part of this team. He wants to contribute to the offense. That’s a good sign."
Walters also touched on the running backs and specifically the duo of Maurice Washington and Dedrick Mills.
"They are playing well,” Walters said of Washington and Mills. “Rahmir Johnson is playing well. I feel like we have a bunch of running backs to contribute. We are going to need them all. Going into each game, we are going to scheme and find roles and fits and how their skill set can cause trouble to the opposing defenses. All of them are going to be involved.
“Mills is a downhill guy. When defenses get tired, he is going to break some tackles and get extra yards. Mo (Maurice Washington) is Mo, explosive and dynamic. Then you add Rahmir and some of the guys like Wan’Dale (Robinson) at running back….we feel pretty good about that position"
14-Aug-2019 / Associated Press
DENVER (AP) — The usually sure-footed Arizona Diamondbacks made a couple of uncharacteristic base-running mistakes.
It didn't matter. They found an easy way to around them — the long ball.
Jarrod Dyson homered on the second pitch of the game during a five-run first inning and was later involved in a quirky double play as the Diamondbacks cruised to a 9-3 win over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night.
It was Dyson's third career leadoff homer — all this season. Christian Walker, Nick Ahmed and David Peralta added two-run homers off Jeff Hoffman (1-4), who was making an emergency start following Jon Gray's scratch due to left ankle soreness. Hoffman surrendered seven runs over two innings.
"Dyson started the party," said Ahmed, who's homered in three straight games. "A leadoff homer is always great and hitting can be contagious after that."
The strangest play of the night was on an inning-ending double play in the eighth that involved tagging out two Diamondbacks runners caught in rundowns. With runners on first and third, Dyson grounded a ball to first baseman Daniel Murphy, who trapped Ahmed between third and home. Ahmed was eventually tagged out and Dyson, who had broken toward second, eventually was tagged out going back to first.
The play was officially scored almost like a lottery ticket: 3-4-3-1-8.
"Good thing it didn't cost us the game," Dyson said. "We just learn from it and take the negative and fix it."
Arizona also had Josh Rojas thrown out trying to steal.
"Outs are precious. I don't like to give them up in any way," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. "We gave them an inning's worth of outs on the base paths. That's not what we do here. We'll tighten that up."
Ahmed finished a double shy of the cycle in sending the Diamondbacks to their fifth straight win over Colorado. They're averaging 5.67 runs a game against Colorado since 2011, which marks the highest average of any team against a divisional opponent over that span.
This was a rough outing for the Rockies on "Bark at the Park" night at Coors Field, where fans brought their dogs and a pregame pup parade was held around the warning track.
Hoffman never got on track, surrendering three homers in the first. It's the second straight game the Diamondbacks have posted a three-homer inning, which is a franchise first.
"It was a rough night for Jeff," Rockies manager Bud Black explained.
Wearing teal-colored cleats, Arizona starter Zac Gallen threw four solid innings before his pitch count reached 90 and he was taken out. The right-hander allowed two runs in his second start for Arizona since being acquired from Miami on July 31.
Arizona's bullpen turned in another solid outing, with Kevin Ginkel (1-0) earning the win by throwing two scoreless frames.
Rockies catcher Dom Nuñez hit a solo shot in the eighth to become the seventh player in franchise history to homer during his major league debut. Nunez had his contracted selected from Triple-A Albuquerque before the game.
"If you would have told me this was going to happen I would have said you're crazy," said Nunez, who had the home run ball retrieved after it landed in the Arizona bullpen. "But I'm happy it did."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rockies: Gray hurt his ankle when he slipped on the dugout steps in San Diego last week. Gray will throw a bullpen session Wednesday and could start Friday or Saturday.
FAREWELL
Veteran catcher Chris Iannetta was designated for assignment Tuesday after spending parts of eight seasons with the Rockies. He's the franchise's all-time leader among catchers in games played (620), runs scored (252), home runs (80), RBIs (293) and walks (309).
The 36-year-old was hitting .222 with six homers this season.
"What a great Rockie," Black said.
THE NEW FACE
Nuñez found out he was being called up when his Triple-A manager Glenallen Hill called a postgame team meeting in the clubhouse.
"He looked over at me and said, 'Nunez, you're going to the big leagues,'" he recounted. "The whole team erupted."
Nuñez was picked by Colorado as an infielder in the sixth round of the 2013 draft. He switched to catcher the following season.
The 24-year-old had about a dozen family and friends in attendance.
UP NEXT
Diamondbacks lefty Robbie Ray (10-7, 3.99 ERA) makes his fifth start this season against Colorado on Wednesday. The Rockies will counter with lefty Kyle Freeland (3-10, 7.06).
13-Aug-2019 / NU Athletic Communications
Lincoln, Neb. -- The Nebraska football team practiced in full pads to begin the second full week of fall camp on Tuesday, working out for just over two hours while splitting time inside the Hawks Championship Center and outside on the Ed and Joanne Gass practice fields.
Defensive Coordinator Erik Chinander spoke to the media after the conclusion of the practice and started off talking about the full team scrimmage held over the weekend.
"My big takeaway from the scrimmage was kind of an overall theme for the defense," Chinander said. "When we had busts, assignment errors or communication errors, the offense was very productive. When we were all on the same page and everybody, all 11 guys were playing one defense, we were pretty salty. The offense came out with a really good tempo I thought that day and us being able to adjust to that tempo is going to be the tale of the story here. I thought the first group tackled well, the second and third groups need to get a little better. I thought we were physical when we needed to be, and we saw a lot of guys do a lot of good things, so it was great for us."
Chinander then spoke about the improvement of cornerback Cam Taylor and how he can be utilized for multiple situations.
"Cam's a really dynamic player," Chinander said. "He can take reps at corner, he can take reps at safety. He can replace JoJo (Domann) at outside backer against ‘11’ personnel teams when we need him to, so having a guy like him that knows the whole defense and every position and is physical enough to play down low and is good enough on the edge to play coverage is pretty exceptional."
Chinander went back to the scrimmage and talked about how the defense started off on the wrong foot, but was able to quickly respond.
"Like I said, it looked good," Chinander said. "That first series, the offense came out and punched us in the mouth and had some big plays. Then after that, especially the first group, they tightened it down and really played some good football. It was good and bad. Would I like to just go and shut the whole thing down every series? Absolutely, but then I've got a whole new bag of problems because then it's feeling good and trying to reel them back in. I liked how it went because we got knocked down right away and we came back and did our job, so there's a little bit of butt-chewing I can do, but we aren't quite there yet. I liked where it was at."
Chinander finished off with the leadership mentality that is starting to be implemented with the Huskers.
"I think there's vertical leadership and horizontal leadership," Chinander said. "Sometimes when the leaders go vertical down to the rest of the team or from me to them down, the others guys need to go horizontal so everybody understands the message, and I think that's starting to happen. Once the leaders and the coaches say something now, everybody is spreading the word and reeling everybody else back in, so it's been good."
The Huskers will continue fall camp with practice on Wednesday, with the first game taking place at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 31 against South Alabama at 11 a.m CT.
13-Aug-2019 / NU Athletic Communications
The Nebraska volleyball team is ranked second in the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll, which was released on Tuesday.
The Huskers received one of the 64 first-place votes and totaled 1,451 points. Stanford, which received 62 first-place votes, took the No. 1 ranking with 1,598 points. The Cardinal defeated the Huskers in the NCAA Championship match last December in Minneapolis, 3-2. The two teams will meet this regular season on Wednesday, Sept. 18 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. This marks the second straight year the Huskers will begin the season at No. 2.
Minnesota (1,414), Texas (1,385) and Wisconsin (1,329) rounded out the top five. Other Big Ten teams in the top 10 included No. 6 Illinois and No. 8 Penn State. The Nittany Lions received the final first-place vote. Nebraska is scheduled to play 12 regular-season matches against teams ranked in the AVCA Preseason Poll.
The Huskers return five starters from last year's team, including first-team All-America middle blocker Lauren Stivrins. Nebraska will be replacing significant contributors in outside hitter Mikaela Foecke and libero Kenzie Maloney, who both won two NCAA Championships and two Big Ten titles with the Huskers in their four years at NU.
The Huskers begin the season with the Red-White Scrimmage on Saturday, Aug. 24 at 6 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Tickets remain and can be purchased online here.
13-Aug-2019 / Associated Press
DENVER (AP) — Somewhere around the fifth inning, Josh Rojas began to gaze around the ball park and a particular thought dawned on him.
"I realized I'm in the big leagues right now," the outfielder said after his major league debut. "This is pretty crazy."
It took him a couple innings to settle in before making a big impression. The same goes for his teammates.
Jake Lamb, Nick Ahmed and Carson Kelly homered during a four-run sixth inning as the Arizona Diamondbacks rallied for an 8-6 victory over the reeling Colorado Rockies on Monday night.
Over the course of 13 pitches, Arizona went from trailing 6-3 to leading 7-6. Lamb started the comeback with a solo shot off reliever Jake McGee. Ahmed later hit a two-run homer and Kelly followed with a solo shot off Chad Bettis (1-6).
It was the Diamondbacks' 27th comeback win of the season and keeps them in the thick of the wild-card chase.
"In this ball park, no game is over — no matter what the score is, no matter what inning it is," Ahmed said.
Rojas had a pair of hits in his first big league game, including an RBI single in the seventh to make it 8-6. After his inaugural base hit in the sixth — just ahead of Ahmed's homer — the keepsake baseball was tossed into the dugout, where Eduardo Escobar playfully pretended to throw it into the crowd.
Rojas was acquired last month in the deal that sent right-hander Zack Greinke to Houston. Rojas became the 10th Arizona-born player to suit up for the Diamondbacks.
"Really nice approach. Unfazed. Good heartbeat. Not glossy-eyed. He looked very comfortable," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. "To be relaxed, and do what he did today was very, very impressive."
Merrill Kelly (8-12) allowed four of his six runs in the first inning as he earned his first victory since June 12. Archie Bradley tossed a 1-2-3 ninth for his fourth save.
Just don't call Bradley the closer.
"I don't want to put an extra title on him," Lovullo said. "He's going to get the ball at the back end. He's in a good spot."
The Rockies jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first after Raimel Tapia and Tony Wolters each delivered two-out, two-run singles. Kelly threw 29 pitches in the frame.
Trevor Story had two doubles and a solo homer for a Rockies squad that's gone 13-32 since June 21. It's the worst swoon by winning percentage in the National League over that time period and pretty much assured Colorado won't be making a third straight playoff appearance.
"It's tough. Knowing what our team's potential definitely makes it a little bit tougher," said Ryan McMahon, who had a solo homer in the fifth. "This is how we've been playing. It's on us. Nobody else to blame besides us."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Diamondbacks: OF David Peralta was out of the starting lineup with a stiff neck. He grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the sixth. ... RHP Luke Weaver (forearm tightness) will throw a 25-pitch bullpen session Tuesday. He had an MRI last week and "everything is progressing," Lovullo said. ... RHP Taijuan Walker (Tommy John surgery) threw out to 90 feet Monday.
Rockies: OF Yonathan Daza says he's feeling "good" after fouling a ball off his left ankle Sunday. He entered as a pinch-hitter in the sixth and flew out.
CONTROL
Rockies starter Peter Lambert was cruising along until the fourth inning when he struggled to find the strike zone. He walked the opening three batters before getting a 1-2-3 double play. Two pitches later, Ahmed brought in two runs with a double to deep center to make it 4-3.
Lambert finished with five walks, one intentional, over five innings. He gave up three runs.
"I allowed a lot of free baserunners and that's not what you're trying to do as a pitcher," Lambert lamented.
SOUR MOOD
Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado said the mood in the clubhouse is one of complete frustration after a 1-5 trip added to their growing miseries. They were outscored 25-9 in two losses at Houston and then dropped three of four in San Diego.
"You don't want to get embarrassed like that or get beat up like that," Arenado said. "That team (Houston) is better than us. The Padres, they played well. ... They're getting better. It shows that we have a long ways to go."
UP NEXT
Arizona righty Zac Gallen (2-3, 2.40 ERA) makes his first career start against Colorado on Tuesday. The Rockies will throw Jon Gray (10-8, 4.06), who's gone 5-2 with a 3.88 ERA at home this season.
13-Aug-2019 / NU Athletic Communications
Former Nebraska golfer Brandon Crick has put himself in position to potentially qualify for the 2019-20 PGA Tour, after a pair of strong finishes recently on the Korn Ferry Tour.
Crick, who earned an NCAA Regional appearance as a Husker senior in 2010, recorded two straight top-15 finishes by taking second at the Ellie Mae Classic (Aug. 4) and tying for 15th at the Portland Open (Aug. 11). With the strong play, Crick vaulted from 155th to 54th in the tour standings giving him a chance to compete in the tour finals. The top 75 golfers in the point standings advance to the finals.
If Crick finishes in the top-25 in the point standings after the next three events in the finals, he will earn a PGA Tour card for the 2019-20 season. Crick has already secured a full-time spot on the Korn Ferry Tour next season.
“I've got nothing to lose," Crick said. "I've got a place to play next year, which is awesome, and I feel like my game is at a point where I can really compete and win.”
Before the last two regular-season tournaments on the Korn Ferry Tour, Crick had missed five straight cuts.
“It was kind of a grind of a season. When I was hitting the ball well, I wasn’t chipping and putting well," Crick said. "When I was chipping and putting well, I wasn’t hitting the ball well, so it all just kind of came together.”
Crick will be in action this weekend at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship at the Scarlet Course in Columbus, Ohio. He will continue his hunt for a PGA Tour spot in the Albertsons Boise Open at the Hillcrest Country Club in Boise Idaho (Aug. 22-25), before rounding out the three tournament stretch at the Victoria National Golf Course in Newburgh, Ind., for the Korn Ferry Tour Championship.
Two other former Huskers made appearances on the Korn Ferry Tour this season, as Scott Gutschewski placed in the top-100 in the point standings and finished with two top-10 finishes, including a tie for ninth at the Pinnacle Bank Championships at The Club at Indian Creek in Omaha.
Former Husker Brady Schnell played in three Korn Ferry Tour events and placed in the top-30 in all three events highlighted by his tie for 12th at the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship.