(Photo by DavidMeyersPhotos on Flickr)

Ok, so, maybe it’s more like Bronson: 2; Coors Field: 3, because Arroyo has a slightly terrible history in Coors.

I have to admit, of the next few series, this game was on of the games I was most concerned about. Arroyo has been much better this year – and his HR/9 is back into line with his career norms – making last year’s 2.1 HR/9 seem like a terrible, terrible nightmare. Still, notwithstanding Coors deep fences, that atmosphere is no joke – and Bronson’s ERA in that ballpark was 8.84, over 18 innings in four starts.

It was sort of a not-so-old-timers game, as all our younglings were all but a  pile of 0-fer , while the over-30 crowd made the magic happen: Rolen, Ludwick, and Hanigan all had two hits.

Of the youngsters, Drew Stubbs probably had the least bad game – as he at least made a couple nifty defensive plays in the enormous centerfield at Coors. In fact, Stubbs was the only outfielder to record a putout in the first seven innings. But Cozart did get a hit in the ninth inning, and Xavier Paul got a single as a pinch hitter immediately before that.

Also, generous props to Alfredo Simon, who has gotten a bad rap after a rough first few outings, but had a great game today, recording 4 outs, and escaping two separate runners in scoring position problems – though neither of them were exactly of his making. And then of course, came the Aroldis Chapman experience. 8 wins in a row feels … nice.