At Long Last, 10,000 Losses

We did it!

At 12:16 AM EST on Sunday, July 8, 2007, Wes Helms strikes out swinging on a Manny Corpas pitch, and the Colorado Rockies defeat the Philadelphia Phillies by a score of 6-3. Jamie Moyer, the poor soul, is the losing pitcher.

Few situations could have been more fitting for the 10,000th franchise loss: on a horrendous road trip, with a lead surrendered by a bullpen sinking faster than the Lusitania, with an offensive output concentrated entirely on early home runs, to a franchise that has done almost nothing of consequence in its 14 years of existence. The early tease and the subsequent roll-over (in this game as well as Friday night's) were almost poetic. It's as if the team had finally realized their fatalistic mission and set out to dispose of it as quickly and as thoroughly as possible.

It would have been better only if Pat Burrell had struck out looking at a fastball on the inside corner to end the game. Otherwise, it's a perfectly obscure ending to a perfectly obscure milestone.

Here's to the next 10,000. Let's hope they sprinkle in a few more W's this time around.