5 real takeaways from the Colorado Rockies first "fake" game

Until the last week or so, we at BSN Denver won’t be bringing you full game recaps of Colorado Rockies spring training as that would almost certainly be an insufferable waste of your time. If you want to know all the gritty details of the box score, you can always click right here.

Otherwise, we will try to boil down each game into a handful of interesting tidbits so we can get back to reporting on the stories inside and surrounding each game.

For Game 1 … well … “fake” Game 1, here are five real takeaways:

1. Nolan Arenado’s first fake RBI was a perfect example of why he needs to get credit for that stat. With an out and a runner on third, Arenado got into a quick, fake 0-2 hole. But he kept his swing short and hit a groundball up the middle, making an out, but scoring the fake tying run. You can’t be clutch in February, this is just a perfectly timed reminder of what he does well. One of the things he does well, anyway.

2. Ian Desmond’s first fake stolen base led directly to a fake two-out run. His first defensive gem came on a diving stop to end the fake fourth inning.  His first three fake hits came in his first three fake at-bats. In his first fake game, he is already showing real skills that most other first baseman lack. It’s earlier than early. It’s yesterday, it’s so early. But these are exactly the skills Desmond was acquired for. If only he had stepped over and played an inning at shortstop.

3. Trevor Story hit his first fake home run of the year. It went real far.

4. Gerardo Parra got his first fake hit and first two fake RBI to make a 3-0 game a 3-2 game in the second. He also drew his first fake walk, 1/9th of the number of real ones he drew a year ago, and made a running catch on the warning track. If the goal of starting Parra today (and other days this spring) was to showcase him for a potential trade, it started about as well as it could have.

5. Tyler Anderson got fake knocked around a little bit. With a little “help” from some fake spring training Charlie Blackmon defense and shoddy control, Anderson gave up three runs on five hits in 1.1 IP. Antonio Senzatela, after missing most of last season, looked both good and healthy over two innings. Jordan Lyles got off to a nice start in the battle for the final bullpen spot with a clean inning and two strikeouts.

Colorado ended the game with eight fake runs to Arizona’s four. The Rockies win their first fake game.

Final Takeaway:

Baseball is back. And baseball is awesome.