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'Casey At The Bat': Preston Wilson Fails In 4-2 Contest

Over at ESPN SweetSpot Network, Value Over Replacement Grit just launched there on Wednesday and one of the older posts is about real-life "Casey at the Bat" situations. Since 1950 there were 36 games that ended the ninth inning with the score 4-2 and men left on second and third after a strikeout for the third out.

The Colorado Rockies appear on this list just once: June 20, 2004. Preston Wilson struck out swinging on a 1-2 count to end the game in the bottom of the ninth in the 4-2 decision. But the Rockies should never have been in that situation. Shawn Chacon had allowed a grand slam to Brian Roberts in the top of the ninth, putting the Rockies from a 2-0 lead into a 4-2 deficit. Amusingly, future Colorado Rockies pitcher Jorge Julio was the pitcher who induced the strikeout. Julio had also gotten the previous strikeout in a "Casey at the Bat" situation in 2002 when he struck out the Los Angeles Dodgers' Adrian Beltre.

Oh, and the last player to fail like Casey? Albert Pujols in July 2011.