Rock Solid Recap: Jhoulys Dominated And Then Dexter Slammed The Door

Rockies 9, Padres 1 (boxscore)

Winning Player: Jhoulys Chacin 7 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 HR, 75 pitches (53 strikes)

To say Chacin pounded the strike zone tonight would be an understatement. What a fantastic outing that only  saw him make one mistake, which of course Will Venable hit over the scoreboard in right for homer. That aside, Chacin was effective, extremely efficient, and more importantly than that, looked confident (and looks healthy). It looks like we might have something to truly look forward to every fifth day in September. 

PS: Chacin is the first Rockies starter to go 7 innings since Christian Friedrich back on June 4 (half a season ago). 

Honorable Mentions: Josh Rutledge (three hits, one run) and Tyler Colvin (home run, double, three RBI). 

Both of these guys keep on hitting and producing. Thinking about them in a lineup with Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez, Dexter Fowler and Wilin Rosario for years to come makes me as giddy as one can be while still fully understanding this team isn't set up to win anytime soon.  

Turning Point: The Rockies jumped out to a 5-0 lead thanks to some good two-out hitting. That started right away in the 1st inning when Carlos Gonzalez doubled and then Wilin Rosario knocked him in with a single. They would then add three more two-out runs in the 5th thanks to Tyler Colvin's two-run double and Chris Nelson's RBI single. And who knows, that inning could have been even more productive had Jim Tracy not gone to the Little League playbook with the old 1st-and-3rd steal a run double steal with Nelson on first and Jordan Pacheco on third.

That failed miserably, and probably will most times unless you have an EY2 or Dexter Fowler running at third or you're facing a team below rookie ball level.

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Rock Solid Recrap: Reds Win 9th Straight (Equaling Rockies Total Since June 25th)

Reds 9, Rockies 7 (boxscore)

I think the headline alone would be a sufficient enough recap, but I'll touch on a few things anyway because I love sharing my Rockies misery with all of you.

What Went Wrong: Well, the good news is all of the Reds home runs were solo. The bad news is they hit five of them. I don't care which ballpark you're in or what lineup you're facing, five is too many.

Christian Friedrich's Line: 4 1/3 IP, 7 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 3 HR, 55 pitches (32 strikes)

The three homers Friedrich allowed were all crushed. No cheapies at all. But those all came in the first three innings. The Reds then dinked and dunked him in the 5th (walk, three singles) and Jim Tracy had no patience for it, pulling him at only 55 pitches. Josh Roenicke then poured gasoline on Friedrich's ERA by allowing a two-run double to Brandon Phillips.

I still have no idea how to evaluate our young pitchers under the current pitching system, so this was just another "meh" outing in my eyes. Hopefully Jhoulys Chacin can return after his impending four-start rehab assignment on time and the Rockies will be ready to operate like a major league organization again so we can evaluate them as such.

Turning Point: The Rockies struck for three in the 1st, giving Friedrich a pretty nice cushion to work with. He then immediately gave up 2nd inning home runs to Ryan Ludwick and Todd Frazier.

I think we all realized where the game was headed at that point. Including Dan O'Dowd.

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Rock Solid Recrap: So You Want To Be A Catcher?

Padres 3, Rockies 2 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: Rough day for the offense against Ross freaking Ohlendorf and company.

How rough?

Hitters 3-6 were a combined 0-for-14, with the only production coming from Carlos Gonzalez (two walks, two stolen bases). It will take a special day from the bottom of your order and/or your pitching to overcome that.

As you can tell by the score, the Rockies almost did.

Turning Point: Jordan Pacheco's second big league start behind the plate on Sunday turned out to be quite the experience, which you had to expect it would be given how this entire season has gone for the Rockies.

Naturally his day got off to a very active start in the first inning. Before the Rockies could off the field in that frame, Pacheco was forced to attempt blocking a pitch in the dirt, which did not go well at all. Rather than drop to his knees and smother it, he went backhand and baseball went to screen. He also had to go way up the line to knock down a throw from the outfield. He did that well. And then he handled a pop up right up the elevator shaft without any problems.

All in all, not the worst possible start.

Then comes the play at the plate in the 4th inning. John Baker singles to Eric Young in center, Everth Cabrera comes charging around third with the tying run. EY makes a good, strong throw home, but the ball and Cabrera unfortunately arrive at the same time, and Pacheco paid the price for it.

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Rock Solid Recrap: Pirates Don't Mind Stealing, Will Also Take What They're Given

Pirates 6, Rockies 2 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: Like I indicated in the headline, pirates make a living stealing, but the ones from Pittsburgh didn't have to tonight. This win was furnished for them, free of charge. 

Some of the bigger issues for the sloppy Rockies on Tuesday night:

— The inability to finish innings on the mound and capitalize at the plate against the often injured, always overpaid Erik Bedard. More to come on these.

— Wilin Rosario had another awful night behind the plate with his league leading 12th passed ball and a costly wild pitch allowed. Obviously there's a long way to go in his development, but there's no sense taking playing time away. He has to learn on the job. But you're still allowed to cringe and not like it.

— Down four runs late, Jordan Pacheco inexplicably attempts to advance to third on a groundball to third base. He was tagged out easily, killing a scoring opportunity.

— In the 9th, Carlos Torres made a lousy throw to second on what should have been a double play. Rockies end up getting no outs (thanks to the throw and a missed call). Amazingly, that one didn't lead to a run, but still maddening.

As small as many of those miscues appear to be, there's no way you're going to win at this level when you make that many of them in one game. Especially against this Pittsburgh team that executes well under Clint Hurdle and does a wonderful job of getting the most out of the least. Not to mention it gets increasingly difficult to watch with each passing game, because you expect to see some improvement somewhere along the line. It just never happens. And just when you think it's about to, it disappears.

Turning Point: Rookie Josh Rutledge triples home the go ahead run in the 4th. I wish I could say that was the turning point. Unfortunately, though, it was the Rockies inability to bring Rutledge home (there were no outs) that started the shift in the game's outlook. Christian Friedrich struck out looking. Eric Young struck out looking. Marco Scutaro flied out harmlessly to center field.

That was the start of it. In the top of the 5th... well... keep reading.

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Lineup Card: Rockies vs Pirates 7-17-12

Monday's Recap: Embracing The Drama

Lineups

Colorado Rockies (35-54)

1. Eric Young Jr. (RF)
2. Marco Scutaro (2B)
3. Dexter Fowler (CF)
4. Carlos Gonzalez (LF)
5. Michael Cuddyer (1B)
6. Jordan Pacheco (3B)
7. Wilin Rosario (C)
8. Josh Rutledge (SS)
9. Christian Friedrich (P)

Alright, well, now we have Dexter Fowler hitting third, and I must say I'm a lot more intrigued by this move than I was hitting Pacheco third. I mean, ultimately I think that's the spot Carlos Gonzalez should hit because he's the best hitter on the team, but there's no doubt Fowler has been the next best hitter (and provides more pop than Pacheco) pretty much all season, so I can actually see this arrangement sticking awhile.  

More roster moves... Jonathan Herrera (shoulder) and Chris Nelson (irregular heartbeat) hit the DL today. We wish them both speedy recoveries (especially Nelson). On the way up are infielder D.J. LeMahieu (who played respectably in his earlier stint) and outfielder Andrew Brown (who is hitting extremely well in AAA). Brown should fill the right-handed bat off the bench role and draw a handful of starts. 

Pittsburgh Pirates (49-40)

1. Alex Presley (LF)
2. Drew Sutton (RF)
3. Andrew McCutchen (CF)
4. Casey McGehee (1B)
5. Neil Walker (2B)
6. Pedro Alvarez (3B)
7. Michael McKenry (C)
8. Clint Barmes (SS)
9. Erik Bedard (P)

More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: @Townie813 & @HeavenHelton

Rock Solid Recap: Rockies Rookies Roll Over Phillies

Rockies 6, Phillies 2 (boxscore)

What a refreshing restart to the season this was. The Rockies looked sharp in their 6-2 win over Cliff Lee and the Philadelphia Phillies. I mean they looked very sharp, and they looked focused on playing team ball and fundamental ball.

Generally I wouldn't get too excited about this after watching the first three months of this season, but the Rockies played this way in Washington prior to the break, so perhaps there really is a new focus and a stronger commitment to playing smarter and playing more for each other. Maybe. We'll have a better feel for that after we examine the next 48 hours, but at the very least this was an encouraging performance and a very enjoyable game to watch.

Winning Player: Josh Rutledge

The Rockies prospect is called up to the big leagues on Friday. His luggage is lost by his airline. He has to borrow equipment from piratically everyone in the clubhouse. Oh, and he's in the starting lineup against Cliff Lee.

All of those occurrences on their own would have been enough to overwhelm me.

Rutledge? Not knocked off stride, phased, or intimidated one single bit. He finished his major league debut 2-for-2 with a walk, a sacrifice fly and  two RBIs. He was the key offensive cog. He was a professional in every plate appearance. He looked the part of big leaguer.

It's one game.

It's one damn good game.

Turning Point: Rutledge's sacrifice fly. It came in the 6th with the game tied at 1. There were runners at first and third with one out. It's a scoring opportunity the Rockies have failed to convert repeatedly this season, many times because of that damn contact play, but Rutledge was able to get enough lift and enough distance to get Tyler Colvin home with the go ahead run.

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Lineup Card: Rockies vs Phillies 7-13-12

The 2nd half is upon us. 

The Rockies have 77 games remaining.

Can we stomach it?

How many Colorado Rockies players/coaches will survive it?

When will we see Nolan Arenado?

Will Tyler Colvin continue pushing Todd Helton out of the picture?

I have no guaranteed answers to any of those questions... BUT... I do have tonight's lineups and roster moves!

Colorado Rockies (33-52)

1. Dexter Fowler (CF)
2. Marco Scutaro (2B)
3. Carlos Gonzalez (LF)
4. Ramon Hernandez (C)
5. Michael Cuddyer (1B)
6. Tyler Colvin (RF)
7. Jordan Pacheco (3B)
8. Josh Rutledge (SS)
9. Christian Friedrich (P)

Roster moves galore out the break. First of all, Todd Helton hits the DL with his hip injury, So yes, that will open things up for Tyler Colvin for the time being. It's also a DL situation for Wil Nieves, who's apparently suffering from turf toe. That's never fun. And Tyler Chatwood was optioned to Double-A Tulsa to make a start this weekend. 

Coming up: Prospect Josh Rutledge, who you see in the lineup, is the move for Helton. Assuming he sticks (and he should once Marco Scutaro is moved), he will start seeing extensive time at second base since that's where his Rockies future will be. Ramon Hernandez is also back, as you can see by him hitting CLEAN UP tonight. Alright then. And we also welcome right-hander reliever Mike Ekstrom. 

*Exhale*

Philadelphia Phillies (37-50)

1. Jimmy Rollins (SS)
2. Shane Victorino (CF)
3. Chase Utley (2B)
4. Ryan Howard (1B)
5. Carlos Ruiz (C)
6. Hunter Pence (RF)
7. Placido Polanco (3B)
8. John Mayberry (LF)
9. Cliff Lee (P)

More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: @Townie813 & @HeavenHelton

Rock Solid Recrap: A Much Appreciated Blackout

Cardinals 6, Rockies 2 (boxscore)

In what may be a first, I'm actually thankful tonight's game was blacked out here in Illinois. That's because it allowed me to keep both of my eyes on two of the best games I've seen all season: Phillies-Mets in New York and Giants-Nats in Washington.

But that doesn't mean I wasn't listening closely to the Rockies, or that I haven't sought out the highlights of the games key plays and studied the boxscore.

I don't like what I see, by the way.

Christian Friedrich's Line: 4 1/3 IP, 6 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 5 K, 89 pitches (55 strikes)

Friedrich's control abandoned him again in the middle innings, much like it did in Detroit a couple weeks ago. Naturally, those two professionally built offenses made him pay for it, and all we can do is hope that serves as a learning experience. Losing focus or command at this level, even for two or three batters, can be a death sentence. You have to stay sharp or things can and will unravel quickly. 

That's the lesson. But the overall good news is that when Friedrich is pumping strikes he's pretty effective. It's just a matter of maintaining it and also finding better ways to navigate the rough waters when they rise. Unfortunately, though, the latter has been the undoing of too many Rockies pitcher to name.  

Turning Point: Without being redundant, the 5th inning is where it all went to hell, and it's easy to point at the moment where this game jumped the shark for Colorado. It happened when Friedrich walked Lance Lynn to load the bases. Sure, the bounce back strikeout of Rafael Furcal was nice, but there was no chance he was escaping that undamaged after walking the opposing pitcher. None.

Highlight of the Night: Here's your nightly Tyler Colvin did something good video clip.

Watch Tyler Colvin's two-run bomb

What's Next: Out of the frying pan in St. Louis, into the fire in Washington. The Rockies will open a three-game series there on Friday night, and they'll do it with Drew Pomeranz (0-3, 3.72) on the mound. He'll be  opposed by Stephen Strasburg (9-3, 2.81), though I tentatively write that because MLB.com is suggesting that decision hasn't been made official. I'll take Edwin Jackson as a substitute if possible.

Final Thoughts: Remember when I said Wilin Rosario was becoming my favorite Rockies catcher ever? Well, I may have to exercise my right to change my mind. Here's why...

Watch Wilin Rosario bail as Matt Holliday bears down

That can't happen. That run cannot score there. I understand Matt Holliday is a large man and he's moving fast, you still have to get that out. You have to stand in there, you might have to take a hit, but you have to get that out for your pitcher and your ballclub.

There's no way around it. I don't want to see Wilin get hurt, obviously, but I want to see a willingness to stand his ground and make the right play. I'm disappointed it didn't happen there. Very disappointed. 

More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: @Townie813 & @HeavenHelton

Lineup Card: Rockies @ Cardinals 7-5-12

Wednesday's Recap: Rockies Reach In The Loss Column

Lineups

Colorado Rockies (31-50)

1. Dexter Fowler (CF)
2. Marco Scutaro (2B)
3. Carlos Gonzalez (LF)
4. Michael Cuddyer (1B)
5. Tyler Colvin (RF)
6. Jordan Pacheco (3B)
7. Wilin Rosario (C)
8. Jonathan Herrera (SS)
9. Christian Friedrich (P)

St. Louis Cardinals (43-39)

1. Rafael Furcal (SS)
2. Jon Jay (CF)
3. Matt Holliday (LF)
4. Carlos Beltran (RF)
5. Allen Craig (1B)
6. Yadier Molina (C)
7. David Freese (3B)
8. Matt Carpenter (2B)
9. Lance Lynn (P)

More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: @Townie813 & @HeavenHelton

June Review and Player Rankings

June Record: 9-18

The Rockies followed up a 10-18 May with a 9-18 June. It's almost impossible to believe they finished April at a very respectable 11-11, isn't it?

Overall Record: 30-47

June Swing Games: 4-3

Wins (Games They Could Have Lost)

• June 3rd vs Los Angeles Dodgers (Read the Recap)
• June 15th @ Detroit (Read the Recap) 
• June 25th vs Washington (Read the Recap)
• June 28th vs Washington (Read the  Recap)

Losses (Game They Should Have Won)

• June 10th vs Los Angeles Angels (Read the Recrap)
• June 13th vs Oakland (Read the Recrap)
• June 20th @ Philadelphia (Read the Recrap) 

Again, the Rockies record in 50/50 swing games looks a lot better than their overall mark because a high percentage of their losses are games they're completely out of early due to the starting pitching.

Simply stated, this isn't your typical win 60, lose 60, how do they split up the other 42 games team. It's a win 50, lose 90, pray the offense keeps them from losing 100 team.

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Speedy Rock Solid Recrap: Guthrie Leads Bullpen Collapse

Padres 8, Rockies 4 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: I couldn't see the game! (Expletive) Fox!

Turning Point: The moment Jeremy Guthrie was summoned from the bullpen, this game went from very winnable to just plain winnable. But the Rockies offense failed to get on track against Edinson Volquez, so it was looking less than winnable heading to the late innings. Then Adam Ottavino took the mound in the 8th and had a rare terrible outing, turing the game into a completely unwinnable.

It was a gradual turn, but it definitely started with Jeremy Guthrie allowing a pair of home runs in his two inning relief effort.

Christian Friedrich's Line: 5 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, 74 pitches (49 strikes)

Since I can't analyze how he looked, I'll just point out how much I love to see a zero in the walks column. It was just three starts ago that Friedrich walked five Tigers in less than five innings. Since, he's only walked one single batter. Improved numbers across the board will start coming when a pitcher starts locating better, so I'm encouraged by that.

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Lineup Card: Rockies vs Padres 6-30-12

Friday's Recap:  The Road To 100 Detours Through San Diego

Lineups

Colorado Rockies (30-46)

1. Dexter Fowler (CF)
2. Marco Scutaro (SS)
3. Carlos Gonzalez (LF)
4. Michael Cuddyer (RF)
5. Todd Helton (1B)
6. Jordan Pacheco (3B)
7. Chris Nelson (2B)
8. Wilin Rosario (C)
9. Christian Friedrich (P)

San Diego Padres (28-50)

1. Chris Denorfia (RF)
2. Logan Forsythe (2B)
3. Chase Headley (3B)
4. Carlos Quentin (LF)
5. Yasmani Grandal (C)
6. Yonder Alonso (1B)
7. Cameron Maybin (CF)
8. Alexi Amarista (SS)
9. Edinson Volquez (P)

More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: @Townie813 & @HeavenHelton

Rock Solid Recrap: More About Bob And The Great Guillermo

Nationals 12, Rockies 5 (boxscore)

Farewell, Bob: First things first, I wrote a little bit about Bob Apodaca's reassignment in the Lineup Card today. All I'll really add now is that, despite the low point we've reached now in terms of the Rockies pitching struggles, I truly do appreciate his contributions to the Rockies over his ten seasons of service. 

You can discredit the man if you want, but there's really no denying that a lot of good things happened under his watch, which peaked during the 2009 and 2010 seasons. But there always comes a time when change and fresh ideas are necessary to keep the process moving forward. I think that's especially true when you call Coors Field — the most unique and mentally taxing ballpark on the planet — your home. 

Apodaca's time to move on had definitely arrived. But I'll still pass on kicking him on his way out the door, because he took on the challenge of solving pitching at one mile above sea level for TEN years, and this is the first time he's backed away from the challenge. 

I can admire that. I can respect that. I actually appreciate that. And I truly hope the next full time pitching coach can match his patience and mental stamina when taking on this challenge.

That said, I also hope the new full time pitching coach has more effective and long-lasting ideas, because there's a lot of work to be done to get Rockies pitching back at the 09-10 level, but more importantly, to keep it at that level.

Now about tonight's baseball game...

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Lineup Card: Rockies vs Nationals 6-26-12

Monday Recap: Jeff Francis Continues To Embrace Weird Pitching Gimmick

Lineups

Colorado Rockies (28-44)

1. Dexter Fowler (CF)
2. Jordan Pacheco (3B)
3. Carlos Gonzalez (LF)
4. Michael Cuddyer (RF)
5. Todd Helton (1B)
6. Chris Nelson (2B)
7. Wilin Rosario (C)
8. Jonathan Herrera (SS)
9. Christian Friedrich (P)

Never a dull moment with these here Rockies. The USA Today — not the Denver Post, because the Rockies apparently feel it's necessary to stick it to the local media — is reporting that Bob Apodaca has asked for and been granted a reassignment within the Rockies organization. 

According to Tracy Ringolsby, the Rockies will now split the pitching coach duties between Jim Wright (bullpen) and Bo McLaughlin (starters). I imagine that setup will remain in place at least through the end of this season. And we've also now learned that Apodaca will be taking on a role titled "Special Assistant to the General Manager", which basically means "We don't have the balls to fire you, so here's a desk, office and paycheck. Be here everyday by noon." 

But the only news that really matters is that, for better or worse, he's no longer the Rockies pitching coach. And I'm 90% sure it's for the better, because constantly attempting to solve pitching at Coors Field has a way of mentally beating people down over time. Keeping the minds (and arms, too) involved in the process as fresh as possible seems like a good plan of action to me, but it also might be impossible to keep them fresh enough to really be effective for a sustained stretch. 

Washington Nationals (41-30)

1. Danny Espinosa (2B)
2. Bryce Harper (CF)
3. Ryan Zimmerman (3B)
4. Michael Morse (RF)
5. Adam LaRoche (1B)
6. Ian Desmond (SS)
7. Tyler Moore (LF)
8. Jesus Flores (C)
9. Gio Gonzalez (P)

More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: @Townie813 & @HeavenHelton

Rock Solid Recrap: That Went Surprisingly Well

Rangers 4, Rockies 1 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: As you know, I've lowered my standards significantly for this series in Texas, so I'm almost willing to say nothing went wrong on Friday night. Then again, anytime you have 12 hits and only score one run, something definitely went wrong. Or several somethings.

A clutch hit here. A productive out there. They would have gone a long way towards making this a different outcome on the scoreboard. But overall, they did everything they needed to do to not get embarrassed. I'm oddly satisfied with that.

Turning Point: There were several wasted chances as noted above.

1st Inning: Left Carlos Gonzalez at second.

2nd Inning: Left runners at the corners.

5th Inning: Left runners at first and second.

6th Inning: Two more left on.

7th Inning: A Jonathan Herrera double play killed a potential big rally. Dexter Fowler followed with a triple and then Marco Scutaro doubled him home.

8th Inning: Michael Cuddyer double play. Two more runners left on.

Pick one.

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Lineup Card: Rockies @ Rangers 6-22-12

Thursday's Recap: Maybe Jeff Francis Should Start Four Time A Week

Lineups

Colorado Rockies (26-42)

1. Dexter Fowler (CF)
2. Marco Scutaro (2B)
3. Carlos Gonzalez (LF)
4. Jason Giambi (DH)
5. Michael Cuddyer (RF)
6. Todd Helton (1B)
7. Chris Nelson (3B)
8. Wilin Rosario (C)
9. Jonathan Herrera (SS)

Christian Friedrich (4-3, 5.60)

Yes, Jonathan Herrera has returned from his hamstring injury and immediately joins the starting lineup at shortstop. Though I think some would argue there are two better defensive shortstops in the lineup with him tonight playing two other positions. D.J. LeMahieu was optioned back to Colorado Springs to make room.

Texas Rangers (43-27)

1. Ian Kinsler (2B)
2. Elvis Andrus (SS)
3. Josh Hamilton (LF)
4. Adrian Beltre (DH)
5. Michael Young (3B)
6. Nelson Cruz (RF)
7. Mike Napoli (1B)
8. Yorvit Torrealba (C)
9. Craig Gentry (CF)

Roy Oswalt (Season Debut)

I miss the San Diego Pardes. When can we play them again? Or Houston?

More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: @Townie813 & @HeavenHelton

Back To Your Regularly Scheduled Recrap: Rockies Lose 4-1.

Tigers 4, Rockies 1 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: Cue the circus music... and then watch this lowlight.

Simple and to the point, much this like this entire Recrap will be.

Turning Point: None to speak of. The Rockies didn't collect their first hit until the 4th inning. By then the Tigers were up 2-0, and they never mounted a serious threat from that point on. So nope, no turning point. Just a dismal all around performance offensively.

Christian Friedrich's Line: 5 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 3 H, 5 BB, 4 K, 1 HR, 98 pitches (48 strikes)

Friedrich's command was somewhere between Ubaldo Jimenez and Franklin Morales at their worst. It was brutal, yet the Tigers only plated three against him (one with the help of that train wreck play mentioned above). I can't explain it. I don't see any reason in trying. I just know Friedrich will have to be significantly more effective his next time out against Texas or it will get very ugly, very quickly.

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Lineup Card: Rockies @ Tigers 6-16-12

Friday's RECAP: Eight Run 10th Was A Thing Of Beauty

Lineups 

Colorado Rockies (25-38)

1. Dexter Fowler (CF)
2. Marco Scutaro (SS)
3. Carlos Gonzalez (LF)
4. Michael Cuddyer (RF)
5. Jason Giambi (DH)
6. Todd Helton (1B)
7. Jordan Pacheco (3B)
8. Wilin Rosario (C)
9. Chris Nelson (2B)

Christian Friedrich (4-2, 5.85)

Detroit Tigers (30-34)

1. Austin Jackson (CF)
2. Brennan Boesch (RF)
3. Miguel Cabrera (3B)
4. Prince Fielder (1B)
5. Delmon Young (DH)
6. Jhonny Peralta (SS)
7. Ryan Raburn (LF)
8. Gerald Laird (C)
9. Ramon Santiago (2B)

Doug Fister (0-3, 3.15)

More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: @Townie813 & @HeavenHelton

Rock Solid Recrap: Rockies Take Another Weekend Off, Swept By Angels

Angels 10, Rockies 8 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: Lousy starting pitching was the biggest problem... again.

The umpires didn't help much, either.

With Carlos Gonzalez representing the tying run in the 9th, the soon to be all-star hit a line drive (not just any line drive, a CarGo line drive) back to Angels' closer Scott Downs that the lefty miraculously snagged cleanly out of the air, and then lost on the exchange from glove to hand as he attempted to double off Marco Scutaro. Only the four-man umpiring crew led by NBA official Joey Crawford and three direct descendants of the Three Stooges ruled that Downs didn't catch the ball.

(OK, the crew was actually Greg Gibson, Gerry Davis, Phil Cuzzi and Manny Gonzalez, but you could have fooled me.)

Gonzalez, who had the best view of Downs making the catch, never took off for first. Marco Scutaro apparently had the second best view, because he retreated to first base. That led to one of the most awkward looking and slowest developing 1-6-3 double plays you'll ever see. And it also led to an animated Jim Tracy outburst that earned him his first ejection of the season.

Watch the madness

It's always rough when a blown call takes an opportunity away from your offense, especially when it's at that point in the game. But again, starting pitching was the real problem today. The offense hit well enough that it should have never come down to the incompetent men in blue. Unfortunately, things aren't about to get better in that regard. By the same token, things aren't about to get better with these umpires either until MLB gets serious about expanded replay.

Fails galore.

PS: This in the fourth weekend the Rockies have been swept in the last six. They're 3-15 over that stretch.

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Lineup Card: Rockies vs Angels 6-10-12

Saturday's Recrap: Death By Singles

Lineups

Colorado Rockies (24-34)

1. Tyler Colvin (CF)
2. Marco Scutaro (SS)
3. Carlos Gonzalez (LF)
4. Michael Cuddyer (RF)
5. Todd Helton (1B)
6. Jordan Pacheco (3B)
7. Wilin Rosario (C)
8. Chris Nelson (2B)
9. Christian Friedrich (P)

Los Angeles Angels (31-29)

1. Mike Trout (CF)
2. Torii Hunter (RF)
3. Albert Pujols (1B)
4. Mark Trumbo (LF)
5. Howard Kendrick (2B)
6. Alberto Callaspo (3B)
7. Erick Aybar (SS)
8. John Hester (C)
9. Ervin Santana (P)

I see those first five names and I'm ready to cry Uncle. Christian Friedrich won't be, however, and this actually qualifies as not only a big test for him, but an equally big opportunity to gain some experience against a high caliber offense. It'll be interesting to see if he responds as well as I thought Alex White did on Friday night.  

More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: @Townie813 & @HeavenHelton