Rock Solid Recrap: Can You Imagine If They Lost Monday?

Diamondbacks 5, Rockies 3 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: Had the Rockies managed to lose Monday's game, this loss would have been a lot more... well... I guess I wouldn't say painful, since we're pretty much numb to it at this point, but it would have driven my anxiety through the roof with 100 losses on the horizon on Wednesday.

But since the Rockies won Monday, Rafael Betancourt's second consecutive blown save was more of a shoulder shrug moment than a blood boiler. No, I'm not happy it happened, but I'm more indifferent than annoyed, which I'm afraid will continue to be my feeling throughout the winter leading into the spring. I care, of course, I just need to see this organization give a damn too before I'll feel the normal emotions again.

Turning Point: Aaron Hill's three-run walk-off is the easy call here, but Gerardo Parra's two-out single that kept the inning going was pretty important too.

Jhoulys Chacin's Line: 5 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K, 75 pitches (46 strikes)

Fabulous finish to an encouraging nine-start stretch since coming of the DL. Not much more needs to be said beyond that. As long as he maintains his health over the winter into the spring, he should be the Rockies opening day starter without any doubt.

Bullpen's Line: 3 2/3 IP, 5 ER, 8 H, 1 BB, 1 K

Guillermo Moscoso is a disaster that hopefully never appears with the Rockies again. And I don't feel bad saying that because unlike guys like Felipe Paulino, Franklin Morales and Jeremy Guthrie, I don't think he'll bounce back in a different atmosphere. He's just not a major league pitcher, plain and simple.

PS: It's easy to take shots at Rafael Betancourt after a couple rough outings, but this guy has been solid all year long.

Think about it... In a given baseball season, they are usually only 4-5 pitchers who truly excel in the closer's role. A couple of them are predictably dominant like Mariano Rivera, Craig Kimbrel and Aroldis Chapman. The others are randomly recycled veterans like Jim Johnson and Fernando Rodney.

Betancourt certainly didn't reach the elite level this season, but all things considered he was a big plus because the position always has instability and uncertainty surrounding it from year-to-year, sometimes even month-to-month. Betancourt at least brought those two things to his role (and in my opinion a lot more) while the rest of the pitching staff crumbled around him.

What's Next: And then there was one. The season finale comes your way on Wednesday at 5:10 and will feature a Jeff Francis (5-5, 5.75) vs. Ian Kennedy (15-11, 4.18) pitching matchup. My emotions are already overcoming me.

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

Rock Solid Recrap: Ailing Clayton Kershaw Overpowers Rockies

Dodgers 8, Rockies 0 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: On a night that featured a no-hitter and a one-hitter, I suppose things could have been worse for the Rockies. But it still wasn't pretty as a far less than 100% Clayton Kershaw (bad hip) dominated them for eight shutout innings, striking out 10 along the way. In fact, the Rockies would only scratch out four singles and a Wilin Rosario double, and never saw a runner reach third base.

Like I said... not pretty.

Turning Point: They're on the road and they aren't playing the Cubs anymore. This game was over before it started.

Jeff Francis' Line: 4 IP, 5 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 66 pitches (38 strikes)

And then Jeff Francis made sure it never got in doubt by allowing a four-spot in the 2nd. Shane Victorino's three-run homer was the big blow there. Blah outing.

Bullpen's Line: 4 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 4 K

All of the damage here came against Will Harris in the 8th inning. He allowed a two-run homer to Bobby Abreu, which is a really tough thing to do these days. Guillermo Moscoso (2 IP) and Josh Roenicke (1 IP) were both excellent, though, which kept this from being extremely embarrassing.

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Rock Solid September Recap: These Are Rare

Rockies 4, Diamondbacks 2 (boxscore)

Since starting this blog in 2010, the Colorado Rockies record in games from Sept. 15 on is 9-33. That's including Monday's win over Arizona, which broke a nine-game losing streak.

That bad. That real bad.

But Monday was good... so let's talk why they finally won one.

Winning Player: Andrew Brown

Was leaning towards Tyler Chatwood here but Andrew Brown's late home run changed my mind. It was a solo shot in the 8th, but that insurance run was a big one to get for Rafael Betancourt. Brown also had a double earlier in the game and a run-scoring groundout. Productive night all around offensively, and the adventurous catch out in right field was a highlight too.

Watch Andrew Brown's opposite field homer

Watch Andrew Brown's nice catch

Honorable Mentions: Chatwood (more shortly), the bullpen (more shortly), along with Charlie Blackmon and Tyler Colvin who each contributed two hits.

Turning Point: After Arizona scored two in the 4th to take a 2-1 lead, the Rockies battled right back with two of their own in the bottom half (Brown's RBI and a D.J. LeMahieu RBI single). Chatwood then put up a big 0 in the 5th to stabilize things, which allowed the bullpen to bring it home.

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Rock Solid Recrap: Giants 2, Rockies 1. Just Like Always.

Giants 2, Rockies 1 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: One day after allowing 12 runs to the San Diego Padres at Petco Park and only losing by one run, the Rockies hold the mighty San Francisco Giants to two runs... and again lose by one run.

Bet nobody saw that coming.

And by nobody I mean everybody.

Turning Points: What makes a loss like this one all the more frustrating though is Madison Bumgarner walking five batters in six innings and the Rockies not making him pay for it.

• Dexter Fowlers starts the game with a walk... and then he's caught stealing. 

• Chris Nelson leads off the 2nd with a walk. Andrew Brown follows with a single. But that rally dies on a D.J. LeMahieu double play. 

• Fowler and Josh Rutledge walk with one out in the 4th. Jordan Pacheco and Wilin Rosario fail to drive them in.

• Andrew Brown walks in the 6th... caught stealing (picked off). 

Turning any single one of those walks into a run would have changed the entire outlook. Instead, Bumgarner gets off the hook repeatedly and the Rockies get absolutely nothing going against San Francisco's tough bullpen. Same result we've seen seemingly 1,000 times over the past few seasons against those guys.

Jhoulys Chacin's Line: 5 IP, 1 ER. 5 H, 1 BB, 2 K, 80 pitches (50 strikes)

Solid outing that very likely would have stretched out to an excellent outing with a couple more innings of work. But I'm just happy to see Jhoulys throwing this well and looking healthy because that's all that truly matters right now.

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Rock Solid Recap: Rockies Settle In After Wild 1st To Beat Padres

Rockies 7, Padres 4 (boxscore)

Winning Players: Carlos Gonzalez & Chris Nelson

The Rockies got a monster performance from their lone all-star in this one. Gonzalez finished the night 4-for-5 (all 4 singles) at the plate and two stolen bases, which makes him the first Rockie ever to have three consecutive 20-20 (home run-stolen bases) seasons. That's kind of a big deal.

Nelson also had a spectacular offensive night, including a home run, double, single, two RBIs and one run scored. And then he flashed a little leather later on to rob Alexi Amarista of a sure hit. Big, big night for Nelly.

Watch Nelson's big blast

Honorable Mentions: Wilin Rosario (two-run 1st inning double) and Jordan Pacheco (two-run 1st inning double). Obviously both played a huge role in the five-run 1st inning that held up as the difference in the game.

Turning Point: I think I'm going to go back to Nelson's home run here. Yes, the Rockies scored five in the first, which ended up being enough, but the Padres did respond to that with four of their own in the bottom half. I think it was important after that for the Rockies to be the next team to score, and thanks to Nelson's home run in the 3rd, they were.

Also in consideration was Tyler Chatwood and Matt Reynolds stranding Cameron Maybin after his lead-off triple in the 4th.

Tyler Chatwood's Line: 3 2/3 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 HR, 72 pitches (44 strikes)

I don't care what the pitch limit might be at this time, when your offense gives you five runs in the 1st inning, you better find a way to last five and get a win. What a lost opportunity for to Chatwood to do not only that, but find a little more confidence and consistency as well. Disappointing outing.

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Rock Solid Recrap: Offense Disappears As Rockies Find Yet Another Way To Lose

Braves 1, Rockies 0 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: Thursday afternoon was a replay of Wednesday night, only with the Rockies finding a more creative way to lose.

Yes, they again lost 1-0 on an unearned run, making them the first team since the Kansas City Royals on July 23 & 24 of 1987 to lose back-to-back games without allowing an earned run, and this time the error was Jhoulys Chacin completely whiffing on a simple throw back from Wilin Rosario, allowing Juan Francisco to hustle home from third. 

Watch and cringe:  

 

Offensively, Tim Hudson shut the Rockies out for seven innings, allowing six hits and two walks. Three of those six hits belong to Charlie Blackmon, who also added a fourth in the 9th. Good afternoon for him, but he had no assistance whatsoever.

Turning Point: See, watch and cringe.

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Rock Solid Recrap: Labor Day Circus

Braves 6, Rockies 1 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: Geez, I know it was a quick turn around and all but did the Rockies not get any sleep on the plane or at the hotel overnight? Just take a look at some of the crap they served up this afternoon

Michael Bourn scores on a wild pitch

Freddie Freeman scores on two errors

That was just the 1st inning. How about the 3rd?

Dexter Fowler's misread lead to two more

Been awhile (couple weeks anyway) since I've had full blown circus music playing in my head while watching the Rockies. As catchy as that can be, I'd much rather have a Justin Bieber song in my head.

Turning Point: The Rockies - a professional baseball team - didn't show up ready to play. No turning point, just several embarrassing ones.

Tyler Chatwood's Line: 3 IP, 6 R (5 ER), 2 H, 5 BB, 2 K, 74 pitches (41 strikes)

Walks, wild pitches, errors and other defensive miscues defined Chatwood's outing today. I mean just look at the run column and then look at the hit column. I haven't seen anything like that since high school. Or maybe it was Little League. Regardless of the embarrassing defense behind him, Chatwood beat himself today, plain and simple, and needs to start throw strikes consistently, not three out of every five starts.

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Rock Solid Recap: Rockies Earn Win With Jumbled Lineup

Rockies 3, Mets 1 (boxscore)

Most of the names in the lineup were unrecognizable to people who don't follow the Rockies closely (and even some who do), yet they found a way to start their road trip on the right track with a win over the New York Mets. And to make it more satisfying, they won a game started by Cy Young candidate R.A. Dickey (no-decision for him).

Winning Player: Tyler Colvin

First base belongs to Colvin again with Michael Cuddyer back on the disabled list. He took advantage of the playing time on Monday night, breaking Colorado into the scoring column with a mammoth second deck bomb off Dickey in the 5th.

Watch Tyler Colvin's home run

But that was just his first big moment in the game. In the 8th, with the Mets threatening to retake the lead, Colvin make a fantastic diving stop of a Jordany Valdespin groundout that was ticketed for the right field corner. Colvin then gathered himself and flipped to Matt Belisle (who was a little late covering) JUST in time to get the out.

Big time play.

Without the out, the game would have been tied and New York still has the bases loaded. If the ball gets down the line, it likely clears the bases and we know the result that would lead to.

And then to cap his night, Colvin singled in the 9th to keep the inning alive. One batter later, Ramon Hernandez gave the Rockies an insurance run with a single of his own.

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Rock Solid Recap: A Sweep! A Sweep!

Sad but true, there have been more perfect games than Rockies sweeps this season, but it was still pretty cool to see both go down this afternoon. 

Congratulations to 'The King' Felix Hernandez for his DOMINANT 27 up, 27 down performance in Seattle against the Tampa Bay Rays. And congratulations to the Rockies for earning only their second sweep (first three-gamer) with an exciting 9th inning rally and a walkoff.

Those never get old regardless of the circumstances or placement in the standings.

Rockies 7, Brewers 6 (boxscore)

Winning Players: Eric Young Jr. & Tyler Colvin

EY2 was without question the best player on the field this entire series, which is saying quite a bit when you're sharing it with Carlos Gonzalez and Ryan Braun, among others. Two more hits for him today, including his third home run in the past week and a critical single in the 9th inning that set up...

Watch Tyler Colvin's walk-off two-run double

How freaking fast is Young to score from first base on that ball? He was about halfway to second when the ball rolled past the base, yet still managed to score fairly easily without the ball getting to the corner. That's crazy speed. It's also another big hit and big game in a Rockies uniform for Colvin. What an addition he continues to be.

Turning Point: Will Harris had a rough Rockies debut on Monday night, allowing a three-run homer to Rickie Weeks in the 9th. He bounced back nicely in his second outing on Wednesday, retiring all six Brewers he faced in the 8th and 9th innings, which allowed the Rockies offense to rally and ultimately secure the first career win for Harris.

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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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Rock Solid Recrap: Colorado Springs Shuttle Gaining Occupants

Braves 9, Rockies 8 in 11 innings (boxscore) 

What Went Wrong: Staked to a 5-0 lead in the 1st inning, Guillermo Moscoso managed to give it all back, plus one, in less than five innings of work.

Guillermo Moscoso's Line: 4 1/3, 6 ER, 7 H, 3 BB (felt like 30), 5 K, 1 HR, 83 pitches (43 strikes)

Needless to say he did not take advantage of his second start with this awful line, and will soon be heading south to Colorado Springs to join Jhoulys Chacin. Not a lot more needs to be said about it. Thanks for playing, Guillermo. 

Oh, wait, don't leave just yet. Make some room for Edgmer Escalona on the Colorado Springs Shuttle. The Rockies right-handed reliever — who always seems to find himself pitching in a critical situation —took his first official loss of the year after allowing the game-winning two-run homer to Eric Hinske in the 11th. He now sports a 10.13 ERA in six appearances.

Matt Reynolds (he can stay) was also less than stellar in relief of Moscoso (1 2/3, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K). Had he been able to shut down Atlanta's rally in the 5th, or even just pitched a clean 6th, it could have been the turning point the Rockies needed to get this win.

Instead...

Turning Point #1: Trailing 5-2, Michael Bourn lays down a bunt with one out in the 5th inning. Originally it's ruled fair, with Ramon Hernandez picking the ball up and tagging Bourn out. After a discussion with the rest of his umpiring crew (or maybe it just took three minutes to register), Tim McClelland then changes his call to a foul ball. Bourn's at-bat continues, he singles, Moscoso, who was walking the razor's edge without any assistance, promptly implodes. Braves leave the inning leading 6-5. 


Good call or not, which I think it was, you just can't let an inning get away like that. 

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Lineup Card: Rockies vs Braves 5-4-12

Lineups

Colorado Rockies (12-12)

1. Marco Scutaro (2B)
2. Jonathan Herrera (3B)
3. Carlos Gonzalez (LF)
4. Troy Tulowitzki (SS)
5. Todd Helton (1B)
6. Michael Cuddyer (RF)
7. Ramon Hernandez (C)
8. Dexter Fowler (CF)
9. Guillermo Moscoso (P)

I honestly think Dexter Fowler has done enough of late to earn staying at the top of the order. Apparently Jim Tracy disagrees, as he appears locked in to having Herrera hitting first or second whenever he starts.

Roster Note: Reliever Carlos Torres was recalled this afternoon to take the roster spot of Jhoulys Chacin. His stay is likely to be a brief one as the Rockies need to bring up a starter for Monday night's game in San Diego. 

Atlanta Braves (15-11)

1. Michael Bourn (CF)
2. Chipper Jones (3B)
3. Freddie Freeman (1B)
4. Brian McCann (C)
5. Dan Uggla (2B)
6. Jason Heyward (RF)
7. Eric Hinske (LF)
8. Jack Wilson (SS)
9. Tim Hudson (P)

This is a damn good Braves team that presents just as big a challenge to the Rockies as I felt Los Angeles did earlier in the week. And that might be really good news considering the Rockies have stepped up and played well against their more difficult opponents this season, while too often giving games away to the lesser competition.

We'll see how it plays out tonight. It's also a big night for Guillermo Moscoso. There may be a temporary rotation slot there for his taking if he impresses against a strong lineup. 

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

Rock Solid Recrap: Elusive Third Outs Haunt Rockies In Loss

Mets 7, Rockies 5 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: Pretty simple. Guillmero Moscoro and Edgmer Escalona failed to finish off their innings strongly. On three separate occasions (twice against Moscoso, one against Escalona), the Mets were able to make something out of nothing with a two-out rallies/cheap runs.

In the third vs. Moscoso: New York used back-to-back singles from Ruben Tejada and Daniel Murphy and a David Wright double to create a two out run that gave them a 3-1 lead.

In the fifth vs. Moscoso: After the first two Mets were retired quietly, that same trio along with Lucas Duda singled consecutively to create three runs this time. Three runs that immediately answered Colorado's three run fourth, and gave New York a 6-4 lead.

In the ninth vs. Escalona: Mike Baxter started the inning with a double and was standing on third after two outs had been recorded. That's when Escalona uncorked a wild pitch (some confusion with the scoring on this... I'm going wild pitch) giving New York what proved to be a cheap yet valuable insurance run (7-4). 

Now, a portion of that credit goes to the middle of New York's order for their refusal to give away at-bats or go out quietly, but just as much discredit goes to the Moscoso and Escalona for simply not the big pitch to shut down an inning when they had the opportunity to do so. And for two guys looking to make a positive impression and stick around for awhile, this wasn't a strong statement game.

Turning Point(s): Hat tip to Ruben Tejada, who was the pivotal hitter in two of those innings and now has seven hits through two games in this series. Needless to say he has been a professional pain in the Rockies this weekend, so if he could just please go back to being Ruben Tejada tomorrow instead of Jose Reyes, it would be greatly appreciated.

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Lineup Card: Rockies vs Mets 4-28-12

Friday's Wild Recap: Another Coors Field Thrill Ride Leads To 18-9 Victory

Colorado Rockies (10-9)

1. Marco Scutaro (2B)
2. Jonathan Herrera (3B)
3. Carlos Gonzalez (LF)
4. Troy Tulowitzki (SS)
5. Todd Helton (1B)
6. Michael Cuddyer (RF)
7. Wilin Rosario (C)
8. Dexter Fowler (CF)
9. Guillermo Moscoso (P)

When an offense erupts for 18 runs on 19 hits the night before, might as well stick with that same template. That's exactly what Jim Tracy has done here, with Wilin Rosario sliding in at catcher for Ramon Hernandez being the only change.

I think it's also safe to say that Chris Nelson has become the odd man out in the infield, and is now a possible DFA candidate the next time Colorado looks to tweak their roster.

New York Mets (11-9)

1. Kirk Nieuwenhuis (CF)
2. Ruben Tejada (SS)
3. Daniel Murphy (2B)
4. David Wright (3B)
5. Lucas Duda (RF)
6. Scott Hairston (LF)
7. Ike Davis (1B)
8. Josh Thole (C)
9. Dillon Gee (P)

If Guillermo Moscoso can hold Scott Hairston in check, then... 

Alright, let's not kid ourselves, he's not holding Hairston in check... so he might want to do a better job than Drew Pomeranz, Esmil Rogers and Josh Roenicke did of holding the other Mets in check. Otherwise, another 11-run inning will be required.

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

Spring Training Hits & Misses: Game 20 vs. San Diego

Hits

Eric Young & Tyler Colvin

Charlie Blackmon is day-to-day with inflammation in his right big toe. That opens the door for both Eric Young and Tyler Colvin to gain some ground in their competition, and both responded with excellent games today. Young actually led it off with a rare home run and later added a triple to really elevate his spring slugging percentage. Colvin doubled twice, singled, scored once and drove in two to help the Rockies hang around in a game where the pitching struggled mightily.

Misses

Guillermo Moscoso

If you took a peak at the scoreboard for the Rockies fifth rotation spot before today, you saw that Moscoso was hanging right in there, and maybe even had a chance to grab a firm hold on the job with a good outing against San Diego. Now take a look again — or maybe you'd be better off not to — because Moscoso's outing today likely bumped him down a peg or three.

3 IP, 5 ER, 7 H, 3 BB, 3 K

Granted, just about every starter across the board in Arizona and Florida will post an ugly outing or two, so I guess Moscoso (and the rest us) might be best off just washing our hands of this one and putting the focus on how he rebounds his next time out.

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Spring Training Hits & Misses: Game 15 vs. Cincinnati

Hits

The New Commercials are in!

And they're starring Rockies season ticket holders, which is a pretty cool concept.

Here's my favorite...

And this one is pretty cool, too!

Check out the rest at coloradorockies.com.

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Spring Training Hits & Misses: Split Squad Sunday

Hits

Jamie Moyer vs. White Sox

He's 49 years old. He can't touch 83 MPH on a good day. Yet he's retiring major league hitters with efficiency so far this spring, and he's NOT walking anybody. Lessons definitely to be learned there for young Rockies pitchers. I don't know how much Moyer has to give on the field, but I'll continue tipping my cap to him for professional performances like this one (Three innings, one run, three hits and two strikeouts).

Marco Scutaro & Jason Giambi vs. White Sox

Speaking of professional performances from veterans, Marco Scutaro and Jason Giambi each delivered one of their own against Chicago. For Scutaro, it was a double, two walks and a run scored. For Giambi, a single, double, one run and one RBI. At this point, the only question for either heading into the season is how many games they'll be asked to play.

Misses

Dexter Fowler vs. Milwaukee

Fowler hit a long right-handed home run the other day (I was impressed but not thrilled), but has done little else this spring. In fact, his 0-for-3 dropped his average to .071. It's not something to get worried about yet, but there's little doubt Fowler wanted to get off to a stronger start than this. We'll keep a close a eye on his progress.

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