Rock Solid Recrap: The slide continues

Diamondbacks 6, Rockies 3 (boxscore)

Here's what we had tonight.

-- 2nd inning: Chris Young on second with one out. Miguel Montero bounces back to Clayton Mortensen. Mortensen catches Young off second base. Rundown. Couple throws. Ty Wigginton's throw hits Young in the hand and everyone is safe.

These guys are fighting themselves so much that they can't even execute simple rundowns.

-- Clayton Mortensen ran into that issue that continues to cost Ubaldo Jimenez. He walked Stephen Drew and Young to start the 4th. Boom. Miguel Montero three-run homer. Just that fast. You lose for it three batters, you're down 3-0. Mortensen seems to be a guy with good control, but it just shows how costly those walks can be, even when they're few and far between.

He allowed one more run the 6th aided by Chris Iannetta's first throwing error of the season. Indeed every little mistake the Rockies make is crippling.

-- As for Mortensen, I like him. Why I like him so much I don't know. I guess because he's usually throwing strikes and hitting spots. He makes a lot of big pitches with his back against the wall. He's far from special -- mind you, but he seems to find a way to keep the offense within striking distance. As a #5 starter you'll definitely take that. This offense just isn't capable of striking right now.

-- Troy Tulowitzki bunting for a hit down three with two outs in the 6th. Took a great play by Montero (he was awesome tonight) to get Tulo, but seriously, why?

-- I defend Huston Street. I defend Huston Street. I defend Huston Street some more. With each defense, the next home run he allows goes about ten feet farther. You're on your own now, Huston. In fact, all Rockies are on their own now. I'll praise you when warranted, but I'm not going to bat for anyone.

Save Todd Helton. But I should never have to go to bat for Helton.

-- After the game the Rockies designated Jose Lopez for assignment and recalled Eric Young Jr. It's the right move to make. Lopez has done nothing to justify sticking around, despite being given ample opportunity to beat out Jonathan Herrera at second and play third base in wake of Ian Stewart's struggles. I may have DFAed Alfredo Amezaga first, just because his ceiling isn't as high as Lopez's, but either/or are expendable.

Young coming up gives Jim Tracy something he's desperately searching for right now -- a lead-off hitter than can put pressure on the defense. Whether or not he can consistently get on base at the ML level is the question with EY. I'm not counting on or asking for anything spectacular here, just a spark, or a pulse, or some form of consistency.

Where he plays in the field will be another interesting question. I could see him flipping back and forth between 2B and CF. Flip Herrera to third when he's at second. Give Fowler days off in CF. Ultimately I think this spells less playing for Ty Wigginton and Jason Giambi in the field.

-- Weekend series with the Cardinals. Difficult to envision this ending well right now. Someone surprise me.

Rock Solid Recap: Rockies offense lashes out violently

Jim Tracy: "Coors Field will be a bad place for opponents to come." (Denver Post)

For one game anyway, that's no Tracy horseshit.

Rockies 12, Diamondbacks 4 (boxscore)

-- Despite the offensive breakthrough, which was fantastic, the biggest storyline of the afternoon is the soreness in Jorge De La Rosa's elbow. No word at this time what the exact problem is there. All we can do is cross our fingers and hope to hear encouraging news, because that would be a very difficult setback to overcome even for a team's that playing consistently good baseball, which the Rockies are not.

-- I said after Sunday's game that the Rockies offense struggles to create runs. They do, but there's no need to create runs when you're stringing together quality at-bats and putting good swings on baseballs. That's what the Rockies started doing in the 4th inning, and it continued right on through until the end.

-- Carlos Gonzalez started the offense with a solo home run in the 4th. He also finished the offense with a two-run homer in the 7th. In between he drew a walk that loaded the bases and delivered an RBI groundout. That's a beautiful game from your three-hole hitter.

-- Other offensive heroes: Dexter Fowler (two hits, triple, two walks, two runs, two RBI), Seth Smith (home run, double, one run, two RBI), Jose Lopez (two hits), and Chris Iannetta (two hits, walk, two runs).

Damn that Dexter Fowler line was a good one. And I shouldn't forget about Troy Tulowitzki's bases loaded walk. That was a pivotal time in the game, so for Tulo to show that type of patience, and also confidence in the hitters behind him, is good to see.

-- Hats off to Greg Reynolds for his good relief this afternoon. Never easy being forced into duty due to injury, but he gave the Rockies exactly what they needed. Now it seems likely the Rockies will need him to make at least one start this weekend and potentially more depending on De La Rosa and Aaron Cook.

-- Role change: Rafael Betancourt pitched a 1-2-3 7th inning. It appears Matt Lindstrom was due to pitch the 8th, but the Rockies plated five in their half of the seventh so we got Matt Daley instead. Could be a temporary deal, but with how well Lindstrom has thrown, I wouldn't just hand the 8th inning back to Raffy once he figures it out.

-- Overlooked play: Really excellent play by Chris Iannetta fielding the wild pitch ricochet and firing a perfect strike to third to nail Melvin Mora. Definitely some luck involved there, but Iannetta made a nice play. That shut down a potential rally when the Rockies lead was still only 5-3. Big play.

-- That concludes the Game 1 recap. Game 2 recap to come later assuming the weather holds off.

Rock Solid Recrap: One-run losses piling up

Brewers 3, Rockies 2 (boxscore)

For the third time on this road trip, the Colorado Rockies dropped a one-run decision.

They're now 6-10 in one-run decisions on the season, which is a better mark than I would have guessed, but still far from acceptable. Sometimes you do tip your cap to the competition in these games, as should be the case tonight with how well Shawn Marcum pitched. But when it follows a one-run loss like last night's, it tests your patience as a fan.

Also of concern is the Rockies 2-8 record in their last ten road games. It's not like they're getting run off the field on a nightly basis, or not putting up a fight. It's just a struggle to put nine whole innings together for this team. It's been that way for close to a month. Until that changes the frustrations will keep mounting.

-- Clayton Mortensen continued his excellent work with 6 2/3, 5 H, 3 R (2 ER), 3 BB and 5 K. Pretty similar to the outing of Jason Hammel last night: 6 2/3, 8 H, 3 R (2 ER), 2 BB and 1 K. You'll take that against Milwaukee's excellent offense. Especially in their ballpark when they are very comfortable. Unfortunately, they were wasted outings.

-- Dexter Fowler was caught stealing again. It's sad. So much speed. So much raw athletic ability. Can't steal a base to save his life. At what point do the Rockies invest in someone to work with him? Or do they just let it go and give away outs on the bases and/or via the bunt?

-- Matt Daley has added new life to the bullpen. And by new life I mean he's actually getting people out. Six up, six down in his first two outings. All three via the strikeout tonight.

-- Felipe Paulino has been designated for assignment. Baseball rapture at its finest!

Sounds like Greg Reynolds will get the call in his place. Reynolds will start a game at some point this week. Probably Saturday, but his early arrival could make Tuesday a possibility. We'll see.

-- Jose Lopez has been a train wreck in the field this weekend. Not much better at the dish. He may be next on the DFA hitlist if he can't find traction real soon.

-- Not much else to say after this one since 96% of us didn't get to see it. Hope the Rockies pull it together and head back to Coors Field on a winning note Sunday afternoon. Maybe we'll even get a W from Ubaldo. Would seem fitting the way this week has gone.

Rock Solid Recap: Three times a Giambi

Zero hits in five weeks. Defensive liability. Manager wasn't giving him any starts at first base in recent weeks. I'd say anybody -- myself included -- that was questioning Jason Giambi's place on the Colorado Rockies roster had plenty of validation to do so.

Heck, he probably wasn't even going to be in Thursday's lineup if not for Todd Helton's back stiffening up on him. But like any proud person does when faced with criticism and given an opportunity to prove doubters incorrect, Giambi stepped up on Thursday night in the biggest way imaginable.

Watch Jason Giambi's first home run

Watch Jason Giambi's second home run

Watch Jason Giambi's third home run

His first career three home run game. He tied a career high with seven RBI. Amazing night.

And we have to give credit where credit is due. Jim Tracy spotted a flaw in Giambi's batting stance during a film session with hitting coach Carney Lansford. Giambi listened to the suggestion to stand more upright at the dish, adjusted, and baseball history was made.

Hats off to all of them for working together to make this special game possible.

Rockies 7, Phillies 1 (boxscore)

-- Speaking of special game's, Jhoulys Chacin's performance was unreal. He dominated the Phillies from start to finish. Granted, their lineup is far from full strength, but that's not his concern. His concern is to beat who's in front of him, and he handled his business like an established ace. It was a joy to watch.

-- Jose Lopez had four hits on Thursday. I don't know if anyone helped him with his stance, but that's a pretty damn good confidence builder for him. As nice as Giambi's game was on several levels, Lopez's performance could be more important long-term if he can build on it.

-- Oh my, Chris Iannetta, 0-for-5 with four strikeouts and another wild pitch allowed that led to a run. That means all three Philadelphia runs in the series came courtesy of a wild pitch/passed ball. He did do a much better job as the game moved along at blocking pitches, so that was good. And once again he called an excellent game, so you'll take the good with the bad.

-- Felipe Paulino pitched a scoreless ninth inning. I know... this was bizarro night at Citizens Bank Park.

-- And how about this for a nightcap: Franklin Morales was dealt to the Boston Red Sox for a player to be named later. Good for Dan O'Dowd for making a tough decision with Morales. It can't be easy to give up on a 25-year-old lefty with a nice arm. Especially knowing if Morales turns it around this has the chance to look like a terrible move. But O'Dowd can't worry about that right now. The Rockies have to field their best 25. This puts them one step closer to that.

Gutsy call all things considered. I respect it and hope it works out for all involved.

Rock Solid Recap: Feel good Monday

After three weeks of lows, lowers and lowests, the Colorado Rockies achieved quite a high on Monday night by defeating Tim Lincecum and the San Francisco Giants.

It's exactly what the doctor ordered. They beat the one man and the one team that might be able to help them instantly undo the disappointment and reverse their recent frustrations. Maybe we owe Mother Nature and the Chicago Cubs one after all. They're the ones who gave us the opportunity.

Rockies 7, Giants 4 (boxscore)

The Rockies have been waiting for a big swing to get them out of their recent funk. They received two on Monday.

Troy Tulowitzki delivered a two-out, two-run single in the fifth. (Watch)

After Tim Lincecum committed a throwing error, opening the door for Colorado in the sixth, Carlos Gonzalez blasted a monster three-run homer to straightaway center. (Watch)

That's why they paid those men the big bucks. They're the money players, they provided the money hits.

But they definitely had some help. Dexter Fowler (two singles, two walks) and Jonathan Herrera (two singles, one walk) not only set the table, but made Lincecum work his tail off all night. Don't think that didn't contribute to the two-time Cy Young winner hitting the wall in the sixth.

Seth Smith (solo home run) and Jose Lopez (single, double) rounded out the very impressive and relentless offensive attack. The Rockies offense definitely showed some confidence and guts here. We saw flashes of that over the weekend with San Diego, so hopefully we're on the verge of a complete and total breakthrough.

And maybe my favorite part is they made a winner out of Clayton Mortensen. Granted, Mortensen wasn't brilliant or even really good, but he battled. He made good pitches early, faltered later on, but kept the team in the game. And besides that, his work in previous outings was very much worthy of a W, so he should feel no shame accepting this one.

Is Jim Tracy losing confidence in Rafael Betancourt, or was he just extremely desperate to get this win? Whatever the case, he gave Raffy the hook here. Matt Lindstrom finished the inning punching out Pat Burrell, so it'll be interesting to see who's placed where in the coming days.

Huston Street; Nine pitches, nine strikes, perfect inning. Awesome.

The only downside Monday was Dexter Fowler's baserunning issues. That was seriously embarrassing for any baserunner, but for a guy with his speed and athletic ability to consistently look lost on the bases is sad.

You can't teach instincts, but you can at least fill a guy in on the basics and hope he connects the dots from there. The Rockies might be wise to bring in a guy like Larry Walker for a seminar that includes Fowler and several teammates. A lot of them need help, and Walker might be the best baserunner I've seen wearing any uniform.

Rock Solid Recap: Todd (expletive) Helton

And Jorge De La Rosa, too. Co-MVPs for tonight's win.

Rockies 4, Cubs 3 (boxscore)

-- We'll start with Todd Helton, because he is after all, Todd ****ing Helton.

Helton delivered his first multi-HR game since August 7th, 2007, and his 27th multi-HR game of his borderline Hall of Fame career. I hate having to phrase it that way but that's where he is right now.

Watch home run #1

Watch home run #2

Both homers were solo shots, and both came off a lefty in James Russell. Granted Mr. Russell is, as one Cubs fan noted on Twitter, possibly the worst pitcher to ever make three consecutive starts in the Majors. From what I've seen I can't form an argument against that.

The first was definitely aided by the wind blowing out towards right. No problem with that. I think the second one to straight away center leaves pretty much any ballpark save for Petco and Minute Maid in Houston. That ball was struck with some serious authority. That was a vintage Todd Helton year 2000 swing.

And he had another decent swing that he felt he just missed based on his reaction. So needless to say he's feeling pretty comfortable.

Will Todd get another start in the three-hole based on Tuesday's results? I'm going to say no to Wednesday, but I'm sure next time Jim Tracy needs a guy there, Helton will be the choice. It's really nice being able to say that and know it's not wishful thinking.

-- Jorge De La Rosa had a really good plan of action against the Cubs tonight with the wind blowing out. Credit Bob Apodaca as well. They knew they were facing a strictly right-handed lineup in less than favorable pitching conditions, but it's also a very undisciplined lineup. De La Rosa was able to take advantage, striking out nine, walking NONE and allowing one earned run over seven innings.

Very impressive outing that improves Jorge to 4-0 on the season and lowered his ERA to 2.61.

-- Ty Wigginton also provided another key hit on the road. His 4th inning solo homer put the Rockies ahead for good. He also doubled, singled and stole a base to round out his impressive game.

Watch Wiggy's blast

-- Damn, Jose Lopez has hit the ball hard and given good at-bats dating back to Sunday against Josh Johnson. All that has gotten him is an 0-for-11. The game really isn't fair sometimes.

-- Rafael Betancourt and Huston Street. You know the drill.

-- No sense settling for a series win in Chicago. Let's hope the Rockies can finish strong here, finish off the sweep, and go home with TWO winning road trips to start the season.

Rock Solid Recap: Rockies outlast Cubs in near four hour snoozer

If you've been trying to get a friend, relative, partner, what have you, to understand why you love the game of baseball, I hope they weren't watching today's mess at Coors Field. This was ugly. This set baseball in Denver back to 1997, when four hour games weren't all that unusual. But neither were 25-30 total runs. Today's game only featured 14.

It was as if Rafael Betancourt pitched every half inning for both teams... in slow motion.

It was like watching a Red Sox/Yankees doubleheader.

It was like every college football game ever.

I think you get the point. It had no pace and was difficult to sit through.

Rockies 9, Cubs 5 (boxscore)

As we sift through the three hours, fourty-two minutes. As we sift through the 360 total pitches. As we sift through the 81 different plate appearances, it really comes down to one at-bat. The clutch two-out, two-run double from Dexter Fowler in the 8th.

After Ryan Spilborghs led off with an infield single and moved to third on Jose Lopez's "double" (really single/error), Jose Morales and Ty Wigginton failed to get a baseball in play. You couldn't help but be overcome by a sense of dread. Like the Cubs were once again going to wiggle out of trouble and find a way to steal this series away. That's when Dexter Fowler went to work.

Fowler's new found confidence was as apparent as ever as he calmly stood in there, worked the count to 2-2 and smacked his pitch into the right center field gap. Before with two strikes you could almost assume an out with Dexter. It didn't matter it was 0-2 or 3-2. He was overmatched. Because of that we rarely saw him feeling comfortable enough to even allow an at-bat to get 4-5 pitches deep.

Watch Dexter's game changer

That's not the Dexter Fowler we're seeing now. And I'm telling you, the work he's doing at the top along with Jonathan Herrera is giving this offense a dimension it hasn't had in the humidor era. They are creating runs out of nowhere and giving professional at-bats even with two outs and no one on base. They give nothing away.

Watch Herrera provide some insurance

If this keeps up, there's no good reason to worry about the offense going through extended slumps.

-- Not much you can say about Alan Johnson other than he was obviously overmatched. When you're overmatched and can't get ahead early in counts, you're going to have a rough go. Nothing against him at all. Just wasn't a good spot for him to have much success. I wish him well back at Colorado Springs.

-- Matt Belisle, Matt Reynolds, Rafael Betancourt and Huston Street. High fives for all of you!

Watch Huston Street close the door

-- The failed second inning hit-and-run was completely unnecessary. Ryan Dempster was searching for outs every which way and the silly decision allowed him to get off the deck. It wasn't Herrera's fault, because it was an impossible pitch to hit. It was just a bad call with Gonzalez and Tulowitzki waiting in the wings. One of those calls Jim Tracy makes every now and then to remind us he's the manager.

-- Seth Smith left the game with tweaked groin. Please be okay Seth!

Watch Smith homer in the first

-- Carlos Gonzalez contributed four hits. Imagine if he catches fire.

-- Is it too early to predict 3,000 hits for Starlin Castro... this season? He's 21. His talent is ridiculous.

-- Tim Lincecum and company coming to town tomorrow. I think business is about to pick up.

Rock Solid Recap: Patient Rockies take series in Pittsburgh

Rockies 6, Pirates 5 (boxscore) 

I've restrained as long as I can. I barely mentioned his name in last night's recap despite how well he played. I can't not give in his full due again today.

JONATHAN HERRERA!

Sure the Jose Lopez three-run blast in the 1st was massive. Absolutely the Jason Giambi 2-out RBI single and the Seth Smith bases loaded walk in the 7th inning turned the game around. But the thing is, neither of those moments happen without Herrera being the glue that held the lineup together and the engine that made it go forward.

Watch Jose Lopez 'Big Mac Smack' James McDonald

Quality at-bat after quality at-bat. Finding a way on base FOUR times (three walks, bunt hit) without hitting a ball safely to the outfield. Rallying from an 0-2 count to draw a walk. Not to mention another fantastic start of a double play that helped Chacin get through his rough 3rd inning.

The Rockies don't win today's game without Herrera. They probably wouldn't win last night's either without him. His third walk of that game started the 8th inning rally.

-- Dexter Fowler was good today and good all series, reaching nine times. Don't overlook that. He didn't give away any at-bats whether they were leading off innings or with two outs. That's how you squeeze out those couple extra runs sometimes that make a difference.

-- The offense drew seven walks today compared to four strikeouts. You'll win a lot of games with that ratio.

-- Pretty uneven outing for Jhoulys Chacin: 6 IP, 7 H, 5 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 3 K

After being staked to a four run lead in the 1st, he just couldn't maintain the focus needed to navigate the early innings. It happens. It's easy to forget he's still early in the learning curve at this level. Most pitchers struggle with that part of the game early in their careers. Heck, Aaron Cook still struggles with it.

Once that lead was completely gone, he really settled in and dominated like we expected him to from start to finish. That gave the offense enough time to scrape together a rally and allowed him to steal a victory.

So yes, it was uneven, but given how he finished and the lessons he can learn from this type of game, I'd say there are more positives than negatives.

-- If I was in charge of crediting wins, I'd give it to Matt Reynolds. He really came in and shut the door on Overbay, Alvarez and Doumit. Three guys that were getting their share of good swings in the last 24 hours. Excellent work.

-- Huston Street showed no wear from Friday's three inning outing today. In total he threw four shutout innings in the series and comes in a very close second to Herrera for series MVP in my book.

-- What's the difference between a Big Mac Smack and a Cold Hard Blast?

-- A lot to feel encouraged about as the Rockies head to New York for another four game series. Shea Stadium/Citi Field/anywhere the Mets call home has been another place where they inexplicably struggle. Maybe this 2011 version can rewrite that history a little bit as well.

Rock Solid Recap: Chacin = No Chance

Rockies 3, Dodgers 0

In the 18 plus years of Rockies baseball, you won't find too many more excellently pitched and well defended games, start to finish, than the one we saw tonight.

-- Jhoulys Chacin continued his ascension within the ranks of Major League Baseball. His poise and his filthy arsenal on full display on a night when every quality pitch was needed. In addition, he showed much improved efficiency that allowed him to work deeper into his 2011 debut than most young pitchers typically do early in the season.

My favorite Chacin inning was the 6th. After walking Ethier leading off, Chacin rebounded to carve up Matt Kemp. He then got in the kitchen of James Loney and Juan Uribe, forcing both to hit little nubbers back to the mound. Dominant stuff to those three hitters.

I watched the Los Angeles broadcast this evening, I like to do that pretty often just to hear what opposing announcers like and don't like about the Rockies. I like to know how the opponents view them. Well, I can tell you this: Vin Scully loves Chacin. Absolutely loves him. Spoke highly of him leading into the game, and the praise just got higher throughout. When you've thoroughly impressed Vin, you're on a great track.

-- I don't know what got into Ty Wigginton tonight, but his DEFENSE was a major difference maker. I may not say that again all season.

Watch Wigginton start a beautiful 5-4-3

-- And let's not overlook the wizardry of one Todd Helton. He had at least three really excellent picks at first base tonight. If any one of them isn't picked cleanly, in a game such as tonight's, it could have led to a problem. He's as damn good as there is at punctuating a brilliant play or saving an error with a masterful pick.

Watch Wigginton jump, and Helton pick and stretch

-- Not a whole lot from the offense tonight, but that's what everyone will say after facing my pick for the Cy Young, Clayton Kershaw. Kershaw has taken that step from really good to elite. It happened just before the all-star break last season, and it's likely to continue for the next 6-8 years barring injury.

-- Things I care about: Troy Tulowitzki's first hit off the season was a bomb off Kershaw.

Watch Tulo's homer

-- Thing I don't care about: Walkup music. But that's nice Tulo changed it for the people that do.

-- Could Chris Iannetta look any better? Four hits in three games. As you've probably heard or read 1,000 times by now, that equals his hit total for all of April 2010.

Watch Iannetta's blast

-- And finally, Jose Lopez continues to earn his playing time and reward Jim Tracy's faith in him. Absolutely fine with me. Let's ride this guy while he's hot. If he cools off, we know we have Johnny Herrera that can come off the bench at any time and provide the pain in the ass factor.

Watch Jose Lopez deliver the dagger

You have to love this team's depth and how it is currently structured. Let's sweep the mini-series tomorrow.

Rock Solid Recrap: Thankfully it only counts as one

Because if Opening Day was weighted in the standings the same way fans weigh it in hype and anticipation, the Rockies would be in quite a hole right now.

D-Backs 7, Rockies 6

You can read the bulk of my recap of Friday's home opener in this Big League Stew post.

Some additional thoughts

-- Jose Lopez was sensational today. Absolutely the best player on the field wearing purple not named Carlos Gonzalez.

That doesn't change what I said before about Jonathan Herrera getting the start in the opener. I felt he deserved that nod. Still do. And I'm not ready to anoint Jose Lopez my new favorite Rockie or even my favorite new Rockie. One game (good or bad) can't wipe away the opinions I've formed (right or wrong).

However, I'm willing to rethink my position on the duo going forward. For example, if Lopez is going to continue playing defense at that level, well, it's a no brainer. He plays, because your bench is better with Herrera's versatility sitting there. I just need to see more of the entire package of what Lopez provides the 2011 Rockies before I go too far in either direction.

If I'm ultimately completely wrong about Lopez, that will be a good thing, because the Rockies will be benefitting from production I wasn't counting on.

-- Ubaldo's lack of velocity was terrifying. If we see more of the same his next time out, I'll need to be held.

-- I'm not the guy who likes to blame umpires, but those guys were garbage. You're going to screw up. We get that. But you OWE the players, the game and the fans 100% effort on every play. Get your asses in position. Call what you see.

90% of these horrendous missed calls in MLB are out of pure laziness. That's inexcusable. The game will only continue to suffer until an effort is made to clean house and get some new blood out there. That doesn't necessarily mean young guys either, they just need to be guys that are willing to give effort on every play.

No different than teams putting together their 25 or 40 man roster.

-- Arizona still isn't good. They wanted so badly to give this game away. I will say the back of their bullpen looks much improved with J.J. Putz in the 9th inning, but overall this team just stinks. I have little doubt the Rockies will win the next two if they just stay out of their own way.

Spring Training Game 27: Hits, Misses & Foul Tips

Rockies 10, Rangers 3 (boxscore)

Hits

Esmil Rogers

Rogers is figuring some things out. He had a bit of a setback in his previous outing, but the one before that he was nearly untouchable against the Chicago Cubs. His outing tonight may have been even a little more impressive than that one because he owned the Texas Rangers opening day lineup minus the DH.

One at-bat that stands out was the education he gave Michael Young his first time up. Young really is about as good a pure hitter as you'll find. One that's pretty difficult to strikeout, but Rogers changed speeds and punched him on four pitches. The last a changeup Young was a foot in front of. It was a beauty.

You know what else? The ball makes a nice sound off Esmil's bat. He hit the ball very hard twice with a single to show for it. Terrific athlete/all around baseball player.

Eric Young/Johnny Herrera

Great job by the top of the order tonight. These guys combined to go 4-for-8 with 1 BB, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 3 R, 1 sac bunt and 1 sac fly. It's no wonder the Rockies broke double digits.

Misses

Rex Brothers

Well, he's human after all. His two runs allowed tonight will probably give the Rockies their excuse to start him at AAA. It would have been nearly impossible to do so if his ERA stayed at 0.00.

Foul Tips

Jose Lopez

Some good and some bad tonight.

The good was his defense, which has been sensational at third base and good enough at second base to possibly squeeze Eric Young out of the mix. He made one really good play going to his right and then made a spectacular play going to his right, punctuated by a jump throw across the diamond for the out.

The bad was his strange approach at the plate and lack of focus on the bases.

Yes, he did record a triple, but that came on a flyball Josh Hamilton lost in the lights or sky or twilight or something. Next time up he swings at the first pitch (after a classic grind it out Helton at-bat that resulted in a single) and hits into a tailor-made 4-6-3 double play, only Ian Kinsler couldn't turn it. That was okay for Texas, because Lopez got picked off two batters later.

He did add a single later. So that was good.

Again, if his offense comes around even a little, he'll probably be a nice addition. I'm just not convinced that will happen or that he does enough elsewhere to maintain his value. I'm willing to give him a chance to prove me wrong, but that's where I stand on Lopez at the moment. Which means little, obviously.

Rangers announcers

These guys were pretty difficult to listen to, but I appreciate them doing the game tonight. I also enjoyed the little bit where they thanked the Oakland A's for trading Carlos Gonzalez out of the division. Very funny.

Spring Training Game 26: Hits, Misses & Foul Tips

Dodgers 7, Rockies 5 (boxscore)

Hits

Jonathan Herrera

Two more hits (single, triple), another run and another RBI. Started a very difficult double play that helped get Jhoulys Chacin out of a mess. I've said it before, and I'll say it until I'm blue in the face. The Rockies best possible lineup has Herrera batting second or eighth and playing second. If he's not out there opening day, I'll be very disappointed. He's earned it.

Seth Smith

Pair of hits, pair of runs and an RBI for Smith out of the three spot. His spring has been quiet but very solid, which is ideal for an established veteran.

Ty Wigginton

And speaking of that, Wigginton is another veteran that's quietly getting his work in and playing solid ball. It's going to be difficult for Jim Tracy to resist putting his name on the lineup card 150 times.

Bullpen

Remember when we nervous about the Rockies left-handed options in the bullpen? Well, things seems to have stabilized nicely. Matt Reynolds is slowly rounding into form with another scoreless inning today. Rex Brothers has been dominant since day one. And Eric Stults pitched two scoreless innings, strengthening his case.

All of the sudden the Rockies may have a tough decision to make for the right reasons.

Misses

Jose Lopez

You know, I haven't seen anything from Jose Lopez offensively that would indicate he's going to revert back to his 2009 form that people dream about. I just haven't been impressed. I'm very hopeful it comes together for him, because obviously that makes the Rockies a much better team and gives them a much needed right-handed bat, but I can't say I'm optimistic.

Defensively I give him credit. He's played very well in the field and provides versatility, but I just wonder what the Rockies can honestly expect or hope for. Especially away from Coors Field.

Then again, it sounds like the Rockies may have some trade possibilities involving Lopez to explore as well. If the Rockies really want to find a creative way to get a guy like Jordan Pacheco on the roster, or clear space for Eric Young, this could be a realistic option. We'll see how things play out.

Foul Tips

Jhoulys Chacin

Chacin was constantly dealing with traffic this afternoon. In this four innings, LA put eight runners on base (five hits, three walks), but Chacin was able to exit without allowing a run.

As Troy Renck described it:

@TroyRenck Chacin MacGyver getting out trouble... By my count he's used everything but chicken wire and duct tape to defuse rallies

Chacin will have one more quick tuneup next week before opening his season on April 3rd against Arizona.

Esmil Rogers named 5th starter

What started as a 4-5 horse race quickly narrowed to just one about a week ago. It was just a matter of the Rockies making it official, and now they have. My congratulations to Esmil.

In related news, the Rockies have apparently informed Greg Reynolds he's a candidate for a bullpen spot. Probably not a real serious one at this point, but I mentioned after his last start that I wouldn't mind seeing the Rockies try that with Reynolds. You obviously want to get something out of your former #2 pick, and it looks more and more like it won't be as a starter.

Spring Training Game 18: Hits, Misses & Foul Tips

Rockies 3, Reds 2 (boxscore)

Hits

Rex Brothers

While Matt Reynolds continued his struggles in a "B" game today, Brothers impressed everyone at Salt River Fields when he set the Reds down in order. In the middle of that 1-2-3 inning was an overpowering strikeout of NL MVP Joey Votto. Seems like the Rockies have little to worry about after all from the left side in their bullpen with Brothers' accelerated development.

PS: Franklin Morales had yet another scoreless inning today.

Jose Lopez

Lopez plays the hero with a walk-off single, described by Purple Row's Andrew Fisher as a 350+ foot flyball gapper to RF. In other words, probably a double or triple in reality, but a single was all they needed here. Lopez also threw out the potential go ahead run at home in the top of the 9th inning. Strong game for him as he stays in contention for playing time at second, third, first, who knows where else.

Jordan Pacheco

Hard to believe Pacheco was 0 for his last 8 coming in to today's game. He got himself back on track with a pair of hits, including an RBI double. Had a pretty good day behind the plate as well, throwing out Brandon Phillips trying to steal.

Misses

Jhoulys Chacin

Minor miss here. According to tweeters on scene of this dark game (no TV or radio), Chacin struggled mightily with his command, was hit fairly hard, and was lucky to escape with the limited damage he sustained. That said, regardless of how, he did limit the damage, which might be an indication his bad days could be more effective than some pitcher's good days.

Foul Tips

"B" Game vs Angels

Here are a few notes from the other Rockies game that took place today.

Ian Stewart was 2-4 (2 singles) in his return to action.

John Maine pitched 3 1/3, allowing 4 hits and 2 runs. The important here is his shoulder feels healthy.

Matt Reynolds still hasn't recorded a scoreless appearance in Arizona. He allowed one run (solo HR to a Triple A guy) on two hits. Looking like another classic example of how you never take the 25 north that you expected to in early March.

Spring Training Game 13: Hits, Misses & Foul Tips

Rockies 9, Brewers 8 (boxscore)

Hits

Willy Taveras

Taveras had a monster game today (3 hits, 3 runs, 3 steals) and is quietly having a really strong spring. Barring a change of mind or injury, he's not going to fit in with the Rockies, but he's probably playing himself into a job somewhere. Now it'll be interesting to see if the Rockies let him go early so he can latch on elsewhere or hold on to see what he really has left.

Todd Helton

Helton is really heating up going 4-for-6 with two doubles over his last two games. Alright, so that's what the kids with the calculators call a small sample size, but we're really just looking for signs of life from Todd at the plate. This definitely qualifies as signs of life. Now we just hope it means something and continues when it counts.

Misses

Esmil Rogers

The good news: The Rockies only need a 5th starter twice in the first 3 1/2 weeks.

The bad news: There are 20+ weeks after that where they will need a 5th starter, so someone will have to step up soon.

It wasn't Rogers today. His inconsistency and inability to finish innings continue to be his biggest hurdles. He battled through it in the 2nd inning. That's a plus. He just couldn't again in the 3rd as Ryan Braun took him out to straight away center (3-run HR).

Rogers can't be seen as anything than a five inning pitcher. That's not where's he going to end up, but that's where he is right now, and the Rockies need better right now.

Matt Reynolds

If you were worried about the Rockies left-handers coming into camp, you're probably bouncing your head off the wall right now. One more bad outing for Reynolds and I may be joining you.

Foul Tips

Chris Iannetta

Is it time to get worried about Iannetta's slow start to an important spring for him personally? Probably not, but that's not to say I could blame you if you were. We're all at different places when it comes to our level of patience with Chris. Mine is still fairly high, most aren't. Either way, the next three weeks will be important for him.

Jose Lopez

Lopez is another guy having an "eh" spring. With Ian Stewart coming along very slowly from his knee injury, Lopez could be seeing even more action in the early going. Which leads me to this tweet I saw yesterday.

@KendallRocksOn If Jose Lopez's best (2009) is better than Jonny Herrera's best (2010), rooting for Herrera to win the 2B job is rooting against the Rockies

I don't buy this at all. A lot of people know what Lopez is capable of. A lot of people know Herrera's best can't match Lopez's best, but a lot of people also wonder if Lopez can get back to or near his best.

Personally, I just want the guy out there that gives the Rockies the best chance. I don't see why they can't be Herrera, and if that's who some people would prefer to see, could you really blame them? Herrera stood out for reasons you can't measure with stats, and despite what the SABR folk want you to believe, he really did help the Rockies win games in 2010.

I'm not saying I'm opposed to Jose Lopez being the every day second baseman. In fact, I may prefer it to an extent because Herrera's value is maximized when you can plug him at different places in different situations. But if people are pulling for Herrera, that's not wrong. If Herrera wins the job, that's not wrong either. He will have earned it.

Moe Belismel tag team broken up

The righty-lefty Rockies reliever tag team I affectionately named Moe Belismel (Matt Belisle & Joe Beimel) is no more. We figured the day was coming when Troy Renck stated the Rockies had no interest in bringing Beimel back, but after the surprising return of Jason Giambi a couple weeks ago, it was worth waiting for the official word.

The word is now official.

Joe Beimel is headed to the new Coors Field East in Pittsburgh.

Much dismay is now ensuing amongst Rockies fans. I understand it to an extent. I liked Joe. Didn't love him, though. His value in the Rockies community is a tad inflated due to the simple fact his name isn't Franklin Morales. Plus the ladies think he's cute and he entered to a kick ass song.

I'm more concerned with the pitching and business side of it. Thankfully the Rockies are too.

There is definitely risk in putting so much stock and faith in a less experienced Matt Reynolds and a roller coaster ride like Morales, but tough decisions have to be made somewhere. And I'm sure the Rockies feel like their right-handers, especially at the back end of the pen, are plenty capable of retiring tough lefties. That's why each of them is making pretty decent coin.

-- In other news... The Rockies have signed OF Willy Taveras, IF/OF Alfredo Amezaga, and C Chad Moeller to minor league deals with invites to spring training. In addition, they have shipped RHP Ethan Hollingsworth to Oakland for AAA RHP Clayton Mortenson.

If I had to venture a guess, I would say Amezaga has the best chance to do something meaningful for Colorado this season. It would take injuries and such, but he has always been an O'Dowd guy and reports are the Rockies came away from his workout at Arizona St. impressed. The fact that he can play three infield positions and the outfield certainly helps his case.

@PoseidonsFist (Andrew T. Fisher, Purple Row) set the over/under at negative three for number of games Willy Taveras would start for the Rockies in CF this season. I'll still take the under there.

-- Rockies avoided arbitration with Ian Stewart on Thursday.

I would hope so. Stewart knows what's at stake this season for him personally. He knows Ty Wigginton, Jose Lopez and Joe Crede are coming to camp. He's heard the far fetched Michael Young rumors. Wouldn't make a whole lot of sense to get hung up over $450K difference in arbitration offers and allow bad feelings to come into play.

Simple advice to Ian going forward... not that he needs it.

Go out on the field, hold off the competition behind you, play at the level we all mostly believe you're capable of playing, and you'll make up whatever money you feel like you're giving up.

I believe Ian Stewart can do it, too. I just doubt Jim Tracy will have the patience to let him play through his slumps, especially with the new options at his disposal.

-- Jim Tracy... Still the two scariest words that come to mind when I think about the 2011 Rockies and how far they can go.

Will he learn when to get out of the way?

Will he learn when to press buttons?

Will there be enough healthy relievers left standing in September?

Will there be lineup stability?

I'm crossing my fingers.