Spring Training Hits & Misses: Game 18 vs. Los Angeles

Hits

Juan Nicasio

Aside from the rugged third inning where he dealt with traffic and was ultimately victimized by a good swing from a professional hitter — Howie Kendrick's three-run homer — Nicasio was excellent against a relentless, World Series contending Angels lineup this afternoon. And what I liked more than anything was the way Nicasio finished it. After allowing the home run, Nicasio closed it down with back-to-back 1-2-3 innings, and punctuated it with an overpowering strikeout of Albert Pujols.

Honestly, the strike three pitch was so good it gave me chills.

Andrew Brown

I knew little about Brown coming into camp, but I've learned recently that he hits right-handed and he's pretty strong. After an impressive game on Saturday that included a home run and double, Brown backed it up with an opposite field blast this afternoon. He's looking like solid AAA insurance.

Misses

Top of the order

Dexter Fowler and Marco Scutaro combined to go 1-for-6 today and are hitting .080 and .130 on the spring respectively. Am I worried? Well, I'd lying if I said I wasn't a little worried about Fowler. This is a big year for him, and for all the stuff we read about how hard he worked this offseason, it hasn't paid off for him just yet. I'll be patient for another week or so, but you have to wonder how patient the Rockies will ultimately be. Charlie Blackmon and Tyler Colvin will give them options if things don't eventually turn around.

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Spring Training Game 24: Hits, Misses & Foul Tips

Rockies 6, Angels 6 (boxscore)

Hits

Troy Tulowitzki

These next days 11 days are going to be awfully boring for Tulowitzki. He's ready to go.

Chris Iannetta

I'm beginning to feel really good about Chris. That line drive RBI single in the first inning added to the momentum he's been building over the last week. It started with good plate appearances. Now it's becoming good swings and good contact. The extra base hits shouldn't be too far behind.

Felipe Paulino/Rex Brothers

If these guys continue pitching as they have, along with Street, Lindstrom, Belisle and Betancourt... Damn. The Rockies would be doing themselves a major disservice if they don't seriously consider Brothers for the opening day roster. He may not be experienced, but he's proving himself to be the best lefty arm available in their bullpen. You have to roll with your best.

Misses

Esmil Rogers

Esmil started excellent and then morphed back into that five inning pitcher that struggles to put hitters and innings away. That's a little discouraging in itself, and even more so when you're staked to an 6-0 lead and can't make it stand. Hopefully a trip back to the drawing board can get Esmil focused on what made him so dominant against the Cubs earlier in the week, which simply means pitching with confidence and believing in his abilities.

Foul Tips

Franklin Morales

Morales relieved Rogers in the 6th, allowing two inherited runners to score. One of those coming on one of his two wild pitches. Yikes.

I would say the last two outings have been distinct steps backwards for Morales after a very positive beginning to his spring. Hopefully it's just the natural ebs and flows of a reliever and not a sign his confidence/focus is getting shaky as the season nears. Time will tell.

Spring Training Game 12: Hits, Misses & Foul Tips

Rockies 8, Angels 1 (boxscore)

Hits

Jhoulys Chacin

Chacin backs up De La Rosa's exceptional start from yesterday with a decent one of his own (4 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K). Aside from DLR's hiccup last week and Paulino's disaster, Rockies starters have been on point in the early going. Hopefully we'll be saying the same thing four weeks from now.

Cole Garner/Ben Paulsen/Charlie Blackmon

A combined 5-for-6 with a HR (Paulsen), 4 RBI and 3 runs in limited time for these young guys this afternoon. Again, none of the three will make the opening day roster (barring injuries), but each has taken advantage of their chances to play and impressed on an almost daily basis.

The star of camp, Jordan Pacheco, actually cooled off with a 0-for-3, 1 BB performance. Maybe he was just allowing his buddies to have a little spotlight.

Jose Morales

Morales is quietly having a good spring and is almost a lock to be Chris Iannetta's backup come April 1st. He's not going to have a first half that comes anything close to Miguel Olivo's last season, but it's not far fetched to believe he will outproduce what Yorvit Torrealba gave the Rockies during his stay. I'll take that.

Hernan Iribarren

Iribarren is another guy that's taking advantage of his playing time. He helped break today's game open with an RBI during Colorado's 7-run 8th inning and is hitting a cool. 350 on the spring. The only real problem I've noticed so far with Hernan is his baserunning (picked off), so I guess he fits right in.

Misses

Nothing really stood out as a miss today. I could nitpick a couple things like Seth Smith misjudging a flyball or Iribarren getting picked off again, but we'll save all that for June.

Foul Tips

Dexter Fowler

No hits for Fowler but he did reach base twice via the base on balls. That's another good sign from where I sit.

John Maine

Congratulations to Maine for getting out there and throwing a couple scoreless innings. He dealt with a little traffic, probably wasn't as sharp as he would prefer, but all in all it had to feel good to retire some major league hitters and see 0's on the board.

Lineup Card -- Rockies @ Angels

Rockies Lineup (39-35)

• 2B Herrera
• 1B Helton
• CF Gonzalez
• DH Giambi
• LF  Smith
• C   Iannetta
• 3B Stewart
• RF Spilborghs
• SS Barmes

Jhoulys Chacin on the mound.  

Iannetta gets the nod behind the plate.  He and Chacin have not worked well together in the past.  Hopefully that's something that'll be cleaned up today.  I'm not opposed to Iannetta getting more ABs.  Olivo is clearly slumping and tiring.  The playing time will need to be divided up a little more evenly in the coming weeks.  

Angels Lineup (42-35)

• SS Aybar
• 2B Kendrick
• RF Abreu
• CF Hunter
• DH Matsui
• LF Rivera
• 1B Napoli
• C   Mathis
• 3B Wood

Ervin Santana on the mound.  Won't be an easy day again for the Rockies bats.  

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Cook Returning To Form

Angels 4, Rockies 2

Aaron Cook pitched like a total stud tonight. My goodness was he sharp. The numbers won't completely bare that out, but to those watching intently you know Cook was in command and using all of his pitches effectively. Especially after the shaky/bad luck filled first inning.

About that first inning.

When you have a pitcher on the mound as frazzled as Aaron Cook was in road starts coming in, you can't afford boneheaded plays like the one made by Ian Stewart. Just get Cook outs. He made his pitch, get him an out. Don't congest the bases even more trying to make a fancy play or force a double play that isn't there.

It wasn't smart. There's a lot to like about Ian Stewart, but it baffles me sometimes how poor his instincts are.

All this doesn't take Cook off the hook for making the lazy 3-0 pitch to Matsui, but the circumstances surrounding the whole first inning were largely out of his control. That includes the jam job bloop single by Torii Hunter. Hard to make a better pitch than that.

Also, the Angels four run first shows us once again how important simply putting the ball in play is. Nothing good ever happens when an offense doesn't get the ball in play, and that was a problem yet again for Colorado. Another bleh pitcher, Joe Saunders, fell one short of his career high strikeout total with eight.

Hated the approach by Carlos Gonzalez and Jason Giambi against Saunders. The game plan apparently called for patience, and rightfully so when you study his recent starts, but neither of them seemed to get that message. Bad swings at bad pitches early in the count. Never really allowed themselves a chance to be productive against a lefty they should handle.

That was frustrating.

We didn't see the same urgent plate appearances we've seen the last four games. We saw a few good ones, but not the up and down the order tough ABs. Tonight I'll chalk that up to fatigue, lack of confidence hitting on the road, and maybe a little bit to Saunders for being better than usual.

Still a chance to win a big road series tomorrow before heading off to San Diego. Needless to say this stretch of baseball isn't letting up in quality of opponent or importance. Need a good game from Chacin tomorrow so the bullpen can get another solid day of rest. Let's get it done.

Lineup Card -- Rockies @ Angels

Rockies Lineup (39-34)

• 2B Herrera
• RF Spilborghs
• CF Gonzalez
• DH Giambi
• 1B  Mora
• C   Olivo
• 3B Stewart
• LF Smith
• SS Barmes

Aaron Cook on the mound.  Jim Tracy will cross his fingers that he can get another at least seven innings out of Cookie.  That seems almost impossible on the road.

The latest on Brad Hawpe is the same as the earliest report.  Bruised Ribs.  Day-to-Day.  Not likely to be available for any kind of duty tonight.  

Angels Lineup (41-35)

• 2B Kendrick
• 3B Frandsen
• DH Abreu
• CF Hunter
• LF Matsui
• RF Rivera
• 1B Napoli
• SS Aybar
• C   Wilson

Southpaw Joe Saunders on the hill for the Angels.  He used to be real good.  Now he's just kinda bleh.  The Rockies haven't fared real well against bleh this season.  

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Lineup Card -- Rockies @ Angels

Rockies Lineup (38-34)

• 2B Herrera
• 1B Helton
• CF Gonzalez
• DH Giambi
• RF Hawpe
• LF Smith
• 3B Stewart
• C  Iannetta
• SS Barmes

Jeff Francis on the mound.  Before anyone gets up in arms over Iannetta starting, I like him paired with Francis.  They seem to work well together.  Plus Olivo played that entire physically and mentally draining Boston series.  He might need a couple days off in this series.

Angels Lineup (41-34)

• 2B Kendrick
• SS Frandsen
• RF Abreu
• CF Hunter
• DH Rivera
• 1B Napoli
• C  Mathis
• LF Willits
• 3B Woods

Jered Weaver on the mound.  He's better than his brother, Jeff Weaver, who typically gives the Rockies a tough time.  

Stacked with righties against Jeff Francis.  It will be a challenging night for Francis.  The Rockies need him to be really good, or at least to work deep in the good.  If he's not good, he may need to take one for the team just a tad bit.

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