Rock Solid Recrap: Fish Be Biting

Biting hard.

Marlins 3, Rockies 2

Yet the Rockies still manage to let them off the hook.

Johnny Herrera tumbles after squeezing the final out of the 6th inning.

This goes down as the 3rd lost opportunity to "steal" a win on this roadtrip.

Three one run decisions the Rockies either led late, or had more than one quality opportunity to take a lead late, and the efforts fell short.

Monday's game is the one you'll look back at if  things don't work out, but just missing a chance to beat Josh Johnson will also leave a pretty sour taste in your mouth.

Josh Johnson

He's good. Really good. Great even. Dominant.

He's just not efficient.

That's why I still hesistate to say he's the best pitcher in the league... or baseball... or the universe... or wherever else baseball is played.

Great "stats" are one thing.  He certainly has those to the max.  Workhorse mentality and efficiency are another element I value just as much.  He's not there yet.

To be fair, Ubaldo isn't all the way there either.  Lump those two in with Lincecum and a handful of others that are hovering at or around complete awesomeness.

Today

The Rockies were able to drive the pitch count up by laying off a lot of two strike waste pitches. Credit to Johnson for being consistently ahead 0-2, 1-2, but also note he was just as consistently reaching 3-2 with those batters before putting them away.

And that's what I mean.  The results are often terrific.  He just wastes so many bullets, which leads to a 6th or 7th inning exit, which leads to a no-decision, which means the Marlins lose a lot more of his starts than they should.

They just didn't lose today's.

Because Jose Veras is one lucky SOB.  (Highlight)

Jorge De La Rosa

Turns out another rehab start or two probably would have been the best route to take with Jorge just so he could get over the mental hurdle of gripping the ball without reinjuring himself.

At least that's my take. I don't blame them for wanting him back when they did, but looking back they should have done a better job evaluating his progress and recognizing he wasn't where he needed to be mentally.

Physically he was healed. Mentally he wasn't ready to trust his finger to hold up to the pressure of the grip.

Today

He started out pretty much the same way he did the last two outings. Velocity down. Location erratic. Inability to put hitters away up in the zone.

But as the game progressed he started breaking out some of the nasty swing-and-miss stuff we were accustomed to at the end of last season. The fastballs were hitting their spots, which set up the changeup. He dropped a few good breakers in there.

It was very encouraging, and it's something he should be able to build upon in his next two starts against Pittsburgh and Chicago. Two offenses who will be closer to Florida in lack of discipline than Cincinnati or San Diego were.

If you're looking for your silver lining after losing three of four in Florida, look no further than De La Rosa's start today, put together with solid starts by Aaron Cook and Jeff Francis.  That would be the first time since like January 10th that the Rockies have felt good about all five starters at the same time.

Tomorrow

Aaron Cook vs. Roy Halladay

This Halladay guy is the true definition of a workhorse. Unlike Johnson, he stands on the mound until you physically make him go away. No exiting in the 6th or 7th inning with 120 pitches. You have to light his ass on fire to have any chance of seeing a Phillies reliever in the 8th or 9th innings.

The Rockies actually did a pretty decent job of that in Denver. I don't see why they can't again.

Just to be safe though we should alert Aaron Cook that'll he needed another seven or more innings of shutout baseball.

Got that covered, Aaron?

Rock Solid Recrap: Hammel On The Hook

Marlins 5, Rockies 2

It's funny... well, not really funny... it's interesting to note that the Rockies offense has risen to the occasion a few times lately to ensure Ubaldo Jimenez avoids his 2nd loss of the season, while Jason Hammel hasn't been quite so fortunate in getting off the hook.

There's a lonnnnnng list of factors involved in that. Too many to get into. They aren't playing favorites, obviously, but poor Jason has been the Rockies best pitcher for the better part of six weeks and a lot of times (not always) it seems he has to be perfect to leave the mound with a chance for a W.

Tonight, though, he was from perfect. At least early.

The first inning looked like it would be a breeze. Unfortunately, he couldn't make a good enough two strike pitch to Hanley Ramirez, Dan Uggla or Jorge Cantu to close the door. Their three straight hits, all on pitches elevated in the zone, gave the Marlins a 2-0 lead.

The second inning was the same problem all over again. He couldn't put away Chris Coghlan with two outs. That opened the door for Gaby Sanchez, who promptly crushed a 3-run HR to straight away CF. And I mean crushed. There are no cheapies to be had straight away center at Sunlife.

Hammel seemed destined for a short night at that point, but to his credit, he bounced back from the early mishaps to provide Jim Tracy with five scoreless innings. You can't understate the importance of that in the big picture.

Especially when you don't know what you'll get from Jorge De La Rosa tomorrow.

Especially when you'll be spending four days in Philadelphia right before a homestand.

So my hat goes off to Hammel despite his overall clunker of an outing.

The offense again waited until Hammel was off the mound before scoring their only two runs of the game. That's what happened in his start in Cincinnati as well.

Ricky Nolasco was pretty good, allowing only four hits and striking out eight over the same number of innings. He was also pretty lucky on a couple Jason Giambi rockets. One that was flagged down by Cody Ross in deep center. Another that was snagged by tonight's biggest enemy, Gaby Sanchez.

I guess what I'm saying is Nolasco was good, but I also feel he was pretty hittable. There just weren't enough baseballs squared up like the ones Giambi hit, and then the 2-run Seth Smith HR in the 8th.

I point directly at poor ABs by Carlos Gonzalez and Brad Hawpe. Complete wastes.

Someone has to sit Gonzalez down especially and tell him you don't have to swing harder on the road. Keep the same swing you use at home. Drive the ball to all fields. Knock off these awful overswings that look like you're trying to pull every ball into the upper deck for a 6-run HR.

That's probably where the bruised finger came from. Gripping the bat too hard and swinging too hard. It looks terrible.

And the opposing pitchers are also figuring out that CarGo won't walk, so why throw him strikes. Let him get himself out until he makes the proper adjustments and learns some more discipline.

Tomorrow

Jorge De La Rosa vs Josh Johnson

Are you ready for baseball at 10 AM Denver sports fans?

I hope the Rockies bats are. If not, they'll get their wake up call on that first Johnson 99 MPH fastball at the letters.

Rock Solid Recap: I Like Angry Rockies

I wonder what that bag of wind Jon Miller thinks of the Rockies offense so far in Florida.

Rockies 10, Marlins 0

But the bigger story tonight is Jeff Francis.

I've been on Francis a lot after his past three starts. Let's be honest... they weren't good. They weren't average. They weren't even bad. They were just plain awful, bordering on disastrous.

I thought the matchup tonight against Florida wasn't going to provide the right opportunity for him to right the ship. No way. Way too much right-handed power for him to handle.

Wrong.

Francis not only handled those fish, he handled them with relative ease. He was confident. He was in command from beginning to end. He was in attack mode with no lead and carried that on with a 10 run lead. It really was a masterpiece we're used to seeing with Jeff when he's on his game.

The Rockies needed a great effort from him. He provided the effort, while sending a clear cut message that he's not done just yet.

Message received... but I'm still filing in my yellow folder for caution. Once the innings start piling up again without an all-star break in the middle, will he be able to sustain the effectiveness? That's the next bridge he'll need to cross when it comes.

Offense

Crredit to Jim Tracy when it's due. He put the right lineup together tonight.

I'll never complain when Melvin Mora is in the lineup... unless he's at second base. The guy is a professional hitter and he once again proved that tonight (3-for-5, HR, 2B, 5 RBI).

We know his defensive skills are pretty much limited to 3B, but he did have a good showing for himself in LF tonight. Let's keep one thing in mind on that though. LF in Sunlife Stadium is one of the easier outfield positions to play in the league. Not a whole lot of ground out there to cover.

Everyone else: Amazingly, despite the 10 runs, no other Rockie collected a multi-hit game tonight. That means the offense featured balance, timely hitting, and a willingness to take a walk. The Rockies collected six of those.

Now if we can only see more of all the above on a consistent basis going forward, the offense won't be an issue.

Of course they won't face Nate Robertson again either... dammit.

Chris Iannetta

Another right button pushed by Tracy was starting Chris Iannetta. Iannetta caught his second shutout in three days. Think about that.  A month ago he couldn't get out of his own way behind the plate, now he's about to seriously challenge Miguel Olivo for playing time.

Good for Chris Iannetta.

I've always felt very strongly about his talent, much the same way I feel about Franklin Morales' talent.  It's just a matter of keeping his head on straight. Not allowing the mental grind to get the best of him.  It's clearly not right now.   Time will now tell if he's able to keep the focus and the confidence going.  I'm definitely pulling for him.

Tomorrow

Jason Hammel vs Ricky Nolasco

A couple of pretty similar pitches on the hill in that one.  I'll take my chances with Jason the way he's throwing the ball lately.  Get him 5-6 runs and you should feel pretty good.

Rock Solid Recrap: Donnie Who?

Marlins 9, Rockies 8

Here are the five things you need to know about tonight's game.

1. Sloppy

The Rockies defense once again opened doors for the opposing offense. Doors that, at least early in the game, the Marlins offense couldn't have opened themselves against Jimenez. He had things going very well.

By the way, those errors include one by Jimenez, and another by Herrera which was pretty ugly on a sure DP ball.

The errors don't include a Hanley Ramirez RBI bunt single that I thought Jimenez should have handled cleanly. So it kinda boils down to...

2. Ubaldo Falters

He couldn't pitch around the 3rd inning miscues once they started piling up. The extra pitches needed to get through that inning then caught up to him in the 6th.

A knock, a walk.  Next thing you know Mike Stanton (who had Ubaldo's number all night and looks like a keeper in their OF) launches an offspeed delivery into the second deck for three runs.

A lot of that goes on Ubaldo for not battling through traffic (It'll all show up on his ERA), but it kinda leads in to the my next point as well.

3. Where's Miguel Olivo?

Ick. Aside from the HR in Cincy, he looks completely lost in the box. Seriously. I don't know why a pitcher would throw a fastball at this point. Nothing but ugly offerings on offspeed crap.

Also, the pitch selection a couple times allowed Ubaldo to get beat with his secondary pitches. Not really sure what the thought process was behind those, but yeah, not good.

It should also be noted he's had a couple passed balls and his throws haven't been on the mark much either. Could the career long platoon/backup catcher's extensive playing time be catching up to him? Just reality of who he is in the long run? Simple slump after inactivity for 4 days?

Time will tell.

4. Johnny Herrera hits his first career HR.

It's only fitting that Herrera would hit his first HR at a moment like that. The kid is clutch and the kid is pretty special when it comes to finding a way (small or large) to win or get in position to win a game.

Granted, his error in the third basically gave away two runs. That was a big part of the problem there. But in yesterday's 1-0 game win, he saved at least one run with a diving play up the middle. A suicide squeeze or whatever you need, Johnny gets it done.

His impact on this team is nothing but positive in every fashion.

5. Donnie Murphy hits a walk-off HR.

I don't know who the hell Donnie Murphy is.

Check that.

I didn't know who he was. Now I'll never forget him.

That's a little disrepectful to say about a guy who's achieved even one degree of success at the ML level, but for crying out loud, he just walked off on Huston Street! That doesn't compute with me.

In fact, I think I need to go back and make sure that really happened. While I do that, here's tomorrow's starting pitching matchup.

Jeff Francis vs. Nate Robertson

We've seen Aaron Cook step up at a time the Rockies desperately needed him to. Can Francis follow suit?

I must admit I'm not optimisitc based on his recent showings, in addition to a Marlins lineup that is strictly right-handed power. If they can get a few of Jeff's soft fastballs away up in the RF jet stream, look out.

And yes, I rewatched it

And yes, it still sucks.

Rock Solid Recap: Mr. Late Night Wins The Afternoon

Rockies 8, Marlins 4

Winning Player: Seth Smith

2-for-3, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 R

Not bad for a fill-in, eh?

How good is life when you can lose an All-Star like Brad Hawpe and not miss a beat offensively?  What a luxury. The Rockies will be relying heavily on Smith, and why not? He can handle it, and about 25 teams would be estatic to pencil him in on a regular basis.

Not only will the Rockies rely on Smith, they'll also rely on Ryan Spilborghs. Again... why not? He's as good as they come for a reserve outfielder. Also, the more ABs they each get now the better chace they'll be clicking offensively come the summer time.

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Running Thoughts: De La Rosa vs. Volstad

The emotions of the Keli McGregor memorial service give way to baseball now.  The Rockies host their expansion brothers in the rubber match of a big three game series before getting deep into division play.

If you haven't heard, Colorado placed Brad Hawpe on the 15 Day DL this morning and recalled Eric Young Jr. I was thinking (kinda hoping) they might recall veteran Jay Payton, but the Rockies likely looking forward to having a speed guy off the bench in late innings.

Seth Smith will start in LF this afternoon and hit 5th.  Miguel Olivo catches once again.  Everything else is the usual.

Big game today.  I'm always big on taking that final game of the series just because there's always something significant about it.  You're either avoiding a sweep, trying to win a series, or trying to get a sweep.  Let's get one today!

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Looking Ahead: Rubber Match

Jorge De La Rosa vs. Chris Volstad

A similar matchup to Smith vs. Nolasco, only De La Rosa is a more refined, more talented, better equipped to handle power right-handed hitters version of a left-hander than Smith is at this point. DLR can get swings and misses when he's ahead or behind in the count, and he can change speeds effectively enough to keep them off balance.

Volstad is a power right-handed arm like Nolasco, but he's not nearly as talented or effective. He's capable of having a Nolasco type day, but I don't one will come at the expense of the Rockies. That's more likely to happen to a Houston or San Diego.

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Rock Solid Recap: Times Two

Game 1

Marlins 4, Rockies 1

Losing Player: Greg Smith

Nothing at all surprising about how this game played out. It was a tough matchup for Smith. I thought his showing was okay, nothing great by any means, but he battled and certainly kept Colorado in the game.

As did Manny Corpas, who has turned into a very valuable long reliever. His versatility in the pen is huge.

I'd give the losing player to the entire offense, but again, it's difficult to expect much against a guy as hot as Ricky Nolasco right now. This was just a tough matchup from top to bottom on both sides of the fence.

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Running Thoughts: Cook vs. Robertson

The return of good Aaron Cook must happen... NOW.

Return of good Rockies offense would also be nice.

Why?

Because it's the crappy infield defensive lineup.  Giambi at first, Mora at second -- he's more comfortable at third.  Bleh!

Marlins will give Cameron Maybin the nightcap off.  Chris Coghlan returns in his place.  Wes Helms takes over at third, moving Jorge Cantu to first.

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Running Thoughts: Smith vs. Nolasco

Rockies Examiner explains the TV situation.

Just talked to the producer for Fox Sports Rocky Mountain and she said that there is no TV for the first game, HOWEVER; they are turning on their broadcast at 5:30pm so if the first game is still ongoing (probably will be) then they WILL show that.  

So follow along with me and the radio broadcast until they flip the switch at 5:30.

Seth Smith gets the nod over Dexter Fowler in Game 1.  He bats second and plays left, CarGo shifts over to center.  Chris Iannetta starts behind the dish.

The Marlins go with an entirely right-handed lineup against Greg Smith.  I figured they would.   This presents quite a challenge for Greg, who will need his command to be at its best.  These aren't just right-handed hitters, these are right-handed bats that go up there looking to go yard.

I'm going to close my eyes and hope this goes well!

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Looking Ahead: Double Dipping

I previewed Game 1 yesterday. Nothing has changed in my opinion on that.

Game 2: Aaron Cook vs. Nate Robertson

Game 2 should be more of an advantage to the Rockies because of their clear depth/talent advantage over the Marlins. The Rockies can run an entirely different lineup out there in two games and you feel like both lineups can hang with anybody.  That's a nice attribute.

Of course there's always the concerns over Giambi's defense, but let's just hope he's not needed too often with the glove.  

Aaron Cook needs to be good today. I'm expecting the bullpen to pick 3-4 innings in Game 1, so Cook has to get into the 7th or 8th to keep things from getting crazy. The Marlins lineup matches up much better for him than it does for Smith. plus Cook just seems due for a Cookmanlike outing, doesn't he?

Let's cross our fingers.

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No Baseball Tonight In Colorado

The game has been postponed due to cold, crappy, Colorado April weather.

There will be a doubleheader with the Marlins beginning tomorrow at 3:10 local time in Denver.

Per Joe Capozzi -- The Marlins will go with Ricky Nolasco in Game 1 and Nate Robertson in Game 2. I assume the Rockies will counter with Greg Smith and Aaron Cook in their current order.

Everyone stay warm and dry and find something fun to do with their Friday evening.

Me? I'm going to bed early and fueling up for a doubleheader.

Looking Ahead: To A Bad Matchup

Greg Smith vs. Ricky Nolasco

Tonight's pitching matchup has the potential for very ugly results.

I say that not because I don't believe in Greg Smith -- because you all know I do if you've been reading since Spring Training -- it's just a very difficult matchup for a lefty with his type of stuff. Extremely difficult.

The Marlins lineup will be loaded with potent and powerful right-handed bats -- Hanley Ramirez, Jorge Cantu, Dan Uggla, Cody Ross, Cameron Maybin, Ronny Paulino -- that are capable of putting up runs in a hurrry.

Remember this day? Rockies 18, Marlins 17

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