Rock Solid Recrap: Goodnight Everybody

Of course I'm not going anywhere, but the Rockies 2010 playoffs hopes were officially put to bed on Tuesday night.  

I've already said plenty about what I believe got to the Rockies to this point, so I'll spare you another rant by taking a quick look at tonight's proceedings before slipping into a temporary baseball depression.

Dodgers 9, Rockies 7

I told you we'd see a lot of Jim Tracy and Joe Torre tonight.

This could very well prove to be the final Jeff Francis start at Coors Field as a member of the Rockies.  If so, he'll be leaving Coors with an awful taste in his mouth.

Regardless of what happens (I have no idea how it will play out), Jeff has been through the ups and downs with us over the past few years, and he has earned my respect.  He suffered through a couple of those leaner years.  He was the starting pitcher in the Rockies first World Series game. Then the injuries overwhelmed him and left him a shell of the reliable starter he once was.

He was never a true ace type, but Jeff Francis at his peak behind Ubaldo Jimeenz and Jhoulys Chacin would have made the Rockies a really damn tough team to beat.  It would be a pipe dream to hope he could be that guy again.  It may even be far-fetched to say he'll register a 20+ start season again in his career.

I wish him all the best in whatever happens.  If he's back as a low-risk, high-reward guy next spring, I'll be pulling like hell for him to be healthy and be effective.

Tonight was a good night for Esmil Rogers (4 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 6 K) as he looks to regain some lost confidence.  Of course it would have been impossible to not take a step forward after his last two outings.  But still, you take the good with the bad with a young, developing arm.  Rogers will be a wild card heading into 2011.

Huston Street has been throwing with side pain.  I guess that explains why we didn't see him in some situations that made sense for him.

Chris Nelson's started quickly with a double, run and a fancy play at 2B.  The rest of his evening was very quiet.  We're all curious to see what he can offer over these last five games, but I hope he doesn't end up putting too much pressure on himself.

Good night at the plate for Dexter Fowler.  A mere double shy of the cycle.

Carlos Gonzalez, Todd Helton and Melvin Mora each contributed a pair of knocks.  No surprises there.

Tomorrow

Jhoulys Chacin vs Clayton Kershaw

The final home game of the season and the final start for Chacin.  I couldn't thing of a worse way to end the home schedule than being swept by LA.  That's a hideous thought.  Please don't let that happen!

Rock Solid Recrap: That'll Just About Do It

Even though I have been bracing myself for this moment since the Pittsburgh/New York road trip, it is still difficult to admit the 2010 Rockies won't be getting over the hump.

See... I can't even spell out the proper words here. I guess I'll save those for when it's official.

I admire the heart this team has shown to rise from the dead on more than one occasion. I stand it awe of the other-worldly seasons turned it by our three legitimate superstars. At the same time, when I look at those two factors, it just makes everything all the more frustrating. The Rockies were better than the results will show.

This team wasn't missing much. I know a lot of folks look back at the trade deadline as a missed opportunity. Maybe it was, I can't say for sure. But I do believe they could have and should have won with the group they had.  It just never all came together for a prolonged period of time like we saw from May 28th until the end of last season.

Injuries, inconsistencies, lack of fundamentals (who saw that rundown today?), poor decision making in the dugout and on the bases, lack of urgency in the early months.

There were so many things this team did wrong, yet somehow they found themselves well over .500. Looking at the standings, I don't feel like the Giants or Padres stood in their way at all.  The only thing stopping the Rockies was themselves, and far too often they couldn't out of their own way.

Giants 4, Rockies 2 

Today was pretty simple, though. Matt Cain overwhelmed the Rockies from start to finish. He allowed an infield single to Jay Payton and a 2-run HR to Melvin Mora in the 8th inning. There was a walk and an error earlier, a Carlos Gonzalez single in the 9th, but the Rockies mounted no serious threat to even knock Cain from the game. It was complete and utter domination.

And it came at a time when his team absolutely needed it.

Jorge De La Rosa wasn't awful himself. He started slow, but bounced back to get the Rockies through six innings and within hopeful striking distance.

The decision on Jorge in the off season will be an interesting one. For the money he's likely to be demanding, I think I would rather have a guy that I know will be efficient. The five walks today are just not good enough. Though he has improved greatly from when he was acquired, I'm not sure Jorge can be the guy we saw late last season consistently.

What happens there will all depend on what he asks for and how the Rockies view him. But you already knew that, and I think we all already feel certain he'll price himself out of range.

I hear Cody Ross likes the city of Denver. You know, I kind of like Cody Ross, too. It doesn't matter which uniform he wears, he always has a monster game and series when he visits. He plays all three outfield position (though not always smoothly). I don't know, the Rockies could do worse for a platoon partner with Seth Smith should this be the off season Ryan Spilborghs is traded.

I have no knowledge that he will be traded. Just thinking out loud.

Tomorrow

Ubaldo Jimenez vs TBD

Ubaldo goes for his 20th win. That gives us all something to look forward to. Of course in the back of my mind I wonder if he does with number 20, will this be his final start of the season. I guess we'll know all the answers soon enough.

Rock Solid Recap: Satisfaction

To quote one of my favorite people on Twitter...

@Townie813 That is without question the most satisfying #Rockies victory of the season. For so damn many reasons.

Amen to that.

Rockies 10, Giants 9 (10) 

I have to start by giving Jason Hammel credit for attempting to pitch through his dead arm. It may not have been the smartest thing for him to do, or for the Rockies to allow him to do, but they almost had no choice in the matter. His performance was lacking, his guts were not.

The last 48+ hours have been a nightmare for Esmil Rogers. I don't know what has gone wrong there. It may be a confidence issue. Possibly a mechanical issue. Whatever the case, there's no reason to be concerned about his long-term outlook, but it doesn't look like he'll be a positive factor the final week. Disappointing, but understandable for a young guy.

Huston Street has been located. He was found alive and well in the Rockies bullpen tonight. He then went on to pitch two scoreless innings and found himself in the win column.

The Rockies offense was sensational tonight.

The usual suspects were involved...

• Troy Tulowitzki: 4 hits, 2 doubles, home run, 5 RBI, walk-off hit. (webgem)
• Carlos Gonzalez: 3 hits, 3 runs, scored the game-winner.  (webgem)

Had to squeeze those webgems in there somewhere.

And the veteran role players were involved as well...

• Jay Payton: 2 hits, triple, run 
• Melvin Mora: 2 hits, double, triple, 2 RBI.

In the span of four hitters in the 5th inning, those four men tripled, tripled, homered and then tripled, in four consecutive plate appearances. If anything deserves a "That Was Awesome" chant, that inning was it.

I even have praise for Jim Tracy tonight. Real praise, as I thought he managed almost every situation appropriately. Unfortunately he didn't get what he needed from Rogers again, but all the other buttons pushed made sense.

Now I have some fake praise. Warming up Franklin Morales in the bottom of 10th was his best strategic move of the season. Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki looked out there, saw that, and made damn sure we never saw an 11th inning. Excellent piece of managing right there.

Tomorrow

Jorge De La Rosa vs Matt Cain

The Rockies will attempt to keep their fading playoff hopes alive... or at the very least play a roll in keeping the Giants from getting there themselves. I'd much prefer the former, but would learn to savor the latter.

Rock Solid Recap: Without Visual Aids

I saw nothing of today's Rockies game. 

You didn't either.

It sucked.

But given the results, I wouldn't change a thing!

Rockies 12, Dodgers 2

I can't wait to see where Troy Tulowitzki's two home runs landed. Yes, the big man launched two more this afternoon off of Dodgers starter John Ely. That raised Troy September numbers from ridiculous to other worldly. Hell, just in his last three games he has totaled 5 homers and 13 RBI.

That sick enough for you?

If not, just imagine how the numbers would have looked had he connected with the bases loaded in the 8th inning. Oh well, can't hit'em all out. And that's okay when you have Todd Helton and Melvin Mora (4 hits, 5 RBI) behind you cleaning up.

Jhoulys Chacin threw a career high eight innings today. All eight of them were goose eggs. He did only strike out two while allowing nine hits, but again, goose eggs in the run column. Well done by the ace-in-training.

Well, without having seen the game I can't go into too much more detail about things I liked. I do like looking at the boxscore and seeing two walks next to CarGo's name though. Especially now that Tulo is hitting everything in sight out of sight.

Hell yeah CarGo, if they aren't challenging you, let the big man do his thing. Your runs scored will start adding as quickly your RBI total.

Tomorrow

Jason Hammel vs Clayton Kershaw

Rockies are long overdue to knock Kershaw upside the head. Yeah, he's currently pitching maybe the best he ever has in his career, but the Rockies have seen him so much it only seems logical that they would figure something out and put a few dents in his ERA.

That, or Jason Hammel pitches the game of his life. I would accept either or both.

Rock Solid Recap: Talent & Guts

The Rockies have both in abundance.

They just have to make sure they back those up with intelligence. They have to play smart, or those traits will be offset.

Tonight the Rockies came dangerously close to allowing something silly to wipe away all the good they had done in other portions of the game. A key base running error by Eric Young stands out. Jim Tracy pushing Ubaldo Jimenez seemingly past his limits would be another.

These are the type of things that have cost the Rockies several winnable games in 2010, but thankfully they ran into a Dodgers team that needs a lot more help than the Rockies were willing to give.

Rockies 7, Dodgers 5

@RockiesReview Honestly, I hate when Ubaldo pitches. I get so nervous. He's the best the #Rockies have, but I feel like getting wins is crucial with him.

Tonight was as nerve-wracking as it gets. Ubaldo didn't have anything close to his best stuff again. But somehow, some way, with his back against the wall, and with his intestinal fortitude being continuously challenged by a very loyal and trusting manager, Ubaldo Jimenez found a way to get six more outs than I honestly believed he had in him.

If Tracy had pulled him in the 5th, I wouldn't have complained. In the 6th, wouldn't have complained again. Especially since Tracy allowed him bat with two on and two outs in that inning. I don't like giving away scoring chances. Not on the road. And especially not when the pitcher you're allowing to bat for himself is battling for every pitch.

It worked out in the end. It worked out because Ubaldo Jimenez has talent and guts.

Does any one professional baseball player symbolize talent and guts better than Todd Helton? (Highlight)

He's not the baseball player he used to be, but he's still the man he always was. You just can't write him off. The second anyone tries to, he fires back. The second Mark Kiszla writes nonsense about him, he collects three or four hits.

He's a winner. He knows how close this team is to getting over the hump. If there's even just an ounce of gas left in his tank (I assure there's more than that), you can bet he's going to get the most out of it, because he knows how much his team needs it.

If I had to single out one more player tonight not named Troy Tulowitzki (Highlight), I would think long and hard about selecting Melvin Mora (Highlight), but in the end would have to select Matt Belisle.

What onions it takes to come in to a bases loaded situation to face two hitters that have taken you deep in that situation before, and to retire each without any damage being done.

The Rockies owe so much of where they currently sit to Matt. They simply wouldn't be here without him. That's not hyperbole, that's fact. He has been the glue that has held everything together, when it so easily could have fallen at any point during the last three months.

Dump truck.

Tomorrow

Jhoulys Chacin vs John Ely

I'll just say this...

The Dodgers showed tonight that they need a lot of things to go their way just to compete. Show up tomorrow and give them nothing.

Rock Solid Recap: That'll Do

This isn't the BCS.

Style points aren't necessary here.

Who you beat, how you beat'em, where you beat'em and why you beat'em don't mean a damn thing.

Win a baseball game.

The Colorado have won nine of them... in a row.

All fun has broken loose in Denver.

Rockies 2, D-Backs 1

Tonight's game was a perfect illustration of just how focused, confident, and red hot the Colorado Rockies are as we head towards September 12th. These are the games the Rockies were allowing to get away for the first five months of the season. The ones we said we'd look back at in frustration if this season didn't improve.

Well, it has improved, but we still run the risk of having those games bite us in the ass. That is why not allowing this one to get away was ultra important. That counts double when it's Ubaldo Jimenez on the mound.

It was an odd night for Ubaldo. He really never seemed to find a comfort level or real rhythm out there. The command was off. The efficiency was less than desirable. But in the end, the results were solid enough to keep his struggling offense in the baseball game.

Yes, I said struggling offense. Yes, Ubaldo was outpitched by Rodrigo Lopez. Yes, it doesn't matter, because the Rockies found a way to win.

It came down to four really productive at-bats in the bottom of the 7th

1. Melvin Mora pulled a single to left on an 0-1 pitch. 
2. Ryan Spilborghs drove a 1-0 pitch to the oppo gap for a double. 2nd and 3rd one out. 
3. Miguel Olivo broke the ice for Colorado with a first pitch RBI single through the left field. 
4. And then the AB of the game from Jonathan Herrera. A sacrifice fly to deep center on a 1-2 pitch.

Again, what Jonathan Herrera gives the Rockies simply can't be measured in stats and charts. I spoke of style points at the top. There are no style points with Johnny. All he does is produce, make his team better, and give them a better chance to win baseball games by simply doing what's asked of him and understanding his role.

Yeah, you need your CarGo's and Tulo's and Helton's to have success. But what separates winning teams from losing teams are guys like Johnny.

Really all four guys involved in that inning (Herrera, Spilborghs, Mora and Olvio) fit the mold of role players who make the team better by understanding their role and excelling at them. Really is a nice mix of guys that all fit together perfectly after the release of Brad Hawpe.

Funny how that works sometimes.

Tomorrow

Jhoulys Chacin vs Ian Kennedy

Time to go 1-0 and see where the chips fall by Sunday night. Gotta like your chances with Mr. Chacin taking the hill.

Rock Solid Recap: Being Better At Baseball

The Colorado Rockies have a job to do. They also currently have an opponent that quite frankly stinks, but for some reasons gives them fits in 2010. 

Best way to remedy that? Show up with some focus and be better at baseball.

It's really that simple.

The talent level between the Rockies and Diamondbacks was pretty much even back in 2007. I expected it to stay that way for at least the next 4-5 years... but it hasn't. The two rosters aren't even close, and tonight, that difference in talent was on full display.

Rockies 13, Diamondbacks 4 

This game was essentially over the moment Todd Helton laced this 2-run single in the first inning (Highlight). For real. The Diamondbacks could have packed their bags and headed back to the hotel right then and there.

One big reason for that? Jorge De La Rosa. Again, not the most efficient work from DLR, but he was inefficiently dominant with 10 Ks over 6 six innings of 2 run ball. Despite the 103 pitches in those 6 innings, he did not walk a batter. Several full counts are what led to an early departure. And he may have left early anyway because of the lopsided score.

Another big reason for that? Troy Trevor Tulowitzki. T Times 3, as in 3-for-3 with 2 bombs, 3 runs, 4 RBI and a token BB. That makes 5 HR in 3 games. That's what they call white hot in the baseball broadcasting business.

Ryan Spilborghs (2-for-3,2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB), Eric Young (2-for-5, RBI, SB), Melvin Mora (2-for-3, 2 R, BB), Todd Helton (2-for-3, R, 2 RBI, BB) & Miguel Olivo (1-for-4, 3B, 3 RBI) all had big nights for the Rockies as well.

See what I mean? The talent differential is quite staggering.

And how about *cringe* Franklin Morales? Tonight made two excellent outings in a row. This one was actually dominant (1-2-3, 2 Ks).

I was the last one off the Morales bandwagon earlier in the season. I'm very hesitant to be the first one back on, but I do really like what I'm seeing. Granted he's been eased into two very low pressure situations, but I'm still praying to the Baseball Gods that some sort of switch has been flipped here.

All that hope aside, he would have to be absolutely insane for the next three weeks to even be a consideration for a playoff roster should the Rockies become that fortunate. But just having another reliable lefty arm for three weeks would be huge in aiding that process.

Tomorrow

Ubaldo Jimenez vs Rodrigo Lopez

As pitching matchups go, this one appears slightly advantageous for our favorite baseball team.  Regardless, the Rockies have more work to do. No time to start making any assumptions or losing focus. Just come out and be better at baseball for 9 more innings.

Rock Solid Recap: Stick & Move

Three games after taking an overhand right on the chin from Philadelphia, the Rockies are still standing looking no worse for the wear.

How. I don't honestly know. Don't really care either, just happy to see them finally fight back on the road and show some of that resilience that has made them unbeatable at home.

The Padres, on the other hand, are clearly reeling right now. You can see the frustration in their faces. You can see the pressure they're feeling in their feeble attempts to create emotion and scoring opportunities. It's a team that is searching for answers and hearing crickets in response.

That's the good news.

The bad news... San Diego has lost 10 in row... and the Rockies still need to be five games better than them over the next three weeks to force a tiebreaker. That may not seem like much, but the fact remains it has only been accomplished one time in the past 15 years.

So my best advice is still try to not to get too caught up in the big picture. It's better looking than it was even just 24 hours ago, but it's still not pretty. Just hope the Rockies can keep sticking and moving and avoiding that next punch in the mouth.

Rockies 4, Padres 2

-- Jorge De La Rosa was a battler today. He didn't have great stuff or great command, but he got outs when he needed. Often times two outs at a time.

Unfortunately that also applied when he was batting.

But the bottom line is he hung tough and picked up a W.

-- It's amazing how much the lineup has stabilized since the release of Brad Hawpe and the placement of Ian Stewart on the DL. Melvin Mora has stepped in to a regular role and provided the Rockies with excellent defense and a consistent, often clutch, approach at the plate.

Today it was more clutch (highlight) than consistent, but I'll take that sort of 1-for-5 every day of the week.

-- Carlos Gonzalez (3 hits, 2 steals), Troy Tulowitzki (bomb), Ryan Spilborghs (happy birthday, 2 hits) and Miguel Olivo (2 hits), also provided solid production in a hard fought win.

-- Huston Street is locked in. Bunt single aside, he breezed through three dangerous left-handed hitters en route to save #15.

Tomorrow

The Reds are coming to town and still have a lot to play for. A division title, better position in the playoffs, and maybe above all that, keeping a playoff build Rockies team from making another crazy run.

I'm expecting a four game bloodbath that could closely resemble that Phillies one game mini-series we saw on Thursday.

Ubaldo Jimenez vs Aaron Harang

Rock Solid Recap: Bizarre Night

For several reasons.

1. Aaron Cook pitched well.

Not just well, very well. Not sure how many people expected this.

For a guy who missed a good month of ML action, you have to be pleased with what you saw. Cook looked healthy... and I don't just mean physically, he looked pretty good mentally as well. I an cautiously optimistic about what Cook can give the team the final month of the season.

2. Melvin Mora tripled.

I was secretly pulling for back-to-back triples with Mora and Giambi, but I gladly accepted the HR as a consolation (highlight). Can't be too picky at this point.

3. Jason Giambi made a web gem.

Giambi played his best all-around game of the season. He's had better nights in the batters box, but the Rockies simply don't win this game without this web gem (highlight).

4. The Rockies offense did it's typical disappearing act on the road from the 3rd inning on... and still won.

I would be curious to learn how many teams (home or away) have won a game in which 19 of their batters were retired in a row during a stretch. Maybe an extra inning game would be more likely, but I doubt it happens often in a nine inning game.

5. Jim Tracy managed a nice game.

Q: Is Sam Deduno going to develop into a good pitcher?

A:  Probably.

Q: Is he ready to be that guy now?

A: Not close. 

Q: Was it unfair to use him in a late and close situation tonight?

A: Possibly. 

Q: Did Jim Tracy have much of a choice?

A: Nope.

I thought Tracy managed Aaron Cook well tonight. I would have liked to have seen Iannetta in the lineup again, but you can't get everything you want.  The bullpen is all out of order right now (a lot of that goes on Tracy for his mishandling throughout the season), but under the circumstances of this specific one game season that was played tonight, Jim Tracy did a solid job.

6. Franklin Morales pitched well....

Just kidding.  It wasn't that crazy.

Rockies 4, Padres 3

Special hat tips to Jonathan Herrera, Carlos Gonzalez, Troy Tulowitzki, Rafael Betancourt and Huston Street for being a big part of the win tonight.

Tomorrow

Jason Hammel vs. Jon Garland

Another chance to win a road series. Get that job done and I guarantee you my optimism will increase by one level. To guarded probably, but that's better than nothing.

Don't forget this is a Fox afternoon game.

Rock Solid Recap: One To Be Cherished

A road win.

A road win in Los Angeles.

A road, win, in Los Angeles, when the Rockies didn't even play a perfect game.

A sign of good things to come, or a sign of how far the Dodgers have fallen over the past six weeks? I'll allow you to make your own determinations.

All I know is a win is a win, and the Rockies don't get near enough of those under the circumstances which they played tonight.

Rockies 3, Dodgers 2 (10) 

This game featured a high level of wackiness. It wasn't pretty. In fact, there were some baseball coaches in Williamsport, PA preparing for a Little League tournament this weekend that made their kids turn off the television.

I'll shy away from focusing on that. Well, normally I wouldn't, but since we're pushing 2 AM here, and we're a little emotional over the release of Brad Hawpe, I'll just keep this short, sweet, and positive.

Jason Hammel -- Quality outing. Continues to do an amazing job of keeping his team in games, he just isn't getting wins to show for it. Oh well, his strong work is appreciated.

Huston Street -- Back on the horse with a save. Shaky? To a degree, but it's not like not the Dodgers killed him. The bloop single that nearly tied the game would have been an easy flyout 100 times out of 100 with Scott Podsednik batting, but the Rockies were in extreme no doubles mode, and the ball dropped.

Troy Tulowitzki saved the day -- Highlight

Carlos Gonzalez saved the day first -- Highlight

He should be fine in a couple days. Just a bruise.

Brad Hawpe -- Again, thanks for the contributions. Brad went out the way you'd expect him too, with a basehit.

Eric Young -- Web Gem.

Melvin Mora -- The rarely "pesky" Mora was quite the nuisance out there. Mora reached and scored the winning run without him or any other Rockie putting a baseball in play. He simply created a run with his legs. And was maybe slightly aided by Octavio Dotel's yips. Highlight

Tomorrow This Evening

Rockies will try to win a series in LA for the first time ever... or at least a really long time.

Jorge De La Rosa vs. Ted Lilly

Everybody get rested up and ready for some more late night action.

Rock Solid Recap: Survival Instincts Kick In

For the first six innings I thought I would be writing the exact same recap I wrote last night, only fill in Jeff Francis' name where Ubaldo's was, because truth be told, the Rockies looked like a dead ass offensive team for that period of time.

Thankfully it never came to that. Now I can provide you with completely fresh nonsense insight and wisdom.

Rockies 6, Mets 2

The Rockies were a different team when they came to bat in the 7th. Or maybe Jon Niese just hit a wall. Whatever the case, the Rockies looked liked a team that realized this particular game was pretty significant.

The 7th started with singles by Troy Tulowitzki and Melvin Mora. Spilborghs moved the runners to 2nd & 3rd with a chopper to David Wright. Chris Iannetta followed with one of the key ABs of the game. It was a 9-pitch AB that began 0-2, was eventually worked to 3-2 after spoiling some tough pitches, and concluded with a sac fly to dead CF.

Great AB. That would be all the Rockies would get that frame, but it was something.  All this team needed at that point was something, anything to build on.

The 8th began with a Seth Smith strikeout and a solid Dexter Fowler AB where he just missed a double, but eventually grounded out.

Survival Mode: On

And these are the guys you're paying to do exactly what they do right here.

• Todd Helton: 2-out, 2-strike single to right. That's why he's Todd Helton.
• Carlos Gonzalez: Now here's the AB I really thought was exceptional. Gonzalez -- who rarely walks, has a tendency to press at times in these spots -- works a walk. Very solid approach.
• Troy Tulowitzki: After a wild pitch is intentionally walked. Respect.

Melvin Mora

Wins you a baseball game with one swing. (Highlight)

I wish the highlight showed the entire AB, because that's how a professional hitter handles his business. He just wanted to extend the AB long enough to get that one pitch he could drive. There was no guarantee he would do anything with the pitch if he got it, but the key was to stay alive to get a pitch where he wanted it.

He got it.

He didn't miss it.

A walk and two singles later, the Rockies would have a 5 run inning and would ride Betancourt and Street to the 6-2 victory.

Matt Belisle got a well deserved victory after striking out the side in the 7th. Jeff Francis deserved his name in the win column as well, but you know what? Who cares, as long as it's a Rockies name in the W column. We all know Jeff did his job.

Tomorrow

Jason Hammel vs. Johan Santana

I think we can look forward to some more Melvin Mora ABs and an appearance by Jason Giambi.

Also... Hammel needs to be good here.  Really good.

Rock Solid Recap: Superstar Wednesday

A very solid win today over a very hot San Francisco Giants squad.

Rockies 6, Giants 1

It happened because every Rockies superstar in uniform had a BIG day.

Ubaldo Jimenez

Has cleared the mental hurdle and corrected whatever mechanical issues were holding him back. I'm very thankful for that because the start in Philadelphia had me extremely worried about his psyche (and mechanics) going forward this season.

Jimenez was in attack mode right out of the gate. He was commanding his pitches better, though not perfectly. Still ran into some extended pitch counts, but was eventually able to put those hitters away with the fastball, the slider, and a splitfinger that was absolutely filthy.

And how about those wheels in the 3rd inning? Legs out the infield hit and then scores from first on the Spilborghs double. (Highlight)

Heaven & Helton exclusive (official sounding): Why that wasn't bad baserunning by Spilborghs

Hats off to "The Chief" on his all around great day.

Heaven & Helton: More on Ubaldo.  

Carlos Gonzalez

Please please please take this swing with you to Pittsburgh and New York. Please! You don't have to swing harder on the road, just keep swinging like you're swinging right now. The ball absolutely jumps off your bat. It'll jump just as much anywhere!

Home Run #1 (Highlight)

Home Run #2 (Highlight)

Troy Tulowitzki

That longball had to feel good. A striaght up bomb to straight away center. Like I told CarGo, Tulo, please pack that swing in your suitcase. We're going to need it on the road.

Tulo's Blast (Highlight)   

Todd Helton

Flashed a little leather.

Mora Injury

Tough break for Melvin. Ugh. Hated to see that.

Bautista is an awful pitcher. No clue where the baseball is going on a given pitch. Just atrocious command and even worse poise on the mound. We saw that in Colorado. Why the Giants continue employing this clown is beyond me, but he's out there, and the Rockies will be lucky if they aren't missing Mora for an extended period of time.

Tomorrow

It's on to the second most beautiful park in the National League (behind Coors Field), PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

The Rockies send a recently rejuvinated Jeff Francis out there against James McDonald, a former Dodger that was just acquired at the trade deadline for Octavio Dotel. McDonald has a 4.63 career ERA against the Rockies in five appearances (two starts).

I'm looking for a really good start to what is a do orr die road trip.

Rock Solid Recap: Walkoff Cycles FTW!

Well we're starting to see things we've never seen. That must mean the Rockies are back at Coors Field and playing good baseball.

ML record 11 straight hits. Franchise record 12 runs in an inning. Walk-Off cycles.

Yup. Things we've never seen before.

Unbelievable.

Rockies 6, Cubs 5

Carlos Gonzalez

What else would you like me to say? Just watch the walkoff to complete the cycle for yourself.  (Highlight)

Jason Hammel

So deserved a win tonight. Seems this team just can't find a way to get him one lately. Whether it be offense, defense, bullpen, sometimes all three, the Rockies don't support Hammel the way they support the other four starters.

Hammel was pretty much in control from the game's first pitch. He rolled rather easily through the first four innings, needing only 33 pitches. Had somewhat of a defensive lapse from Melvin Mora on a ball down the line in the 5th. One run scored directly on the play and a second run was set up at 3rd base with no outs.

After three more solid innings, Hammel, at 86 pitches, was lifted after two batters reached in the 8th.

Rafael Betancourt

Blew away Starlin Castro with some gas. Couldn't slip the cheese past Derrek Lee through. Three-run bomb to straight away center tied it up.

Huston Street

For the second straight appearance after the ambulance ride, Huston Street needed only 5 pitches to cruise through a 1-2-3 9th inning. Efficiency. He get the W.

Melvin Mora

6-for-6 from the 8th inning last night through the 7th inning tonight. I wonder if Tracy finds a way to keep his bat in the lineup tomorrow.

Tom Gorzelanny

For the second straight season, Gorzelanny's start at Coors Field results in a Rockie hitting for the cycle.

Last year it was Troy Tulowitzki on a Monday night in mid-August. Gorzelanny only lasted 1 1/3 that night because Dexter Fowler blistered his chin with a line drive. He lasted much longer tonight, and actually pitched himself a pretty decent game overall.

Tomorrow

Rockies go for the sweep with Jorge De La Rosa. Cubs attempt to win the season series with Carlos Silva.

Advantage Rockies.

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 Recap: A Healthy 4-2 Win

This one was good for the blood pressure.

Rockies 4, Padres 2

True, there were still a few hold your breath moments in the final three innings, but overall this ride was a pretty smooth one thanks to Jason Hammel and a good bullpen.

Jason Hammel

Hammel continued his transformation from coin flip to reliable starter with 6 1/3 innings of 5 hit, 2 run baseball. That makes 9 out of 11 starts Hammel has pitched into the 7th inning or beyond since coming off the DL.

I knew there was some talent here with Hammel. I knew the Rockies were very fortunate to have a guy of his ability tucked safely into their #5 rotation spot. I just never envisioned him taking a step to this level and then sustaining for an 11 start period of time. That's not an easy thing for the Cliff Lee's or Roy Halladay's of the world to do, let alone a guy like Hammel.

It speaks a lot to the work he's put in. I think some credit has to go to Bob Apodaca. And I really think Miguel Olivo is a big piece of the equation as well. He may even be the biggest piece. Just look at what Miguel did for Zack Greinke last season and is helping do with Ubaldo this season. Pitchers seem to take that big step to reaching their potential when Olivo's involved.

Chris Iannetta

Tonight some credit goes to Chris Iannetta as well. I didn't know if he could settle into the reserve role and regain his usefulness. He's getting there. I'm sure he's not happy about it, but we're not seeing the frustrations come to the forefront. He's not jumpy at the plate or out of rhythm behind it. He's just doing what a solid backup backstop should, and that's blend in and never miss a beat when he plays.

Huston Street

Could probably pitch 100 days in a row if he's that efficient and dominant. His stuff is crisp, smooth, nasty, filthy, sick... fill in the blank as you please.

Carlos Gonzalez

Highlight: CarGo's Home Run

Highlight: CarGo Robs Adrian

He adds one. He takes one away. That's a two run swing. Rockies win 4-2.

I don't need convoluted ratios and fractions to figure this stuff out. Why do so many other people?

Matt Belisle

Seven pitches. Three outs.

Pitch efficiency, along with an arm used to heavier workloads, are why he's holding up much better than Manny Corpas.

Melvin Mora

Has added a ton of professionalism and a pretty solid bat as a bonus. Very significant signing by Dan O'Dowd.

Highlight: Mora's 1st HR of 2010

Brad Eldred

Highlight: 2-Run HR

That's where the big boys (Stewart & Giambi) hit it. Only they aren't right-handed. As Jim Tracy likes to say, Eldred's power isn't good, it's ridiculous. Well said.

Dexter Fowler

All I can say... Damn that HR he hit Wednesday.

It was a huge blast in the grand scheme of things, but Fowler is the old bad Dexter ever since. Get Rene Lachemann on line one and tell him he's spending the all-star break with the Fowlers. I'd also pencil him in for a day off tomorrow.

Tomorrow

Jeff Francis vs Clayton Richard

I think you know the situation with the standings. I'd like to focus on how big of a start this is for Francis. He's been pretty awful lately, and was extra awful in his start at Petco Park.

I would expect Jim Tracy to have all bullpen hands on deck (Chacin and Aaron Cook included), and will not hesistate to remove Francis early if it looks bad. I believe Tracy realizes that finishing this first half with a win would be monumental.

Imagine the thoughts (panic) that would be going through Padres' players, coaches and fans minds if they did all that work to end up in a tie at the break. Allowing San Diego to steal one and breathe again would alleviate all that and make them very comfortable (and dangerous) again.

As they say in the NBA: Finish the half strong. No allowing a layup on the final possession.

Rock Solid Recap: Barmes The Road Warrior

Rockies 6, Padres 3

Clint Barmes is not a favorite of people who sit around computing stats all day.

Thankfully those people don't manage baseball teams.

For those of us who watch games -- yeah, we get frustrated with some of his unproductive ABs, but for the most part it's hard to argue against Barmes being one of the more clutch bats in the Rockies lineup.

And the oddity in that is that most of his big hits seem to come on the road.

I especially remember the two games in San Francisco. The 2-run single off Lincecum. Then the extra inning GW RBI the night after that. Now tonight he comes through with a crucial 3-run HR in 7th late inning (highlight), followed by the 9th inning insurance RBI (highlight), stretching a one run lead to two.

Those are three extrremely important divisional road wins for the Rockies in this 2010 season.

Also, the Rockies have played the Pades eight times in 2010. Barmes has 12 RBI in those eight games.

Barmes can hold his own. In a perfect baseball world, his offensive production would only be a bonus. Unfortunately, this is far from a perfect world for Colorado, so we should be estatic when Clint carries the offense and team to victory like he did tonight.

-- Jason Hammel got himself back on track after the rough Boston start. Hey, a lot of pitchers will say their worst start came against Boston, so it's nice to see him shrug that right off and give his team six good innings tonight. Now, hopefully next time he can take it a little further and help Tracy ease off the bullpen.

-- Maybe the most encouraging part of Hammel's start tonight was his ability to pitch over some incredibly horrendous defense by Melvin Mora.

Mora's foot actually lost contact with first base three different times. Granted, the throws weren't perfect, but any average 1B makes those plays with his eyes closed. Hell, I was a right-handed 1B for 12 years and I never recall having that happen to me, so clearly any ham-and-egger should be able to handle it.

It's all in the footwork and anticipation. Mora was anticipating a perfect throw every time, so he committed to his stretch too early. The results were embarrassing.

There was another awkward moment when he took a throw from Olivo on a strikeout in the dirt. He caught it straddling the bag and then had to collect himself to touch the bag. It's little league stuff. It's stuff he should be able to correct pretty easily, but it's amazing how awful it was tonight. He actually had looked decent at 1B before tonight, too, so I really don't know how it fell apart that badly.

Maybe it's the Townie Jinx since I gave him credit for playing well at 1B on short notice last night. At least he made up for it with a big throw.  (highlight)

-- That Carlos Gonzalez HR was the prettiest left on left swing you will ever see.  Damn that was a thing of beauty.  (highlight)

-- Congrats to Huston Street on his first save of the season.  His stuff seems to be getting better with each appearance.  (highlight)

-- Rockies back to work tomorrow with Francis on the mound. You hate to weigh the game too much, but yeah, that's a big game. Hopefully the good guys find another way to steal one.

Rockies Thoughts: Fowler, Hawpe, Helton, Mora

As I mentioned in my Rock Solid Recap of last night's win over San Diego, anytime you hear Todd Helton, back, and spasms in the same sentence, there's reason for concern.

Great reason.

For great concern.

I also tweeted during last night's game that if Helton's back was flaring up again, and if Brad Hawpe's ribs were sore enough to keep him out of the outfield, but well enough to let him swing, then maybe we could see Hawpe manning first base one of these days.

And then after the game came word that Colorado was recalling OF Dexter Fowler for Tuesday's game.

Hmm.

Until we see a corresponding move it'll be difficult to assertain what this means, but I do know Fowler was scratched from the Sky Sox game before it started, which would lead me to believe his call up is more a reaction to Helton's leaving BP than anything else.

Maybe it signals that the Rockies know Helton needs more rest, maybe even needs a week or two away from the field, which could finally open up some 1B time for Hawpe.

The Rockies have been doing okay with a four outfielder rotation, with Melvin Mora kinda playing that 5th outfielder/Mr. Everything role.  If you think you might be taking Hawpe away from that rotation temporarily, or even longer, then it makes perfect sense to put Fowler in his place.

It could just be the Rockies rewarding Fowler for his excellent play down there, but I tend to think there's something more involved than that.  The Rockies don't often make moves based on player needs  Everything is about making the team better.

It's also interesting because Helton sitting out opens up that two slot in the order, which is where the Rockies like Fowler to hit.

Like I said, it's hard to say what this means.  I hate speculating on things I have little to no knowledge of, but sometimes things add up and need to be at least pointed out.

Oher Thoughts/Links

-- In somewhat related news, Fangraphs is in full support of Hawpe moving to first base for Colorado.

They also see the Rockies as buyers in this year's trading market, and suggest Clint Barmes become the Rockies utility man after they acquire Dan Uggla.  I guess they aren't sold on Jonathan Herrera... or haven't seen Herrera play.

Remember, stat people don't typically watch games, they just play with numbers.

Personally I'm content with allowing Herrera to play 2B most every day and hit lead-off.  He's providing a spark there the Rockies have lacked, plus Uggla's ugly defense and strikeout totals don't lead me to believe he'd be worth trading a significant prospect for.

-- Credit Melvin Mora for stepping in last night at the last minute and playing a terrific game.  It may seem like no big deal, but trust me, there's a lot of mental prepartion and other factors involved in the role he was pushed into last night.

Playing first base is still kind of foregin to him.  I don't think he's hit second a whole lot in recent years.  And instead of looking at scouting reports of potential bullpen pitchers he'd face later in the game, he had to quickly make sure he was prepared to face Kevin Correia.

It was a challenging experience I'm sure, but he just went out there and proved his worth as a solid veteran with one goal in mind at this stage of his career.

Winning.

A Trade Request To Dan O'Dowd

Mr. O'Dowd,

I'm not one to discuss or dream up trade rumors because I think it's a waste of time and energy for people with little knowledge of the inner-workings of trade talks to pretend like we have that knowledge.

This is just me pitching the name of a player out there that I like.

Jhonny Peralta -- IF -- Cleveland

He's 28.  By all accounts he has a reasonable contract.  Most importantly, the Indians sound willing to part company with him.

He's topped 20 HRs three times since 2005.  He averages roughly 80 RBI a season over that period of time.  He also plays two positions the Rockies currently need assistance at.

SS is his primary position.  He's no Troy Tulowitzki, very few are, but he could help the Rockies withstand the loss of Tulo for a number of weeks.

When that time passes, and maybe even before then, Peralta is a fine candidate to get ABs at 3B from Ian Stewart.  Let's face it, you need better production from the hot corner offensively.  A platoon there involving those two could maximize some production there.

What happens to Melvin Mora?

Well, we've seen he can play a little LF.  He could get ABs there, but the ultimate use for Mora is a platoon with Helton at 1B, while serving as a PH.  Jason Giambi would be the odd man out of this scenario.

I just wanted to throw Peralta's name out there.  Aaron Hill, Dan Uggla, Kelly Johnson, Craig Counsell are all names that intrigue me.  Names like Ryan Theriot, Cesar Izturis, Kaz Matsui, Julio Lugo and Adam Everett do not interest me.  In fact, I never want to hear those names linked to the Rockies again.

I like Peralta better than all of them.  Where he plays makes sense.  The money seems to make sense.  I don't know if they talent would match up, but you can always dangle Franklin Morales, right?

Thank you for reading, Mr O'Dowd.  I appreciate your time.

Mark R. Townsend
Heaven & Helton

Rock Solid Recap: I Prefer That Jason Hammel

Rockies 5, Astros 1

No mystery tonight...

Winning Player: Jason Hammel

I said something to this effect recently.

When Jason Hammel starts avoiding the disaster inning, he'll turn into one damn solid starter in a big league rotation.  

Seems Hammel has gotten, or is in the process of getting over that hump. A good indication of that was tonight's second inning.  The first two batters reached on infield singles. If anything is a recipe for disaster, it's making two solid pitches, forcing two weak swings, and getting no outs to show for it.

That didn't happen tonight.  Hammel got the 6-3 double play off the bat of Tommy Manzella, then struck out the pitcher to end the threat.  Hammel did a pretty good job of limiting his traffic from that point on, but the real key to his success was that great pitch when the situation called for a great pitch.  A hit allowed there and who knows which direction this game goes in.

Read more »

Rock Solid Recrap: Ugh

This is why I cringe anytime I read a comment saying this series or that series is a cakewalk. There are no cakewalks in baseball. There are series that appear more winnable than others, but there are no cakewalks.

Jim Tracy assured us before Friday's game that he wouldn't allow his team to overlook Arizona. I'm not saying they have, but they're damn sure learning the lesson of why you can't fail to respect every team in MLB.

Now the D-Backs head in to Sunday looking to sweep the Rockies.

Those who are thinking that's not possible with Ubaldo Jimenez pitching should reread the first two paragraphs again several times.

D-Backs 4, Rockies 3

Losing Player: Aaron Cook

But you're saying Aaron Cook didn't pitch tonight. That's correct.

He also didn't pitch well enough or long enough last night. His early exit led to Jim Tracy wearing out his bullpen, which led to Jim Tracy sticking with Jhoulys Chacin about 30 pitches too long tonight.

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