Rock Solid Recrap: Cook & Olivo Go Together Like...

Like...

Fire and Gasoline.

Have you noticed that?

I started to notice it on Sunday when Cook was completely in charge against the best offense in the NL. Chris Iannetta called all those pitches.

Get Miguel Olivo back out there against another good offense -- though one that's been struggling -- annnnd we're back to the Aaron Cook who looks lost on a pitching mound.

I'm not the stat guy around here... but here are those numbers updated after tonight.

• Cook with Iannetta -- 5 starts, 32 IP, 3.09 ERA

• Cook with Olivo -- 13 starts, 74.2 IP, 5.30 ERA

That's a pretty dramatic difference. Dramatic enough that you would think a manager that "pushes all the right buttons" (as Troy Renck likes to remind us only when Tracy's decisions work out), would notice it and maybe adjust his catching rotation to match Cook up with the catcher he's comfortable with.

Anywho...

Phillies 6, Rockies 0

Wouldn't have mattered much tonight anyways. Roy Halladay was in cruise control from pitch #1 to pitch #116.

Not even sure he broke a sweat until he covered first base on Fowler's groundout in the 8th.

The Rockies offense had maybe one almost significant threat that really didn't stand a chance with Miguel "Gun Show" Olivo and Brad Hawpe hitting with RISP.  They are the opposite of locked in right now.

Silver Lining?

Well... again... I like what Manny Corpas is doing.  I don't know what his role is exactly.  As David Martin pointed out on his Twitter tonight, Jim Tracy might not know Manny's role either.

Dear Mr Corpas, You are going to be my mop up guy, my one inning guy, and every now and then a setup guy. At the same time. -Jim Tracy

But I do like that Manny is at least throwing the ball well.  He will continue to do so until Jim Tracy wears his arm again sometime in the second week of August.

Tomorrow

Ubaldo Jimenez vs Kyle Kendrick

Do I even need to tell you how important the game is?  This pitching matchup (on paper) is a huge mismatch in the Rockies favor.  But can they take advantage of that?  Or will Kyle Kendrick just be the latest scuffling pitcher to baffle the Rockies lineup?

Tune in to FOX... yes, FOX... to find out.

Rock Solid Recap: Halladay Serves As Olivo's Slumpbuster

Rockies 4, Phillies 3

As I said earlier... to call this a big win would an understatement.

The Rockies didn't beat Roy Halladay, but they knocked him around quite a bit. Great swings up and down the lineup. High pitch counts. Bascially they made him work harder for his money than any other Halladay opponent this season. This approach needs to carry over to every pitcher, not just the elite ones.

Aaron Cook pitched a fantastic six innings. Seriously. I'm not a fan of the quality start stat, because I think it needs to be adjusted for ballpark and opponent, but this qualifies as a quality start on any scale. He kept the Rockies in the game and held down a terrific offense. I'm very pleased with Cook.

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Running Thoughts: Cook vs. Halladay

Lineup Card


It's what?  39 degrees?  As if Roy Halladay didn't have enough going for him.  

I don't know what approach the Rockies should take in this one.  Maybe they should hand out binoculars to everyone in the first five rows of the stands.  Even that probably wouldn't help.  

Top 1st

Aaron Cook gets through the first unscathed.  It was difficult though, as Melvin Mora failed to turn yet another routine double play ball.  I mean this was tailor made for 4-6-3, he bobbled it, fell on his ass, and recovered to throw out Howard at first.  Cook struck out Werth to end it.

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Lineup Card: Doubleheader Game 1

Let's try this again!

Rockies Lineup

• CF Gonzalez
• LF Smith
• 2B Mora
• RF Hawpe
• 1B Helton
• 3B Stewart
• C  Olivo
• SS Barmes
• P   Cook

Nice to have Carlos Gonzalez.   Tulowitzki wisely ruled out because of the cold.  That makes me hopeful that all Rockies have stretched out probably in this weather.  

Phillies Lineup

• CF Victorino
• 3B Polanco
• 2B Utley
• 1B Howard
• RF Werth
• LF Ibanez
• C   Ruiz
• SS Valdez
• P  Halladay

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Lineup Card Game 2 vs Philadelphia

Rockies Lineup

• LF Smith
• CF Fowler
• 1B Helton
• RF Hawpe
• 2B Mora 
• 3B Stewart
• C  Olivo
• SS Bamres
• P   Cook

I don't disagree with starting Mora against Halladay (he's 22-for-76 lifetime).   I just find it strange that Tracy was so desperate to get Eric Young in the lineup last week that he had him play LF.  Now that 2B is open for a couple days, he turns to Mora and Young is planted on the bench.  

Who else is ready for Chris Iannetta to return?

Also, the Rockies have placed Franklin Morales on the DL and recalled Edgmer Escalona (love that name).  His stay should be a short one (unless someone else gets hurt) as Jason Hammel will be activated to start tomorrow.  Of course it's possible Esmil Rogers will go down to resume starting at AAA.  

Phillies Lineup 

• CF Victorino
• 3B Polanco
• 2B Utley
• 1B Howard
• RF Werth
• LF Ibanez
• C  Ruiz
• SS Valdez
• P   Halladay

We''ll have the rest later, but that's scary enough as is.

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