A Few Rockies Predictions For 2013

Well folks, it seems I've been busier than even I anticipated I'd be since the beginning of the year so I didn't even have a chance to weigh in on spring training. I don't think there was much to talk about anyway aside from maybe Tyler Colvin getting shipped to minors after a rough, rough March. I probably wouldn't have reacted that way, but after seeing how lost he became in 2011, I guess I see the Rockies reasoning. I just hope he gets it together quick. 

Yorvit Torrealba beat out Ramon Hernandez. No surprise there.

They inked Jon Garland. Big fan of that move.

Aaron Cook is back on a minor league deal. That's fine.

The rest of the starting pitching has been all over the map. Duh.

Todd Helton looked like his old self over the past week. That's always nice to see.

But that's all behind us now. It's time to look forward, which is what I intend to do here with a few predictions. Just remember... these predictions won't matter a week from now and will likely be forgotten six months from now. Unless they're correct, of course.

Wins: 73

Some people think they can get to .500 this season. ESPN's Keith Law says 53 wins. I'm going in between with a learn towards optimism. They're going to struggle to pitch again, and they probably won't succeed within the division, but a healthier season should eliminate some of the misery.

All-Stars: If Dexter Fowler isn’t an all-star, we’ll all be complaining that he should have been. I think he finally breaks out. Meanwhile, Troy Tulowitzki is a given and Carlos Gonzalez should be, too.

Team leader in wins: Jon Garland... even if he’s traded in July or August. I'm thinking 11-12.

Team leader in saves: Rafael Betancourt... again, even if he's traded in July or August.

Aaron Cook starts: Too many. Guessing 8-10. The Rockies will go through starters quickly I'm afraid.

Todd Helton's numbers: .280, 10 home runs, 55 RBI in 92 games. Wouldn't be a bad way to go out.

Wilin Rosario home runs: 27

Wilin Rosario: passed balls: 11

Date Nolan Arenado arrives: No sooner than June 15 and no later than July 15. He’ll be a breath of fresh air.

Walt Weiss status: He'll earn a second year. I assume he'll get it, too, but I'm more certain he'll earn it than receive it.  

Public Enemy No 1 (AKA the Frankin Morales/Felipe Paulino/Esmil Rogers/Jeremy Guthrie on the team): Hands down this will be Chris Volstad. Rockies fans tend to sour on new guys quickly and I'm afraid Volstad will make himself an easy target.

Rock Solid Recrap: Ailing Clayton Kershaw Overpowers Rockies

Dodgers 8, Rockies 0 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: On a night that featured a no-hitter and a one-hitter, I suppose things could have been worse for the Rockies. But it still wasn't pretty as a far less than 100% Clayton Kershaw (bad hip) dominated them for eight shutout innings, striking out 10 along the way. In fact, the Rockies would only scratch out four singles and a Wilin Rosario double, and never saw a runner reach third base.

Like I said... not pretty.

Turning Point: They're on the road and they aren't playing the Cubs anymore. This game was over before it started.

Jeff Francis' Line: 4 IP, 5 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 66 pitches (38 strikes)

And then Jeff Francis made sure it never got in doubt by allowing a four-spot in the 2nd. Shane Victorino's three-run homer was the big blow there. Blah outing.

Bullpen's Line: 4 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 4 K

All of the damage here came against Will Harris in the 8th inning. He allowed a two-run homer to Bobby Abreu, which is a really tough thing to do these days. Guillermo Moscoso (2 IP) and Josh Roenicke (1 IP) were both excellent, though, which kept this from being extremely embarrassing.

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Rock Solid Recap: Mother Nature Says Six Innings Is Plenty

Rockies 10, Cubs 5 (boxscore)

A win is a win, even when Mother Nature shortens the game to six innings and especially when you're hoping like heck your favorite team avoids its first 100-loss season.

The good news is this win will increase the Rockies chances of avoiding that slightly. The bad news is they still have work to do over these next eight games to make sure they don't lose six of them.

It's coming down to the wire, folks. Sit tight.

Winning Player: D.J. LeMahieu 3-for-3, home run shy of the cycle, two runs, one RBI

The Rockies obviously had a lot of offense in a short period of time, but LeMahieu really led the attack with his three hits against his former team. The biggest coming in the 4th when he doubled home a run ahead of Josh Rutledge's two-run double that gave Colorado the lead. Another former Cub, Tyler Colvin, contributed two hits himself, including a two-run triple in the 3rd that cut Chicago's lead to 4-1. Also delivering were Chris Nelson (three hits, two runs), Matt Bride (big three-run 5th inning blast) and Wilin Rosario (two hits, HR #27).

In total Colorado had 15 hits and 27 total bases in the six completed innings. Not bad at all.

Turning Point: This game turned the second Theo Epstein traded Colvin and LeMahieu to the Rockies for Ian Stewart and Casey Weathers. It remains Dan O'Dowd's one shining moment over the past 12 months.

Jorge De La Rosa's Line: 3 IP, 4 R (2 ER), 5 H, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 HR, 67 pitches (45 strikes)

The two unearned runs came after Josh Rutledge's 1st inning overthrow that landed somewhere in Oklahoma. I mean he overshot Jordan Pacheco at first base by at least 40 feet. Perhaps the wet baseball played a factor in that. Perhaps it didn't. I don't know. I just know it was the only bad throw in the game and the conditions got much worse as it went along.

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Rock Solid Recrap: D-Backs 8, Rockies 7. So Close.... Yet Not Really

Diamondbacks 8, Rockies 7 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: The Rockies were done in by two big offensive innings. The first was the 1st, which has been a problem for Rockies starters all season. Arizona scored three there against Jhoulys Chacin on a triple, two doubles and a single.

Arizona then put up a five-spot in the 5th against Carlos Torres, Josh Outman and Edgmer Escalona. That inning included four walks (none intentional) and was the turning point in the game.

Jhoulys Chacin's Line: 4 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 2 K, 84 pitches (51 strikes)

Chacin rebounded from the rough start for a strong finish, but of course that early pitch count cost him the opportunity to work deeper in the game. I don't know for sure that he could have given Colorado another decent inning or two, but I long for the days when a professional pitcher in Colorado was given that chance. Don't you?

Highlight of the Night: Between Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez, we're likely to see a number of Todd Helton's records fall over the years. But it was Wilin Rosario who moved past his mark for home runs as a rookie with his 26th on Saturday night. Congrats to Wilin!

Watch Wilin Rosario go yard again

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Rock Solid Recrap: Giants 6, Rockies 3. 15 To Go.

Giants 6, Rockies 3 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: If you've seen one Rockies-Giants game from AT&T Park, you've seen them all. Misplayed flyballs into triples, wild pitches, caught stealings, former Rockies that stunk getting big hits and once great baseball players grounding into double plays for the Rockies. It's all there for you, but it's just a small portion of the usual problems.

Turning Point: 7th inning. Giants leading 3-0. Rockies loaded the bases with one out. In comes Jeremy Affeldt from the Giants bullpen. In comes Jason Giambi from the Rockies bench. One pitch. 4-6-3 double play. Rally dead. Baseball game essentially over.

So the question I ask you now is the one I sarcastically (I think) asked on Twitter: How long before the Rockies ink Giambi to that next one-year contract?

Jeff Francis' Line: 5 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 78 pitches (53 strikes)

Speaking of one-year contracts, I'd give one to Jeff Francis in a heartbeat. Francis has shown he has plenty left in the tank to be an above average bottom of the rotation guy, and as we've seen repeatedly over the years, you can never have enough starting pitching depth in New York, Detroit, Atlanta, anywhere, and that's especially true in Colorado.

Bullpen's Line: 3 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 K

Really could have used one of those lights out nights from the bullpen, but instead we got a shaky Carlos Torres (1 ER), a sputtering Josh Roenicke (1 ER) and the usual Josh Outman (2 ER).

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Rock Solid Recap: Rockies Settle In After Wild 1st To Beat Padres

Rockies 7, Padres 4 (boxscore)

Winning Players: Carlos Gonzalez & Chris Nelson

The Rockies got a monster performance from their lone all-star in this one. Gonzalez finished the night 4-for-5 (all 4 singles) at the plate and two stolen bases, which makes him the first Rockie ever to have three consecutive 20-20 (home run-stolen bases) seasons. That's kind of a big deal.

Nelson also had a spectacular offensive night, including a home run, double, single, two RBIs and one run scored. And then he flashed a little leather later on to rob Alexi Amarista of a sure hit. Big, big night for Nelly.

Watch Nelson's big blast

Honorable Mentions: Wilin Rosario (two-run 1st inning double) and Jordan Pacheco (two-run 1st inning double). Obviously both played a huge role in the five-run 1st inning that held up as the difference in the game.

Turning Point: I think I'm going to go back to Nelson's home run here. Yes, the Rockies scored five in the first, which ended up being enough, but the Padres did respond to that with four of their own in the bottom half. I think it was important after that for the Rockies to be the next team to score, and thanks to Nelson's home run in the 3rd, they were.

Also in consideration was Tyler Chatwood and Matt Reynolds stranding Cameron Maybin after his lead-off triple in the 4th.

Tyler Chatwood's Line: 3 2/3 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 HR, 72 pitches (44 strikes)

I don't care what the pitch limit might be at this time, when your offense gives you five runs in the 1st inning, you better find a way to last five and get a win. What a lost opportunity for to Chatwood to do not only that, but find a little more confidence and consistency as well. Disappointing outing.

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Rock Solid Recrap: Rough First Inning Too Much To Overcome

Giants 8, Rockies 3 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: We can pretty much narrow this down to San Francisco's five-run 1st inning against Jeff Francis. Though the 11 strikeouts from the offense and Dexter Fowler and Josh Rutledge combining to go 1-for-9 out of the top two spots in the order could also qualify as parts of the problem, especially considering Carlos Gonzalez and Wilin Rosario each reached three times behind them, including Rosario's 24th homer.

Turning Point: Gregor Blanco started the game with a triple. Marco Scutaro singled him home. The Giants rolled for four more runs, including three with two outs, and never looked back.

Jeff Francis' Line: 3 IP, 5 ER, 7 H, 0 BB, 5 K, 78 pitches (51 strikes)

The rough 1st inning put the Rockies behind the eight-ball and guaranteed a short evening for Francis. Pitching for a normal team, he may have been able to squeeze out two or three more innings based on how strongly he recovered in the 2nd and 3rd. The Rockies, however, are not normal, so it just goes down as an awful outing and another taxing night on the bullpen.

Bullpen's Line: 6 IP, 3 ER, 8 H, 0 BB, 7 K

Adam Ottavino was solid, striking over four and allowing one run over three innings. It was Josh Roenicke who struggled the most, allowing two earned runs in the 9th. His ERA finally creeped over 3.00 after staying in the 2's basically all season.

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July & August Player Rankings

Unfortunately (or maybe not) I didn't have a chance to do a thorough review of the Rockies July. I'm also a little pressed for time when it comes to doing a thorough review of August, but I will make some time for my favorite of those reviews (the player rankings). '

The following rankings will cover both July and August. It's based on my opinions only, but I look at several different things (offense, defense, pitching, baserunning, poise, consistency, intelligence and ability to change a game) while formulating it. So here we go... ranking all Rockies who suited up in July and August. Well, aside from those who were traded or made very brief cameos (Tommy Field and Edwar Cabrera).

1. Adam Ottavino
2. Wilin Rosario
3. Josh Rutledge
4. Eric Young Jr.
5. Rafael Betancourt
6. Jordan Pacheco 
7. Carlos Gonzalez
8. Josh Roenicke
9. Dexter Fowler
10. Tyler Colvin
11. Matt Belisle
12. Carlos Torres
13. Chris Nelson
14. D.J. LeMahieu
15. Jeff Francis
16. Rex Brothers
17. Tyler Chatwood
18. Jhoulys Chacin
19. Michael Cuddyer
20. Alex White
21. Todd Helton
22. Andrew Brown
23. Guillermo Moscoso
24. Jonathan Herrera
25. Drew Pomeranz
26. Will Harris
27. Matt Reynolds
28. Ramon Hernandez
29. Jason Giambi
30. Mike Ekstrom
31. Charlie Blackmon
32. Christian Friedrich
33. Matt McBride
34. Jonathan Sanchez
35. Edgmer Escalona

Based on workload and production, Ottavino was pretty much a no-brainer in the top spot. He has taken his hybrid role and run with it, making the Rockies front office almost smart in the process. That's tough to do.

The rest of the top 5 was difficult. I went with Rosario second because his development behind the plate has been encouraging, and he's already a game-changer offensively with more room to grow. Josh Rutledge is just a ballplayer, plain and simple. EY2 could have easily taken the #2 slot had he not been injured. He was playing like a man possessed before that. And Rafael Betancourt has remained on point in the 9th inning.

More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: @Townie813 & @HeavenHelton

Rock Solid Recap: Jhoulys Dominated And Then Dexter Slammed The Door

Rockies 9, Padres 1 (boxscore)

Winning Player: Jhoulys Chacin 7 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 HR, 75 pitches (53 strikes)

To say Chacin pounded the strike zone tonight would be an understatement. What a fantastic outing that only  saw him make one mistake, which of course Will Venable hit over the scoreboard in right for homer. That aside, Chacin was effective, extremely efficient, and more importantly than that, looked confident (and looks healthy). It looks like we might have something to truly look forward to every fifth day in September. 

PS: Chacin is the first Rockies starter to go 7 innings since Christian Friedrich back on June 4 (half a season ago). 

Honorable Mentions: Josh Rutledge (three hits, one run) and Tyler Colvin (home run, double, three RBI). 

Both of these guys keep on hitting and producing. Thinking about them in a lineup with Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez, Dexter Fowler and Wilin Rosario for years to come makes me as giddy as one can be while still fully understanding this team isn't set up to win anytime soon.  

Turning Point: The Rockies jumped out to a 5-0 lead thanks to some good two-out hitting. That started right away in the 1st inning when Carlos Gonzalez doubled and then Wilin Rosario knocked him in with a single. They would then add three more two-out runs in the 5th thanks to Tyler Colvin's two-run double and Chris Nelson's RBI single. And who knows, that inning could have been even more productive had Jim Tracy not gone to the Little League playbook with the old 1st-and-3rd steal a run double steal with Nelson on first and Jordan Pacheco on third.

That failed miserably, and probably will most times unless you have an EY2 or Dexter Fowler running at third or you're facing a team below rookie ball level.

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Rock Solid Recrap: Rockies Close Surprisingly Successful August With Loss

Padres 5, Rockies 4 (boxscore) 

What Went Wrong: Not a lot, really. I felt like both teams played a solid and watchable game, which is not often the case from 4th and 5th place teams on the final day of August. The Padres just played a little bit better, as they have been overall over the past month, and eeked out the win.

Turning Point: Again, a pretty straight forward game that was well played but didn't have a lot of eb and flow. San Diego jumped out 3-0 in the first three innings thanks to a Carlos Quentin solo homer and RBIs from Logan Forsythe and Chase Headley. The Rockies chipped away, mostly with solo homers of their own (Jordan Pacheco, Wilin Rosario and Andrew Brown) but San Diego stayed at least one step ahead until the 27th out.

Alex White's Line: 3 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 76 pitches (49 strikes)

White snapped his string of four inning starts at five, so that was different. Unfortunately, he's only gone past the magical four inning mark one time in his last 10 starts, so that's pretty bad. I guess that's why the Rockies see him in the hybrid role next season. Personally, I still see him as a third or fourth starter on a major league team. If the Rockies ever go back to being one of those, he could still be useful.

Bullpen's Line: 5 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 2 K

I hope they all enjoyed their day off. They only have one more (Sept. 13) until the end of the season.

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Rock Solid Recap: Obviously The Dodgers Need More Help

That, or the Rockies are inexplicably locked in right now or the Dodgers have terrible timing. These first two games have not even been close.

Rockies 8, Dodgers 4 (boxscore)

Winning Player: Wilin Rosario (3-for-4, 22nd home run., three RBI)

He's officially no longer a rookie hitter. He's a professional hitter and he's getting better all the time. Exciting!

Watch Rosario unload in the 3rd

Andrew Brown also contributed three hits for the Rockies, which establishes a new career-high for him. Josh Rutledge, Jordan Pacheco and Charlie Blackmon each had two hits in the attack.

Turning Point: The Rockies jumped out 4-0 and never looked back in this game. However, the Dodgers did have one opportunity in the 4th where they loaded the bases with no outs against Tyler Chatwood. Chatwood responded by getting a double play ball off the bat of Adam Kennedy. Then, after an intentional walk to A.J. Ellis, Chatwood blew away Chris Capuano to kill the rally. That's how you prevent a turning point!

Tyler Chatwood's Line: 5 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 4 K, 80 pitches (51 strikes)

Chatwood worked in the strike zone frequently and again found success because of it. His work in the Kennedy at-bat mentioned above was especially impressive, and the young righty appears to be getting more comfortable dealing with traffic (Miami start aside) and confident in his ability to pitch around it. I remain convinced he'll be a solid contributor in 2013.

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Rock Solid Recrap: Rockies Drop Series To Cubs, Lose To Chris Volstad

In case you haven't heard, both of those things are difficult to do. Especially the losing to Chris Volstad part. He hadn't won since July 10, 2011 — a span of 24 starts and 413 days.

Cubs 5, Rockies 0 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: It's not just that they lost to Chris Volstad, it's that they were pretty much dominated by Chris Volstad. The Rockies only managed three hits (and three walks) against him in 6 2/3 innings. Their first runner in scoring position didn't come until the 7th. Just a forgettable effort offensively. Rain delay or not (which delayed the start of the game by more than two hours), they have to come out ready to play and be more productive against a guy barely hanging on to a major league career.

Turning Point: None really. Unless you want to consider the delay itself a turning point since the Rockies mentally checked out and never checked back in.

Jhoulys Chacin's Line: 5 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 K, 77 pitches (47 strikes)

From what I saw and heard (bits and pieces while he was in) he was pounding the strike zone and didn't get hit all that hard. Maybe a few too many flyballs mixed in there if you wanted to nitpick, but it would be impossible to not be encouraged by his first two outings. Now let's see what start #3 brings this week.

Highlight of the Afternoon: Certainly nothing from an offensive standpoint. But how about that throw by Carlos Gonzalez.

Watch CarGo's ridiculous throw

After a great day defensively on Saturday, Wilin Rosario struggled at times in the wet conditions on Sunday. Case in point, the inability to handle thaat throw (which ended up as an error on CarGo). Then 4-5 pitches later he couldn't knock one down in the dirt and threw wildly to Will Harris covering the plate.

It's a process, folks. It's a process. Must take the good with the bad to get somewhere.

What's Next: The Rockies head home after a highly (and unusually) successful road trip. Who will be waiting for them in Denver? None other than the free-spending Los Angeles Dodgers. Yes, Adrian Gonzalez is back to being a Rockies murderer, and we'll also be the first team to see Josh Beckett (5-11, 5.23) wearing blue on the hill. He'll go against Jeff Francis (4-4, 5.79), which makes this a rematch from Game 1 of the 2007 World Series.

More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: @Townie813 & @HeavenHelton

Rock Solid Recap: Rockies Put Rare Resilience On Display

Rockies 4, Cubs 3 (boxscore)

I'm not used to this from the 2012 Colorado Rockies. They lost a game they absolutely should have won on Friday. Then they fell behind on Saturday 3-0, which is often times a sign the game is about to get ugly (especially away from Coors Field), but the Rockies bullpen held things in check, the defense held strong, and the bats provided just enough timely hits to complete the comeback.

Dare I say, they looked like winners.

Winning Players: The Bullpen... again. 5 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 4 K

The win goes to Carlos Torres, who pitched  2 1/3 scoreless at the piggyback reliever. Rex Brothers added a strong 1 1/3 and now has a scoreless streak of 7 1/3 innings over five appearances. Will Harris, who has served in the setup lately when Matt Belisle needs a day off, retired the only batter he faced to end the 8th. Rafael Betancourt was flawless in the 9th to earn his 26th save. Brilliance abounds in the bullpen right now.

Turning Point: Two big moments stand out for me.

The first, Josh Rutledge's pinch-hit, two-run homer in the 5th that got Colorado on the scoreboard and cut the deficit to 3-2.

Watch Josh Rutledge go yard

The second came after the Rockies grabbed the lead in the 7th. The Cubs were putting together a little rally with runners on 1st and 2nd with two outs. For some unknown reason, manager Dale Sveum elected to put the double steal on at that point, and Wilin Rosario put the fire out with a strong throw to cut down the trail runner Joe Mather.

Watch Wilin Rosario kill a rally

Huge play. And what makes it more impressive is that he dug out a ball in the dirt and still had the ability to make a good throw, and also had the presence of mind to throw to the correct spot. Very encouraging stuff from Rosario, who seems to be gaining confidence by the day behind the plate.

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Rock Solid Recap: Just Another Four-Game Winning Streak. No Big Deal.

Rockies 5, Mets 2 (boxscore)

Remember when the Rockies couldn't beat the same team twice in a row for like three months? Yeah, so now they're not only doing that, they're actually taking it one step farther and beating the same team three times in a row. They did it to Milwaukee last week at home. Now they're doing it to the Mets in New York. 

Unreal.

Also, thank you Brewers and Mets falling apart at the seams at just the right time. Of course I want to see changes from top to bottom and left to right, but I don't really want to see the Rockies ever loss 100. Very happy they're moving further away from that pace. 

Winning Player: Wilin Rosario 

The Rockies rookie catcher was terrific in Wednesday's win, and it all started in the 1st inning when he ended the Mets mini-rally (one run in, runner on first) by catching David Wright stealing.

Even if it ultimately didn't save a run, it definitely saved Francis a few precious pitches. We all know how vital that is for Rockies starters. In this case, it would help Francis stick around long enough to have a shot at winning (he didn't, of course).

Rosario then got the Rockies offense started in the 4th with a sacrifice fly scoring Jonathan Herrera. The thing I liked most about that plate appearance (aside from the obvious) is that he picked up Carlos Gonzalez, who had just struck out with the runners at second and third. Even if the Rockies didn't get the most out of the opportunity, at least they got something because of Rosario's good work.

That evened the score at 1-1. It stayed that way until the 7th when Mr. Rosario again made a difference with a go-ahead solo homer.

Watch Wilin Rosario Hit No. 20

I think the home run speaks for itself. He's a strong kid with scary offensive potential. We need a couple more of those guys.

Turning Point: Those three Rosario moments could all be considered turning points in the game. I also think the Rockies adding two insurance runs in the 9th was a huge difference (Chris Nelson's RBI single and Josh Rutledge's pinch-hit RBI double), especially when you look at how the bottom half played out with New York getting two runners and the tying run to the plate.

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Rock Solid Recrap: Tired Bullpen Falters In San Francisco

Giants 9, Rockies 6 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: Not really a big fan of making excuses for failed performance on the baseball field, but it's hard to get around them when looking at the Colorado Rockies bullpen situation. Most of the guys out there are toast, and the ones who aren't toast are seemingly working on fumes.

So many unnecessary innings, not only for the piggyback guys, but that next layer as well that includes Matt Belisle, Rex Brothers and Matt Reynolds. Unfortunately. I think Belisle may have finally crossed the line to toast in his 56th appearance on Sunday afternoon after wobbling in the 7th inning and falling completely apart in the 8th inning.

Matt Belisle's Line: 1 1/3 IP,  4 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 1 K, 35 pitches (21 strikes)

Jim Tracy rode Belisle until he had nothing left (and then continued riding him for another 10 pitches or so). He then turned to Rafael Betancourt for a five-out save opportunity. Three batters later — sacrifice fly, three-run homer and a double — Betancourt was out, and the Rockies 6-4 lead entering the inning was now a 9-6 deficit.

Such a disappointing result after the offense battled back from an early deficit to take control in the middle innings. And, as usual, there's no reason to not draw a straight line right to the paired pitching system. It continues to cause more chaos and harm than good.

Alex White's Line: 4 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 3 K, 82 pitches (48 strikes)

Like Jeff Francis on Wednesday in Los Angeles, the damage against White all came within the first few hitters. A lot of his own doing (wild pitch included), but the botched rundown (somebody please work with Wilin Rosario on the basics of defense) certainly helped little. From there White wouldn't really find a good groove until the 4th inning, and of course that was his final inning. Who knows, he may have been good for at least one more inning, even two, which would be so huge to the bullpen's cause. It just isn't an option with our mess of a system in place.

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Rock Solid Recap: Encouraging Roadie Continues With Second Shutout

Rockies 3, Giants 0 (boxscore)

The Good News: The Rockies won another division road game with excellent pitching.

The Bad News: The Rockies won another division road game with excellent pitching, likely giving the brain surgeons in charge more motivation to keep the paired pitching system in place.

We can't win for losing around here... or something to that effect.

Winning players: Wilin Rosario, Tyler Colvin and Tyler Chatwood

It was difficult to pick one above the others, so we'll go with three tonight.

First of all, Wilin Rosario doubled twice off Tim Lincecum and had really strong at-bats all night long. But just as important to his cause were the two base runners he threw out at critical times in the game. The first came in the 1st inning after Tyler Chatwood walked Angel Pagan leading off, which really seemed to help Chatwood calm down and settle in. A big time throw and an odd decision by San Francisco.

The second came in the fifth with runners on first and third. Bruce Bochy again made an odd decision here, putting the runner in motion with Tim Lincecum at the plate. Lincecum swung-and-missed. Rosario made the strong throw to retire Brandon Crawford, ending the threat. We'll go ahead and call that the turning point as well, even with the Rockies holding a 2-0 lead, because they seemed destined to be San Francisco's inning.

Watch the big strike'em out throw'em out double play

Tyler Colvin had a two-hit night at the plate as well. The first was an 0-2, two-out hit that plated Wilin Rosario in the 4th. After the second hit, Colvin stole second and eventually scored on Chris Nelson's sacrifice fly. Another productive game for Mr. Colvin.

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Rock Solid Recrap: A Very Whatever Game, Followed By A Whatever Trade

Reds 3, Rockies 0 (boxscore)

Was that game just completely boring or was that game completely uninteresting? Those are the only two options I'm giving you, and the good news you can't go wrong with either answer.

What Went Wrong: Well, aside from the obvious, which is scoring zippo against Bronson Arroyo and company, I'd like to focus on the continued defensive struggles of Wilin Rosario, which were on full display during the 6th inning once Adam Ottavino was summoned. In the span of I believe three pitches, Rosario was unable to knock down two of them, which allowed Ryan Ludwick to come around from second base (without a ball being put in play) with Cincinnati's third and final run.

The first one was an obvious wild pitch, one that no catcher in baseball would have been able to smother. But the awful technique and the awkward looking stab he made at the ball were detectable to even the least experienced baseball watcher. It was brutal.

The second should have been much easier to block and keep in front of him, but Rosario failed to stay down allowing the ball to squirt between his legs.

Here's a look at that attempt

That technique leaves an awful lot to be desired, and I'd be lying if I said it didn't it pain me to watch him struggle to that extent for a couple of reasons.

1. I really like the kid and really want to see him succeed. That's the obvious one.

2. At times his technique looks so bad you almost wonder if it's possible he'll never improve. I'm sure he will in time, mainly because he seems like the type who will put in all of the extra work necessary, but it's discouraging/disappointing when you're constantly reminded just how far away he is from getting there. Time is on his side, though, so let's just cross our fingers and hope for the best.

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Rock Solid Recrap: Pirates Don't Mind Stealing, Will Also Take What They're Given

Pirates 6, Rockies 2 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: Like I indicated in the headline, pirates make a living stealing, but the ones from Pittsburgh didn't have to tonight. This win was furnished for them, free of charge. 

Some of the bigger issues for the sloppy Rockies on Tuesday night:

— The inability to finish innings on the mound and capitalize at the plate against the often injured, always overpaid Erik Bedard. More to come on these.

— Wilin Rosario had another awful night behind the plate with his league leading 12th passed ball and a costly wild pitch allowed. Obviously there's a long way to go in his development, but there's no sense taking playing time away. He has to learn on the job. But you're still allowed to cringe and not like it.

— Down four runs late, Jordan Pacheco inexplicably attempts to advance to third on a groundball to third base. He was tagged out easily, killing a scoring opportunity.

— In the 9th, Carlos Torres made a lousy throw to second on what should have been a double play. Rockies end up getting no outs (thanks to the throw and a missed call). Amazingly, that one didn't lead to a run, but still maddening.

As small as many of those miscues appear to be, there's no way you're going to win at this level when you make that many of them in one game. Especially against this Pittsburgh team that executes well under Clint Hurdle and does a wonderful job of getting the most out of the least. Not to mention it gets increasingly difficult to watch with each passing game, because you expect to see some improvement somewhere along the line. It just never happens. And just when you think it's about to, it disappears.

Turning Point: Rookie Josh Rutledge triples home the go ahead run in the 4th. I wish I could say that was the turning point. Unfortunately, though, it was the Rockies inability to bring Rutledge home (there were no outs) that started the shift in the game's outlook. Christian Friedrich struck out looking. Eric Young struck out looking. Marco Scutaro flied out harmlessly to center field.

That was the start of it. In the top of the 5th... well... keep reading.

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Rock Solid Recap: Embracing The Drama

Rockies 5, Pirates 4 (boxscore)

When you enter play at 34-54, you'll take a win any way you can get it, even if that includes suffering through an hour long delay in the 9th inning, blowing a 4-1 lead in said 9th inning through the combined efforts of Rafael Betancourt (credited with a "hold"), Rex Brothers (vultures a "win") and Pedro Alvarez (certified Rockie killer) before ultimately scoring the game winner in a dramatic bottom of the 9th.

It was miserable.

It was painful (especially seeing Jeff Francis lose a much deserved victory).

It was also quite predictable.

It was Rockies baseball at its Rockiest... right up until Dexter Fowler's sacrifice fly clinched them victory #35 (Yes, I was expecting Wilin Rosario to slip on a wet spot 80 feet down the line).

I'll take it.

Winning Player: Jeff Francis: 5 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 0 BB, 1 K, 73 pitches (42 strikes)

Solid contributions from a number of players tonight (Dexter Fowler, Wilin Rosario, Josh Roenick, and even Eric Young Jr. and Jason Giambi off the bench), but Francis is simply rolling right now and deserves the nod.

Every fourth day you know you're getting at least five innings from Francis, which under our current system is like a guaranteed eight innings every fifth day. He's pounding the strike zone. He's putting up zeroes. He's also bringing a small bit of stability to a rotation that needs a lot of it, but what any little bit is definitely appreciated.

Keep it rolling, Francis.

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Rock Solid Recrap: Rockies Gonna Rockie

Phillies 8, Rockies 5 (boxscore) 

What Went Wrong: They'll let you feel good and have fun watching baseball for a day or two... and then they're right back to the sloppy, lackadaisical, unfocused Rockies we've grown accustomed to over the last three seasons. Even if they only resort to it for an inning or two, it's too much, and it's difficult to overcome.

Of course it doesn't help when Jeremy Guthrie starts at Coors Field and you're darn near out of the game before even taking your first at-bat. But this still proved to be a winnable game down the stretch. A lazy pitch here. An awful baserunning mistake there. That's all it took to eliminate their chances to clinch this series.

Turning Point: The Rockies had chipped away with two runs in the 3rd and trailed only 4-2 in the 6th. That's where the currently struggling Adam Ottavino entered in relief and things got away again. And the frustrating thing about it is the inning lined up very well for Ottavino. Two outs, no one on base with the light-hitting Juan Pierre coming up. Pierre gets the single, steals second, but that's OK because you can walk Mike Fontenot (who really isn't more threatening that Pierre) intentionally to bring up the pitcher Vance Worley.

An absolutely perfect setup: Until Ottavino makes the one lazy, lousy pitch to Worley, who doubles home his first two RBIs of the season. That makes it 6-2 and puts you in a spot where even Wilin Rosario's three-run homer isn't enough. Brutal execution.

Jeremy Guthrie's Line: 4 2/3 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 76 pitches (45 strikes)

Ugly, ugly start. Decent recovery to keep the team in the game. Somebody please offer us a Low-A prospect or something comparable because I'm running out of things to say about Guthrie other than we're all ready to move on.

Highlight of the Night: Watch Baby Bull Sr. connect for his home run

Not Highlight of the Night: Watch Tyler Colvin embarrass himself on the bases

That crap can't keep happening.  Big league baseball players shouldn't have to be reminded to hustle and/or finish plays, but it happens so often with the Rockies over the past three seasons that at some point somebody has to be held accountable. It's not one player. It's several players. It doesn't matter how many pieces of furniture you move around, this stuff still exists because the people who are in a position to rectify the problem refuse to send the proper message the MOMENT the situation occurs.

I would start benching players for this stuff. Instantly. Why wouldn't you at this point? The message has to be sent. You can't worry about embarrassing the player, because he wasn't concerned about embarrassing the organization and the fanbase with his laziness. Make them accountable. Teach them they have a responsibility to play hard and play smart. Those are the two things they can control. Those are the two things they owe everybody. We can live with the results as long as you honor those two things.

What's Next: Series on Sunday at 1:10. I'll be at the Townsend family reunion in Wisconsin. Most of you will be watching Drew Pomeranz (1-3, 3.06) vs. Cole Hamels (10-4, 3.20). Hopefully we'll have good things to discuss tomorrow night.

More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: @Townie813 & @HeavenHelton