Spring Training Hits & Misses: Game 25 vs. Los Angeles

Hits

Drew Pomeranz

I was hoping Pomeranz would get to face the Angels projected opening day lineup. Thankfully, Mike Scioscia obliged with Pujols, Kendrick, Morales, Hunter, Wells, right on down the line to some guy named Iannetta. That's a big boy lineup, and it set up as a great test for the Rockies 23-year-old lefty.

How did he do?

Well, Pomeranz pretty much breezed through the first two innings, with the only challenge coming from Pujols. Pomeranz won that lengthy battle that included a broken bat, a long, loud foul ball, and ended with a weak popout to third base on a fastball in Albert's kitchen. Fun battle.

Pomeranz ran into some traffic in the third, which was actually perfect, because it forced him to bear down against the meat of their order with RISP. That's exactly what he did, striking out Howie Kendrick and getting Pujols out in front on a changeup to ground out to third. Another impressive sequence of pitching there.

The Angels did scratch across a run against him in the fourth. The good news there is that Brandon Wood won't (or shouldn't, God forbid) be seeing any time for at second base during the season, so the soft grounder up the middle that he couldn't handle will be an out nine times out of ten, not a run.

The only small downside is that Pomeranz reached his pitch limit (85) in the fourth inning, but all things considered — mainly the quality of opposition and the health of his backside — it was an excellent outing and an exciting afternoon for Rockies fans.

Test Grade: B+

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Spring Training Hits & Misses: Game 24 vs. Cincinnati

Hits

Todd Helton

The Rockies offense struggled with Reds ace Johnny Cueto early in today's game. Well, with the exception of Todd Helton, who connected for a pair of solo home runs — a second inning shot to right and an opposite field blast in the fourth. I actually decided to go back and watch the second one a couple more times just so I could admire it some more. It really was picture perfect swing on a pitcher's pitch down and away. Every hitting coach should have that swing on tape and show it to their pupils repeatedly. It was professional hitting at its finest.

Casey Blake

Blake desperately needed a moment that not only made himself feel confident heading into the season, but the Rockies coaching staff and myself as well. He had that moment in the fifth inning when he crushed a two-run homer to left off Cueto to give the Rockies the lead.

It was a good step in the right direction, but my hope is the Rockies will continue to make Blake prove himself (health wise and on field production) before adding him to the opening day roster. I know the Rockies won't ask him to play 130 games, so that helps his cause, but they can't afford to have any dead spots on the roster like we saw for too many extended periods last season.

Alex White

Apparently White doesn't want to be overlooked in this bullpen mix. He was excellent today in his latest audition to be the bullpen's bridge guy (starter-to-late inning relievers), throwing two scoreless and striking out three. Among his victims: Drew Stubbs, Brandon Phillps and Joey Votto. All very good hitters.

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Spring Training Hits & Misses: Game 23 vs. San Francisco

Hits

Jordan Pacheco

Pacheco led the Rockies offensive attack with three hits (all singles) this afternoon. Just another casual reminder that he can really hit and that he'll be traveling with the Rockies to Houston for opening day.

Tyler Colvin

Another start, another multi-hit game for the guy I'm now openly pulling for to make the Rockies opening day roster.

Memo to Charlie Blackmon: You better get healthy relatively soon. Like yesterday.

Misses

Dexter Fowler

First his fiance takes to Twitter to praise Giants fans and elbow Rockies fans in the ribs. (A tweet she later deleted.) Then he goes 0-for-4 to drop his spring average to .125.

Question to Dexter Fowler: How does a platoon with Charlie Blackmon or Tyler Colvin sound?

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Spring Training Hits & Misses: Game 22 vs. Chicago

Hits

Carlos Gonzalez

Five RBI (four with two outs). Diving catch to rob a hit. Just another ho-hum highlight filled day at the office for the Rockies superstar outfielder.

Tyler Colvin

Another multi-hit game for Colvin as he continues to build momentum in his quest for a bench role. Hitting coach Carney Lansford seems to think Colvin has cleaned up whatever was ailing his swing last season and early in this year's camp, so Charlie Blackmon's once thought to be secure spot could be in real jeopardy. Especially if his toe problem lingers another handful of days.

Misses

Tyler Chatwood

Jamie Moyer had another really good day today...because his current #1 nemesis in the battle for the fifth rotation spot had a really bad day. Yes, Chatwood was slaughtered by a red hot Chicago Cubs offense, allowing nine earned runs on nine hits over four plus innings. His biggest problem? His inability to keep Geovany Soto in the ballpark (two home runs, five RBI), but a couple mental gaffes and general inexperience were also issues for the 22-year-old.

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Spring Training Hits & Misses: Game 21 vs. San Francisco

Hits

Jamie Moyer

12 Giants up, 12 Giants down as Jamie Moyer rises from the ashes once again to become a real contender in the race for the Rockies fifth rotation spot. According to several people on site, Moyer topped out at 78 on his "fastball", but had a Giants lineup featuring several regulars off balance from pitch 1 to pitch 45, and probably would have been good for another inning had the Giants defense not kicked the ball around for a half hour in the fourth.

We're one paragraph in and it's plainly obvious the Giants mailed it in tonight. Scratching Tim Lincecum and moving him to a minor league start all but confirms it.

Anyway, it looks like the fifth starter race will end up going down to the wire, at which point the Rockies will decide if they want a veteran presence like Moyer to begin the season, a middle of the road placeholder like Guillermo Moscoso, or an upside play like Alex White or Tyler Chatwood.

If I were a betting man, I'd save my money and wait to wager on a judgment not involving Jim Tracy.

Clubhouse Chemistry

When Dan O'Dowd rebuilt the Rockies clubhouse this offseason, Marco Scutaro and Michael Cuddyer were the two most important bricks added from the offensive side of things.

Both were stellar tonight.

For Scutaro, it was a two-run double in the second that started the scoring. He also added a pair of walks hitting out of the lead-off spot. For Cuddyer, it was his first home run of the spring — a two-run shot in the third — and a single.

Just in case you were still worrying about the veterans' struggles this spring, you can stop now. Both will be fine.

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