Lineup Card: 8-1-11 Rockies vs Phillies

If you're looking for Rockies game lineups and you don't feel like searching all over Twitter or waiting for MLB.com to post them, check back to Heaven & Helton about 30-60 minutes before first pitch. They should be here waiting for you every night game and some afternoon games.

Links

Weekend Rec(r)aps

• Friday: Hammel punches back against Padres
• Saturday: The show must go on
• Sunday: Weekly Sunday Recrap
• Bugs & Cranks: Ubaldo Q & A with... Me 

Lineups

Colorado Rockies (51-57)

1. LF Eric Young
2. CF Dexter Fowler
3. 2B Mark Ellis
4. SS Troy Tulowitzki
5. 1B Ty Wigginton
6. 3B Chris Nelson
7. RF Seth Smith
8. C   Chris Iannetta
9. P    Jhoulys Chacin

Well here's your lineup against Cole Hamels. Todd Helton sits probably due to his recent 4-for-25. Seth Smith starts because there are so few options available. Mark Ellis hits third because.... And Eric Young in left field at Coors Field.

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Weekly Sunday Recrap

And it was looking so good. Juan Nicasio was incredible, striking out a personal high and a Rockies season high 10. The offense, while again not explosive, came through with enough timely hits to take the lead into the late innings.

It couldn't have been set up more perfectly to end this dreadful Sunday losing streak. And then Rex Brothers, the pitcher who has been untouchable for the past month, couldn't get anyone out. And then Matt Belisle, the pitcher who's been so good at cleaning up messes for two seasons, couldn't clean this one up.

Next thing you know...

Padres 8, Rockies 3 (boxscore)

Three positives

1. Juan Nicasio: Nevermind everything I previously wrote about Nicasio eventually becoming a late inning reliever. He's a starter now. He's going to be a starter for a long time to come. He had amazing stuff here. Don't care who it came against or what park it was in, it was fantastic.

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Rock Solid Recap: The show must go on

The human side of me is very sad to see Ubaldo Jimenez go. The sight of him embracing his teammates and saying his goodbyes admittedly choked me up. It was tough to watch. That's a real moment between real people that you know love and respect each other. It's emotional.

The baseball side of me understands the situation. I understand the Rockies made a move they 100% believe will make them better. I know they didn't make this move for the hell of it, to prove a point, to hurt Ubadlo or to annoy the fanbase. They made a business decision intended to put this team back in contention. I understand all of that, and I accept it for what it is.

The baseball side always wins out. I'm a fan of the Colorado Rockies first and foremost. As much as I love the players that come and go, some more willingly than others, none of them are bigger than the team I love. Even Todd Helton.

So I say goodbye to a class act in Ubaldo Jimenez. At the same time, I welcome Drew Pomeranz, Alex White, Joe Gardner and Matt McBride to the organization. Hopefully we grow to love one or two of them as much as we did Ubaldo.

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Rock Solid Recap: Hammel punches back against Padres

That was Jim Tracy's headline quote in the postgame describing Jason Hammel's impressive outing and victory over the San Diego Padres.

Rockies 3, Padres 2 (boxscore)

Apparently Hammel had a sitdown talk with some coaches after his last start and the gameplan for Friday night was to pitch inside more. It appeared to work, although I'd be lying if I said I paid real close attention to his location in comparison to previous starts. I just know he was throwing the ball with some zip, and was able to overcome the small doses of traffic he dealt with. I'm encouraged by that even if it was against a sorry offense in a very pitcher-friendly park.

Hammel's line: 6 1/3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB 5 K

The important thing for Hammel now is to make this start his foundation for rebuilding his season that crumbled around the last month or so. A home date with the Philadelphia Phillies next week will make that a difficult task, though a good start there could go a long towards rehabbing everyone's confidence in him, including his own.

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Lineup Card: 7-29-11 Rockies @ Padres

If you're looking for Rockies game lineups and you don't feel like searching all over Twitter or waiting for MLB.com to post them, check back to Heaven & Helton about 30-60 minutes before first pitch. They should be here waiting for you every night game and some afternoon games.

Links

Wednesday's Recap!: Aaron Cooks is alive... and the Dodgers stink

Lineups

Colorado Rockies (49-56)

1. LF Eric Young
2. CF Dexter Fowler
3. 1B Todd Helton
4. SS Troy Tulowitzki
5. RF Seth Smith
6. 2B Mark Ellis
7. 3B Ian Stewart
8. C  Chris Iannetta
9. P   Jason Hammel

Be good tonight Jason Hammel. Every time you're not good I feel sad because Rockies fans that don't like you are justified in their anger. I don't like that because they hated you even when you were good, and it makes them feel smart that they always thought you sucked, which you didn't. 

So be good!

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