Rock Solid Recrap: Another One For The Pile

Cardinals 11, Rockies 6 (boxscore)

Turning Point: The Cardinals plated four in the 1st on a Matt Holliday two-run double and a Carlos Beltran two-run homer. The Rockies wouldn't fold there, though, immediately cutting it to 4-2 and then 6-5 in the 6th. That's when Holliday delivered a the dagger against Adam Ottavino in the 7th (two-run homer). No turning back at that point.

Jeff Francis' Line: 4 IP, 5 ER, 6 H, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 56 pitches (38 strikes)

This is Francis' second rough outing of his last three, but only his third overall in 11 starts since returning to the Rockies. If you had told me this would be the case when he signed, I would have done cartwheels. However, if he struggles again in the next outing, it's probably time to assume he's hitting the wall in this paired pitching system much like Alex White, Christian Friedrich and pretty much everybody involved in it have to date.

Adam Ottavino's Line: 2 2/3 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 0 K, 2 HR

It's probably time to start treating Ottavino like a regular reliever (which is what he always should have been) rather than a piggyback reliever. It's not fair to him. It's not fair to the team. It's not fair to us watching. It's just not working.

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Rock Solid Recrap: Jonathan Sanchez Remains Worse Than Everybody

Reds 7, Rockies 2 (boxscore)

Ready for the world's fastest Recrap?

Here goes.

Jonathan Sanchez's Line: 4 1/3 IP, 6 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 84 pitches (48 strikes)

For a split second you had to be amazed Dan O'Dowd found a taker for Jeremy Guthrie that was willing to give up a living being in return (not to mention one that had thrown a no-hitter in MLB). And then we came to the realization that the return was Jonathan Sanchez (the only pitcher in baseball having a worse year than Guthrie).

Surprise! The change of scenery hasn't helped Sanchez one bit so far, and all we can do is sarcastically joke that we miss Guthrie.

Fun times.

Highlight of the Afternoon: The Rockies two runs came on one 1st inning swing. They then curled up and were overpowered for the remaining eight frames, but here's your highlight.

Watch Josh Rutledge's second career homer

Bonus Highlight: Watch CarGo's diving grab

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Rock Solid Recrap: Reds Win 9th Straight (Equaling Rockies Total Since June 25th)

Reds 9, Rockies 7 (boxscore)

I think the headline alone would be a sufficient enough recap, but I'll touch on a few things anyway because I love sharing my Rockies misery with all of you.

What Went Wrong: Well, the good news is all of the Reds home runs were solo. The bad news is they hit five of them. I don't care which ballpark you're in or what lineup you're facing, five is too many.

Christian Friedrich's Line: 4 1/3 IP, 7 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 3 HR, 55 pitches (32 strikes)

The three homers Friedrich allowed were all crushed. No cheapies at all. But those all came in the first three innings. The Reds then dinked and dunked him in the 5th (walk, three singles) and Jim Tracy had no patience for it, pulling him at only 55 pitches. Josh Roenicke then poured gasoline on Friedrich's ERA by allowing a two-run double to Brandon Phillips.

I still have no idea how to evaluate our young pitchers under the current pitching system, so this was just another "meh" outing in my eyes. Hopefully Jhoulys Chacin can return after his impending four-start rehab assignment on time and the Rockies will be ready to operate like a major league organization again so we can evaluate them as such.

Turning Point: The Rockies struck for three in the 1st, giving Friedrich a pretty nice cushion to work with. He then immediately gave up 2nd inning home runs to Ryan Ludwick and Todd Frazier.

I think we all realized where the game was headed at that point. Including Dan O'Dowd.

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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 Recap: Rockies Avoid Sweep With Something Resembling Normal Baseball

Rockies 4, Diamondbacks 2 (boxscore)

This was kind of an odd game to watch. The Rockies, who have resorted to desperate, non-sensical experiments in recent weeks just to try to scratch out a handful of wins, actually played a normal, paint-by-numbers game on Wednesday. And to top it all off... they won it!

No... seriously. They won it!

They won it with Dexter Fowler leading off the game with a triple and Marco Scutaro immediately bringing him home with a sacrifice fly. They won it with a clutch two-run double by Scutaro in the 3rd. They won it with solid (even spectacular) defense. And they won it behind a starting pitcher that was not only good, but allowed to pitch beyond the 75-pitch limit.

Normal, drama free baseball for nine straight innings. I could get used to that.

Winning Players: Dexter Fowler & Marco Scutaro

Francis was good (more on him shortly), but Fowler and Scutaro really set the tone in the 1st and 3rd innings with their productive at-bats mentioned above. Fowler would finish the night with three hits, two runs and a steal. Scutaro went 1-for-1 with the big two-run double, the sac fly, and two walks. That's what you need from the 1-2 spots.

Turning Point: I alluded to some good Rockies defense tonight. The turning point in this game came courtesy of that defense as Tyler Colvin ran down Chris Young's shot into the right field corner that looked like a game-tying two-run double (at least) off the bat.

Watch Colvin's marvelous grab

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Rock Solid Recrap: Edwar Cabrera Looks Better, Bats Not So Much Against Joe Saunders

Diamondbacks 6, Rockies 2 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: The Rockies offense against Joe Saunders and the Arizona bullpen was two Michael Cuddyer home runs and a Josh Roenicke single. That's it. Three hits - one coming from a relief pitcher. That won't get it done in support of a pitcher making only his second career start, let alone the other pitchers currently employed by the Colorado Rockies.

Particularly awful was Carlos Gonzalez, who simply had no game plan against Saunders other than to swing at everything out of his hand and pray he left it in the middle of the plate. Saunders never made that mistake, so CarGo went 0-for-4 with some of his ugliest looking post-Aprils swings.

Rookie Josh Rutledge shared in the misery, going 0-for-3 with three strikeouts. The scouting report is already getting around, so now it'll be up to Rutledge to make the necessary adjustments going forward. Jim Tracy might be wise to give him a day off tomorrow to refresh his thoughts a bit, but should definitely continue giving him the bulk of the ABs at short or second.

Edwar Cabrera's Line: 3 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 4 K, 81 pitches (45 strikes)

This was a calmer, more confident looking Edwar Cabrera than we saw in his disastrous big league debut back on June 27, yet he was still pretty erratic and looks to be another 15-20 more starts in the minors from being a real option in the big leagues. Whether or not the Rockies will decide (or can afford) to give him those starts in the minors is yet to be determined, but there's definite upside here that I think they'd be risking a little bit if they keep throwing him out there at this stage in his development.

Overall Grade: C

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Lineup Card: Rockies @ D-Backs 7-24-12

Monday's Recrap: Sanchez Fills The Guthrie Role To Perfection

Lineups

Colorado Rockies (36-59)

1. Dexter Fowler (CF)
2. Marco Scutaro (2B)
3. Carlos Gonzalez (LF)
4. Michael Cuddyer (1B)
5. Andrew Brown (RF)
6. Wilin Rosario (C)
7. Josh Rutledge (SS)
8. D.J. LeMahieu (3B)
9. Edwar Cabrera (P)

Roster move: To make room for Cabrera, Jason Giambi was placed on the disabled list with what the Rockies are calling "viral syndrome" or a "viral infection." Obviously we're pulling for improved health for Giambi as quickly as possible, but on the baseball side of things this means the Rockies won't be able to move him before the July 31 deadline. There's still a decent chance they'll be to do so in August, but if he's not on the field teams will likely look elsewhere for their bench bat. 

Arizona Diamondbacks (48-48)

1. Willie Bloomquist (3B)
2. Aaron Hill (2B)
3. Jason Kubel (LF)
4. Paul Goldschmidt (1B)
5. Justin Upton (RF)
6. Miguel Montero (C)
7. Chris Young (CF)
8. Stephen Drew (SS)
9. Joe Saunders (P)

The D-Backs made a huge mistake today designating Ryan Roberts for assignment. They should have allowed him to kill the Rockies for two more games (you know he would have) and then DFAed him. But I won't complain. Rumor has it the Tampa Bay Rays are interested in his services, so it looks like he'll be out of the division all together pretty soon. That's a plus. Now, if he can take Paul Goldschmidt and Miguel Montero with him, that would be an even bigger plus.

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

Rock Solid Recrap: Sanchez Fills The Guthrie Role To Perfection

Diamondbacks 6, Rockies 3 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: Well, you see, about six months ago Dan O'Dowd made a little trade that I think many people understood (and some even liked) when he moved Jason Hammel and Matt Lindstrom to Baltimore for Jeremy Guthrie. But, as you know, that trade done blowed up in O'Dowd's face, leaving him begging anybody to take Guthrie before May was even through.

About 500 miles east, another general manager by the name of Dayton Moore made an even worse trade, sending Melky Cabrera (yes, the All-Star Game MVP) to the San Francisco Giants for Jonathan Sanchez. Yadda yadda yadda, Sanchez is awful, so Moore finds himself in the same boat as O'Dowd.

That was, until last Friday, when O'Dowd and Moore finally found each other and ended up swapping their offseason miscalculations hoping a change of scenery, a change of clubhouse atmosphere, or maybe just praying a for miracle to turn their fortunes around.

Guess how that turned out for the Rockies on Monday night?

Jonathan Sanchez's Line: 4 IP, 5 ER, 6 H, 4 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, 82 pitches (47 strikes)

Earlier Monday at Heaven & Helton:

With a 75 (or thereabouts) pitch limit going in, I wouldn't expect Sanchez to go beyond four innings tonight. He's just not a very efficient pitcher, and seems like an extremely poor fit in this type of system.

Expect that paragraph to be repeated repeatedly for as long as Sanchez lasts in the Rockies rotation.

Spoiler: He won't be any worse than Jeremy Guthrie.

Aside from the strikeouts, that did look an awful lot like Jeremy Guthrie, but certainly not worse. I believe it's called a lateral move, although with slightly more upside.

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Lineup Card: Rockies @ D-Backs 7-23-12

Weekend Recaps

Friday: Reflection, Perspective, And A Quick Recap

Saturday: Kinda fun

Sunday: Not so much fun 

Lineups

Colorado Rockies (36-58)

1. Dexter Fowler (CF)
2. Marco Scutaro (2B)
3. Carlos Gonzalez (LF)
4. Michael Cuddyer (1B)
5. Tyler Colvin (RF)
6. Ramon Hernandez (C)
7. Josh Rutledge (SS)
8. D.J. LeMahieu (3B)
9. Jonathan Sanchez (P)

The most interesting angle going into this game is obviously Jonathan Sanchez's Rockies debut.

With a 75 (or thereabouts) pitch limit going in, I wouldn't expect him to go beyond four innings tonight. He's just not a very efficient pitcher, and seems like an extremely poor fit in this type of system. But who knows, maybe he'll surprise and I'll have nothing but glowing things to say afterward. 

Spoiler: He won't be any worse than Jeremy Guthrie. 

Arizona Diamondbacks (47-48)

1. Willie Bloomquist (SS)
2. Aaron Hill (2B)
3. Jason Kubel (LF)
4. Paul Goldschmidt (1B)
5. Justin Upton (RF)
6. Miguel Montero (C)
7. Chris Young (CF)
8. Ryan Roberts (2B)
9. Ian Kennedy (P)

Jason Kubel — the other Minnesota Twins corner outfielder to jump to the National League West this offseason — had what you'd call a productive weekend. On Saturday, he hit three home runs and drove in six in Arizona's 12-3 win over Houston. On Sunday, he homered again, tripled, and scored twice in their 8-2 win. Going back a little more, he's connected for six homers in seven games since the all-star break and he currently leads to the NL with 71 RBI. 

He's going to be a problem this week, as are all of the other usual Rockies killers — Aaron Hill, Miguel Montero, Ryan Roberts, and so on. 

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

Rock Solid Recrap: So You Want To Be A Catcher?

Padres 3, Rockies 2 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: Rough day for the offense against Ross freaking Ohlendorf and company.

How rough?

Hitters 3-6 were a combined 0-for-14, with the only production coming from Carlos Gonzalez (two walks, two stolen bases). It will take a special day from the bottom of your order and/or your pitching to overcome that.

As you can tell by the score, the Rockies almost did.

Turning Point: Jordan Pacheco's second big league start behind the plate on Sunday turned out to be quite the experience, which you had to expect it would be given how this entire season has gone for the Rockies.

Naturally his day got off to a very active start in the first inning. Before the Rockies could off the field in that frame, Pacheco was forced to attempt blocking a pitch in the dirt, which did not go well at all. Rather than drop to his knees and smother it, he went backhand and baseball went to screen. He also had to go way up the line to knock down a throw from the outfield. He did that well. And then he handled a pop up right up the elevator shaft without any problems.

All in all, not the worst possible start.

Then comes the play at the plate in the 4th inning. John Baker singles to Eric Young in center, Everth Cabrera comes charging around third with the tying run. EY makes a good, strong throw home, but the ball and Cabrera unfortunately arrive at the same time, and Pacheco paid the price for it.

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Rock Solid Recap: That Game Was Quite Fun

Rockies 8, Padres 6 (12 innings - boxscore)

I'm almost a little rusty when it comes to talking positive about the Rockies, but I must say tonight was one of the most enjoyable complete game experiences of the season. It was really was a fun, competitive game, that saw both teams coming up with the timely hits and spectacular defensive plays to literally keep their teams alive.

And we're happy to report that when all was said and done, it was the Rockies who prevailed, thanks in large part to the man our resident Rockies nickname-giver Brian Smith quickly anointed #Paycheck.

Winning Player: Jordan Pacheco (3-for-6, career-high 4 RBIs, game-winning hit)

I couldn't think of a more spot on nickname for Pacheco, who continues to cash in on his extended opportunity to start games at the hot corner. Obviously, Pacheco can flat out hit. He's also an improving defender, though there's still a long way to go before we'll feel 100% comfortable over there. But it's clear he's willing to work hard at it, and it's more clear he's going to carve out a nice little career for himself regardless of where or how much he plays.

Another good hitter, Michael Cuddyer, also had a big night at the plate, tying a career-high with four hits. He scored the winning run on Pacheco's 12th inning single. Ramon Hernandez then followed with his own RBI single to make it 8-6.

Turning Point: All of those heroics wouldn't have been possible without one incredible play by right fielder Tyler Colvin. With runners on 1st and 2nd in the 9th and only one out, Mark Kotsay pulled one towards the right field line that seemed destined to fall for a game-winning double. However, Colvin was able to run it down (showing the advantage the Rockies have with a Gonzalez-Fowler-Colvin outfield) and made an incredible diving catch to save the game.

And thanks to the overly aggressive baserunning of Everth Cabrera, it turned into an inning-ending double play.

It was awesome. Like, really awesome.

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Reflection, Perspective, And A Quick Recap

The past 24 hours have served as a sobering reminder of just how precious life is, and how quickly lives, outlooks and perspectives can change.

Around 11 PM on Thursday night, I began working on an article for Big League Stew that centered around the Colorado Rockies spinning their attempts to silence fan discontent as a security issue. I felt passionate about this topic and believe me, I didn't hold back on my feelings in one of the lengthier posts I've written this season.

A couple hours later, I put the finishing touches on the article and submitted it to our editor.

Not 10 minutes after that I saw the first flashes of breaking news on Twitter. I immediately turned the television to CNN and found a couple local Denver news streams to get a better idea of what was happening. Once I understood the scale of the horrific event, I immediately felt retroactive guilt for writing the article I'd just completed on the Rockies. Hours later, I would be relieved when the obvious decision to shelf it was made, because that story just wasn't important anymore .

Their decision to ban fans from wearing paper bags on their heads, which had been my sole focus for the past several hours, was just that quickly reduced to it's actual level of importance in mine, yours and our world: Zilch.

The Rockies dismal season and road to 100 losses: No fun, but it won't truly change our lives one way or the other. It's baseball.

I was reminded again of what's really important.

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Rock Solid Recrap: Officially Running Out Of Original Thoughts

Pirates 9, Rockies 6 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: The Rockies jumped out to a 3-0 lead after one inning (thanks to home runs from Dexter Fowler and Carlos Gonzalez) and a 5-1 lead after two. That should be good news. However, the Rockies trailed 6-5 after three innings. And then they trailed 9-6 after five.

I got five words for you: Jeremy Guthrie and Jim Tracy.

Jeremy Guthrie's Line: 2 2/3 IP, 6 R (4 ER) 6 BB, 1 K, 2 HR, 68 pitches (46 strikes)

A Jordan Pacheco error didn't help matters (unless your main concern is Guthrie's ERA), but the Pedro Alvarez solo home run and the Garrett Jones three-run jack had already taken place, so it's not like the error  began the unraveling. It's just a continuation of a season long unraveling for Guthrie that shows no signs of correcting itself.

Matt Reynolds' Line: 1 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 4 K, 2 HR, 29 pitches (20 strikes)

I understand what Matt Reynolds role is. He understands it as well. I just don't know that is suits him very well or that you should try squeezing a third inning out of him unless it's a desperation situation. Maybe today qualifies, I don't know, but he did well to escape the 3rd inning. He was fantastic in the 4th. And then that 5th inning comes around and he just didn't have much left it seemed.

I know the pitch count was good, and I know he's thrown multiple innings before, but I think it has to be different warming up, coming into the middle of an inning, and then being asked to warm up, throw another inning, warm up again, throw another inning. That's why we've often seen Tracy use a reliever simply to finish an inning and then he goes to the piggyback/bridge guy to start the next clean inning. I think not going that route proved costly today.

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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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Lineup Card: Rockies vs Pirates 7-17-12

Monday's Recap: Embracing The Drama

Lineups

Colorado Rockies (35-54)

1. Eric Young Jr. (RF)
2. Marco Scutaro (2B)
3. Dexter Fowler (CF)
4. Carlos Gonzalez (LF)
5. Michael Cuddyer (1B)
6. Jordan Pacheco (3B)
7. Wilin Rosario (C)
8. Josh Rutledge (SS)
9. Christian Friedrich (P)

Alright, well, now we have Dexter Fowler hitting third, and I must say I'm a lot more intrigued by this move than I was hitting Pacheco third. I mean, ultimately I think that's the spot Carlos Gonzalez should hit because he's the best hitter on the team, but there's no doubt Fowler has been the next best hitter (and provides more pop than Pacheco) pretty much all season, so I can actually see this arrangement sticking awhile.  

More roster moves... Jonathan Herrera (shoulder) and Chris Nelson (irregular heartbeat) hit the DL today. We wish them both speedy recoveries (especially Nelson). On the way up are infielder D.J. LeMahieu (who played respectably in his earlier stint) and outfielder Andrew Brown (who is hitting extremely well in AAA). Brown should fill the right-handed bat off the bench role and draw a handful of starts. 

Pittsburgh Pirates (49-40)

1. Alex Presley (LF)
2. Drew Sutton (RF)
3. Andrew McCutchen (CF)
4. Casey McGehee (1B)
5. Neil Walker (2B)
6. Pedro Alvarez (3B)
7. Michael McKenry (C)
8. Clint Barmes (SS)
9. Erik Bedard (P)

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

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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Lineup Card: Rockies vs Pirates 7-16-12

Weekend Recaps

Friday: Rockies Rookies Roll Over Phillies
Saturday: Rockies Gonna Rockie
Sunday Snoozer

Lineups

Colorado Rockies (34-54)

1. Dexter Fowler (CF)
2. Marco Scutaro (2B)
3. Jordan Pacheco (3B)
4. Carlos Gonzalez (LF)
5. Michael Cuddyer (1B)
6. Tyler Colvin (RF)
7. Wilin Rosario (C)
8. Josh Rutledge (SS)
9. Jeff Francis (P)

Well, Jim Tracy is trying something new again with Jordan Pacheco hitting third and Carlos Gonzalez slipping down to clean up. I give this experiment three games.

In other news, Juan Nicasio is out for the season after undergoing microfracture surgery under his left kneecap to remove bonechips. Nothing but bad luck for him over the last 12 months. 

Pittsburgh Pirates (49-39)

1. Alex Presley (LF)
2. Josh Harrison (RF)
3. Andrew McCutchen (CF)
4. Casey McGehee (1B)
5. Neil Walker (2B)
6. Pedro Alvarez (3B)
7. Rod Barajas (C)
8. Clint Barmes (SS)
9. Jeff Karstens (P)

Andrew McCutchen is still my favorite non-Rockie in baseball and there's not a close second right now. He was just named National League Player of the Week, he's the hottest hitter in baseball since early May, and if MVP votes were tallied this evening, he'd probably win it. He's been that damn good, and if his tear continues against the Rockies this will be a difficult series to win.

Pedro Alvarez has been a Rockies killer before. He also comes to town swinging a hot bat lately, so this really could be a long week. 

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

Rock Solid Recrap: Sunday Snoozer

Phillies 5, Rockies 1 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: Looks like I picked another good (Sun)day to miss a game. The Rockies were again mystified and dominated by Cole Hamels, which is understandable. He's a motivated pitcher right now and he's also among the most talented in either league. It's not like it's a random shutout by Jeff Suppan or Chris Capuano, so that's fine. It happens.

Unfortunately, though, Hamels may soon be a fixture in the National League West (assuming the Dodgers trade for him or sign him in the offseason, which is heavily rumored), so hopefully they figured a few things out in the process of being stifled.

Get in that video room.

Drew Pomeranz's Line: 5 IP, 5 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, 80 pitches (49 strikes)

A step back for Pomeranz today, but certainly not a big enough step to discourage me. Everything went satisfactory right up until Philadelphia's two-out rally in the 5th. The Jimmy Rollins single, the Shane Victorino walk, and of course the three-run homer by Hunter Pence.

It's the same old, tired, worn out problem the Rockies have had all season  — their inability to close out innings. It has to improve. They have to become better finishers, get themselves back in the dugouts quicker and allow their teammates to get off their feet and get comfortable at the plate.

Oh, and allow fewer runs. Also important.

But focusing on Pomeranz primarily, the feeling I get from watching him and listening to/reading his words is that he is very comfortable with his game right now, but also understands there are things to improve on to take those next 4-5 steps in his development. I think Sunday's experience gives him that next new thing to focus on, so it'll be interesting to see how he attacks it and comes back his next time out.

Turning Point: We just talked about it. The Hunter Pence home run moves a 2-0 game to a 5-0 game in those pivotal middle innings. No way the Rockies could recover with Cole Hamels dealing.

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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

Rock Solid Recap: Rockies Rookies Roll Over Phillies

Rockies 6, Phillies 2 (boxscore)

What a refreshing restart to the season this was. The Rockies looked sharp in their 6-2 win over Cliff Lee and the Philadelphia Phillies. I mean they looked very sharp, and they looked focused on playing team ball and fundamental ball.

Generally I wouldn't get too excited about this after watching the first three months of this season, but the Rockies played this way in Washington prior to the break, so perhaps there really is a new focus and a stronger commitment to playing smarter and playing more for each other. Maybe. We'll have a better feel for that after we examine the next 48 hours, but at the very least this was an encouraging performance and a very enjoyable game to watch.

Winning Player: Josh Rutledge

The Rockies prospect is called up to the big leagues on Friday. His luggage is lost by his airline. He has to borrow equipment from piratically everyone in the clubhouse. Oh, and he's in the starting lineup against Cliff Lee.

All of those occurrences on their own would have been enough to overwhelm me.

Rutledge? Not knocked off stride, phased, or intimidated one single bit. He finished his major league debut 2-for-2 with a walk, a sacrifice fly and  two RBIs. He was the key offensive cog. He was a professional in every plate appearance. He looked the part of big leaguer.

It's one game.

It's one damn good game.

Turning Point: Rutledge's sacrifice fly. It came in the 6th with the game tied at 1. There were runners at first and third with one out. It's a scoring opportunity the Rockies have failed to convert repeatedly this season, many times because of that damn contact play, but Rutledge was able to get enough lift and enough distance to get Tyler Colvin home with the go ahead run.

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Lineup Card: Rockies vs Phillies 7-13-12

The 2nd half is upon us. 

The Rockies have 77 games remaining.

Can we stomach it?

How many Colorado Rockies players/coaches will survive it?

When will we see Nolan Arenado?

Will Tyler Colvin continue pushing Todd Helton out of the picture?

I have no guaranteed answers to any of those questions... BUT... I do have tonight's lineups and roster moves!

Colorado Rockies (33-52)

1. Dexter Fowler (CF)
2. Marco Scutaro (2B)
3. Carlos Gonzalez (LF)
4. Ramon Hernandez (C)
5. Michael Cuddyer (1B)
6. Tyler Colvin (RF)
7. Jordan Pacheco (3B)
8. Josh Rutledge (SS)
9. Christian Friedrich (P)

Roster moves galore out the break. First of all, Todd Helton hits the DL with his hip injury, So yes, that will open things up for Tyler Colvin for the time being. It's also a DL situation for Wil Nieves, who's apparently suffering from turf toe. That's never fun. And Tyler Chatwood was optioned to Double-A Tulsa to make a start this weekend. 

Coming up: Prospect Josh Rutledge, who you see in the lineup, is the move for Helton. Assuming he sticks (and he should once Marco Scutaro is moved), he will start seeing extensive time at second base since that's where his Rockies future will be. Ramon Hernandez is also back, as you can see by him hitting CLEAN UP tonight. Alright then. And we also welcome right-hander reliever Mike Ekstrom. 

*Exhale*

Philadelphia Phillies (37-50)

1. Jimmy Rollins (SS)
2. Shane Victorino (CF)
3. Chase Utley (2B)
4. Ryan Howard (1B)
5. Carlos Ruiz (C)
6. Hunter Pence (RF)
7. Placido Polanco (3B)
8. John Mayberry (LF)
9. Cliff Lee (P)

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

Rock Solid Recap: Rockies Follow The Script, Steal Series From Washington

Rockies 4, Nationals 3 (boxscore)

Taken directly from Saturday's Recrap:

THEY (the Rockies) have to be the team that gets those difference-making runs. THEY cannot afford to be the team that doesn't get those difference-making runs, while also giving away difference-making runs. It would be nice if they could make that a point of emphasizing that down the stretch just so they're prepared and capable of being a team that can compete next season.

I think the Rockies got the memo. They found a way to get those difference-making runs on Sunday. It doesn't matter that they got a TON of help from Washington. It's that they actually were in a position to take advantage of Washington's mistakes, and then did it. That's what matters. And they did it against a very good bullpen anchored by Tyler Clippard.

I'm very happy with that.

Winning Player: Jeremy Guthrie: 6 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 83 pitches (54 strikes)

It's nice to know this Jeremy Guthrie still exists. Yeah, he still made that one big mistake, and Ian Desmond made him pay for it with a two-run homer. But he limited it to that one mistake, he worked deep into the game, and he afforded the Rockies an opportunity to steal a win and to steal a series. He survived, and that allowed the Rockies to overcome.

This Jeremy Guthrie will help a contender down the stretch. I just hope a contender realizes it before he throws another game at Coors Field, because that Jeremy Guthrie is a miserable mess.

Turning Point: Down 3-1 in the 8th, the Rockies found a way to scratch out a difference-making run. It came off the bat of Eric Young Jr., who homered for the first time since 2009 off Sean Burnett leading off the inning. Yes, that Sean Burnett, the one with the 1.42 ERA and strong stats across the board in the first half.

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Rock Solid Recrap: Four Errors Seems Like Too Many

Nationals 4, Rockies 1 (boxscore) 

Yes, a real Recrap this time. 

Saturday was a pretty hectic day around these parts with the weather and my duties over at Big League Stew getting most of my attention. Admittedly only got to see bits and pieces of another Rockies game this week, which kinda sticks, but doesn't really stink when you examine what happened. 

Anyway, we'll keep things relatively short since I don't feel like going back and rewatching the part I saw and the other I've read about.

What Went Wrong/Turning Point/The Usual 

The Rockies would end up with four errors on the afternoon (two each in the 6th and 7th innings). The first came on yet another errand throw by Wilin Rosario, who now has NINE E-2's on the season. His led directly to a run as you see here. Josh Roenicke then followed up with this throwing error on a pick-off attempt, allowing Ryan Zimmerman to walk home.

Just maddening blunders that expose a complete lack of team wide fundamentals. And it's tough enough to overcome one of those, when you start compounding them and stacking as they did here, it's impossible.

Also, it's embarrassing.

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Rock Solid Recap: Tyler Colvin Is Unconscious, Drew Pomeranz Is Just Plain Confident

Rockies 5, Nationals 1 (boxscore)

Winning Player #1: Tyler Colvin

Dude took Stephen Strasburg deep twice on Friday night. I wouldn't put his hot streak in the same category as Troy Tulowitzki's 2010 September, or just about any of Carlos Gonzalez's torrid stretches, but this is pretty damn special.

Watch Tyler Colvin's big night

It was also nice to see him get a little help tonight from Dexter Fowler, who also homered as the Rockies defeated Strasburg for the second time in as many weeks.

Hey, remember when everybody was arguing over Fowler and Colvin and who should play, who should sit,  and all that? It looks like everybody was right, so let's all pat ourselves on the back!

Winning Player #2: Drew Pomeranz - 6 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 BB, 6 K, 81 pitches (52 strikes)

Pure brilliance from Pomeranz against a premier offense that had scored 32 runs over their last four games... against San Francisco no less. And he did it almost exclusively with fastballs (74 of 81 pitches) because he locating it with precision and Wil Nieves allowed him to stick with what was working.

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Rock Solid Recrap: A Much Appreciated Blackout

Cardinals 6, Rockies 2 (boxscore)

In what may be a first, I'm actually thankful tonight's game was blacked out here in Illinois. That's because it allowed me to keep both of my eyes on two of the best games I've seen all season: Phillies-Mets in New York and Giants-Nats in Washington.

But that doesn't mean I wasn't listening closely to the Rockies, or that I haven't sought out the highlights of the games key plays and studied the boxscore.

I don't like what I see, by the way.

Christian Friedrich's Line: 4 1/3 IP, 6 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 5 K, 89 pitches (55 strikes)

Friedrich's control abandoned him again in the middle innings, much like it did in Detroit a couple weeks ago. Naturally, those two professionally built offenses made him pay for it, and all we can do is hope that serves as a learning experience. Losing focus or command at this level, even for two or three batters, can be a death sentence. You have to stay sharp or things can and will unravel quickly. 

That's the lesson. But the overall good news is that when Friedrich is pumping strikes he's pretty effective. It's just a matter of maintaining it and also finding better ways to navigate the rough waters when they rise. Unfortunately, though, the latter has been the undoing of too many Rockies pitcher to name.  

Turning Point: Without being redundant, the 5th inning is where it all went to hell, and it's easy to point at the moment where this game jumped the shark for Colorado. It happened when Friedrich walked Lance Lynn to load the bases. Sure, the bounce back strikeout of Rafael Furcal was nice, but there was no chance he was escaping that undamaged after walking the opposing pitcher. None.

Highlight of the Night: Here's your nightly Tyler Colvin did something good video clip.

Watch Tyler Colvin's two-run bomb

What's Next: Out of the frying pan in St. Louis, into the fire in Washington. The Rockies will open a three-game series there on Friday night, and they'll do it with Drew Pomeranz (0-3, 3.72) on the mound. He'll be  opposed by Stephen Strasburg (9-3, 2.81), though I tentatively write that because MLB.com is suggesting that decision hasn't been made official. I'll take Edwin Jackson as a substitute if possible.

Final Thoughts: Remember when I said Wilin Rosario was becoming my favorite Rockies catcher ever? Well, I may have to exercise my right to change my mind. Here's why...

Watch Wilin Rosario bail as Matt Holliday bears down

That can't happen. That run cannot score there. I understand Matt Holliday is a large man and he's moving fast, you still have to get that out. You have to stand in there, you might have to take a hit, but you have to get that out for your pitcher and your ballclub.

There's no way around it. I don't want to see Wilin get hurt, obviously, but I want to see a willingness to stand his ground and make the right play. I'm disappointed it didn't happen there. Very disappointed. 

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

Lineup Card: Rockies @ Cardinals 7-5-12

Wednesday's Recap: Rockies Reach In The Loss Column

Lineups

Colorado Rockies (31-50)

1. Dexter Fowler (CF)
2. Marco Scutaro (2B)
3. Carlos Gonzalez (LF)
4. Michael Cuddyer (1B)
5. Tyler Colvin (RF)
6. Jordan Pacheco (3B)
7. Wilin Rosario (C)
8. Jonathan Herrera (SS)
9. Christian Friedrich (P)

St. Louis Cardinals (43-39)

1. Rafael Furcal (SS)
2. Jon Jay (CF)
3. Matt Holliday (LF)
4. Carlos Beltran (RF)
5. Allen Craig (1B)
6. Yadier Molina (C)
7. David Freese (3B)
8. Matt Carpenter (2B)
9. Lance Lynn (P)

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

Rock Solid Recrap: Rockies Reach 50 In The Loss Column

Cardinals 4, Rockies 1 (boxscore)

Jeremy Guthrie's Line: 6 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 2 K, 84 pitches (47 strikes)

You'll notice two unusual things about Guthrie's line tonight.

1. It's good.

2. He was allowed to go beyond the 75 pitch limit.

I'm pretty sure the reason that happened is because Guthrie was due to leadoff the 7th inning. But it still worked quite well because Guthrie EARNED the extra rope and then rewarded the Rockies with a strong finish.

Win-Win.

If that doesn't give the struggling veteran a confidence boost, I don't know what will.

Adam Ottavino's Line: 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 28 pitches (13 strikes)

This is what it looks like when a reliever hits the wall. Ottavino was very effective in May, posting an 0.87 ERA in 10 appearances — 8 of those appearances coming in an 11 day span (24 overall appearances since May 20). He then posted a very respectable 3.24 ERA in his first eight June appearances. Over his last eight appearances though... 11.88, with nearly one walk per inning.

Needless to say, he could probably use a break that the Rockies paired pitching system won't afford him.

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Lineup Card: Rockies @ Cardinals 7-4-12

Monday's Recrap: Outman? More Like Out Of The Rotation.

Tuesday's Recap: Francis, Colvin Continue Carrying Rockies

Lineups

Colorado Rockies (31-49)

1. Dexter Fowler (CF)
2. Marco Scutaro (2B)
3. Carlos Gonzalez (LF)
4. Tyler Colvin (RF)
5. Todd Helton (1B)
6. Chris Nelson (3B)
7. Wil Nieves (C)
8. Jonathan Herrera (SS)
9. Jeremy Guthrie (P)

— Tyler Colvin is hitting cleanup for the time this season, which means he's now started at every spot in the order expect for 9th. I think we can rule that out now with interleague play over, but, then again, you know all about Dan O'Dowd and Jim Tracy's radical ideas.

— I would not have minded an outfield of Gonzalez, Fowler and Eric Young today for one reason: Defense doesn't matter with Jeremy Guthrie pitching. You just need guys who can run to the wall quickly.

— Josh Outman was optioned to Double-A Tulsa (according to Tracy Ringolsy) this afternoon. No word yet on if he shoulderblocked Tracy on his way out of the manager's office, but we do know Carlos Torres was recalled to take his spot.

 St. Louis Cardinals (42-39)

1. Rafael Furcal (SS)
2. Jon Jay (CF)
3. Matt Holliday (LF)
4. Carlos Beltran (RF)
5. Allen Craig (1B)
6. Yadier Molina (C)
7. David Freese (3B)
8. Skip Schumaker (2B)
9. Adam Wainwright (P)

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

Rock Solid Recap: Francis, Colvin Continue Carrying Rockies

Rockies 3, Cardinals 2 (boxscore)

Winning Player #1: Jeff Francis — 5 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 77 pitches (49 strikes)

Francis continues to pitch like a veteran that has reached the mountain top, hit rock bottom, and is hungry to make that long, exhausting climb back to where the view is best. He's really providing a huge boost to Dan O'Dowd pitching gimmick. In fact, he's completely unfazed by it.. and dare I say, it might actually suit him perfectly.

It's just unfortunate the Rockies don't have a real rotation and there are no healthy, productive arms around him right now, because this Jeff Francis as a 4th or 5th starter gives you a huge advantage over most of the National League in those slots.

Winning Player #2: Tyler Colvin

Dan O'Dowd did win one trade this offseason. He won it big. Tyler Colvin has been a wonderful addition so far, and his three-run homer on Tuesday was just the latest large contribution he's made.

I was cautiously optimistic when the O'Dowd acquired him over the Winter Meetings. My conclusion being: He'll need to hit to matter. Well, he's hitting (his .810 slugging percentage was the highest in baseball since June 9 entering Tuesday's game), and I'm flat out ecstatic he's a part of the organization now and should remain a big part of it for the foreseeable future.

Turning Point/Highlight of the Night

Watch Tyler Colvin's three-run jack

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Rock Solid Recrap: Outman? More Like Out Of The Rotation.

Cardinals 9, Rockies 3 (boxscore)

Josh Outman's Line: 3 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 5 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 70 pitches (34 strikes)

Stick a fork in Outman, he's done as a starter in the Rockies paired pitching system.

In the 1st inning, Outman walked two and threw two wild pitches. That led to one run. In the 2nd, he walked the opposing pitcher, Kyle Lohse, after a 12-pitch plate appearance. In the 3rd, something reasonable actually happened - he allowed a solo home run to Matt Holliday.

And then he was done, because all of that took 70 pitches.

There's no way Jim Tracy could justify starting Outman again this weekend in Washington after this miserably inefficient, all-around dreadful performance.

Well, I take that back, there are ways Tracy could justify it in his OWN mind, we'd just all lose OUR minds trying to sort through the rambling explanation.

Anyway, the Rockies will have to figure out if they like Outman in the bullpen or if he needs mechanical (more like mental) tuneup at Colorado Springs. I'm guessing it'll be the former, but I'm not sure there's much to be gained from him throwing 3-4 innings at the beginning, to likely throwing 2-3 innings in the middle.

What. A. Mess.

Tyler Chatwood's Piggyback Line: 2 1/3 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 1 BB, 1 K, 63 pitches (30 strikes)

Two pitchers from the same team in the same game throwing at least 60 pitches, and neither can crack 50% on strikes thrown.

I bet that doesn't happen very often.

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Lineup Card: Rockies @ Cardinals 7-2-12

Sunday's Recrap: Kip Bleepin' Wells

Lineups 

Colorado Rockies (30-48)

1. Eric Young (CF)
2. Marco Scutaro (SS)
3. Carlos Gonzalez (LF)
4. Michael Cuddyer (1B)
5. Tyler Colvin (RF)
6. Jordan Pacheco (3B)
7. Chris Nelson (2B)
8. Wilin Rosario (C)
9. Josh Outman (P)

No Dexter Fowler tonight, because... well... we really don't know at this point. Probably just a Jim Tracy decision, but Troy Renck is looking into it anyway.

No Todd Helton tonight, either. That's easier to explain. He's struggling and Jim Tracy feels like Michael Cuddyer is emerging from his June swoon, so Cuddyer plays. Also, Tyler Colvin needs to keep playing.

Update: Troy Renck reports Dexter Fowler is sitting tonight with a sore left lat muscle and Todd Helton is nursing a sore hip. Please disregard my previous analysis. 

St. Louis Cardinals (41-38)

1. Rafael Furcal (SS)
2. Jon Jay (CF)
3. Matt Holliday (LF)
4. Carlos Beltran (RF)
5. Allen Craig (1B)
6. Yadier Molina (C)
7. David Freese (3B)
8. Daniel Descalso (2B)
9. Kyle Lohse (P)

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

Rock Solid Recrap: Kip Bleepin' Wells

Padres 2, Rockies 0 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong

Not a lot more needs to be said. 

Turning Point: The pitching was terrific. The offense was crap. That must mean the defense played a major role in the Rockies defeat on Sunday.

Of course they did. This time it was a total breakdown on the infield after a jam sandwich off the bat of Logan Forythe landed safely behind the mound, just out of the reach of Drew Pomeranz and Jordan Pacheco. Pacheco then scooped the ball and airmailed a throw over Jason Giambi's head for a two-base error. Chris Denorfia scored from second to give San Diego a 1-0 lead in the 3rd.

That was seriously all the Padres needed, but they added an insurance run in the 7th just to be safe.

Highlight of the Afternoon: There was ONE. It came via the arm of Dexter Fowler in that 3rd inning.

Watch Fowler complete the double play with an OF assist 

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Lineup Card: Rockies vs Padres 7-1-12

Saturday's Speedy Recrap: Guthrie Leads Bullpen Collapse

June Review and Player Rankings

Lineups

Colorado Rockies (30-47)

1. Dexter Fowler (CF)
2. Marco Scutaro (2B)
3. Jason Giambi (1B)
4. Michael Cuddyer (RF)
5. Tyler Colvin (LF)
6. Jordan Pacheco (3B)
7. Jonathan Herrera (SS)
8. Wil Nieves (C)
9. Drew Pomeranz (P)

That's the first true Jim Tracy Sunday lineup I've seen in a long time. (Well, since April) 

Of course it falls right in line on the day Drew Pomeranz returns.  

San Diego Padres (29-50)

1. Chris Denorfia (RF)
2. Logan Forsythe (2B)
3. Chase Headley (3B)
4. Jesus Guzman (LF)
5. Yasmani Grandal (C)
6. Yonder Alonso (1B)
7. Cameron Maybin (CF)
8. Alexi Amarista (SS)
9. Kip Wells (P)

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