Rock Solid Recap: Road To 100 Hits Dead End

Rockies 7, Diamondbacks 4 (13 innings) (boxscore)

It's over. Our season long regional nightmare is all over.

Five years to the day they defeated the San Diego Padres 9-8 in 13 innings to win the National League Wild Card, the Colorado Rockies won another clincher in 13 innings with the 7-4 win over the Diamondbacks. OK, yeah, so this win was just a little bit less significant in the grand scheme, but it was still meaningful as they officially avoided to century mark in the loss column.

Whew.

RIP: Road to 100.

Winning Players: Chris Nelson & Charlie Blackmon

The Rockies had 13 hits in 13 innings. Seven of those belonged to Chris Nelson & Charlie Blackmon.

I think Nelson deserves top billing because he's the one who delivered to go-ahead RBI single in the 13th. That capped a night where Nelson was seeing the ball very well and had a number of good swings, including a couple drives that had home run distance but ended up just foul. Either of those staying fair would have changed the game a lot sooner.

Then again, it was Blackmon who had four hits, including the single that made it 5-3. That would actually ended up being the winning run, so you could make an argument for either.

It's kinda like the Miguel Cabrera-Mike Trout debate for the AL MVP, only not even close.

Turning Point: Josh Rutledge had a really rough four-strikeout game, but he's also a big reason the Rockies stayed alive. His two-out RBI double (scoring Blackmon) in the 8th tied the game. Tyler Colvin followed with his own RBI double, so things looked pretty good at that moment. Of course that was only temporary.

Drew Pomeranz's Line: 5 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 7 K, 2 HR, 80 pitches (51 strikes)

All things considered during this mostly uninspiring season for Drew Pomeranz, this was a positive note to go out on. Sure, he allowed a couple homers (both solo) and threw in a couple walks, but he stayed on track and never allowed any particular inning to escalate or become a potential disaster. That may not sound like much of achievement to my newer readers, but if you've been reading these recaps all season and looking at the pitching lines, you know how difficult that has been for Pomeranz and this entire staff.

It's a nice ending, but it's really only the beginning as Pomeranz enters this important offseason. Because of this season's results and stunted development, next year almost has to be two steps forward just to get where the Rockies wanted and needed Pomeranz by the end of this season, and maybe three steps forward to reach his potential. I'll settle for one step, as long as it's not another one sideways or backwards.

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Rock Solid Record-Breaking Recrap

Dodgers 3, Rockies 0 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: It's official, the 2012 Colorado Rockies are the worst we've seen in their two decade long existence, surpassing the 95-loss team from their inaugural season in 1993.

(Please, hold your applause. There are still four (road) games remaining on the schedule and this record in futility could still grow all the way into the triple digits.)

So it's not really about what went wrong tonight. It's about what has been going wrong for essentially three years, leading us to this dreadful season that will mercifully end in four days. 

Turning Point: Matt Kemp cracked a really long two-run homer in the 4th. He then added a completely unnecessary solo homer in the 8th, because the Rockies had already resigned to their fate and checked out after the first one. Typical road Rockies. Typical September Rockies under Jim Tracy. You know all the cliches and hashtags.

Tyler Chatwood's Line: 4 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 HR, 74 pitches (46 strikes)

Nothing to see here. Standard Rockies four-inning outing that was neither excellent nor disastrous. It was just kind of there, which is a fitting ending to Chatwood's season.

That said, I still have a decent feeling about Chatwood long term, but odds are he'll never ever sniff his potential with the Rockies.

Bullpen's Line: 4 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HR

Jim Tracy was in heaven tonight utilizing six different relievers to navigate the final four innings. Of course three of those relievers (Rex Brothers, Josh Roenicke and Matt Reynolds) faced a grand total of four hitters, retiring only one of them. But by golly, our manager was out there managing and pushing buttons and making all kinds of things happen! Shake his hand and give him another lifetime deal.

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Rock Solid Recrap: Make That Nine Straight Losses

Diamondbacks 10, Rockies 7 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: Well, for starters, I benched Andrew Luck for Michael Vick in my fantasy football league. That backfired spectacularly. I also went a disgusting 4-10 against the spread in my NFL picks. But the plus side to that is I reminded myself again why I don't gamble. Nothing gained. Nothing lost.

As for the Rockies, it appears they had no problems offensively — 7 runs on 16 hits — but the bullpen faltered late with Rex Brothers, Matt Belisle and Will Harris combining to allow seven runs over the final two innings. This is where I tell you these guys are all wearing down... especially Matt Belisle as he closes in on 80 innings as a set up man.

Turning Point: That would have to be Aaron Hill's two-out three-run homer off Belisle in the 8th that broke the 4-4 tie. What a heartbreaker that must have been for the "32,448" in attendance.

Jeff Francis' Line: 4 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 0 K, 75 pitches (45 strikes)

Even without a walk or strikeout, Francis hit 75 pitches in four innings. But it's not like he got knocked around the park either based on the numbers. Kinda just shows again how silly a pitch-limit that low is. Let a man do his work and let those reliever catch a break. Geez.

Bullpen's Line: 5 IP, 8 ER, 11 H, 3 BB, 7 K, 1 HR

As referenced above, these guys had a rough go of it in the later innings which cost the Rockies a chance to steal one. Belisle is the one who took the loss... which was his 8th if you can believe that. On the plus side for Jim Tracy though... he got to use six relievers, and the one whose numbers stand out the most are Rob Scahill with 1 2/3 scoreless. His ERA remains 0.00 through four appearances.

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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: Offense Disappears As Rockies Find Yet Another Way To Lose

Braves 1, Rockies 0 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: Thursday afternoon was a replay of Wednesday night, only with the Rockies finding a more creative way to lose.

Yes, they again lost 1-0 on an unearned run, making them the first team since the Kansas City Royals on July 23 & 24 of 1987 to lose back-to-back games without allowing an earned run, and this time the error was Jhoulys Chacin completely whiffing on a simple throw back from Wilin Rosario, allowing Juan Francisco to hustle home from third. 

Watch and cringe:  

 

Offensively, Tim Hudson shut the Rockies out for seven innings, allowing six hits and two walks. Three of those six hits belong to Charlie Blackmon, who also added a fourth in the 9th. Good afternoon for him, but he had no assistance whatsoever.

Turning Point: See, watch and cringe.

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Rock Solid Recap: Rockies Bats, Bullpen Carry The Load

Rockies 6, Braves 0 (boxscore)

Winning Players: The Bullpen 6 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 8 K

Another dominant performance from the Rockies bullpen with Carlos Torres leading the way again in the piggyback role. He allowed three hits over three innings while striking out three and continues to be, along with Adam Ottavino, the most pleasure surprises on the pitching side this season. Torres then gave way to Rex Brothers, who was flat filthy in two innings, striking out four and walking one. Matt Belisle put the finishing touches on Atlanta with a strong 9th.

Dominant.

Turning Point: Well, since only one team scored, I'd say the first run of the game was very important. That was produced by the bat of Carlos Gonzalez, who connected for his 22nd home run.

Watch Carlos Gonzalez go yard

One inning later, Jordan Pacheco would hit his 4th of the season to make it 2-0. That was also very important.

Watch Jordan Pacheco muscle up

Then again, you could easily argue the disastrous double play that killed a potential rally for Atlanta in the 6th inning was the most important of all important plays.

Watch Atlanta run into a double play

I think Fredi Gonzalez stole a page from the Jim Tracy playbook with that call. What in the blue hell was he thinking?

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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: Rockies Complete The Sweep In New York

Rockies 1, Mets 0 (boxscore)

For some reason Citi Field in New York has become a nice home away from home for the Colorado Rockies (eight straight wins there over the past two seasons). And if you're asking for my best guess as to what that reason is... I'll say it's probably because the Mets play there, and the Mets are kind of a mess.

But hey, I'm not giving back any of those wins. I just wish they could stay longer.

Winning Players: The Bullpen 6 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 5 K

With 150 friends and family members in attendance on Wednesday night to see Adam Ottavino's scheduled piggyback outing, manager Jim Tracy elected to push him back until Thursday, which was kind of a dick move if you ask me. I mean, yes, this is professional baseball. There are no promises and you just have do your job when you're told and hopefully do it to the best of your abilities. That said, the Rockies have been dipping their toes in some Little League waters with his pitching system, so why not just pitch the guy when you said you would so he can have that night in front of his family.

That bugged me more than it should have, but it worked out well for the Rockies on Thursday as Ottavino was able to give them a couple scoreless innings out of the bullpen. He was followed by Rex Brothers, who also tossed two scoreless innings and ended up getting the win (8-2). Then it was Will Harris (he's turning out to be a nice find, huh?) with an overpowering 8th inning in the setup role to Matt Belisle, who earned the save in place of the resting Rafael Betancourt.

Amazing work by the bullpen the entire series.

Turning Point: The Mets have a lot of things that look and feel out of place. Among the most noticeable would be their decision to play Jordany Valdespin, an infielder by trade, playing center field in Thursday's game. That misguided strategy led directly to the only run of the game as Valdespin misplayed Tyler Colvin's flyball leading off the 8th into a triple. One batter later, Chris Nelson rolled one through the infield for the game winner.

Watch Tyler Colvin's Triple

Watch Chris Nelson's RBI single

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Rock Solid Recap: Rockies Earn Win With Jumbled Lineup

Rockies 3, Mets 1 (boxscore)

Most of the names in the lineup were unrecognizable to people who don't follow the Rockies closely (and even some who do), yet they found a way to start their road trip on the right track with a win over the New York Mets. And to make it more satisfying, they won a game started by Cy Young candidate R.A. Dickey (no-decision for him).

Winning Player: Tyler Colvin

First base belongs to Colvin again with Michael Cuddyer back on the disabled list. He took advantage of the playing time on Monday night, breaking Colorado into the scoring column with a mammoth second deck bomb off Dickey in the 5th.

Watch Tyler Colvin's home run

But that was just his first big moment in the game. In the 8th, with the Mets threatening to retake the lead, Colvin make a fantastic diving stop of a Jordany Valdespin groundout that was ticketed for the right field corner. Colvin then gathered himself and flipped to Matt Belisle (who was a little late covering) JUST in time to get the out.

Big time play.

Without the out, the game would have been tied and New York still has the bases loaded. If the ball gets down the line, it likely clears the bases and we know the result that would lead to.

And then to cap his night, Colvin singled in the 9th to keep the inning alive. One batter later, Ramon Hernandez gave the Rockies an insurance run with a single of his own.

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Rock Solid Recrap: Can't Win'em All... Don't We Know It

Marlins 6, Rockies 5 (boxscore)

All good things (winning streaks included) must come to an end eventually. That end came for the Rockies on Friday night, which means they'll fall short of equaling their season best five-game winning streak from May.

What Went Wrong: The Rockies made a couple errors tonight that didn't cost them, but overall played a decent game again. They just couldn't get off the deck again in the final innings after the Marlins rallied twice in the middle innings to retake the lead.

Turning Point(s): Basically, it came down to three big swings of the bat for Miami.

1. The Jose Reyes three-run homer off Jeff Francis in the 5th.
2. Giancarlo Stanton's titanic game-tying homer off Josh Roenicke in the 6th.
3. John Buck's go-ahead RBI double later in the 6th. 

All three of those big hits came on the heels of the Rockies scoring a crooked number the inning before. 

Jeff Francis' Line: 5 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 71 pitches (42 strikes)

Francis did well to pitch around the 2nd inning errors and really settled in well with 1-2-3 3rd and 4th innings. He just couldn't navigate through the 5th before allowing the game-changing homer to Reyes. I'm sure that has nothing to do though with Francis being conditioned to throw 75-85 pitches now and as a result beginning to tire around 60-65 pitches instead of 95-100 pitches.

But I could be offbase there.

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Rock Solid Recrap: Rockies Unable To Overcome Cain... Or Themselves

Giants 9, Rockies 3 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: Well, for starters, Matt Cain is pretty good at pitching. Once the Rockies got behind 4-0, this one was pretty much in the books. However, Drew Pomeranz didn't have his best stuff today and the bullpen was unable to keep things relatively close, so chalk this one up as another one-sided thrashing.

Drew Pomeranz's Line: 4 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 3 K, 1 HR, 73 pitches (45 strikes)

Buster Posey was out of the Giants lineup on Friday, but he's the guy who really got to Pomeranz on Saturday. His single leading off the 2nd set up that mini-rally which was capped by two-out RBI singles from Joaquin Arias and Matt Cain (the 8-9 hitters). Posey then hit a two-run homer in the 3rd to cap the scoring against Pomeranz. Just kind of a blah outing that could have gone either way had he been allowed to go beyond 73 pitches.

Afterwards, Pomeranz was rightfully displeased with his fastball command. As we know, that's pretty much where his success begins and ends.

Josh Roenicke's Line: 2 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 43 pitches (23 strikes)

This pushed Roenicke's ERA from 2.21 to 2.65. That says a lot about how well he's pitched in 71 1/3 innings.

By the way, Rex Brothers would allowed the ninth and final run in the 8th. His up and down, mostly disappointing season continues.

Highlight of the Afternoon: Another first career home run for a Rockie. This time it's D.J. LeMahieu. Congrats to him!

Watch D.J. LeMahieu's first home run

With Dexter Fowler telling the Michael Phelps story (AGAIN) over the entire highlight. I think I've heard the story 12 times over the past two weeks.

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Rock Solid Recap: Rockies, Rutledge Double Up On Dodgers

Rockies 3, Dodgers 1 (boxscore)

Winning Player: Josh Rutledge

The Rockies pitched their way to a series victory and their first back-to-back wins over the same team since they swept the Houston Astros four straight back in May. However, the big story for Colorado continues to be the hot hitting of rookie Josh Rutledge, who collected his first four-hit game, including three doubles (to all three fields by the way) and all three Rockies RBIs.

It's early for Rutledge, obviously, and he appears to have a few detractors in the scouting world (see: Law, Keith), but his swing looks smooth and the sounds his bat makes are wonderful. The ball is jumping off his bat right now, even in Dodger Stadium at night. The last two doubles especially were smoked. He's no doubt feeling it and seeing it well.

Will there be rough days ahead?

Positively. It's the big leagues. But he seems to be handling the day-to-day adjustments well and hasn't given me a good reason yet to feel nervous about him becoming overmatched once pitchers make their next round of adjustments.

Again... early... things change quickly. But for now, just keep swinging, kid. Just keep swinging.

Watch Josh Rutledge's huge night

Turning Point: Rutledge's night would have been a waste if not for Eric Young Jr. again reaching base at will. After a three-hit, two-run night in the opener, Young followed with three more hits, a walk, and two more runs scored. That's what a difference maker does. His name in the lineup and his production has changed the entire series.

To repeat what I said last night about Young: Need more of this!

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Rock Solid Recap: White Impressive In Latest Return, Rutledge Remains Warm

Rockies 8, Cardinals 2 (boxscore)

Winning Player: Jordan Pacheco

Paycheck keeps on hitting and producing in the Rockies lineup, going 3-for-3 with a sac fly, two RBI and a run scored on the evening. His average sits at a pretty .307, and he also continues to show steady improvement defensively. He's a real nice guy to have around regardless of where you sit in the standings.

Tyler Colvin (two doubles, RBI), Josh Rutledge (another home run), Carlos Gonzalez (two hits, one run) and Todd Helton (three walks) also had some nights at the plate. It was honestly a good solid game all the way around for Colorado, so we'll definitely enjoy the treat.

Alex White's Line: 5 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 84 pitches (50 strikes)

White looked better than ever (which might not be saying much during his Rockies tenure) through five innings, but then impacted a wall head-on in the 6th. Jim Tracy gave him a chance to work out of it (going beyond the 75-pitch something or other) but White couldn't pull it off, leaving with two runs in and the bases loaded. However, Rex Brothers did get through the inning without further damage with a double play, keeping White's line very respectable and more importantly keeping the Rockies in the game.

Overall I'd call it an encouraging outing (especially considering the opponent), but we still need to see some consistency from White before getting too exciting. Unfortunately, though, I'm not sure the paired pitching system allows for said consistency.

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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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June Review and Player Rankings

June Record: 9-18

The Rockies followed up a 10-18 May with a 9-18 June. It's almost impossible to believe they finished April at a very respectable 11-11, isn't it?

Overall Record: 30-47

June Swing Games: 4-3

Wins (Games They Could Have Lost)

• June 3rd vs Los Angeles Dodgers (Read the Recap)
• June 15th @ Detroit (Read the Recap) 
• June 25th vs Washington (Read the Recap)
• June 28th vs Washington (Read the  Recap)

Losses (Game They Should Have Won)

• June 10th vs Los Angeles Angels (Read the Recrap)
• June 13th vs Oakland (Read the Recrap)
• June 20th @ Philadelphia (Read the Recrap) 

Again, the Rockies record in 50/50 swing games looks a lot better than their overall mark because a high percentage of their losses are games they're completely out of early due to the starting pitching.

Simply stated, this isn't your typical win 60, lose 60, how do they split up the other 42 games team. It's a win 50, lose 90, pray the offense keeps them from losing 100 team.

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Rock Solid Recrap: Blake Street Brutality

Diamondbacks 9, Rockies 7 (boxscore)

I had a bad feeling we'd be in store for a miserable game this afternoon while writing last night's all positive recap. Sure enough, that bad feeling played out before my eyes. Well, at least until I stabbed them with a fork during the top of the 8th inning.

What Went Wrong: I hope you have some time on your hands. 

Rockies pitching walked nine. Five of those came from starter Juan Nicasio, but only one of his scored. Josh Outman (1 walk) and Rex Brothers (2 walks), on the other hand, were not effective enough to overcome theirs, and while Matt Belisle's didn't score, it forced Jim Tracy's hand and made him use up Josh Roenicke for one batter to finish the 7th.

That's worth nothing because had the game gone extra innings, Colorado would have been out of pitchers.

I also didn't understand Jim Tracy's use of the double switch there since Roenicke didn't return for the 8th. He brought in Michael Cuddyer during that switch to replace Tyler Colvin in right, so I don't think he gained much of anything defensively (a better arm for less range). Of course this comes just two days after Tracy didn't use a double switch when he absolutely should have to avoid Josh Outman leading off an inning, so who knows what the hell kind of logic this guy is using. If any.

PS: The Rockies also ran out of position players forcing Alex White to pinch-hit with the bases loaded in the 9th. Not that the double switch made a difference in that happening. Jim would have found another way to kill his bench I'm sure. In fact, I'm pretty sure Jim would have gone through the whole 40-man roster today if that was available.

Anyway, back to the pitching. Walks are killer as we know. So are two-out runs. Today, the Diamondbacks scored all nine of their runs with two outs. And they all came in the final five innings.

Brutal.

Also brutal? How about Ramon Hernandez's final two at-bats.

In the 8th inning, Diamondbacks reliever David Hernandez had just walked Todd Helton and gone full with Jason Giambi (who singled to load the bases) when Ramon offered at the first pitch and popped out to shallow center. No advancement from the runners there.

Arizona's Hernandez would walk two more in the inning helping Colorado tie it, while further driving home my frustration with Ramon's AB.

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Rock Solid Recrap: Rockies Killer B's Kill Rockies

Pirates 5, Rockies 4 (boxscores)

This one stings... probably more than an April game in Pittsburgh should sting, but the Rockies had this one in their grasp for 90% of the evening and just couldn't finish it off. And coming in front of tomorrow's doubleheader, the sting only intensifies. As I said earlier today, it's difficult to sweep those things, so a series win just became increasingly less likely.

Not impossible, mind you, but less likely.

What Went Wrong:  Whenever there's a devastating late inning loss, you know the bullpen played a part in it somehow. It's unavoidable, and tonight's unfortunate goats were the recently struggling Rex Brothers (0 outs recorded, 2 runs, 1 smoked double, 1 blooped double and 1 walk in the 7th) and the usually reliable Matt Belisle (2/3 IP, 1 Clint Barmes home run, 1 painful error of his own leading to 1 unearned game-winning run in the 8th).

Each man was working with a one-run lead thanks to a Carlos Gonzalez two-run homer, so their margin for error was little. And as you can tell, neither had anything resembling their best stuff tonight, so both leads quickly vanished.

Thankfully, not a lot gets to Matt Belisle, so you can count on him to bounce back in his next outing. As for Brothers, it's been a struggle for the past 3-4 outings, so his immediate outlook is a little shakier.

Maybe a lesser role is in order until he can locate his filthy stuff again and gain back some confidence he's surely lost in his two most recent outings. The Rockies are absolutely going to need him, so he's not going anywhere. It doesn't matter how down on him fans are right now, he's the most talented arm they have in the bullpen and the most important. They need to get him on track.

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Rock Solid Recrap: Sundays are back in Colorado

Astros 3, Rockies 2 (boxscore) 

What Went Wrong: Same as last night. Same as practically every Sunday from the 2011 season. Colorado's offense mounted few relevant threats against Bud Norris and the Astros bullpen. They were awful with runners in scoring position — 0-for-5 (3-for-17 in the series). And they backed that up with defensive letdowns at the absolute worst possible time.

That's the formula we've grown accustomed to. That's the formula Dan O'Dowd desperately tried to destroy with his string of offseason changes. It's not off to a promising start.

Of course Jim Tracy is going to catch a lot of flack for his usual Sunday lineup antics. Understandably so. But I have to admit I understood his thinking today (scary I know) initially, and didn't hate it, either. Of course my 20/20 hindsight vision hates it now, but five hours ago I was willing to give him a pass.

Yes, it would be ideal to spread the off days out. (Hopefully he does from now on) But the opening weekend congest things a bit. I think Tracy wanted to show consistency starting the same lineup on both Friday and Saturday, which is fine. You're obviously not going to bench regulars in the home opener. And he didn't want those bench players — most of whom were swinging hot bats at the end of spring — sitting idle for an entire week.

It's a tough thing to balance. For all his faults, I won't go after him for his thought process or the actual lineup. His late game strategy is much easier for me to target.

He made the call to bring in Dexter Fowler for defense with a one run lead in the eighth. That was a good start. Colvin shifted to right, upgrading that position as well. Cuddyer moved to first leaving Todd Helton on the bench. That proved costly. But the biggest move was the one he didn't make, leaving Jordan Pacheco to man third while Chris Nelson stayed glued to the bench.

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Rock Solid Recap: Astros Giveth, Rockies Taketh

Rockies 5, Astros 3 (Boxscore)

Winning Player: One game in, one tough decision on who deserves to be the Rockies winning player. I thought Troy Tulowitzki had a terrific game with the early sac fly, a pair of defensive gems, and then the ninth inning home run — which you'll see later — that went over the train tracks and vacated Minute Maid Park all together.

Jeremy Guthrie had a very strong seven inning Rockies debut, and rightfully earned his National League victory.  Todd Helton and Michael Cuddyer were also important cogs with their two-out, opposite field run scoring hits in a pivotal third inning rally.

But my vote for the Rockies winning player goes to left-handed setup man Rex Brothers. After the Rockies took the lead in the top half, Brothers breezed through his first eighth inning appearance 1-2-3 with a pair of overpowering strikeouts and a weak groundout. That got the Rockies right back into the dugout feeling good, and then from there they added the insurance run that basically sealed the victory.

Many outings just like are sure to follow for young Mr. Brothers.

Turning Point: Jim Tracy's decision to pinch-run Eric Young Jr. for Ramon Hernandez after his eighth inning lead-off single paid off immediately with a stolen base. Of course, one minute later, it was on the verge of turning into a disaster when EY was caught in between second and third on a ball in the dirt that was blocked by Astros catcher Jason Castro.

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Spring Training Hits & Misses: Game 33 vs. Seattle

With the opening day roster set, there really isn't a need a for hits and misses this afternoon. Instead, we'll just looking at the guys who indeed "got their work in".

Juan Nicasio

4 1/3 IP, 4 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 3 K

This wasn't a pretty conclusion to Nicasio's spring, but aside from Drew Pomeranz he was the Rockies most consistent and impressive starting pitcher in Arizona. He'll start the Sunday game in Houston, and I'd be willing to bet someone's money that he'll be much better in that one.

Tyler Chatwood 

1 2/3 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, 2 K

This outing didn't exactly solidify Chatwood's somewhat surprising inclusion on the opening day roster. Like I said yesterday though, he'll likely be the first guy to go down, and he does provide value as a long reliever. That's ultra important over the first 10 days or so.

Bullpen 

Rafael Betancourt and Matt Belisle were on point with 1-2-3 innings today. Meanwhile, Rex Brothers allowed one hit but rallied to collect his second save of the spring. All three will be bringing their A games on Friday.

Offense 

Just about everyone provided a hit today. Even Dexter Fowler had an extra base hit. Jonathan Herrera had a double of his own and knocked in three. Michael Cuddyer (in his returned from being plunked by Yu Darvish) doubled, walked and scored twice. Contributions up and down the lineup. Good balance. Oh, and Seattle's five errors didn't hurt either.

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