Rock Solid Recrap: I Preferred The 2007 Finish

You know, the season the Rockies WON 13 of their last 14. I liked that one

This losing 13 out of 14 stuff (I don't care about the circumstances) is no fun at all!

Cardinals 6, Rockies 1

Today was not a day about padding stats or even winning. Today was a day of opportunity.

-- Esmil Rogers was given an audition as a starter after a rough couple of weeks in the bullpen.

The final line wasn't exactly pretty or efficient (4 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 BB 2 K), but you can point directly at some more sloppy Rockies defense as the main culprit for that. And results aside, the minimal experience gained is more valuable to the Rockies than throwing Jeff Francis out there for another start.

-- Francis did work two innings of relief that were mostly unimpressive for him.

-- Jim Tracy wanted to give Mike McKenry a good opportunity to notch his first career hit today. Unfortunately, McKenry wore the golden sombrero (four strikeouts) in four at-bats.

-- Chris Nelson received the start at 2B. He want 1-for-3 with two errors in the field.

-- Clint Barmes returned from spending time with his ailing father and looked good at the plate with two hits, but booted a key grounder as SS.

-- Chris Iannetta got the start at 1B for Todd Helton. He did some nice things around the bag and with the glove, but would go 0-for-4 and see his season average finish at .197. This was a completely wasted season for Chris after getting the new contract. What his future holds in the organization is any one's guess.

-- Strong finish to the season for Dexter Fowler. I wish I could say that about more Rockies, but, as it is, it actually made Fowler's fantastic play stand out even more. Good for Dexter. I hope whatever confidence he has gained will carry over into the offseason, but I also hope he continues working hard in the offseason. This offense needs him to take a big step forward next year.

Well... that puts a wrap on the 2010 regular season. Heaven & Helton will continue covering Rockies news and things throughout the offseason, but there will be a slight hiatus as I will be contributing my playoffs thoughts and quips to Bugs & Cranks and Yahoo's Big League Stew.

Hopefully you'll follow me over there and check it out.

Only 178 days until Opening Day!

Rock Solid Recrap: No Way To Treat Your Ace

For the better part of ten weeks, Ubaldo Jimenez has learned what it's like to walk in the shoes of Felix Hernandez, Zack Greinke and Roy Oswalt as a member of the Astros.

It's not fun.

It's not fun because Ubaldo has given this team everything he could in 2010. Oh sure, there were a couple days when he needed the offense to get him off the hook and they obliged, but for every one of those, there were four that he deserved to win but the offense didn't support him.

So frustrating. No day more frustrating than today, though.

Cardinals 1, Rockies 0 (11) 

Ubaldo Jimenez has pitched some special games this season. The no-hitter, of course. How about that complete shutout on Memorial Day in San Francisco, out dueling Tim Lincecum. Heck, throwing two shutout innings in the all-star game is pretty bad ass, too.

Today's outing ranked right up there with all of those.

8 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 10 K

Studly.

But the frickin' Rockies offense couldn't even get him a single run to work with. Pathetic. Absolutely, positively pathetic. You're facing Kyle Lohse. Kyle Lohse. It would be harsh to say Kyle Lohse sucks, but it would be pretty honest and accurate.

To mount no offense against Lohse. To get shutout by Jake Westbrook. To only have one run through three games of this series. I'm sorry, you've embarrassed yourself and you've embarrassed your fans with that performance.

All of the Rockies problems were on full display today. Lacking of clutch hitting, sloppy defense, and Franklin Morales were chief among those problems, but it's not just those. The list is disturbingly long, and Dan O'Dowd will have his work cut out for him trying to piece this thing back together.

Too many questions. Too many guys took large steps backwards in their development. Too many guys lacking in physical and mental toughness. Not enough attention to detail and fundamentals.

It's ugly, and it's not easily fixable.

Tomorrow

The pain ends.

Esmil Rogers vs Jeff Suppan

Check out my Dear John Letter for Big League Stew

Rock Solid Recrap: Another Day, Another Clunker

Before I get worked up or start saying things about a completely meaningless and unimportant baseball game, I want to send along the very best wishes to Miguel Olivo.

That is one of the scariest things you'll see on a baseball field. One blow to the head is nothing to take lightly. Then you think back to the collision with Tulowitzki on Sunday and how Olivo needed a couple days to recover from that shot to the head. Two blows to the head (including one with a bat) in five days is something I would say is potentially serious.

Here's to hoping he'll be okay, that he's getting the best care (which I fully believe he is in St. Louis.), and that he'll make good decisions about his health now and in the future if this becomes a reoccurring issue for him.

Cardinals 3, Rockies 0

Thank goodness this thing ends on Sunday.

Seriously, if this season had another week or two left, I'd be concerned the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros would end up with a better record. This team has simply checked out.

I wish (for their sake) I could come up with an acceptable excuse for what we're seeing, but it's at the point now where I just shake my head in embarrassment.  Thankfully no one outside Colorado is paying attention anymore. If they were, I would have a difficult time trying to explain why this is happening.

Chris Carpenter shutting you down is one thing, even if you didn't exactly battle at the plate as I would expect you to, but following that up with this effort against Jake Westbrook is awful. Have some pride.

On a positive note: Jorge De La Rosa pitched well again. Dexter Fowler and Jonathan Herrera are still doing their thing. Annnnddddd... that's about it.

Tomorrow

Ubaldo Jimenez goes for #20 against Kyle Lohse.  

Remember folks, that's an early start for all of you in Colorado.  First pitch is 11:10.  

Rock Solid Recrap: Money & Time Well Saved

Cardinals 6, Rockies 1

I hate to say it, but I'm glad I didn't commit any time or money into making the drive to St. Louis this weekend.

It looks like all the Rockies were willing to invest was the time and energy it takes to get on the plane.  Anything beyond that is too much to ask at this point.  What a shame.  I thought this team had pride, but I think once you have to question a team's pride more than five times in a season, it's probably not there.

Some of the player's have it, don't get me wrong about that, but not nearly enough of them do to make the team competitive in the face of adversity.  Not enough pride, too much apathy.

As David Martin said in his recap, I hope they find enough motivation within themselves to at least help Ubaldo Jimenez out on Saturday.  That would give all of us something to feel good about as we head into what will be the most important winter of the Dan O'Dowd era.

I do need to acknowledge Dexter Fowler for notching 14 triples.  To me anything over 10 is astonishing, even playing in Coors Field, and especially when you spent a good month in the minors.  Great accomplishment for him.  Hopefully he comes back next year looking to use the gaps to his advantage again, and who knows, maybe 20 triples are within reach.

Also, nice work by Manny Delcarmen, Edgmer Escalona and Samuel Deduno out of the bullpen.  If the offense had actually decided to work some ABs and put a little pressure on Chris Carpenter, the door for a comeback would have been open thanks to their fine work.

Tomorrow

Jorge De La Rosa vs Jake Westbrook

Could this be Jorge's final start with the Rockies?  Only his agent knows.

Rock Solid Recrap: Going Out With A Thud

The Colorado Rockies decided to say good-bye to their home field and their fans with their worst home series of the season -- a sweep at the hands of their division rivals from Los Angeles.

Whatever.

Dodgers 7, Rockies 6 

This was another tough one to sit through as the Rockies did more to beat themselves than the Dodgers did to beat them. Oh sure, Matt Kemp provided the power that sent a Jhoulys Chacin pitch over the wall for a Grand Slam, but it was the Rockies sloppiness that made it possible.

And it's not just the sloppiness of the fielder in this case. Yes, that's a play Ian Stewart has to make every single time. But guess what? He didn't make it this time (and at the time there was no damage done). So now you have a young pitcher in a situation where he has to pick up a teammate. How does he react?

He walks Loney, which is sloppy on his part. I understand the frustration and refocus factors, but he has to make pitches there. He gave the AB completely away. He then allows the Grand Slam to Kemp. He just couldn't collect himself in time to stop the bleeding.

Like Esmil Rogers, you take the good with the bad with a young pitcher. Chacin has shown far more good than bad so far, but there are still significant hurdles for him to get over before you can truly feel good about him as your #2 starter, which is where Chacin is likely to be slotted next spring.

He'll get there eventually. I have no doubts at all about that.  I wouldn't even be surprised if he reached #1 status in the next 24 months, but there's a ways to go in many respects.

We all beg Dexter Fowler to hit more balls on the ground. Today. Dexter hit two on the ground about as hard as one can hit them, with nothing to show for either. Just stick with that approach, Dex, the hits will come. And maybe if you just hit them a little softer... or even bunt once.

That Tulo guy does alright though doesn't he? We saw the frustration shine through again at the end of last night's game, but he impressively shook it off to give his team a big game today. 4-for-4, a walk, and 4 runs scored. I think that's good enough.

Other positives: Ryan Spilborghs took advantage of his start as well with three hits and a couple RBI.

Franklin Morales, Manny Delcarmen, Edgmer Escalona and (the returning) Matt Daley each threw a scoreless inning of relief, which allowed the Rockies to crawl back into the game. Well done by those four.

Tomorrow

Jason Hammel vs Chris Carpenter

I can't wait to see what we'll get from the Rockies in St. Louis. If these last ten games are any indication, and I don't see any reason why they would not be, then you can probably feel free to plan something else with your time. Maybe get some yard work done or something, unless you really really really need one last baseball fix before it's gone.

PS: Wouldn't it be something if the Rockies did a reverse 2007? Loss 13 of their last 14 instead of winning that many. Could happen.

Rock Solid Recrap: Goodnight Everybody

Of course I'm not going anywhere, but the Rockies 2010 playoffs hopes were officially put to bed on Tuesday night.  

I've already said plenty about what I believe got to the Rockies to this point, so I'll spare you another rant by taking a quick look at tonight's proceedings before slipping into a temporary baseball depression.

Dodgers 9, Rockies 7

I told you we'd see a lot of Jim Tracy and Joe Torre tonight.

This could very well prove to be the final Jeff Francis start at Coors Field as a member of the Rockies.  If so, he'll be leaving Coors with an awful taste in his mouth.

Regardless of what happens (I have no idea how it will play out), Jeff has been through the ups and downs with us over the past few years, and he has earned my respect.  He suffered through a couple of those leaner years.  He was the starting pitcher in the Rockies first World Series game. Then the injuries overwhelmed him and left him a shell of the reliable starter he once was.

He was never a true ace type, but Jeff Francis at his peak behind Ubaldo Jimeenz and Jhoulys Chacin would have made the Rockies a really damn tough team to beat.  It would be a pipe dream to hope he could be that guy again.  It may even be far-fetched to say he'll register a 20+ start season again in his career.

I wish him all the best in whatever happens.  If he's back as a low-risk, high-reward guy next spring, I'll be pulling like hell for him to be healthy and be effective.

Tonight was a good night for Esmil Rogers (4 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 6 K) as he looks to regain some lost confidence.  Of course it would have been impossible to not take a step forward after his last two outings.  But still, you take the good with the bad with a young, developing arm.  Rogers will be a wild card heading into 2011.

Huston Street has been throwing with side pain.  I guess that explains why we didn't see him in some situations that made sense for him.

Chris Nelson's started quickly with a double, run and a fancy play at 2B.  The rest of his evening was very quiet.  We're all curious to see what he can offer over these last five games, but I hope he doesn't end up putting too much pressure on himself.

Good night at the plate for Dexter Fowler.  A mere double shy of the cycle.

Carlos Gonzalez, Todd Helton and Melvin Mora each contributed a pair of knocks.  No surprises there.

Tomorrow

Jhoulys Chacin vs Clayton Kershaw

The final home game of the season and the final start for Chacin.  I couldn't thing of a worse way to end the home schedule than being swept by LA.  That's a hideous thought.  Please don't let that happen!

Rock Solid Recrap: Dead Team Walking

The reality of the Rockies situation seems to have settled in on the players.  That said, I was at least expecting energy and urgency tonight as Ubaldo Jimenez went after win #20.  

Not to be.

Dodgers 3, Rockies 1

Ubaldo was fantastic.  Aside from a shaky first inning that saw him lacking in command and luck, he did everything he could to give the offense a chance.  All they needed was one good inning, one crooked number on the board.  Unfortunately, all they could muster was a Carlos Gonzalez solo HR into the center field forest.

Very disappointing.

But then you look at Roy Halladay out there for the Phillies taking matters into his own hands.  He pitched a complete shutout tonight to notch his 21st victory.  The win also clinched Philadelphia the National East title.  That just shows that there is still a wide gap between the tier Ubaldo stands on, and the tier reserved for Cy Young candidates.

The Offense

This was the third time the Rockies have seen Ted Lilly since August 19th.   He shut them out in LA on that date.  The Rockies came home to rough him up not long after.  Tonight looked exactly like the first time.

They had no answers whatsoever, and that's disturbing to me because like I said, they've seen him a lot in a short period of time.  I don't know that there's anything he was doing tonight that they didn't see the first two times, but they were never able to make adjustments.

I don't think you can put everything on the hitting coach, the hitters have to take their own mental notes and adjust on the fly, but it's maddening how lost the offense can look on any given night.

Maybe Don Baylor isn't as awful at his job as it sometimes appears, but maybe his message (whatever it is) isn't fitting this team either.  You can't overhaul the entire lineup, but I think the Rockies would be foolish to not consider a change at the hitting coach position.  And to be perfectly honest, his return would put a significant dent in my optimism for 2011.

Once-In-A- Season Events

I counted three of them tonight between the Rockies game and Monday Night Football.

1. Ryan Theriot walked on four pitches.
2. Robbie Gould missed a FG.
3. Franklin Morales received a standing ovation.  And it wasn't just because he was leaving.  He earned it.  

Tomorrow

Jeff Francis vs Hiroki Kuroda

Of course you know this means the offense will give Francis 7-8 runs of support.  Unfortunately, he'll probably need all of them.  Expect to see a lot of Jim Tracy and Joe Torre.

Rock Solid Recrap: That'll Just About Do It

Even though I have been bracing myself for this moment since the Pittsburgh/New York road trip, it is still difficult to admit the 2010 Rockies won't be getting over the hump.

See... I can't even spell out the proper words here. I guess I'll save those for when it's official.

I admire the heart this team has shown to rise from the dead on more than one occasion. I stand it awe of the other-worldly seasons turned it by our three legitimate superstars. At the same time, when I look at those two factors, it just makes everything all the more frustrating. The Rockies were better than the results will show.

This team wasn't missing much. I know a lot of folks look back at the trade deadline as a missed opportunity. Maybe it was, I can't say for sure. But I do believe they could have and should have won with the group they had.  It just never all came together for a prolonged period of time like we saw from May 28th until the end of last season.

Injuries, inconsistencies, lack of fundamentals (who saw that rundown today?), poor decision making in the dugout and on the bases, lack of urgency in the early months.

There were so many things this team did wrong, yet somehow they found themselves well over .500. Looking at the standings, I don't feel like the Giants or Padres stood in their way at all.  The only thing stopping the Rockies was themselves, and far too often they couldn't out of their own way.

Giants 4, Rockies 2 

Today was pretty simple, though. Matt Cain overwhelmed the Rockies from start to finish. He allowed an infield single to Jay Payton and a 2-run HR to Melvin Mora in the 8th inning. There was a walk and an error earlier, a Carlos Gonzalez single in the 9th, but the Rockies mounted no serious threat to even knock Cain from the game. It was complete and utter domination.

And it came at a time when his team absolutely needed it.

Jorge De La Rosa wasn't awful himself. He started slow, but bounced back to get the Rockies through six innings and within hopeful striking distance.

The decision on Jorge in the off season will be an interesting one. For the money he's likely to be demanding, I think I would rather have a guy that I know will be efficient. The five walks today are just not good enough. Though he has improved greatly from when he was acquired, I'm not sure Jorge can be the guy we saw late last season consistently.

What happens there will all depend on what he asks for and how the Rockies view him. But you already knew that, and I think we all already feel certain he'll price himself out of range.

I hear Cody Ross likes the city of Denver. You know, I kind of like Cody Ross, too. It doesn't matter which uniform he wears, he always has a monster game and series when he visits. He plays all three outfield position (though not always smoothly). I don't know, the Rockies could do worse for a platoon partner with Seth Smith should this be the off season Ryan Spilborghs is traded.

I have no knowledge that he will be traded. Just thinking out loud.

Tomorrow

Ubaldo Jimenez vs TBD

Ubaldo goes for his 20th win. That gives us all something to look forward to. Of course in the back of my mind I wonder if he does with number 20, will this be his final start of the season. I guess we'll know all the answers soon enough.

Rock Solid Recap: Satisfaction

To quote one of my favorite people on Twitter...

@Townie813 That is without question the most satisfying #Rockies victory of the season. For so damn many reasons.

Amen to that.

Rockies 10, Giants 9 (10) 

I have to start by giving Jason Hammel credit for attempting to pitch through his dead arm. It may not have been the smartest thing for him to do, or for the Rockies to allow him to do, but they almost had no choice in the matter. His performance was lacking, his guts were not.

The last 48+ hours have been a nightmare for Esmil Rogers. I don't know what has gone wrong there. It may be a confidence issue. Possibly a mechanical issue. Whatever the case, there's no reason to be concerned about his long-term outlook, but it doesn't look like he'll be a positive factor the final week. Disappointing, but understandable for a young guy.

Huston Street has been located. He was found alive and well in the Rockies bullpen tonight. He then went on to pitch two scoreless innings and found himself in the win column.

The Rockies offense was sensational tonight.

The usual suspects were involved...

• Troy Tulowitzki: 4 hits, 2 doubles, home run, 5 RBI, walk-off hit. (webgem)
• Carlos Gonzalez: 3 hits, 3 runs, scored the game-winner.  (webgem)

Had to squeeze those webgems in there somewhere.

And the veteran role players were involved as well...

• Jay Payton: 2 hits, triple, run 
• Melvin Mora: 2 hits, double, triple, 2 RBI.

In the span of four hitters in the 5th inning, those four men tripled, tripled, homered and then tripled, in four consecutive plate appearances. If anything deserves a "That Was Awesome" chant, that inning was it.

I even have praise for Jim Tracy tonight. Real praise, as I thought he managed almost every situation appropriately. Unfortunately he didn't get what he needed from Rogers again, but all the other buttons pushed made sense.

Now I have some fake praise. Warming up Franklin Morales in the bottom of 10th was his best strategic move of the season. Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki looked out there, saw that, and made damn sure we never saw an 11th inning. Excellent piece of managing right there.

Tomorrow

Jorge De La Rosa vs Matt Cain

The Rockies will attempt to keep their fading playoff hopes alive... or at the very least play a roll in keeping the Giants from getting there themselves. I'd much prefer the former, but would learn to savor the latter.

Rock Solid Recrap: Giants Play Better, Win

Amazing isn't it?

Tim Lincecum and the San Francisco Giants came into Coors Field, pitched nearly perfect baseball, and won a baseball game. Who would have thought the Rockies would allow such a thing to take place, especially with their season hanging by a thread.

Giants 2, Rockies 1

There's no sense talking about the big picture right now. Too depressing.  So let's look at some positives and negatives from this evening,

Positive: Jhoulys Chacin continues to prove himself. He's already on the cusp of top of the rotation status, and I think (hope) he will only get better as he develops better command and better pitch efficiency. When that happens, the Rockies 1-2 punch could rival any 1-2 combo in the league.

Negative: Chacin made one mistake tonight, which was sadly one more mistake than he could afford. Tim Lincecum was just better on the stage, and that's why he has two Cy Young Awards at home next to his other valuables.

Positive: No base running errors.

Negative: Only two base runners.

Positive: Jim Tracy managed a clean game.

Negative: Tim Lincecum and Brian Wilson were so good that it didn't matter.

Positive: Ian Stewart returned to the hot corner.

Negative: Only because Melvin Mora's pregame meal didn't agree with him.

Positive: Ummmmm... Matt Reynolds!

Negative: Huston Street received his 5th consecutive day off. And this rate we won't need him again until early July 2012.

Positive: From all accounts the fireworks show after the game was spectacular.

Negative: The in game show sucked.

Tomorrow

Jason Hammel vs Barry Zito

So I guess that means Zito will be the one mouthing "Bleeping juiced ball bullbleep" under his breathe when the Rockies mount an offensive rally. Looking forward to that.

Rock Solid Recrap: How Not To Manage A Must Win Game

This was awful. The way Jim Tracy handled the game tonight was embarrassing and bordering on asinine. You can't label a game a must win (which it was) and then turn around and manage like it's April 27th.

Why the hell are you saving Betancourt and Street and Belisle and Reynolds?

For what?

For when?

For who?

This was a game you absolutely had to have, and here are the arms our genius manager used.

• Franklin Morales 
• Esmil Rogers (he actually made sense in his role, but was left out there to die. No excuse for that.) 
• Manny Delcarmen 
• Joe Beimel 
• Octavio Dotel

Either that's a manager saying I don't believe my offense has what it takes to turn this game around, or he's just clueless. Either freaking way, he didn't give his team the very best chance to win a must win game tonight.

Inexcusable. Unconscionable. Downright hideous managing.

Diamondbacks 10, Rockies 9

Because guess what? His team had fight in them tonight. His team battled their asses off to turn an 8-2 game into one run, one swing from taking the lead game. Not just one swing, but on two separate occasions they were mere feet or inches from taking the lead.

Yeah, I know Jeff Francis didn't give the team as much as they needed. Yeah Rogers didn't pitch well. The entire team obviously needed to play better tonight, the entire series, and at various points throughout the season, but if Tracy had just used the best arms he had available to keep the game from snowballing in the 6th-8th innings, the results could have been so much different.

He failed at his job. Miserably. No excuse.

He failed his players. He failed the organization. He failed the city of Denver and the state of Colorado. And above all he failed the diehard Rockies fans.

His legacy in Colorado will not be all the "Tracy is My Homeboy" nonsense that followed 2009. He was merely along for that ride just like the rest of us were.

His legacy now is how he unsuccessfully managed arguably the most talented roster in the NL (for sure the division) into a longshot playoff hopeful.  A no doubt 95 win caliber team is very unlikely to even reach 90.

This tweet by Joe Sheehan last night will be forever remembered by me because it tells the story so well.

@joe_sheehan There's an alternate universe in which Jim Tracy retired before the season, the Rockies hired [anyone else] and went 98-64. #rockies

Of course now they will sweep the Giants and the Padres will manage to lose two of three over the weekend to make the final week interesting again. But even then it won't matter because as much heart as this Rockies team has -- and they DO have heart -- they don't have a brain in the dugout.

If they only had a brain.

Rock Solid Recrap: Snakes Make Awful Pets

Because there's always a chance they will jump up and bite you on the ass if you're not paying attention.

D-Backs 3, Rockies 1

For about 7 innings on Tuesday night, the Rockies looked like a team that wasn't paying attention.

It looked like the team we saw far too often during the every month not named September.

The urgency appeared to be missing. The confidence we saw in LA Friday and Saturday was definitely missing. Plate discipline never made an appearance. That surely wasn't aided by an inconsistent strike zone, but that's also a hat tip to Joe Saunders for being around the plate all night.

The only thing that wasn't missing was bad Rockies base running. But that's only because they didn't have actual base runners very often.

So yeah... bad night at the yard. Bad night at the yard in Arizona. Bad results from all over the baseball world unless you're still holding on to Wild Card hopes. Bad Bad Bad.

I did like what I saw from Jorge De La Rosa though. He did his job. He kept a good offense down. He chewed up seven innings. He deserved a much better result in terms of the W, but overall everyone should be thrilled with his performance.

Generally when a pitcher only makes two mistakes in seven innings (like DLR tonight) things will work out, but that's not so much the case when the mistakes come on back-to-back hitters and your offense never shows up to support you.

And that really wraps up tonight's game. I could go in depth on specific ABs and openly ask why Dexter Fowler continues to put bad swings on pitcher's pitches in hitter's counts, but it's late and I don't want to throw another pen behind my desk. I'll just leave it alone and look ahead to...

Tomorrow

Ubaldo Jimenez vs Rodrigo Lopez

The term "must win" seems to be fitting in this spot.

Rock Solid Recrap: Can't Get Over The Hump

The Rockies had an opportunity to apply more pressure to one NL West leader, while pulling even with another.

Unfortunately they allowed what should have been a commanding 6-1 lead in the early innings deteriorate into a devastating 11 inning loss.

Dodgers 7, Rockies 6 (11)

The Rockies did what I figured there were due to do to Clayton Kershaw. As great as Kershaw has been, he will always mix an erratic start in there every 3-4 weeks. It just hadn't happened in the Rockies favor yet... until today.

They took advantage early.

Three runs in the first. Three runs in the second.

Then they stopped taking advantage.

And then they basically called it a day at the bat rack.

It would have been nice if they had continued applying pressure because Jason Hammel looked like a tired man on the mound. Actually, aside from Jhoulys Chacin yesterday, the entire rotation has looked shaky at best this week. Even Ubaldo was battling for every last out.

Looking at this objectively, I have to tell you I'm very concerned that all of these of high stress innings and pitches over the past three weeks will catch up and play a major role in these last two weeks. There's almost no way around it. These guys are human out there and the mental and physical stress of having every pitch under the microscope is taxing.

So now you have to wonder where will the innings come from if Hammel is tired. If Francis isn't effective. If Ubaldo is wearing down. It's a dicey situation, and it won't get any easier against a D-Backs lineup that is dangerous.

On the bullpen. I felt like they did a solid enough job and Tracy did an okay job piecing it together. Unfortunately, the Rockies two best relievers were each touched for a run, which left him with nothing to choose from in the extra frames.

And yes, that's correct, Matt Belisle and Huston Street each allowed one run today. But guess which one will get raked over the coals?

I'm not saying Matt Belisle should, or Huston Street shouldn't, but it can't be one and not the other. Sorry.

There were other things in extra innings that were frustrating. Jim Tracy not sac bunting with EY is among the dumber things you'll see. Tie game, on the road, you play for a run. It's that simple. Bunt EY. Maybe he beats it out anyway and you have two runners on. Do something to increase your chances to take a lead.

And then there was the blown call at first base.

Yeah, it undeniably cost the Rockies the game in that half inning, but the game should have never gotten to that point. An umpire should never blow a call that easy, but good teams should never blow 6-1 leads to teams that quit weeks ago.

Beyond that, I didn't have a lot of faith in the offense scratching out another run, so I honestly don't feel IT cost the Rockies the game. I feel like the Rockies did it to themselves, and that their inevitable demise happened a little sooner than it was supposed to happen.

Tomorrow

The Rockies have an off day to travel and sort out a game plan for the final 13 games.

The rest of us will attempt to go through our usual Monday routines while anticipating Tuesday night's first pitch.

You thought the nine day wait for the World Series was excruciating? I got a feeling these next 48 hours will make those nine days feel like the best 10-15 minutes you've ever had in your life. Maybe knock that down to five minutes for the ladies out there.

Rock Solid Recap: Without Visual Aids

I saw nothing of today's Rockies game. 

You didn't either.

It sucked.

But given the results, I wouldn't change a thing!

Rockies 12, Dodgers 2

I can't wait to see where Troy Tulowitzki's two home runs landed. Yes, the big man launched two more this afternoon off of Dodgers starter John Ely. That raised Troy September numbers from ridiculous to other worldly. Hell, just in his last three games he has totaled 5 homers and 13 RBI.

That sick enough for you?

If not, just imagine how the numbers would have looked had he connected with the bases loaded in the 8th inning. Oh well, can't hit'em all out. And that's okay when you have Todd Helton and Melvin Mora (4 hits, 5 RBI) behind you cleaning up.

Jhoulys Chacin threw a career high eight innings today. All eight of them were goose eggs. He did only strike out two while allowing nine hits, but again, goose eggs in the run column. Well done by the ace-in-training.

Well, without having seen the game I can't go into too much more detail about things I liked. I do like looking at the boxscore and seeing two walks next to CarGo's name though. Especially now that Tulo is hitting everything in sight out of sight.

Hell yeah CarGo, if they aren't challenging you, let the big man do his thing. Your runs scored will start adding as quickly your RBI total.

Tomorrow

Jason Hammel vs Clayton Kershaw

Rockies are long overdue to knock Kershaw upside the head. Yeah, he's currently pitching maybe the best he ever has in his career, but the Rockies have seen him so much it only seems logical that they would figure something out and put a few dents in his ERA.

That, or Jason Hammel pitches the game of his life. I would accept either or both.

Rock Solid Recap: Talent & Guts

The Rockies have both in abundance.

They just have to make sure they back those up with intelligence. They have to play smart, or those traits will be offset.

Tonight the Rockies came dangerously close to allowing something silly to wipe away all the good they had done in other portions of the game. A key base running error by Eric Young stands out. Jim Tracy pushing Ubaldo Jimenez seemingly past his limits would be another.

These are the type of things that have cost the Rockies several winnable games in 2010, but thankfully they ran into a Dodgers team that needs a lot more help than the Rockies were willing to give.

Rockies 7, Dodgers 5

@RockiesReview Honestly, I hate when Ubaldo pitches. I get so nervous. He's the best the #Rockies have, but I feel like getting wins is crucial with him.

Tonight was as nerve-wracking as it gets. Ubaldo didn't have anything close to his best stuff again. But somehow, some way, with his back against the wall, and with his intestinal fortitude being continuously challenged by a very loyal and trusting manager, Ubaldo Jimenez found a way to get six more outs than I honestly believed he had in him.

If Tracy had pulled him in the 5th, I wouldn't have complained. In the 6th, wouldn't have complained again. Especially since Tracy allowed him bat with two on and two outs in that inning. I don't like giving away scoring chances. Not on the road. And especially not when the pitcher you're allowing to bat for himself is battling for every pitch.

It worked out in the end. It worked out because Ubaldo Jimenez has talent and guts.

Does any one professional baseball player symbolize talent and guts better than Todd Helton? (Highlight)

He's not the baseball player he used to be, but he's still the man he always was. You just can't write him off. The second anyone tries to, he fires back. The second Mark Kiszla writes nonsense about him, he collects three or four hits.

He's a winner. He knows how close this team is to getting over the hump. If there's even just an ounce of gas left in his tank (I assure there's more than that), you can bet he's going to get the most out of it, because he knows how much his team needs it.

If I had to single out one more player tonight not named Troy Tulowitzki (Highlight), I would think long and hard about selecting Melvin Mora (Highlight), but in the end would have to select Matt Belisle.

What onions it takes to come in to a bases loaded situation to face two hitters that have taken you deep in that situation before, and to retire each without any damage being done.

The Rockies owe so much of where they currently sit to Matt. They simply wouldn't be here without him. That's not hyperbole, that's fact. He has been the glue that has held everything together, when it so easily could have fallen at any point during the last three months.

Dump truck.

Tomorrow

Jhoulys Chacin vs John Ely

I'll just say this...

The Dodgers showed tonight that they need a lot of things to go their way just to compete. Show up tomorrow and give them nothing.

Rock Solid Recap: Alive And Well Enough

Thanks largely to Troy Tulowitzki.

(RBI Single) (Home Run #1) (Home Run #2)

Troy Tulowitzki is a strong man. Strong enough to put the entire Rockies franchise on his back and carry them towards the finish line.

The numbers are sick.

10 HRs in 13 games. The franchise record for a single month is 12. He already has 11 in September... and there are still 13 games left in the month. 27 RBI in his last 15 games.

He is not of this planet right now. Maybe he never was, but he certainly isn't now.

Oh, and yeah, he's still the best defensive shortstop in the National League.

Rockies 9, Padres 6 

As seen in the highlights above, Tulo did the bulk of the heavy lifting this afternoon. He did have some assistance though.

Jorge De La Rosa saw his value rise one more time with 7 1/3 innings of what ended up being five run baseball. (Joe Beimel served up a three-run to Adrian Gonzalez that inflated DLR's solid line.) Just getting into the 8th inning after this recent string of poor starting pitching was a major relief for Jim Tracy and his taxed bullpen. So statline aside, DLR was a winner in my eyes just based on that.

He was also rewarded with a stat W as Huston Street closed the door in the 9th.

You know what Carlos Gonzalez did today?

He broke another bat. He collected a couple knocks. He drove in two more runs (106). And he also scored a pair of runs.

But you already knew all that was going to happen before the game started.

Something I didn't know was going to happen? Jay Payton going 3-for-4. With Troy Tulowitzki cleaning up everything in front of him, and Miguel Olivo doing nothing behind, Payton didn't score or drive in a run, but THREE hits. Awesome story. And hey, good gut feeling by Jim Tracy to put him in the lineup today.

But then with Jonathan Herrera, we can't give Jim Tracy credit for playing a gut feeling, Instead we can openly question why Herrera doesn't play more. Many fans have been clamoring for just that, and Johnny didn't disappoint us today. Three hits (two singles, double), two runs scored and competent defense at the hot corner.

A professional pain in the ass offensively that can be play three infield positions. Yeah... no value in that guy.

Tomorrow

Day off! I'm taking it right along with them! We'll chat at you folks again on Friday night.

Rock Solid Recrap: Needle Creeping Towards E

You know that knockout punch I was telling you the Rockies needed to avoid after the Philadelphia game two weeks ago? The Rockies have done everything in their power to avoid that punch. In the process, and you could clearly see this during the early innings of the last two games, the team has worn down.

You're not seeing that crispness in the field. The starting pitching is completely non-existent. That leads to a completely blown up bullpen. The offense hasn't hit the ground running in the early innings. It's a tired baseball team.

This is why my optimism was low two weeks ago. I realized the effort it was going to take to pull this off was going to be difficult to maintain. That's not to say they can't rebound tomorrow, or maybe on Friday after an off day, but the position they put themselves in with all those careless losses to bad teams is why we're seeing what we're seeing right now.

That makes it all the more frustrating and disappointing.

You also have to give credit where credit is due with San Diego. They did nothing but win from April through mid-August. They put themselves in a position where they could afford a slip up because they played with an urgency from day one. Now that they have survived their bad stretch, they look like a reborn and refreshed squad that smells the kill.

Padres 7, Rockies 6

And despite everything, when push came to shove tonight, the Padres were only one run better. One run is plenty, but it just shows that the Rockies pure talent advantage would overwhelm them (the 11-4 record vs. San Diego this season before this series back this up) if the Rockies weren't running on fumes.

I also have to say Bud Black has managed a wonderful series. Brilliant even. Oscar Salazar in the 9th inning last night. Matt Stairs in the 8th tonight. Finding ways to maximize his limited bench options while setting up his world class bullpen for success.

There's nothing more you can ask of your manager. If the season ended today, he would have my Manager of the Year vote. And yes, that is based strongly just on these two games.

On the other side, Jim Tracy's bullpen options are pretty limited due to the fatigue factor, but there really is no excuse leaving Huston Street in the pen the last two nights while Franklin Morales and Edgmer Escalona allow critical insurance runs to be scored.

It's not an ideal time to use your closer, but the whole damn scenario isn't ideal. You have to adjust and give your team its best chance to survive. That was not accomplished in either situation.

The placement of his pinch hitters in the 9th inning wasn't something I completely disagreed with or thought was wrong, I just thought it was a little bizarre. Payton for Olivo? It worked there, yes, but did it work in the big picture? Would Payton have been more effective hitting for Young, or maybe even Herrera hitting for Young.

It's tough to be overly harsh of that, but there were certainly other ways to go about it.  And really this game boils down to not getting anything from Jason Hammel.  That's the first place you have to look.  

Tomorrow

Jorge De La Rosa vs.Clayton Richard

I swear Richard has pitched the final game of every Rockies/Padres series this season.

Survival mode: On

Rock Solid Recrap: We Miss Cook

You don't have to like saying or hearing that, but it's true. The Rockies miss Aaron Cook.

And sadly, they will continue missing him for as long as they are fortunate enough to be playing in 2010.

That's not to say he was going to be a dominating pitcher down the stretch, but you can bet he was going to give you innings. Solid innings. Keeps you in the game innings. Doesn't look like we'll be able to count on that from Jeff Francis.

Now the question is: How do the Rockies piece together their #5 spot in the rotation?

I mean I'm sure Francis will get another start, and I'm sure his pitch count will be higher, but what if he can't be effective? What kind of plan will the Rockies have in place to combat that? They almost have to plan ahead, because you can't afford something like tonight where you're forcing Esmil Rogers to throw multiple innings on consecutive days.

That's just a brutal, bad, uncomfortable position to be in, so I'll be curious to see how things unfold over the weekend.

Padres 6, Rockies 4 

This one is very simple to break down.

The San Diego Padres played nine innings of really good defense. They combined that with just enough timely hitting. Their manager had a solid game using his bullpen, pinch-hitters and defensive replacements. They played as close to a perfect game as their capability allows.

The Rockies didn't.

The first 4 1/2 innings for the Rockies were brutal. It started with Francis not being efficient or effective. The offense was sleep-walking. Defensively there was sloppiness all over the field. It dug them a hole they just couldn't climb out of in this particular game.

It was bound to happen eventually. Unfortunate it had to come against the Pads, but all you can do it show up again tomorrow and make San Diego be the better team.  I don't think they are if the Rockies play even a little better than the average baseball we saw tonight.

Tomorrow

Jason Hammel vs Jon Garland

Rock Solid Recap: A Good Enough 10

I'm sure you'll read a number of "Perfect 10" headlines tonight and tomorrow. I would rather avoid such a cliched headline in favor of a more honest one.

Perfect? No.

Good enough? Times 10.

As Joey Nowak tweeted...

It’s the September #Rockies version of Murphy’s Law: Anything that can go right, will go right. Ten times in a row.

Rockies 4, Diamondbacks 2

Jason Giambi (Highlight)

Unreal. He wasn't the most popular Rockie on this blog or anywhere around Denver the first portion of the season, but as we get deeper into this playoff chase, he shows his worth as an aging source of instant power and late inning production.

Whatever you're paying him... it all becomes worth it when he wins you not one, but two baseball games with walk-off home runs.

Jonathan Herrera

Alright... so he needed a Kelly Johnson error to reach base in the 9th inning. But the bottom line? He reached base in the 9th inning and ultimately scored the winning run. He's always in the middle of something good. That's what happens when you understand your limitations and just put baseballs in play.

Jhoulys Chacin & Esmil Rogers (Highlight)

Definitely a bump in Chacin's road to pitching stardom. He will get there, but we can clearly see what is holding him back right now. Command and efficiency. But it's nice to have another young, talented arm like Esmil Rogers ready to back him up. His two innings were the key to the Rockies stealing the win.

Rest of the Pen

Joe Beimel, Matt Belisle, Rafael Betancourt and Huston Street = Splendid!

The Spilly Double (Highlight)

THAT right there is why Coors Field has high scoring games. All of these uninformed and whining writers/fans/players/windbag announcers for other teams need to learn that the humidor does what it's designed to do. It hasn't faltered once since it was put into service. What hasn't changed and what might never change (leaving open the possibility they move the fences in someday) is how large the outfield is.

Baseballs are going to drop in that you won't see at any other stadium. That's what adds up to more runs. Has nothing to do with the baseball itself. Please take the time to learn this!

The Crowd

Awesome.  You folks who were out there today were absolutely awesome.  Love that and I definitely appreciate that!  

Tomorrow

The San Diego Padres visit Coors Field. The same Padres that had about a touchdown lead on the entire NL West two weeks ago come in now tied for first, with another hungry and red hot squad right on their tails.

Wonder who that team is?

Jeff Francis vs Cory Luebke

Rock Solid Recap: That'll Do

This isn't the BCS.

Style points aren't necessary here.

Who you beat, how you beat'em, where you beat'em and why you beat'em don't mean a damn thing.

Win a baseball game.

The Colorado have won nine of them... in a row.

All fun has broken loose in Denver.

Rockies 2, D-Backs 1

Tonight's game was a perfect illustration of just how focused, confident, and red hot the Colorado Rockies are as we head towards September 12th. These are the games the Rockies were allowing to get away for the first five months of the season. The ones we said we'd look back at in frustration if this season didn't improve.

Well, it has improved, but we still run the risk of having those games bite us in the ass. That is why not allowing this one to get away was ultra important. That counts double when it's Ubaldo Jimenez on the mound.

It was an odd night for Ubaldo. He really never seemed to find a comfort level or real rhythm out there. The command was off. The efficiency was less than desirable. But in the end, the results were solid enough to keep his struggling offense in the baseball game.

Yes, I said struggling offense. Yes, Ubaldo was outpitched by Rodrigo Lopez. Yes, it doesn't matter, because the Rockies found a way to win.

It came down to four really productive at-bats in the bottom of the 7th

1. Melvin Mora pulled a single to left on an 0-1 pitch. 
2. Ryan Spilborghs drove a 1-0 pitch to the oppo gap for a double. 2nd and 3rd one out. 
3. Miguel Olivo broke the ice for Colorado with a first pitch RBI single through the left field. 
4. And then the AB of the game from Jonathan Herrera. A sacrifice fly to deep center on a 1-2 pitch.

Again, what Jonathan Herrera gives the Rockies simply can't be measured in stats and charts. I spoke of style points at the top. There are no style points with Johnny. All he does is produce, make his team better, and give them a better chance to win baseball games by simply doing what's asked of him and understanding his role.

Yeah, you need your CarGo's and Tulo's and Helton's to have success. But what separates winning teams from losing teams are guys like Johnny.

Really all four guys involved in that inning (Herrera, Spilborghs, Mora and Olvio) fit the mold of role players who make the team better by understanding their role and excelling at them. Really is a nice mix of guys that all fit together perfectly after the release of Brad Hawpe.

Funny how that works sometimes.

Tomorrow

Jhoulys Chacin vs Ian Kennedy

Time to go 1-0 and see where the chips fall by Sunday night. Gotta like your chances with Mr. Chacin taking the hill.