Rock Solid Recrap: Too Much Stink, Not Enough Sink

And so it should end Aaron Cook's near eight year run in the Rockies rotation.

Say what you will about the Cook we're seeing implode before our very eyes in 2010, an eight year stay in any big league rotation is really damn impressive. Probably even more impressive in the Rockies rotation. It's just time to move on.

Actually, it was time to move on when Jorge De La Rosa was activated from the DL... but now it's REALLY time.

I don't buy that Cook is/was a luck pitcher. Sure he gets the ball put in play on him more than most, but his path to success is no different than any other starting pitcher. If he makes his pitches, he'll succeed. If he doesn't make his pitches, he'll fail. Sinker below the knees, he'll be fine. Sinkers and flat curveballs in the hitting zone, he'll get tattooed.

You don't sink (pun intended) to the level he's at now just because years of good luck are catching to you. You get to this point because you're not making pitches. Simple at that.

Cook In The Bullpen

Not sure this goes well assuming it happens. I guess we shouldn't assume anything with how this season is playing out.

To me it seems like Cook comes out that first inning struggling to find himself, his grip, his location. Sometimes he's too amped up and overthrowing. That doesn't translate to successful reliever -- long or short relief.

Giants 10, Rockies 0

Taylor Buchholz

Speaking of long relief. Not an awful job by Taylor Buchholz. Not a great job by any means, but I think Taylor's role needs to be that of a short reliever. One inning at a time. His starting and long relief days are long behind him -- and probably days he'd like to forget.

Manny Corpas

Bad Manny. He's starting to slip up again. Hard to blame overuse as an excuse now since his innings have been cut down recently, but that's still a TON of innings for a guy not used to the workload.

Offense

All this pitching talk kind of overshadows maybe the biggest problem.

No offense.

Three hits (tied for season low). Twelve strikesouts (par for the course).

Fattening up on the dumpster fire known as the Chicago Cubs bullpen may work for a weekend. It doesn't solve the problem though. At some point (like tomorrow) this team has to consistently hit MAJOR LEAGUE pitching.

Tomorrow

Ubaldo Jimenez. Madison Bumgarner. Seems winnable to me.

Rock Solid Recap: The Pitching Was Pretty Okay

All those situations the Rockies needed just ONE little hit. Five one run losses on the past road trip. Two frustrating losses at home to Pittsburgh. So many tough losses to bleh teams early in the season.

Ahhhhh.

ONE little hit in so many of those games could have given the Rockies a W.

Tonight, in a good they were likely going to win anyway, a ML record 11 hits in a row.

Ahhhhhh.

Oh well. That was still a lot of damn fun and pretty freakin' historical (and hysterical).

Rockies 17, Cubs 2

Guess what? I'm not going to talk about the offense anymore. That's all you're going to be reading about everywhere you go. No sense for me to beat it into the ground here.

Jeff Francis

Holy crap. Francis is getting some things figured out and is really gaining some confidence. These last two or three starts he has really started pounding the strike zone early in the AB, establishing some things, getting ahead in the count, and then he's dropping the hammer and finishing hitters with efficiency.

Hopefully the arm strength continues to build and we'll continue seeing impressive steps towards consistency. That's all we really ask from Jeff is consistency. Don't need dominance or ace like performances, just be a guy you can rely on to not blow up the bullpen every 5th day.

Matt Belisle

Filthy. Steady. Underappreciated.

Rafael Betancourt

Good Lord he was dealing. If Raffy had been healthy through spring training and not dealt with the flu during a portion of the mid-season, the Rockies would probably have 3-4 more wins. He's that important when he's on.

Taylor Buchholz

Kicking off a little rust each time out. Such a good, valuable arm to have waiting in the wings.

If the Rockies offense hadn't absolutely exploded tonight, they were in really good hands with this total team pitching effort. Very good and encouraging stuff all the way around.

Now... the important thing to remember is it is only one game. A damn good game. A damn important one to win. But still only one. Can't afford to come out tomorrow with a clunker and lose 3-2. That would totally wash this one away.

That pitching matcup tomorrow is Jason Hammel vs Tom Gorzelanny.

I like the Rockies chances again. Especially if they can knock Gorz out in the 5th or 6th frame.