Looking Ahead: Sink or Stink

Aaron Cook's second start of 2010 comes a week and about six hours after his first. That's worth noting because a rested arm is detrimental to the sinkerballer. Not only do the numbers bare that out (6.50 ERA in 21 starts with 6+ days rest), you can easily see it on the television when the overthrown sinker only has time to sink right into hitter's happy zone.

So the math here says: Second start of season + 7 days rest = Lots of arm strength.

I'm not predicting Cook will get shelled based on all of this, but I think the Mets are going to get pitches to hit early in the game. What they do with them is entirely up to them.

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Rock Solid Recap: All About Smith... And Don't Forget Smith

Rockies 11, Mets 3

Winning Player: Greg Smith

You can't really call him a kid, but you can definitely call him the man tonight. Greg Smith did it all. 7 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 8 K. That's just the pitching side. At the dish: 1-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI, R. Showed some nice wheels on the bases beating out a possible DP to get his second RBI. There's a lot to like about his athletic ability and all the ways he can help the team win games.

He gets paid to pitch though, and wow, like I've been saying all spring, the stuff he has in his arm is big league caliber. He can make good hitters look silly when he's confident and in rhythm. That's exactly what he was tonight.

For him to roll out there like he was tonight, getting into that seventh inning, has to make all of us feel better about where this team can go. So many of the top notch clubs are looking to to find a solid 4th or 5th. The Rockies have six if Francis is healthy. As it stands, they have five.

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Running Thoughts: Smith vs Maine

Carlos Gonzalez is out of the lineup but may be alright to pinch-hit.  Seth Smith starts and hits lead-off.  Miguel Olivo is back behind the plate, which means Chris Iannetta has played one time in the last 7 days.  Not going to lie, that's starting to piss me off.

Can't decide if I want to watch the Rockies feed or the Mets.  Probably end up going back and forth.

1st Pitch on its way.

1st Inning

• Jim Tracy grades his team at a C+ through the first week.  That's a + too generous in my opinion.  
• 22 pitch inning for Smith results in two strikeouts, a walk, but no damage.  Mets batters works some deep counts on him though, so that could factor in next time through the lineup.  
• Two out action for the Rockies: Helton singles on an 0-2 pitch, Tulo walks on four pitches, and Hawpe pulls his first pitch down the line for a 2-run double.  
• Rockies all now scored first in all seven games. Rockies 2, Mets 0

2nd Inning

• Brad Hawpe leaves the game with an undisclosed something or other.  Lovely.  
• Smith with a low pitch 1-2-3 second.  Nice shutdown inning.  
• It wasn't pretty but Greg Smith gets a bunt down.  Rockies 2nd and 3rd, 1 out here.  Top of the order.  
• Horrendous AB by Seth Smith.  Pops to short.  Fowler flies out weakly to center.
  

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Looking Ahead: Meet The Mets

For now, at least, they aren't a total mess.

Not that they're good either. I picked them 4th in the NL East, and they come to Denver after a 2-4 homestand that was capped with back-to-back ugly losses to Washington. Ick.

Aside from Carlos Beltran, Luis Castillo and Daniel Murphy, they appear to be as healthy as the Rockies have seen them in three years. Jose Reyes is back in there. Johan Santana is healthy, but we won't see him. And David Wright, who debuted his Marvin The Martian helmet last season in Denver, has completely shaken the cobwebs from Matt Cain's fastball.

They added Jason Bay, Jeff Francoeur, Mike Jacobs and held onto a guy the Rockies were very interested in this offseason in Fernando Tatis, so the offense will be capable of putting some hits together. And yes, stringing those hits together is important because there's not a whole lot of 1st-to-3rd athleticism amongst that group.

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Rock Solid Recap: Sluggish Series Victory

Rockies 4, Padres 2

Was it pretty?

Not at all.

Should we care it was ugly?

A little, but not too much.

Will we take it?

No question.

A week ago I would have said 4-2 would be a super way to start season. However, after seeing the action play out before me, I think we should be thrilled the Rockies are 3-3.

True a couple hits here or there could have put the Rockies at 4-2 or even 5-1, but without the solid pitching from Ubaldo Jimenez, it could have just as easily been 1-5.

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