Lineup Card: 9-13-11 Rockies @ Brewers

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RoxPile: Top 10 Rockies Pitching Performances of 2011

Lineups

Colorado Rockies (69-77)

1. CF Dexter Fowler
2. 2B Mark Ellis
3. RF Carlos Gonzalez
4. SS Troy Tulowitzki
5. 1B Todd Helton
6. LF Seth Smith
7. 3B Jordan Pacheco
8. C   Wilin Rosario
9. P   Esmil Rogers

After the Rockies played one of their best games in recent months without them in Sunday's win, Carlos Gonzalez, Troy Tulowitzki and Todd Helton are magically healed now.

Little worried about that job security fellas? Huh? Huh?

Milwaukee Brewers (86-62)

1. RF Corey Hart
2. CF Nyjer Morgan
3. LF Ryan Braun
4. 1B Prince Fielder
5. 2B Rickie Weeks
6. 3B Casey McGehee
7. SS Yuniesky Betancourt
8. C   Jonathan Lucroy
9. P   Zack Greinke

Did you know the Brewers have not lost a home game this season started by Zack Greinke? Will the Rockies be the team to break that streak? Will they? Not likely, but stayed anyway because it's a Tuesday and what else is there to do on a Tuesday?

Rock Solid Recap: Poised Pomeranz wins MLB debut

Alright, so maybe Alex White hasn't taken the Rocky Mountain region by storm yet, but I'd say Mr. Drew Pomeranz made enough of an impact in his debut to make us forget that for a few days. Pomeranz was absolutely sensational, controlling the game for all 63 of his pitches, and never finding himself in any real legitimate danger.

Rockies 4, Reds 1 (boxscore)

A man of few words, Todd Helton summed up Pomeranz's debut about as well I could in 500.... (via @TroyRenck on Twitter)

"A lot of poise. He had a presence"

Boy did he. In his five innings, Pomeranz walked two, but only allowed two hits. One of which was clean single up the middle, and the other deflecting off Kevin Kouzmanoff's glove. Honestly, when you look at the defensive alignment behind him -- no Tulo, no CarGo, no Helton, no Ellis -- the outing becomes even that more impressive.

And you know what makes it even better? The offense scraped together a couple runs, and Drew Pomeranz get the win!

The whole game was a lot of fun to watch, which is very rare for the 2011 Rockies. And I think we can apply the cliche that it's only going to get better when big #47 is on the hill.

How about this for a tag team. When Pomeranz got in range of his pitch limit in the 5th and had to tag out, it was Jason Hammel who got the call in the 'pen. All Hammel did was pitch the fingal four innings, allowing only a Joey Votto solo home run, to collect his third career save.

Gotta love September baseball.

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Rock Solid Recap: Too hot for television

You know, it's pretty much impossible to analyze games you can't see.

That was the case on Saturday, as the Rockies were outhomered by Cincinnati 5-4, but amazingly won the game...

Rockies 12, Reds 7 (boxscore)

Listen, all I can tell you is Alex White is struggling mightily to get his sinker down in the zone. It seemed like every home run Cincinnati hit, one of the radio guys described it as a pitch that flattened out belt high and screamed to be parked in the seats. These are professional hitters in the Reds lineup, so the results are not surprising.

Interestingly enough, for the first time since White debuted with the Rockies, we heard word (from Jim Armstrong on Twitter) about the finger injury that sidelined him for three months not being completely healthy. I don't know if that's true, if that's positive spin coming from somewhere, or even pure speculation, but a guy struggling with his grip would certainly have trouble getting his ball to move and locate correctly.

That said, if there is truth to that, then shut him down. What's the benefit to anyone to pitching a 22-year-old that's not healthy or ready? I don't get it.

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Lackluster Recrap: Fire and passion!

Reds 4, Rockies 1 (boxscore)

I guess this is the part where I express disappointment over the Rockies lack of fire and passion after manager Jim Tracy and superstar Carlos Gonzalez were ejected from the game.

Okay, yes, that's no good. But you see, when Carlos Gonzalez hits the bricks, and Troy Tulowitzki can't play with a sore hip, and Todd Helton's fresh off a back problem, and your team has no other consistent offensive threat to speak of, fire and passion have little to do with it.

And of course professional baseball players shouldn't need that type of motivation to come ready to play every night, and to sustain that focus and hunger for nine or more innings. But we already know that most of our Rockies don't possess those intangibles, traits, or basic human emotions. They're just content collecting paychecks and looking forward to wasting their next offseason.

Bleh.

This team just plain stinks.

And this game was just plain boring.

I'm going to bed before I fall asleep writing about it.

Lackluster Recrap: Solo home runs for the loss!

I think I've written this recrap a few times this season. You know, the one where the Rockies hit multiple home runs in a game - all of them solo - and lose.

Yeah, that one.

Diamondbacks 5, Rockies 3 (boxscore)

So guess what, I'm going to write positive things about the home runs since all three were all pretty significant for one reason or another, rather than focus on another meaningless result.

For Carlos Gonzalez, it was his 25th of the season. That's a nice, solid, round number.  (Watch)

For Kevin Millwood -- yes, that Kevin Millwood -- it was a rare pitcher home run. It was only the third of his career and his first since 2001. (Watch)

And for young Wilin Rosario, it was the milestone career home run No. 1. You've officially made it, kid. Congratulations! (Watch)

-- I'll tell you something I really like about Wilin Rosario. He comes across as a fearless, no nonsense type of player. I love that. So does Troy Tulowitzki, apparently. I like that as well. And the kid seems to have some personality, which I believe the Rockies sorely lack in the clubhouse.

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