Rock Solid Recap: Millwood continues to be real good

Let's just go ahead and pencil Kevin Millwood in as the Colorado Rockies opening day starter in 2012.

Yes?

Oh... no?

Well, alright, that may have been generous, but all of these reports and the speculation about the Rockies giving Millwood an invitation to spring training are underselling his performance just as much (if not more) than my opening sentence oversold it.

When you look around baseball and see the lack of depth in about 25 out of 30 rotations, assuming Millwood's arm doesn't fall off in his next couple starts, someone, or many someones, will be willing to guarantee him a spot on their 40-man roster. He's been that good for the Colorado Rockies since coming on board.

He's a veteran presence. His approach to the game is as impressive as I've seen from any Rockies starting pitcher. Think about it, the Rockies haven't had many pitchers in their lifetime that have established themselves in the game like Millwood, and have had success as long as Millwood has.

And how could they? Those pitchers aren't going to willingly come to Colorado, and no pitcher the Rockies develop is going to last that long in Denver. There's just no way. So this is something different and its something positive.

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Lackluster Recrap: Two too many outs at the plate

Well hello there 2011 season. Nice of you to backhand us across the face with another long, agonizing, but ultimately predictable night of baseball.

Did you ever really feel like the Colorado Rockies were going to win?

Of course you didn't. At least not after Mark Ellis was thrown out at the plate in the first inning trying to score from third on Troy Tulowitzki's groundball. Though I will say this... nine times out of ten the contract play is stupid and drives me crazy. This was actually the one time it doesn't, because with first and third and one out, you want that run across should the infielder attempt for the double play and fail.

All you essentially have to lose are 90 feet... at most.

But regardless of whether or not it's the right play or you like it, the ultimate result is Colorado wasting a scoring opportunity. Two innings later, Ellis would be out at the plate again trying to score on a wild pitch. Of course the game ends with the Rockies losing by one.

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Lineup Card: 9-13-11 Rockies @ Brewers

Links

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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