Rock Solid Recrap: Bad Losses Piling Up

If the Rockies were an NCAA basketball team trying to get in the Big Dance, they would be firmly planted on the outside. They wouldn't even be on the bubble. Not when the number of terrible losses outnumber the quality wins by so much.

File tonight under the terrible loss column.

The team is going to play better as the seaon moves along. I truly believe the offense will improve and those badly needed clutch hits will start coming. I'm hopeful the pitching can continue being awesome.

The problem: You can't take back these losses to teams you have to beat. Once you lose to them it's on your record... and they're still going to be on your record when August and September come around.

Another problem: The three teams you're chasing -- San Diego, San Francisco and Los Angeles -- are all winning the games they should win. Help isn't coming from the outside. That means the Rockies have to start helping themselves more, and there's more pressure on them to win the majority of their games against those three teams.

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Lineup Card: Rockies vs. Astros 6-8-10

Strasburg Free Baseball tonight in Denver!

Thanks to fantastic pitching performances from Ubaldo Jimenez and Jason Hammel, the Rockies have a chance to reverse the three-game losing streak suffered last week.  In order for that to happen though, they'll need Jeff Francis to be better than he has been his last two outings.

Here's how they're lining up back behind Jeff.

Rockies Lineup (30-27)

• CF Gonzalez
• LF Smith
• SS Tulowitzki
• RF Hawpe
• C   Olivo
• 1B Helton
• 3B Mora
• 2B Barmes
• P   Francis

Two starts in a row for Mora.  The Rockies are saying there's a minor ankle issue with Ian Stewart.  Probably for the best right now anyway.  Mora is playing well, Stewart needed some time to clear his head.  

Astros Lineup (22-36)

• 2B Keppinger
• SS Manzella
• 1B Berkman
• LF Lee
• RF Pence
• 3B Feliz
• CF Michaels
• C   Cash
• P   Moehler

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Rock Solid Recap: I Prefer That Jason Hammel

Rockies 5, Astros 1

No mystery tonight...

Winning Player: Jason Hammel

I said something to this effect recently.

When Jason Hammel starts avoiding the disaster inning, he'll turn into one damn solid starter in a big league rotation.  

Seems Hammel has gotten, or is in the process of getting over that hump. A good indication of that was tonight's second inning.  The first two batters reached on infield singles. If anything is a recipe for disaster, it's making two solid pitches, forcing two weak swings, and getting no outs to show for it.

That didn't happen tonight.  Hammel got the 6-3 double play off the bat of Tommy Manzella, then struck out the pitcher to end the threat.  Hammel did a pretty good job of limiting his traffic from that point on, but the real key to his success was that great pitch when the situation called for a great pitch.  A hit allowed there and who knows which direction this game goes in.

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Lineup Card Rockies vs Astros 6-7-10

No cakewalks.  Houston is currently playing its best baseball of the season having won 5 of 6.  

Rockies Lineup (29-27)

• CF Gonzalez
• LF Spilborghs
• SS Tulowitzki
• RF Hawpe
• C   Olivo
• 1B Helton
• 3B Mora
• 2B Barmes
• P   Hammel

Astros Lineup (22-35)

• CF Bourn
• 2B Keppinger
• 1B Berkman
• LF Lee
• RF Pence
• 3B Feliz (Rockie killer)
• C  Quintero
• SS Manzella
• P   Rodriguez

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Pitch Count Concerns

Interesting question posed to me by David Martin from Rockies Review and Bleacher Report.  If for some reason you're not familiar with David, he's a fantastic writer and a passionate Rockies fan.  Check out his work.

I figured it would be easier to answer David's question with another quick post rather than a comment because it's a question many Rockies fans and baseball fans alike are pondering in regards to Ubaldo's pitch counts in 2010.  

My Opinion

It's definitely a concern.  It's a concern because Jim Tracy has shown a tendency to squeeze Jimenez until gets the last drop out of him.  That's a dangerous road to travel.  Knowing what I think I know about Jim, it's a road he'll continue on until it hits a dead end.

I don't fault Tracy for having that much confidence in Jimenez, but that's not what this is about.  We all have confidence in Ubaldo.  This is about knowing a manager can give his team the best chance to win a given game, while also protecting a gifted right arm and giving his team its best chance to win 2-3 months down the road.

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