After winning the first two games of the season with some slugging, Colorado has scored one, two, two, four, six, three, three, and zero runs over the next eight games. That’s only 21 runs in eight games. Pitching has bailed out the Rockies in four games where the offense ain’t. In the franchise’s history that would have spelled a 2-8 start. Instead they are 6-4 despite losing three of the last four games to our archrivals San Diego Padres and Dodgers. The last four games were especially embarrassing because all opposing pitchers were essentially spot starters not expected to go deep.
Colorado has a tall task tonight going against MadBum. Jon Gray will have to step up and outpitch him if the Rockies are to snap out of their funk. Part of the problem is CarGo and utility players that started are essentially automatic outs. That kills any offensive rhythm the Rockies are seeking. They are also waiting for Trevor Story to make some clutch hits. The rest of the series will have Tyler Anderson, Chatty, and Antonio Senzatela toeing the rubber. Senza has been the best starter of the rotation in the young season. Everyone else is having problems with command walking too many guys that come around to score. The silver lining is that the pitching staff leads the league in strikeouts which is unheard of.
Why is Cardullo on this team??? There has to be a better option than this guy. I haven’t seen one good swing from him all year long.
Welcome back ego! Injuries are the only reasons Cardullo and Adames/ Amarista are on the team.
Yes sir! I’ve been following you guys, just haven’t been commenting. Watching Cardullo has been driving me crazy. I get it’s a good story but he has no business being on a big league field. He’s an automatic out.
Now Jon Gray is falling apart hurting his big toe fielding the Baltimore chopper?
That’s what I don’t get about these athletes nowadays. Do you think Nolan Ryan or Randy Johnson or Roger Clemens would come out of the game because of a hurt toe? Hell no!!!
Rockies win! Wonder who is going to end up with most time at 1st.
The Rockies have a nice break regarding Gray. We finally have the off day Monday. Freeland can go Tuesday then we skip Gray. Continue with Anderson until Gray goes 2nd time around. We won’t need to put him on DL unless he needs more time in which case we can make DL retroactive to tonight.
Key point – DL is now only 10 days. With the off day and some minor rescheduling, we SHOULD put Gray on the DL to have another arm on the roster. Yet, Gray conceivably will only miss one start. From the moment I heard “10 day DL,” I loved it.
I believe Jairo Diaz has made 3 rehab appearances.
Hey, ego’s back! Speaking the uncomfortable truth again … Cardullo’s a great story and all that, but c’mon, he’s not a big leaguer. And someone needed to call Gray a wuss. By the way, what was that crap about Gray cutting off his hair? I thought he was going full military on us, and he cut off what … an inch or two? RMH, Carp – here comes Chad Qualls! I am glad to see that this version of the… Read more »
Ag, sorry but I have to ask you not to slam the haircutting without knowing the full story. He grew it out to the required length for donation to Locks of Love, which makes wigs for cancer patients.
…and clearly he prefers to keep some “long” hair over full military 😉
I’m going on the record as disagreeing (to an extent) regarding Cardullo. I think he’s potentially a very nice Major League utility player. Note – I’m not saying Hall of Famer or All Star…………I’m saying useful, cost-controlled reserve. Ag – you’re probably correct regarding Qualls. Diaz’s re-hab appearances really need to be controlled. You can’t do that at the Major League level. The move(s) are simple – DL Gray, Rusin makes Gray’s next start, call up Qualls. Re-examine in 10… Read more »
Nope we are better off skipping over Gray taking advantage of free days. Better than a spot starter. If Rusin is a starter, that’s bad news. He can only go two times through lineup placing undue burden on bullpen.
I was thinking along the lines of… should we have 9 bullpen arms if we put Gray on DL? Not too crazy to ask Marquez to come over and sit on the bench for five days missing his starts in AAA.
I hope we don’t wait for someone to come off the DL to send Cardullo to AAA. Cardullo had a long enough leash. Let’s try Denorfia if not Patterson.
The Rockies have 7 wins and 7 saves. I cannot remember any time in the past when the Rockies had 7 wins and 7 saves to start a season. Normally by now they would have scored enough runs in a game that there would not have been a save opportunity.
Gray placed on 10 day DL and Parra on paternity leave. Rusin goes to the rotation and Shane Carle called up along with Raimel Tapia. Once there is no longer a spot for Carle, he will be DFAed since he does not have any options left.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/04/rockies-place-jon-gray-on-10-day-dl.html
This will be Carle’s MLB debut, he has 3 options remaining.
My mistake, you are correct. I was going off the Roskies Roster site showing him with no options earlier this spring.
No worries Bob. The fact that he has 3 options is key to him being first chosen. We’ll see a parade of pitchers in the next 6-8 weeks.
Gray diagnosed with stress fracture.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/04/rockies-place-jon-gray-on-10-day-dl.html
Metatarsal stress fractures in big guys remind me of Sam Bowie. Gray will be handled with extreme care. This will be longer than 4 weeks.
It’s the alcohol talking but u can’t walk guys that come around to score. Anderson is an ultra specialist in giving up XBHs after walks.
Game over with Cueto on the hill and Rockies swinging at first pitches into outs . I can see Cueto throwing complete game shutout tonight.
Trivia question for you RMH – who was Cueto (and Edinson Volquez) once traded for? (an all-time great trade for both sides).
I was sort of excited to see Bud Black ejected last night. Here’s some trivia for you:
Walt Weiss wasn’t ejected a single time in 2013 (his first season as Manager)
Bobby Cox on the other hand was ejected 161 times in his career, 3.6% of the games he Managed!
I’ve been careful not to overreact to the injuries so far (Desmond? Reynolds is a perfectly decent fill in for 4-6 weeks. Dahl? Doesn’t appear to be anything serious). But losing Bettis had me very concerned. And now losing Gray? I think Carp is right that a stress fracture is going to mean more than 4 weeks, plus then a rehab period. Being down your new ace and probably your second best starter is pretty devastating and will have a… Read more »
I guess what I’m saying is this: time to hit the panic button! Rotation (for the next 6 weeks minimum) will be: Anderson-Chatwood-Senzatela-Freeland-Rusin/Lyles/Marquez/Hoffman. And right now that bench is pretty horrid. It happened yesterday: “pinch hitting for the Rockies, Christhian Adames.” (Strikeout). Not quite my Amarista nightmare, but the next best thing. Cardullo has no hits in 17 plate appearances. I’d say “small sample” except the larger sample – his minor league career – gives little encouragement. Denorfia will likely… Read more »
Big reason I went 81-81 on my 2017 prediction (made after Bettis’s cancer treatment diagnosis) was that we had 4 very young pitchers in the starting rotation. Two flat-out rookies (Senzatela and Freeland) and two more (Gray and Anderson) barely a year removed from that status. Of as you note – it’s now worse. Semi-recent history for the Rox and “innings eaters” pitchers has been HORRID. Guthrie. Kendricks. Moyer. Hale. With that in mind, I’m super reluctant to even bring… Read more »
We don’t want to panic and make a bad trade for a SPer….because a realistic expectation for 17 is a 500 Club. But….we don’t want to burn all the Options of the AAA guys we have either. Fister would be a simple FA sign. He’s probably been throwing.
Sorry – that’s the best I have.
Why don’t I like it? 🙂 Expound, please…
That was addressed to Agbayani, above…
Just kidding Roxnsox … I thought you might give me a hard time for suggesting that husbands can put their careers ahead of their families (and as you know, my comment wasn’t that but was about, umm, there’s a best time for everything ….)
Ha! That never occurred to me. (And I’d think you would be GLAD Parra had to go on leave :-))
That’s 13 games including today. I don’t think we’ve scored in the first inning in any game.
Wow! Just wow!
Agree Bob – just what the Doctor ordered!
There are more than a few Rockies fans breathing just a tad easier after that masterpiece! The Chatwood we always knew was in there (and have seen from time to time)! I hope he can continue in the role of dominant leader while we so greatly need him to do it. (I almost thought my no-no prediction was correct, but with the wrong pitcher:)
Rockies bullpen is currently the best in MLB. Harding says that Rusin will not be moving into the rotation but that it will be one of Hoffman, Marquez or Musgrave.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/04/rockies-notes-bullpen-rotation-dahl.html
If I’m looking at the schedule right, barring another injury or helped by a strategically placed rainout, we will get out of the month with just two spot starts on the 25th and 30th for Gray.
Bob K – check me please;
Hoffman – 3 options
Marquez – 2 options
Musgrave – 3 options
IMO – this will enter into the call-up equation during the next 6-8 weeks.
You are correct. one more thing that may enter into it is that Musgrave is not on the 40 man roster.
Yeah Bob – agree regarding Musgrave. I was mildly surprised his name was thrown out to begin with.
I think the only reason that Marquez got the first call up over Musgrave is because of the 40 man roster situation. As I recall, Musgrave pitched very well in spring training. he was still pitching on the MLB team long after Hoffman had been sent down.
Some optimism on a beautiful Easter Sunday in Colorado: I’ll admit it – Chatwood has always been one of my favorite Rockies. Two TJ surgeries and he battled all the way back from the 2nd. Not a big guy (neither am I) succeeding with a big fastball in world of giants. And I’ve always had a fascination with sinkerballers too – how do they consistently manage to make the best hitters in the world harmlessly put the bat on the… Read more »
“IF” Chatwood has a season like you describe, his Free Agency this next offseason will be fascinating. He could be one of the top SPers available and is still relatively young. But of course has had the two TJ surgeries. This will keep GMs tossing and turning at night. I’m guessing he’ll see some crazy, incentive laiden contract offers as well.
Or even incentive “laden.” The internal grammar police versus iphone autocorrect!
Our season long inability to put away pinch hitters continue. This time it may bite us today.
That is very impressive to win three out of four games in a 4-game series. Not only that they have done it twice but both on the road.
Bud Black said extremely early in Spring Training (like before the first ST game early…..that’s early!) that Senzatela was in the mix for a spot in the rotation. He said Senzatela had a mental toughness that he (BB) liked. Now….how the hell did BB know this? He was very prophetic….but seriously, how did he know this? Day off. Fresh Pen headed into a weird 2 game set in LA. The offense (minus Story) is beginning to look better. We’re getting… Read more »
I DID say I would be more optimistic this spring, but I still want to see some longevity before I really get excited. Not to be a downer, but it was just two years ago when we went into SF and came out with a sweep, putting our record at something like 8-1 if I recall. We then were swept in LA and then lost a couple more and we were suddenly back down to earth. I really thought we’d… Read more »
I heard announcers on any network talking about teams in driver’s seats for post season for several years. It was always those teams which had something like a 75-1 record when leading after the 7th or 8th inning.
Very small sample size so far this year but I’m feeling like we are one of those teams long at last. I’ve had enough punches in the gut watching grannies in the 9th flipping the tables on us.
Senzatela: I started saying “all he does is win” back when he was in Asheville. And John Sickels, one of the more stats-oriented so-called prospect gurus, always liked him better than the scout-heavy types did. Sickels had him as the #91 prospect overall in baseball last year before he went on the DL. So he keeps … winning at every level, even the big leagues now, even though everyone wonders how he can get by throwing 85% fastballs. That’s the… Read more »