A bumbling Rockies offense output today was enough to a 4-1 victory over the doormat Miami Marlins. Chuck_Nazty started the game with a solo blast after a lengthy battle at the plate. Tulo’s walk preceded a two-run blast by Vacuum to help Colorado jump ahead 3-0 before Jorge De La Rosa threw the first pitch.
Thereafter, it was a boring game and the Rockies returned to their ineptitude ways on the offensive side. The only threat came in the seventh inning when Colorado had the bases loaded on a Nick Hundley walk, a Brandon Barnes’ single, and intentional walk to Chuck_Nazty with one out. Only one run came out of it when Deej beat out the double play ball to score Hundley. Miami answered with a run in the bottom of the inning due to a lot of luck. Two potential double play grounders were too soft to turn two and a third ground ball hit by Dee Gordon was so soft that Deej had to eat it without a play at neither second or first. But DLR completed the inning by getting Donovan Solano to ground out.
Walt Weiss must have read RWO articles on how to pitch the eighth inning by starting off with Boone Logan in a LOOGY situation. One out. WW went back out to take the ball from Logan and give it to Thomas Kahnle. He wanted a 96-97 MPH man, hence the reason for Kahnle. He did well to get the ball to John Axford. Giancarlo Stanton had a shattered bat single, but got Marcell Ozuna swinging and pinch hitter Justin Bour on a rollover to first base. John Axford came on for the save opportunity and dusted off the Marlins by striking out the side despite issuing lead off walk.
De La Rosa became the franchise leader with his 73rd victory in a Rocky uniform passing Aaron Cook. Despite issuing four walks and working around Vacuum’s two errors, he allowed only four hits and one run over seven workmanlike innings. He also kept Stanton under wraps today. DLR has a 2.56 ERA with a .173 batting average against over his last five games. We won’t see another two-error game by Vacuum for a long time. Axford is a perfect 12 for 12 in save opportunities while building his case to be in the All-Star game.
On to Houston for two games before returning home for two more against the Astros. Colorado remains in the basement and plan to remain there for the rest of the season. When will the management come to their senses and participate in a seller’s market and start evaluating the future players?
I hope we (and others) got through to Walt! Astros home-and-away 4 game set: while I never hope for the Rockies to lose (really, never!), if there’s such a thing as a productive series loss (or heaven forbid, sweep) it would be this 4 gamer. Why? Well, it would create a sharp contrast between the Rockies approach – basically stand pat, add and subtract a role player every year, wait for the planets to align and be competitive, doing the… Read more »
Ag – the Astros were in a worse place than the Rox I think. I’m amazed they rebuilt so quickly. It all started when Drayton McClane sold the Club in 2011 (late 2011). There was a time when McClane was an OK Owner, but he had grown old and out-of-touch. Totally ineffective. Just over 3 full seasons later, they’re back…..and it’s legit. You’re 100% correct. They are THE example to Rox fans that don’t want their favorite player traded and… Read more »
At & SD,
When the Astros decided to go nuclear, they went outside the organization and hired Jeff Luhnow, a guy with a track record in a winning organization. If the Rox ever decide to blow things up, what decision maker with the Rockies has any sort of a winning pedigree on their resume’?
Bud Black dismissed. Pick up the phone Mr. Bridich. Bud Black understands bullpen management.
Dillon Gee DFA’ed by the NYM. I wonder if Bridich knew something which caused him to not trade for Gee over the winter.
Is he worth picking up? I say no, let find out about our young pitchers and see where we go from there.
RMH almost reads my mind. Bud Black should replace Walt. It’s a no-brainer but alas, the Monferts have no brain. At least for winning baseball.
I go after Gee. He’s been good before. Give him a 2nd chance. We don’t have enough pitching. An opportunity to perhaps get a good starter for very little cost. Go get him. What do you have to lose?
I’ve always like Jorge De La Rosa even though he has had a bumpy road. The Rockies should look at him and look for pitchers like him to assemble a winning rotation. DLR himself said a plus rated change-up, at least 92 mph FB velocity, and a couple of other pitches (sliders, curves, splitters, etc) is what is needed to win at Coors. The Rockies should stop doing scientific research and just look at DLR who provided a permanent template… Read more »
Good fangraphs article last week about how today’s Astros pitcher, Dallas Kuechel, became the excellent pitcher he is today: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/dallas-keuchel-beyond-the-basics/ Key point: he wasn’t that highly regarded as a prospect, and never cracked the Astros Top 10 prospect list. He walked more than he struck out as a rookie. Jeff Sullivan’s fangraphs article calls Keuchel “an incredible example of player development.” I’m skeptical that the Astros coaching staff deserves much of that credit (Collin McHugh was last year’s version; he’s… Read more »
My elbow hurts reading that!
Astros GM is Jeff Luhnow. Brought onboard within a month after Jim Crane’s group bought the Club in November 2011. Where did Luhnow learn his craft? St. Louis Cardinals 2003-2011. We know the Cardinals develop players.
carp, you’re right, Keuchel will be a good test case for the sinker/TJ surgery thing … actually a commenter on the fangraphs article makes an apt comment, “He reminds me of Tommy John.” I think he means the actual pitcher, not the surgery …
At this instant, we’re making him look like Tommy John the pitcher. This smells like a no-no in the making.
You know what, I was about say the same thing … Keuchel just got through the “hard” part of the lineup again, so a perfect game wouldn’t shock me …
And Keuchel chews em up fast. No messing around out there.
Keuchel’s mechanics appear very simple to me (I’m certainly no pitching coach……so don’t put too much stock in this). Looks easy and repeatable.
I’m hoping Jack Wynkoop can come as close as Dallas Keuchal.
One of the neat things about doing a total rebuild: guys like Keuchel get lots of time to figure it out. He wasn’t any good his first 2 years in the rotation, but he kept working and refining things. Remember the 2004-6 Rockies? Matt Holliday was maybe just a bit ahead of where Kyle Parker is today, but with that team he got a chance and he grabbed it. Play Parker every day! Play Paulsen every day except vs. good… Read more »
I truly believe the nuclear rebuild option could be very fun for the hardcore fans. Very fun. Of course 80% fans (or more) aren’t hardcore. But most of the RWO regulars would have a blast following the minor league development of a legion of Prospects.
Absolutely it would be more fun than this.