It's June 15th and the top 3 in the National League West, Dodgers, Rockies and D-Backs are all above .600 for the season in Winning Percentage, and in games not against each other, they are a combined 102-55 for a .650 percentage. There are only three other teams total in the rest of the Major Leagues, Astros, Yankees and Nationals who are at .600 or better.
The three teams together have a 16-5 (.762) record against the AL, 37-19 (.661) vs. the NL Central and a 33-19 (.635) vs. San Diego and San Francisco. They are "struggling" against the NL East however at 16-12 (.571). Actually the Rockies and D-Backs are at .500 and the Dodgers are 7-3 vs. the East.
Starting tonight the Rockies now will play a string of 16 games against the NL West including 9 combined against the Dodgers and D-Backs over the next 2.5 weeks. This is the last chance the Rockies have to play these two directly prior to September, when they will play their remaining 13 games against these two. Between July 4 and August 31st the Dodgers and D-Backs play each other 9 times, so these games take on added significance. The Rockies play 26 of their final 29 games of the season vs. the West, (3 games at home vs. Miami are the others). The Dodgers have a 7 game road trip in September to the East Coast outside the division and the D-Backs finish the season in Kansas City after a 3 game home series vs. Miami.
The Rockies currently are 20-11 vs. the NL West and 9-6 vs. the Dodgers ( 5-4) and the D-Backs (4-2) The D-Backs have a 4-3 edge on the Dodgers and are 19-14 vs. the entire west, while the Dodgers are 16-16 vs. the West.
The other games before then will be important, but right now the Rockies have the chance to put some separation between them and the others--or fall behind.
Thursday, June 15, 2017
Monday, June 12, 2017
You Can Walk Straight Through Hell with a Smile
Beginning May 15th the Rockies have been on a grueling part of their season. 45 games in 49 days with 31 of the games on the road and only 14 at home. Going into last week the Rockies had gone 12-8 during this stretch which was pretty good, but six games against last year's World Series Participants Cleveland and Chicago Cubs back to back loomed large and potentially could have been a large pothole especially with the Dodgers and D-Backs breathing down the Rockies neck. The Rockies won the first 5 games, dropping yesterday's season finale vs. the Cubs ending their season high 7 game winning streak. They now have 41 wins in their first 65 games,
The 7 game winning streak is the longest since an 8 game streak in April 2013. After Saturday's win, they were 18 games or more over .500 for only the 2nd time in their history. Their best record ever was at 24 games over .500 in 2009 at 92-68. This year's Rockies could surpass that by the All-Star Break.
During the seven game streak they held their opponent to 3 or fewer runs in all 7 games. They are now 15-3-3 in series and have yet to lose a road series. They are 15-6 in series opening games, which contributes to that success.
And most importantly they are now 17-9 in this 45 game stretch with 19 games to go.
The 7 game winning streak is the longest since an 8 game streak in April 2013. After Saturday's win, they were 18 games or more over .500 for only the 2nd time in their history. Their best record ever was at 24 games over .500 in 2009 at 92-68. This year's Rockies could surpass that by the All-Star Break.
During the seven game streak they held their opponent to 3 or fewer runs in all 7 games. They are now 15-3-3 in series and have yet to lose a road series. They are 15-6 in series opening games, which contributes to that success.
And most importantly they are now 17-9 in this 45 game stretch with 19 games to go.
Monday, June 5, 2017
Fool, If You Think It's Over
The Rockies have played 59 Games So far, and have not lost a game where they were leading after 7 innings (34-0). They also have only won 1 game where they were trailing after 7 (1-21). In the three games that they were tied after 7 they are 1-2.
In other words there have been only 4 games that were decided in the 8th inning or later and 3 of those games have gone extra innings. If you turn the game off after 7 and one team is ahead, it's pretty certain that the result will be the same as when you stopped watching. In fact, the Rockies are 9-6 in come from behind wins, so if there is a lead of any kind at any time, it's a 3 in 4 chance that the team ahead will win. The Rockies still are looking for their first walk off win of 2017.
Meanwhile the Dodgers have 16 comeback wins and the D-Backs have 19. The Dodgers are 3-2 in Walkoffs and the D-Backs are 3-1.
This does not mean this will continue, it's really a glass half full or half empty kind of thing. The Rockies have chalked up 36 wins so far, which is the best in their history. How they do it doesn't matter, but there will come a time when they pull out games in the last at bat or even lose some late.
The NL West race is one of the tightest in Baseball, with the NL Central also having three teams within 2 games of each other for the lead, but those teams are hovering around .500 while the NL West teams are hovering around .600. The Rockies have a chance to put some separation (hopefully positive) between the teams when they play 16 in a row against the west later this month including 3 against the Dodgers and 6 against the D-Backs. Otherwise the Dodgers spend the entire month of June and July, playing the other divisions, including their first taste of interleague play, except for 6 games June 30-July 6th against San Diego and Arizona, and a 3 game series vs. the Giants to end July. The D-Backs will play San Diego this week and the Dodgers Series in early July.
As Bud Black says, the Rockies can't worry about what the other teams are doing, all they can do is take care of their own business. Currently the Rockies by far have a great record against the West at 19-11, while the D-Backs are 16-14 and the Dodgers are 16-16. The D-Backs and Dodgers are beating up teams outside the division, but ultimately it will come down to the Division head to head games that will separate if not decide the division.
ROAD WARRIORS: The Rockies are not a team that historically has had success on the road. In fact the only time the Rockies have had a winning road record is in 2009 when they went 41-40. The Rockies have currently won 21 or their first 31 on the road, and have yet to lose a series on the road.
Here is the compilation:
Milwaukee 3-1
San Francisco 3-1
Los Angeles 1-1
Arizona 2-1
San Diego 2-1
Minnesota 2-1
Cincinnati 2-1
Philadelphia 3-1
Seattle 1-1
San Diego 2-1
Giving them a total of 8-0-2 in Series Victories. Impressive Road start for sure.
In other words there have been only 4 games that were decided in the 8th inning or later and 3 of those games have gone extra innings. If you turn the game off after 7 and one team is ahead, it's pretty certain that the result will be the same as when you stopped watching. In fact, the Rockies are 9-6 in come from behind wins, so if there is a lead of any kind at any time, it's a 3 in 4 chance that the team ahead will win. The Rockies still are looking for their first walk off win of 2017.
Meanwhile the Dodgers have 16 comeback wins and the D-Backs have 19. The Dodgers are 3-2 in Walkoffs and the D-Backs are 3-1.
This does not mean this will continue, it's really a glass half full or half empty kind of thing. The Rockies have chalked up 36 wins so far, which is the best in their history. How they do it doesn't matter, but there will come a time when they pull out games in the last at bat or even lose some late.
The NL West race is one of the tightest in Baseball, with the NL Central also having three teams within 2 games of each other for the lead, but those teams are hovering around .500 while the NL West teams are hovering around .600. The Rockies have a chance to put some separation (hopefully positive) between the teams when they play 16 in a row against the west later this month including 3 against the Dodgers and 6 against the D-Backs. Otherwise the Dodgers spend the entire month of June and July, playing the other divisions, including their first taste of interleague play, except for 6 games June 30-July 6th against San Diego and Arizona, and a 3 game series vs. the Giants to end July. The D-Backs will play San Diego this week and the Dodgers Series in early July.
As Bud Black says, the Rockies can't worry about what the other teams are doing, all they can do is take care of their own business. Currently the Rockies by far have a great record against the West at 19-11, while the D-Backs are 16-14 and the Dodgers are 16-16. The D-Backs and Dodgers are beating up teams outside the division, but ultimately it will come down to the Division head to head games that will separate if not decide the division.
ROAD WARRIORS: The Rockies are not a team that historically has had success on the road. In fact the only time the Rockies have had a winning road record is in 2009 when they went 41-40. The Rockies have currently won 21 or their first 31 on the road, and have yet to lose a series on the road.
Here is the compilation:
Milwaukee 3-1
San Francisco 3-1
Los Angeles 1-1
Arizona 2-1
San Diego 2-1
Minnesota 2-1
Cincinnati 2-1
Philadelphia 3-1
Seattle 1-1
San Diego 2-1
Giving them a total of 8-0-2 in Series Victories. Impressive Road start for sure.
Monday, May 29, 2017
Don't say it ain't so, you know the time is now
We are at Memorial Day, just about a third of the way through the season, (despite MLB Network insisting it's the Quarter Pole.) The Rockies will complete their first third of the season tomorrow before heading out on a five game road trip.
1997 and 2000 were the only years they had 30 wins in the first 54 games. This year they are at 33 and there have been many accomplishments especially in the pitching category. With a 7 man starting pitching staff with only 174 games experience, 97 of them by Tyler Chatwood alone, the Rockies have defied expectations with their 25-16 record. More importantly combined they have pitched 301 innings averaging just under 6 innings per start. They have worked at least 6 innings 27 times, while not finishing five innings only 7 times including Jon Gray's 3 inning start where he was injured.
Combine that with the Relievers who have only lost one game after leading after 6 (Thursday losing in Extra innings against the Phillies) and none when leading after 7 or 8 innings, the Rockies currently have a franchise best 4.04 ERA one-third in. They have only blown one game with a lead of 5 or more runs, and have only lost 5 games after having any lead.
They also have yet to lose a road series, having split one and winning seven. At home they have lost 2 series splitting one and winning five. Not sure whether the upcoming series with Seattle is two 2 game series or one 4 game series, but it would be good to take 3 out of 4 against this decimated team.
The defense has been superb having 36 games without and error, and only 16 with at least one error. They have 22 errors total, fewest in the National League and third overall in the Majors.
1997 and 2000 were the only years they had 30 wins in the first 54 games. This year they are at 33 and there have been many accomplishments especially in the pitching category. With a 7 man starting pitching staff with only 174 games experience, 97 of them by Tyler Chatwood alone, the Rockies have defied expectations with their 25-16 record. More importantly combined they have pitched 301 innings averaging just under 6 innings per start. They have worked at least 6 innings 27 times, while not finishing five innings only 7 times including Jon Gray's 3 inning start where he was injured.
Combine that with the Relievers who have only lost one game after leading after 6 (Thursday losing in Extra innings against the Phillies) and none when leading after 7 or 8 innings, the Rockies currently have a franchise best 4.04 ERA one-third in. They have only blown one game with a lead of 5 or more runs, and have only lost 5 games after having any lead.
They also have yet to lose a road series, having split one and winning seven. At home they have lost 2 series splitting one and winning five. Not sure whether the upcoming series with Seattle is two 2 game series or one 4 game series, but it would be good to take 3 out of 4 against this decimated team.
The defense has been superb having 36 games without and error, and only 16 with at least one error. They have 22 errors total, fewest in the National League and third overall in the Majors.
Friday, May 26, 2017
Two Out of Three Ain't Bad
I'm never going to complain about a 7-3 road trip. The longest trip of the year started with the Rockies holding a 1.5 game lead over the Dodgers and they return with a 1 game lead over Arizona who went 9-1 during the same stretch, while LA was 6-4. Arizona had 6 games at home and LA 7. The D-Backs started an 11 game road trip last night, while the Dodgers start a 7-gamer on Monday. Both teams however are two games under on the road while the Rockies have an 18-8 record.
I wouldn't be surprised to see the Rockies lose the NL West lead over the next 5 weeks, but the key is to worry about your games, and let the other teams worry about theirs--and stay close. The NL West seems to be the strongest division so far, with the top three teams having the 1st, 2nd, and 4th best records in the National League. And the national press seems to think both the Rockies and D-Backs will fall soon.
This is why I look at the Home/Road Factor as a guage of where the teams stand. The Rockies have played fewer games at home and have a +8 factor at the moment, while the D-Backs are only +1, and Dodgers are +2. Keep in mind that a +9 will project you to a 90 win season, which will usually get you to the playoffs. This means that the Rockies have to win only one game more than they have home games to get to the playoffs, while the D-Backs and Dodgers will have to win 8 or 7 respectively, and they have fewer home games to play.
If the Rockies can improve their record at home (although they only have 7 home games in the next three weeks and 14 in the next 5.5 weeks through July 2nd) they can make their Road Record more reasonable. So in their next 35 games they need 14 wins to stay on target. Any better than that and they will stretch their Home/Road Factor Further. And oh, yeah 9 of the last 12 games of that stretch are against the Dodgers and D-Backs, so they have a chance to help themselves in head to head matches. The great start has helped them take some of the pressure off, unlike 2009, when they started off 20-32 and had to go 70-40 the rest of the way to get to 90 (and they won 92).
Even if you look at where they are now at 31-18 overall, playing .500 ball the rest of the way would put them at an 87-88 win range. They will have their down periods, but as long as they don't go into too deep of a hole, they have given themselves some cushion in getting back out.
Scheduling Quirks: Teams now have seven four game series outside of their division including one that is a home and home series against the other league. The Rockies have already played three at Milwaukee and Philadelphia and home against Washington. They will play their AL Home/Home series next week, leaving them only three more four gamers against the East and Central, and two of those (at Chicago and vs. Cincinnati) happen before the All Star game. That leaves the Braves at Coors in August as their lone 4 gamer after the break. In the West they usually have one 4 game series against each team, but this year, they have 2 against the Dodgers and Giants (along with two 2 game series for some reason.) Three of those will happen in September, all on the road.
I wouldn't be surprised to see the Rockies lose the NL West lead over the next 5 weeks, but the key is to worry about your games, and let the other teams worry about theirs--and stay close. The NL West seems to be the strongest division so far, with the top three teams having the 1st, 2nd, and 4th best records in the National League. And the national press seems to think both the Rockies and D-Backs will fall soon.
This is why I look at the Home/Road Factor as a guage of where the teams stand. The Rockies have played fewer games at home and have a +8 factor at the moment, while the D-Backs are only +1, and Dodgers are +2. Keep in mind that a +9 will project you to a 90 win season, which will usually get you to the playoffs. This means that the Rockies have to win only one game more than they have home games to get to the playoffs, while the D-Backs and Dodgers will have to win 8 or 7 respectively, and they have fewer home games to play.
If the Rockies can improve their record at home (although they only have 7 home games in the next three weeks and 14 in the next 5.5 weeks through July 2nd) they can make their Road Record more reasonable. So in their next 35 games they need 14 wins to stay on target. Any better than that and they will stretch their Home/Road Factor Further. And oh, yeah 9 of the last 12 games of that stretch are against the Dodgers and D-Backs, so they have a chance to help themselves in head to head matches. The great start has helped them take some of the pressure off, unlike 2009, when they started off 20-32 and had to go 70-40 the rest of the way to get to 90 (and they won 92).
Even if you look at where they are now at 31-18 overall, playing .500 ball the rest of the way would put them at an 87-88 win range. They will have their down periods, but as long as they don't go into too deep of a hole, they have given themselves some cushion in getting back out.
Scheduling Quirks: Teams now have seven four game series outside of their division including one that is a home and home series against the other league. The Rockies have already played three at Milwaukee and Philadelphia and home against Washington. They will play their AL Home/Home series next week, leaving them only three more four gamers against the East and Central, and two of those (at Chicago and vs. Cincinnati) happen before the All Star game. That leaves the Braves at Coors in August as their lone 4 gamer after the break. In the West they usually have one 4 game series against each team, but this year, they have 2 against the Dodgers and Giants (along with two 2 game series for some reason.) Three of those will happen in September, all on the road.
Monday, May 22, 2017
Blowin' In the Wind
It was inevitable that the Rockies would eventually blow a lead bigger than 2 runs. On Saturday in game 44, they lost a game where they led for only the fourth time all season (with 8 come from behind wins.) This time they trailed by 2 before taking a 5 run lead in the 5th and then eventually losing by 4 after 9 unanswered runs were scored by the Reds. Since that lead was blown by the end of the 6th, the Rockies still have an incredible record of 24-0 in games leading at the end of 6th, and 26-0 in games leading after 7 innings. Only four of their 28 wins have been won after the 6th inning.
Overall they are 8-4 in comeback wins and losses after leading. At this point last year they were 8-12 in such games and would eventually be 33-48.
Road Warriors: The Rockies are now 15-7 on the road this year. 2009 is the only year they had a winning road record at 41-40.
This Date in 2007: On the morning of May 22, 2007, the Rockies sat at 18-27 in 5th Place in the National League West but only 7 games behind the Dodgers. On May 22nd, they started their improbable rise going 72-46 the rest of the way. We all know about their 14 out of 15 finish to the regular season, but the 58-45 rise is what is missed starting with a seven game winning streak that started on the road in Arizona and San Francisco to get them within striking distance of .500.
Overall they are 8-4 in comeback wins and losses after leading. At this point last year they were 8-12 in such games and would eventually be 33-48.
Road Warriors: The Rockies are now 15-7 on the road this year. 2009 is the only year they had a winning road record at 41-40.
This Date in 2007: On the morning of May 22, 2007, the Rockies sat at 18-27 in 5th Place in the National League West but only 7 games behind the Dodgers. On May 22nd, they started their improbable rise going 72-46 the rest of the way. We all know about their 14 out of 15 finish to the regular season, but the 58-45 rise is what is missed starting with a seven game winning streak that started on the road in Arizona and San Francisco to get them within striking distance of .500.
Monday, May 15, 2017
A Clock Strikes at Quarter Past
The Rockies are one game shy of the quarter pole in the season and have compiled a 24-15 record so far which guarantees them the best First Quarter of the season in their history. In 1995, 1997 and 2014 they went 23-17. The Rockies also completed a stretch where the were home in 21 of 35 games going 21-15 in that stretch. Between now and July 2nd, they will be playing a stretch of 31 out of 45 Road games with only 14 home games in the next 7 weeks.
This is a key stretch, as they need to continue to play well on the road, while getting better at home. The Rockies completed a 6-4 home stand giving them a 13-10 record so far, but they are 11-5 on the road. Can they maintain improve on their road record, or can they start dominating at home? Will the pitching continue to dominate late as the Rockies have failed to give up a lead of more than 1 run all season and have won all 20 games that they have led after 6 innings.
The Rockies are now 8-2-2 in Series with both series losses coming at Coors Field (Padres and Nationals) They have a 4-0-1 Series Record on the Road. Both series ties have come against the Dodgers. In 2016, they won their 8th series on June 15th.
Crossing the Lines: The Rockies play their first inter-league games this week heading to Minnesota. This is their second visit to Target Field and only their third visit to Minnesota overall. They have gone 1-2 on both trips there in 2003 and 2010. Minnesota has visited Coors Field twice as well in 2008 and 2014 where they have split 6 games. They next play the AL when Seattle comes to visit Coors on a home/home series starting May 29th. Their AL games by month May: 6, June: 3, July: 3 August: 8.
Winning the West: The Rockies have played 28 games against the NL West, and have compiled a 18-10 .642 record. They next play a West Team on June 2nd in San Diego. The rest of the wet has games this week (LA at SF and Ariz at SD) otherwise teams are playing teams outside of the division for the next three weeks. At this point no other team is better than one game over .500 vs. the West.
This is a key stretch, as they need to continue to play well on the road, while getting better at home. The Rockies completed a 6-4 home stand giving them a 13-10 record so far, but they are 11-5 on the road. Can they maintain improve on their road record, or can they start dominating at home? Will the pitching continue to dominate late as the Rockies have failed to give up a lead of more than 1 run all season and have won all 20 games that they have led after 6 innings.
The Rockies are now 8-2-2 in Series with both series losses coming at Coors Field (Padres and Nationals) They have a 4-0-1 Series Record on the Road. Both series ties have come against the Dodgers. In 2016, they won their 8th series on June 15th.
Crossing the Lines: The Rockies play their first inter-league games this week heading to Minnesota. This is their second visit to Target Field and only their third visit to Minnesota overall. They have gone 1-2 on both trips there in 2003 and 2010. Minnesota has visited Coors Field twice as well in 2008 and 2014 where they have split 6 games. They next play the AL when Seattle comes to visit Coors on a home/home series starting May 29th. Their AL games by month May: 6, June: 3, July: 3 August: 8.
Winning the West: The Rockies have played 28 games against the NL West, and have compiled a 18-10 .642 record. They next play a West Team on June 2nd in San Diego. The rest of the wet has games this week (LA at SF and Ariz at SD) otherwise teams are playing teams outside of the division for the next three weeks. At this point no other team is better than one game over .500 vs. the West.
Thursday, May 11, 2017
Super Rookie, Rookie, Rookie
Going into the 2017 season, the Rockies expected to have a five man rotation that included Chad Bettis and Jon Gray. While Bettis had to leave spring training in order to have treatments for his cancer, Gray started three games before leaving with a fractured toe on April 13th. This left the Rockies with a starting five that included three Rookie Pitchers, Kyle Freeland, Antonio Senzetela, and Marquez German who pitched in 6 games for the Rockies last year. So far they have started 18 total games and have compiled a 9-5 record, while the Rockies have a 12-6 record n games they started.
At the time Gray went down, the Rockies were 6-4, 7-4 after the game he left in. Since then the Rockies have compiled a 15-9 Record, although they are 1-3 in games that Marquez has pitched in Gray's place.
Coors Field has historically been a pitcher's nightmare to pitch in. To see three rookies come in and not be intimidated is amazing in itself. For them ALL to come in and do it at the same time is unbelievable. There have been several times where the Rockies Rookies had a bad inning, but they then come back to shut the hitters down after that. For instance, on Tuesday's night game, Freeland gave up five runs (three earned) in the 2nd inning and was in danger of being taken out. After the 2nd, Freeland pitched four additional scoreless innings. Young pitchers usually have to work their way out, but at Coors field it is unusually difficult. These pitchers are showing poise and confidence in the first couple of months and are a huge part of the Rockies success so far this year.
Hopefully Gray will be back soon, and it will be good to know that the Rockies have some arms in reserve if other injuries occur.
Dodgers Series: The Dodgers come in to Coors field for the 2nd time this year for a four game set. The Rockies lead the Dodgers by 1.5 games so a split would keep them in first place. Both teams need a starter for Saturday, as the Rockies may go with Jeff Hoffman. The Dodgers will throw Clayton Kershaw on Friday night in game 2. The Dodgers come in on a 5 game winning streak and have won 10 of last 12. They last played a team with a winning record on April 23rd in Arizona and are 6-8 vs. Winning Teams this season. The Rockies meanwhile are 9-6 since April 23rd, with all but 3 of their games against teams with Winning Records. So far they are 11-8 vs. teams that have a .500 or better record this season.
At the time Gray went down, the Rockies were 6-4, 7-4 after the game he left in. Since then the Rockies have compiled a 15-9 Record, although they are 1-3 in games that Marquez has pitched in Gray's place.
Coors Field has historically been a pitcher's nightmare to pitch in. To see three rookies come in and not be intimidated is amazing in itself. For them ALL to come in and do it at the same time is unbelievable. There have been several times where the Rockies Rookies had a bad inning, but they then come back to shut the hitters down after that. For instance, on Tuesday's night game, Freeland gave up five runs (three earned) in the 2nd inning and was in danger of being taken out. After the 2nd, Freeland pitched four additional scoreless innings. Young pitchers usually have to work their way out, but at Coors field it is unusually difficult. These pitchers are showing poise and confidence in the first couple of months and are a huge part of the Rockies success so far this year.
Hopefully Gray will be back soon, and it will be good to know that the Rockies have some arms in reserve if other injuries occur.
Dodgers Series: The Dodgers come in to Coors field for the 2nd time this year for a four game set. The Rockies lead the Dodgers by 1.5 games so a split would keep them in first place. Both teams need a starter for Saturday, as the Rockies may go with Jeff Hoffman. The Dodgers will throw Clayton Kershaw on Friday night in game 2. The Dodgers come in on a 5 game winning streak and have won 10 of last 12. They last played a team with a winning record on April 23rd in Arizona and are 6-8 vs. Winning Teams this season. The Rockies meanwhile are 9-6 since April 23rd, with all but 3 of their games against teams with Winning Records. So far they are 11-8 vs. teams that have a .500 or better record this season.
Monday, May 8, 2017
Go West This Is Our Destiny
This weekend marked the end of Week 5 of the Major-League Season, and all NL West Teams have played each other home and home one time. (Sometimes the Schedule makers make sense.)
Here's how the teams fared:
Rockies 16-8 (24 Games)
Arizona 14-13 (27 Games)
Los Angeles 13-12 (25 Games)
San Diego 11-14 (25 Games)
Giants 10-17 (27 Games)
The second time through the west starts this weekend with the Rockies hosting the Dodgers for four games. This next go round will vary between teams, as the Giants and D-Backs will play their last meeting of the second round on August 27, while the Dodgers and San Diego finish up on August 13th. The Rockies play the bulk of their second pass games in June with the last 17 games (and first two of July) played in a row, and finish the 2nd round on July 19 against San Diego. They have zero games against the West in August, but all but three of their games after September 1st are against the west a total of 26 games.
Other than the games against the Dodgers, the Rockies now start playing against the rest of the league as well as the AL. 75 of their 86 non-west games are between now and August 30th.
Inter-League Madness
5 weeks into the season, and the NL West has played only 5 of their 100 inter-league games. The Yankees alone have played 9 so far (counting Sunday night's game as one game) and their next two games are at Cincinnati. The Padres play 7 and Arizona has 2 this week. The Rockies play their first three AL Games next week, and the Dodgers play their first AL game on June 13th, on the same day that the Giants play thier next AL game (They've played two so far.)
ROCKIES Stats of Note:
Much has been made of the Rockies 9-0 record in 1 run games this year, but even more impressive is the fact that the Rockies have yet to blow more than a 1-run lead in any game this year. They have six comeback wins including two from 3 down and one from 5 down.
Here's how the teams fared:
Rockies 16-8 (24 Games)
Arizona 14-13 (27 Games)
Los Angeles 13-12 (25 Games)
San Diego 11-14 (25 Games)
Giants 10-17 (27 Games)
The second time through the west starts this weekend with the Rockies hosting the Dodgers for four games. This next go round will vary between teams, as the Giants and D-Backs will play their last meeting of the second round on August 27, while the Dodgers and San Diego finish up on August 13th. The Rockies play the bulk of their second pass games in June with the last 17 games (and first two of July) played in a row, and finish the 2nd round on July 19 against San Diego. They have zero games against the West in August, but all but three of their games after September 1st are against the west a total of 26 games.
Other than the games against the Dodgers, the Rockies now start playing against the rest of the league as well as the AL. 75 of their 86 non-west games are between now and August 30th.
Inter-League Madness
5 weeks into the season, and the NL West has played only 5 of their 100 inter-league games. The Yankees alone have played 9 so far (counting Sunday night's game as one game) and their next two games are at Cincinnati. The Padres play 7 and Arizona has 2 this week. The Rockies play their first three AL Games next week, and the Dodgers play their first AL game on June 13th, on the same day that the Giants play thier next AL game (They've played two so far.)
ROCKIES Stats of Note:
Much has been made of the Rockies 9-0 record in 1 run games this year, but even more impressive is the fact that the Rockies have yet to blow more than a 1-run lead in any game this year. They have six comeback wins including two from 3 down and one from 5 down.
Monday, May 1, 2017
Some Days are Diamonds Some Days are Stones
Without looking it up, this may have been one of the strangest weeks in Rockies History. They were outscored 51-31 or just under 3 runs per game 7.3-4.4 but still managed to win 3 of the 7 games, and took a scoreless tie into the 13th inning yesterday before losing. They came back from 3 and 5 runs down to win, while also closing a 10 run deficit to 3 before falling 15-12 on Tuesday.
The Rockies have also put the first month behind them going 16-10 and are in first place. Only in 1997 and 2011 have the Rockies had a better record after 26 games. They are 8-0 in one run games and 4-3 in two-run games. The youngest starting pitching staff in the majors has kept the Rockies in games and have a 9-9 record while the bullpen is 7-1 with yesterday's loss the only blemish.
The Rockies played 16 of their first 26 games against 2016 playoff teams going 11-5 against them, while going only 5-5 in the 10 games against non-playoff teams. May brings a respite, with only 7 games against last year's playoff teams next week against the Cubs and Dodgers at home with 22 others. They also finish up a run of 17 of 23 home games (7-4 so far) before having a 22 of 29 on the road where they are 9-4 so far.
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
This is It, Make No Mistake Where You Are
The Rockies are 14-6 which is their 2nd best start after going 15-5 in 1997. They also were 14-6 after 20 games in 2011, but went on to a losing record.
The Rockies finally got their offense going outscoring their opponents 34-12 in this homestand. They have their first four game winning streak of the season. They are now 7-3 at home and 7-3 on the road. After stopping the Nationals 7-game winning streak, they now own the best record in the National League and only trail Baltimore for the best record in MLB.
Through 20 games the Rockies pitching has held up pretty well. Only five times have the starter failed to go at least 5 innings, and five times the starter has gone 7 or more including Chatwood's complete game shutout on April 15th. The past week has eased the bullpen a little bit as the two off days, The relievers have only pitched 19 innings in the past 8 days. It's still amazing that the Rockies have held their opponents to 4 runs or less 12 times and have a 10-2 record in One or Two run games.
German Marquez gets his first start filling in for Jon Gray tonight. Gray is expected to be out until at least mid-May and the Rockies will need to fill in a handful of starts in his absence.
The Rockies finally got their offense going outscoring their opponents 34-12 in this homestand. They have their first four game winning streak of the season. They are now 7-3 at home and 7-3 on the road. After stopping the Nationals 7-game winning streak, they now own the best record in the National League and only trail Baltimore for the best record in MLB.
Through 20 games the Rockies pitching has held up pretty well. Only five times have the starter failed to go at least 5 innings, and five times the starter has gone 7 or more including Chatwood's complete game shutout on April 15th. The past week has eased the bullpen a little bit as the two off days, The relievers have only pitched 19 innings in the past 8 days. It's still amazing that the Rockies have held their opponents to 4 runs or less 12 times and have a 10-2 record in One or Two run games.
German Marquez gets his first start filling in for Jon Gray tonight. Gray is expected to be out until at least mid-May and the Rockies will need to fill in a handful of starts in his absence.
Monday, April 17, 2017
Where Has All The Offense Gone?
The Rockies are only 14 games into the season and have scored only 48 runs while giving up 55, which would generally equate to a losing record of 6-8 according to Baseball-Reference.com but actually have a 9-5 record. To compare, in 2016 the Rockies had scored 66 runs but had given up 77 and had a 6-5 record after 11 games. In 2015 they had a 7-4 record scoring 51 runs to 37 against.
The big difference is that the Rockies this year are winning the close games, going 8-1 in one and two run games. The Giants meanwhile are 1-7 in One and two Run games which is why they are currently 5-9.
With the Rockies lineup, you know the bats will break out at some point, but for now the job by the starters and especially the bullpen has been lights out. They are tied with Detroit for most Save Opportunies with 8 and have only blown 1.
The Bullpen has worked 43 innings in 14 games which is just over 3 innings a game. Their WHIP is 0.931. The Trio of Adam Ottavino, Mike Dunn and Greg Holland have pitched 19 1/3 innings giving up 6 hits and 1 run. Holland also has 7 Saves.
Even more encouraging is that in 10 of the 14 games the Pitching staff has held the opponent to 5 or fewer runs, and are 6-0 when leading after 6. The only lead they lost late was in the 7th inning where Milwaukee tied up the game in the 7th off of Ottavino, but the Rockies came back to win it in the 9th.
Triumphs: The Rockies won a 4 game series in San Francisco for the first time ever.
Defeat: Pitcher Jon Gray broke his foot on Thursday night and will be on the shelf for at least a month. Rockies need to get Tyler Anderson's mechanics fixed quickly to fill the void.
Schedule Quirk 1: The MLB schedule has each team play each team in its divison 19 times whcih means they play two teams 10 times at home and two teams 10 times on the road. This usually results in a 4 game and 2-3 game series over the course of the season, and the other two get three 3 game series. For some reason this season is different. The Rockies play the Giants and the Dodgers only 9 times on the road, but somehow they got a 4-3-2 schedule with both of them which is why the Rockies played 4 this weekend and only 2 in LA this week.
Schedule Quirk 2: The Rockies have a total of 16 days off not including the All-Star Break which includes only 2 in April and 2 in May. The two in April are both this week. The next day off after is May 1st.
Schedule Quirk 3: After the two game set in LA the Rockies play the next 17 of 23 at home with the road trip going to Phoenix and San Diego. After that they play 31 out of 45 on the Road.
The big difference is that the Rockies this year are winning the close games, going 8-1 in one and two run games. The Giants meanwhile are 1-7 in One and two Run games which is why they are currently 5-9.
With the Rockies lineup, you know the bats will break out at some point, but for now the job by the starters and especially the bullpen has been lights out. They are tied with Detroit for most Save Opportunies with 8 and have only blown 1.
The Bullpen has worked 43 innings in 14 games which is just over 3 innings a game. Their WHIP is 0.931. The Trio of Adam Ottavino, Mike Dunn and Greg Holland have pitched 19 1/3 innings giving up 6 hits and 1 run. Holland also has 7 Saves.
Even more encouraging is that in 10 of the 14 games the Pitching staff has held the opponent to 5 or fewer runs, and are 6-0 when leading after 6. The only lead they lost late was in the 7th inning where Milwaukee tied up the game in the 7th off of Ottavino, but the Rockies came back to win it in the 9th.
Triumphs: The Rockies won a 4 game series in San Francisco for the first time ever.
Defeat: Pitcher Jon Gray broke his foot on Thursday night and will be on the shelf for at least a month. Rockies need to get Tyler Anderson's mechanics fixed quickly to fill the void.
Schedule Quirk 1: The MLB schedule has each team play each team in its divison 19 times whcih means they play two teams 10 times at home and two teams 10 times on the road. This usually results in a 4 game and 2-3 game series over the course of the season, and the other two get three 3 game series. For some reason this season is different. The Rockies play the Giants and the Dodgers only 9 times on the road, but somehow they got a 4-3-2 schedule with both of them which is why the Rockies played 4 this weekend and only 2 in LA this week.
Schedule Quirk 2: The Rockies have a total of 16 days off not including the All-Star Break which includes only 2 in April and 2 in May. The two in April are both this week. The next day off after is May 1st.
Schedule Quirk 3: After the two game set in LA the Rockies play the next 17 of 23 at home with the road trip going to Phoenix and San Diego. After that they play 31 out of 45 on the Road.
Sunday, April 9, 2017
Is This The Real Life? Is This Just Fantasy?
The people surrounding the Colorado Rockies are optimistic as they head into their 25th Season. And it's not just Beginning of Season Fantasy Optimism, it's real Optimism, which they have had since late last season.
The Rockies already boast a stellar lineup with a starting eight that can field and hit like very few teams can. They also have a lot of up and coming Starting Pichers that may rival the Dodgers and Giants in a Pitching heavy division. Jon Gray, Tyler Anderson, Tyler Chatwood, Antonio Senzatela, and Hometown guy, Kyle Freeland round out the opening day Rotation, with others waiting in the wings when they are needed.
The bullpen has 8 arms including four who have closing experience. Greg Holland has opened the season with 4 Saves and Jake McGee got the 5th one as the Rockies have not won by more than two runs so far this year. In 2016 they were 24-36 in one or two run games,
Highlights of the first week:
Won 5 Games by 1 or 2 runs.
Won 2 Straight games by a 2-1 score for the first time since April, 1995.
Had a ML Debut of two consecutive starters for the first time in Rockies History. One won his game the other pitched 5 scoreless innings.
Hit Back to Back Home Runs off of Clayton Kershaw who had never given up 2 Consecutive Home runs to anyone.
Hit three home runs in a game against Kershaw who hadn't allowed three since April, 2013.
Beat Kershaw for the first time in 12 Starts going back to July, 2013.
It's only six games with 156 to go, but this could be the competitive season we've been looking for.
The Rockies already boast a stellar lineup with a starting eight that can field and hit like very few teams can. They also have a lot of up and coming Starting Pichers that may rival the Dodgers and Giants in a Pitching heavy division. Jon Gray, Tyler Anderson, Tyler Chatwood, Antonio Senzatela, and Hometown guy, Kyle Freeland round out the opening day Rotation, with others waiting in the wings when they are needed.
The bullpen has 8 arms including four who have closing experience. Greg Holland has opened the season with 4 Saves and Jake McGee got the 5th one as the Rockies have not won by more than two runs so far this year. In 2016 they were 24-36 in one or two run games,
Highlights of the first week:
Won 5 Games by 1 or 2 runs.
Won 2 Straight games by a 2-1 score for the first time since April, 1995.
Had a ML Debut of two consecutive starters for the first time in Rockies History. One won his game the other pitched 5 scoreless innings.
Hit Back to Back Home Runs off of Clayton Kershaw who had never given up 2 Consecutive Home runs to anyone.
Hit three home runs in a game against Kershaw who hadn't allowed three since April, 2013.
Beat Kershaw for the first time in 12 Starts going back to July, 2013.
It's only six games with 156 to go, but this could be the competitive season we've been looking for.
Friday, June 17, 2016
Flashes of Brilliance
The 2016 Rockies had an up and down first third of the season. Playing .500 on the road, but flailing at home until the last homestand, they struggled to a 24-31 start. They have blown numerous big leads and 15 leads overall, while coming from behind 11 times.
Three players have over 15 Home runs, two players have 4 triples and four players have over 15 doubles. One player, Trevor Story, is on all three of those lists.
The Pitching rotaion has primarily involved seven players, with impressive starts by most of them, and some consistency showing among Chatwood, Butler, Gray, and Rusin. Bettis was good early but has struggled the last few weeks. Add Tyler Anderson's impressive debut Sunday against the Padres, and the Rockies may have the makings of a strong rotation. It won't rival the Dodgers and Giants, but it may suffice for the Rockies, as they have already racked up five shutouts including an impressive 1-0 game at Dodger Stadium last week.
So can they make a run this season and contend for the Division or Wild Card? If they are the time may be now in the next 50 games over the next 8 weeks. Currently one game under .500, they play 25 of their next 50 at home and have only two off days besides the 4 day All-Star Break. 13 games are against the West, and play their remaining 15 Inter-League Games, with the rest of the 22 games against the NL East. That's right, 0 games against the NL Central where they are 7-13. (Their next NL Central game is August 19th against the Cubs.)
Will they take advantage of this stretch? Stay tuned.
Three players have over 15 Home runs, two players have 4 triples and four players have over 15 doubles. One player, Trevor Story, is on all three of those lists.
The Pitching rotaion has primarily involved seven players, with impressive starts by most of them, and some consistency showing among Chatwood, Butler, Gray, and Rusin. Bettis was good early but has struggled the last few weeks. Add Tyler Anderson's impressive debut Sunday against the Padres, and the Rockies may have the makings of a strong rotation. It won't rival the Dodgers and Giants, but it may suffice for the Rockies, as they have already racked up five shutouts including an impressive 1-0 game at Dodger Stadium last week.
So can they make a run this season and contend for the Division or Wild Card? If they are the time may be now in the next 50 games over the next 8 weeks. Currently one game under .500, they play 25 of their next 50 at home and have only two off days besides the 4 day All-Star Break. 13 games are against the West, and play their remaining 15 Inter-League Games, with the rest of the 22 games against the NL East. That's right, 0 games against the NL Central where they are 7-13. (Their next NL Central game is August 19th against the Cubs.)
Will they take advantage of this stretch? Stay tuned.
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Tulo Whatzki?
I was determined not to make a pun of Trevor Story's name in the first post about the new shortstop of the Rockies, so I didn't even though this players first three games were like no other before him.
Trevor became the Rockies starting SS after Jose Reyes had some domestic issues and currently is not suspended but also not allowed to play at the moment. Entering spring training it was a battle between Trevor and Cristhian Adames who played some games in September last year. Both players ultimately made the roster with Story getting the starting assignment at SS in the end.
In case you missed it, Trevor Story hit 4 home runs in his first three games in the majors, some thing no other player has done before. In addition only 26 other players in the history of Major League baseball have hit home runs in the first 3 games of the season. Of those only 4 other players have hit 4 home runs in those 3 games
Now Story comes to Coors Field and has a chance to match the longest Home Run streak to start a season which would tie him with Mark McGwire and Willie Mays. Nobody has hit home runs in the first 5 games of a season before.
The 2016 Rockies
I remain optimistic that the Rockies can improve over the past few years, but they are going to need a lot of improvement in pitching. Offensively they look solid from top to bottom. Defensively, they have some of the best players, but the pitching cannot blow large leads on a regular basis as in the D-Backs series this week. Although they won two of the three, they let the D-Backs get back into every game after taking a good lead early.
But a 2-1 opening on the road is good although last year they won their first 6 on the road.
NOTES: The San Diego Padres come into Coors Field on Friday night looking for their first run after getting shutout in their first 3 games to the Dodgers. Another MLB first for a team to start the season getting shutout 3 times. The flip side is the Dodgers are the first team to get 3 shutouts to start the season.
Trevor became the Rockies starting SS after Jose Reyes had some domestic issues and currently is not suspended but also not allowed to play at the moment. Entering spring training it was a battle between Trevor and Cristhian Adames who played some games in September last year. Both players ultimately made the roster with Story getting the starting assignment at SS in the end.
In case you missed it, Trevor Story hit 4 home runs in his first three games in the majors, some thing no other player has done before. In addition only 26 other players in the history of Major League baseball have hit home runs in the first 3 games of the season. Of those only 4 other players have hit 4 home runs in those 3 games
Now Story comes to Coors Field and has a chance to match the longest Home Run streak to start a season which would tie him with Mark McGwire and Willie Mays. Nobody has hit home runs in the first 5 games of a season before.
The 2016 Rockies
I remain optimistic that the Rockies can improve over the past few years, but they are going to need a lot of improvement in pitching. Offensively they look solid from top to bottom. Defensively, they have some of the best players, but the pitching cannot blow large leads on a regular basis as in the D-Backs series this week. Although they won two of the three, they let the D-Backs get back into every game after taking a good lead early.
But a 2-1 opening on the road is good although last year they won their first 6 on the road.
NOTES: The San Diego Padres come into Coors Field on Friday night looking for their first run after getting shutout in their first 3 games to the Dodgers. Another MLB first for a team to start the season getting shutout 3 times. The flip side is the Dodgers are the first team to get 3 shutouts to start the season.
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