I have to take issue with Jim Tracy leaving Josh Outman in for so long to try to pick up a win. In order to buy in to the 4 man rotation, you more or less need to be pretty rigid on the pitch count for it to work long term. In three of his first four innings, Outman made 18 pitches each inning and got out of a couple jams. In his only 1-2-3 inning Outman required 15 pitches.
So going into the 5th, he was getting ready to throw his 70th pitch, and Tracy knew he would need to go at least 85-90 pitches to get through the inning. And he had a 10 run lead.
Perfect situation to get a win, but at what cost. 2 of the first 3 runners got on base and the count was already at 85. Probably the point that he should have come out at that point with only 1 out. He did strike out Josh Hamilton (but who can't this weekend) on 3 pitches and he was now at 88 and one out away.
The end result was 92 pitches, no win, and ultimately a potential easy win turned into a relatively close one, before the rest of the bullpen shut them down.
So will Outman be ready by Wednesday? We will see if this cost them long term and I suppose it's part of the experiment. There are options however. Depending on how the next 3 games go, the Rockies could put Outman in the long-relief role for a turn, and put Guthrie or Moscosco in a start on Wednesday. They could also bring up someone from Colo Springs for Wednesday as well, or they could let Outman pitch, but hold him just under 75.
By the way, in the first 5 games of the experiment, nobody has given up more than 5 runs in a start and everyone has made it to the limit (70-75) before being taken out.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Saturday, June 23, 2012
The 4 man pitching rotation
Since I suggested a modified starting rotation to a couple of family members earlier this month, I am fully on board with the experimental 4 man rotation, with the 3 long relievers.
In the 5 games prior to the change, the Rockies pitchers had issued 24 walks. In the four games since the rotation was implemented, the Rockies pitchers have only issued 8. If nothing else, the new rotation has caused pitchers to throw strikes.
The 19 runs given up are the fewest in any consecutive 4 games on the road since May 8-12, when they gave up 14. And like the last 4 games they were 1-3 in those games.
I'd like to see the Rockies stick with it, through the All-Star break, that would be 5 times through the rotation to see whether it starts to pay off.
However, the Rockies offense has only scored 26 runs in the first 7 games of the road trip, but 8 of them were in one inning. The other 54 innings has produced just 18 runs, about 1 run per 3 innings.
In the 5 games prior to the change, the Rockies pitchers had issued 24 walks. In the four games since the rotation was implemented, the Rockies pitchers have only issued 8. If nothing else, the new rotation has caused pitchers to throw strikes.
The 19 runs given up are the fewest in any consecutive 4 games on the road since May 8-12, when they gave up 14. And like the last 4 games they were 1-3 in those games.
I'd like to see the Rockies stick with it, through the All-Star break, that would be 5 times through the rotation to see whether it starts to pay off.
However, the Rockies offense has only scored 26 runs in the first 7 games of the road trip, but 8 of them were in one inning. The other 54 innings has produced just 18 runs, about 1 run per 3 innings.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Where do we go from here.
The Rockies have already mailed in this season with 40 losses in the first 65 games. With a home-laden early schedule in which they have stumbled to a 15-21 record, the Rockies are now playing for the future.
To that end, here are my suggestions:
1. Figure out the future rotation. Bring back Pomerantz, make a decision on Francis and Guthrie. Continue to develop with White and Friedrich. There is some promise there, but they need to stop being afraid to throw strikes. Give a few of the other prospects chances late in the year.
2. Release Giambi already. As much as I like Giambi's contributions on the bench, he serves no useful purpose as a DH on a NL team. He's an aged backup to an aging 1st Baseman. Use Cuddyer, Pacheco or someone else to spell Helton, and give a younger future player more playing time.
3. Find an infield. Tulowitzki is the only sure part of the infield for the future. Let's find out if Pacheco, or Nelson is an everyday 3b (and I like what I'm seeing out of both of them.) Nelson, Herrera or Young as 2B. First Base will always be a problem, in the initial replacements for Helton eventually.
4. Determine if this Manager and Coaching Staff have the right mindset to take this team to a more competitive level. Jim Tracy is very patient. Bob Apodacca has worked well with the young pitchers, but we keep seeing Deja Vu all over again. We need to have the fundamentals stressed a LOT more.
5. Dan O'Dowd--See #4 for the General Manager.
To that end, here are my suggestions:
1. Figure out the future rotation. Bring back Pomerantz, make a decision on Francis and Guthrie. Continue to develop with White and Friedrich. There is some promise there, but they need to stop being afraid to throw strikes. Give a few of the other prospects chances late in the year.
2. Release Giambi already. As much as I like Giambi's contributions on the bench, he serves no useful purpose as a DH on a NL team. He's an aged backup to an aging 1st Baseman. Use Cuddyer, Pacheco or someone else to spell Helton, and give a younger future player more playing time.
3. Find an infield. Tulowitzki is the only sure part of the infield for the future. Let's find out if Pacheco, or Nelson is an everyday 3b (and I like what I'm seeing out of both of them.) Nelson, Herrera or Young as 2B. First Base will always be a problem, in the initial replacements for Helton eventually.
4. Determine if this Manager and Coaching Staff have the right mindset to take this team to a more competitive level. Jim Tracy is very patient. Bob Apodacca has worked well with the young pitchers, but we keep seeing Deja Vu all over again. We need to have the fundamentals stressed a LOT more.
5. Dan O'Dowd--See #4 for the General Manager.
The Myth of the Improved Offense
Recently I heard Jeff Huson on the Rockies broadcast mention that the offense was "fine". He cited their greater than 5 runs per game as exhibit A. Other commentary and reporting also mentions that the offense is improved. In fact the Rockies currently lead the National League in Runs scored, but that is only one statistic.
In 2011, the Rockies scored over 4.5 runs per game, in 2012 so far, they are averaging 5.1 runs per game. That is better, however the distribution of those games is what matters. In 15 games the Rockies have scored 8 runs or more averaging 10.5 runs per game. In 32 games the Rockies have scored 4 runs or less, averaging 2.15 runs per game. Combining the 15 high scoring games with the 32 low scoring games, the Rockies are of course averaging 4.83 runs per game which IS better than last year, however nearly half their games they are averaging 2.15 runs per game. Over 1/3 of their games they are getting 3 runs or less, which is not going to do them any good this season with the pitching in disarray as it is.
Or to put it another way, nearly half their runs (48%) were scored in about 23% of the games, with an 11-4 record. In about 50% of the games, they have scored 21% of their runs with a 5-27 record. The remaining games (between 5-7 runs) has been 18 games, and are 9-9.
Runs are great, but it's hard to say that the Rockies have a better offense this year. With the decreased pitching and fielding, this season will continue to be a disaster.
In 2011, the Rockies scored over 4.5 runs per game, in 2012 so far, they are averaging 5.1 runs per game. That is better, however the distribution of those games is what matters. In 15 games the Rockies have scored 8 runs or more averaging 10.5 runs per game. In 32 games the Rockies have scored 4 runs or less, averaging 2.15 runs per game. Combining the 15 high scoring games with the 32 low scoring games, the Rockies are of course averaging 4.83 runs per game which IS better than last year, however nearly half their games they are averaging 2.15 runs per game. Over 1/3 of their games they are getting 3 runs or less, which is not going to do them any good this season with the pitching in disarray as it is.
Or to put it another way, nearly half their runs (48%) were scored in about 23% of the games, with an 11-4 record. In about 50% of the games, they have scored 21% of their runs with a 5-27 record. The remaining games (between 5-7 runs) has been 18 games, and are 9-9.
Runs are great, but it's hard to say that the Rockies have a better offense this year. With the decreased pitching and fielding, this season will continue to be a disaster.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Better May Than Last Year
You may find this hard to believe, but the Rockies actually had a better May in 2012 than 2011. The Rockies took a 4 game winning streak and 6 of 8 streak to close out the month and complete a 10-18 Month. In 2011, the Rockies lost 10 of their last 13 to finish 8-21.
The Rockies have a lot of ground to make up after digging themselves a huge hole, and there are finally some signs of them breaking out of it. And they start June with their last chance to directly gain ground on the Dodgers before early August. The Dodgers have also played 30 of their first 51 games at home where they are 21-9 (21-5) before a recent 4 game sweep by Milwaukee. The Rockies may have a chance to further close the gap as the Dodgers play 19 of 28 on the road in June (although 3 of those road games are against the Angels). The Dodgers are 11-10 on the road, while the Rockies play 15 of 27 at home where things are starting to heat up.
The Rockies have a lot of ground to make up after digging themselves a huge hole, and there are finally some signs of them breaking out of it. And they start June with their last chance to directly gain ground on the Dodgers before early August. The Dodgers have also played 30 of their first 51 games at home where they are 21-9 (21-5) before a recent 4 game sweep by Milwaukee. The Rockies may have a chance to further close the gap as the Dodgers play 19 of 28 on the road in June (although 3 of those road games are against the Angels). The Dodgers are 11-10 on the road, while the Rockies play 15 of 27 at home where things are starting to heat up.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Same Old RISP-less Rockies?
The Rockies changed a lot over the winter, but the result of the first weekend of the 2012 Season, wasn't that much different than the past couple of seasons.
1 for 13
The Rockies managed to only get 1 hit with Runners in Scoring Position--that being a Todd Helton Double in Friday's game.
Of course the Rockies started out 2011 with 3 for 16--but that was in the first game alone! In the first 3 games, they were 6 for 29. In 2010 they were 4 for 30.
The startling number isn't the 1 for, it's the 13. Not many chances in the new look offense and the Rockies only scored 10 runs...in Houston!
On the positive side, Jeremy Guthrie's debut and Juan Nicasio's return were tremendous starts, and even the ageless Jamie Moyer, didn't do badly giving up 4 runs (3 Earned) in 5 innings.
The startling number isn't the 1 for, it's the 13. Not many chances in the new look offense and the Rockies only scored 10 runs...in Houston!
On the positive side, Jeremy Guthrie's debut and Juan Nicasio's return were tremendous starts, and even the ageless Jamie Moyer, didn't do badly giving up 4 runs (3 Earned) in 5 innings.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
The 2012 Schedule
Ever since MLB introduced inter-league play in 1997 it seems that the Rockies and the NL West have gotten screwy schedules. From the 2 game series of the early years, to the random assigning of opponents in the later years, much of it has never made sense.
In 2013, Inter-League plays takes on a new format with the Astros moving to the NL West, but in 2012, the schedule finally makes some sense.
For instance, the Rockies have no opponent that they play only 2 games against at home or Road. They will play every NL opponent at least 6 times (3 home, 3 away). Their "compensatory" opponent is the Phillies this year after having Milwaukee the last couple of years. This is the opponent that NL Teams have to play during inter-league play because of the uneven number of teams in the NL vs. AL.
The Rockies once again have 81 home games and 81 road games, and for the first time the Rockies have scheduled a home double header on Memorial Day against Houston although it is two separate admissions.
In order to succeed this season, the Rockies will have to win early, or win on the road--or both. Their home schedule is heavily overweighted with their first 2 home stands each being 9-games and playing 13 of 16 at home from Memorial Day through June 14.
The flip side is that they will play heavily on the Road from August 20 to October 3. One third (27) of their road games will be played in those 6.5 weeks with only 16 home games. Worse, the Rockies will only have 2 off days between August 9th and the end of the season, while they are doing the heavy travelling. It would be against a lot of odds, for the Rockies to make a comeback during this stretch.
Their individual road trips don't look too bad, the longest being 9 games in late June to Detroit Philadelphia and Texas. The only other 3 city trip is San Diego, LA and SF 8 games in May.
Long home stands are against SF, Arizona and San Diego, in April; New York Mets, LA Dodgers and Atlanta April 27-May 6; Cincinnati, St. Louis and San Francisco (10 games) July 27-August 5.
A good start will be needed and then hold on tight in September. Not the usual formula, but the one that is needed.
In 2013, Inter-League plays takes on a new format with the Astros moving to the NL West, but in 2012, the schedule finally makes some sense.
For instance, the Rockies have no opponent that they play only 2 games against at home or Road. They will play every NL opponent at least 6 times (3 home, 3 away). Their "compensatory" opponent is the Phillies this year after having Milwaukee the last couple of years. This is the opponent that NL Teams have to play during inter-league play because of the uneven number of teams in the NL vs. AL.
The Rockies once again have 81 home games and 81 road games, and for the first time the Rockies have scheduled a home double header on Memorial Day against Houston although it is two separate admissions.
In order to succeed this season, the Rockies will have to win early, or win on the road--or both. Their home schedule is heavily overweighted with their first 2 home stands each being 9-games and playing 13 of 16 at home from Memorial Day through June 14.
The flip side is that they will play heavily on the Road from August 20 to October 3. One third (27) of their road games will be played in those 6.5 weeks with only 16 home games. Worse, the Rockies will only have 2 off days between August 9th and the end of the season, while they are doing the heavy travelling. It would be against a lot of odds, for the Rockies to make a comeback during this stretch.
Their individual road trips don't look too bad, the longest being 9 games in late June to Detroit Philadelphia and Texas. The only other 3 city trip is San Diego, LA and SF 8 games in May.
Long home stands are against SF, Arizona and San Diego, in April; New York Mets, LA Dodgers and Atlanta April 27-May 6; Cincinnati, St. Louis and San Francisco (10 games) July 27-August 5.
A good start will be needed and then hold on tight in September. Not the usual formula, but the one that is needed.
Friday, March 30, 2012
The Dawn of a New Season
We can put the 2011 Season in the rear view mirror and finally look forward to the 2012 Version of the Rockies. Many changes that have been discussed over the off season, and still the biggest questions revolve around the Pitching.
A brand new start 0-0, going into Houston Next Friday. Stay tuned as we discuss the new look Rockies, the Schedule and the competition.
A brand new start 0-0, going into Houston Next Friday. Stay tuned as we discuss the new look Rockies, the Schedule and the competition.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
The Last Gasp
The Rockies performed a miracle in the 2007 season winning 13 of their last 14 games to get to the playoffs. But their march to the playoffs actually began a little earlier, August 24th to be exact, when they came back from a 5-1 deficit in the 9th inning to beat Washington 6-5. From their they went 26-10.
The Rockies will probably need to better that record if they realistically want to get back into the playoffs. 26-10 might do it (going retroactively to Saturday), when they had 36 games left. But that would only get them to 84-78. Might be enough, but I think they would need 28-8 or at least 86 wins.
There are a few obstacles within and outside their control that would also have a big effect.
First, the Rockies are only 8.5 games out but they are in 3rd place. They need to have the D-Backs and Giants to both lose enough to pass them. Those two teams face each other 6 times in September. This is not insurmountable as the Rockies in 2007 were in 4th place in the division, and 7th in the Wild Card race that they won.
Second, The Rockies face the D-Backs 6 times and Giants 7. In order to make a dent, they cannot lose ground to either team head to head, and must gain a couple of games, that means 4-2 or better against the D-Backs and 5-2 or better against the Giants. Ideally combined, they can go no worse than 10-3. In 2007, they went 17-3 against the 3 division teams ahead of them down the stretch 7-0 vs. the Dodgers; 6-1 vs. the Padres, and 4-2 vs. the Diamondbacks.
Third, the Rockies need the Dodgers and Padres to also beat the Giants and D-Backs. Giants play nobody outside the division in September, and the D-Backs have only 3 games against Pittsburgh outside the Division. With the Padres and Dodgers only a couple games behind the Rockies, the Rockies may have to contend with them as well, if they were to falter any. The divisional games means they will gain ground on somebody with a win, and lose ground on someone with a loss. It will be just as important for the Rockies to win against the Dodgers this weekend as well as the Padres in early September, giving them some cushion when they need those two teams to beat the Giants and D-Backs.
If the Rockies make some progress on this road trip in the next week, I will have an analysis of the race and the September schedules.
It would be nice to see the Rockies make a run again in September, although my gut feeling is that this team doesn't yet have that spark that they had in 2007 and 2009, but it's certainly not impossible for them to give us some excitement down the stretch.
The Rockies will probably need to better that record if they realistically want to get back into the playoffs. 26-10 might do it (going retroactively to Saturday), when they had 36 games left. But that would only get them to 84-78. Might be enough, but I think they would need 28-8 or at least 86 wins.
There are a few obstacles within and outside their control that would also have a big effect.
First, the Rockies are only 8.5 games out but they are in 3rd place. They need to have the D-Backs and Giants to both lose enough to pass them. Those two teams face each other 6 times in September. This is not insurmountable as the Rockies in 2007 were in 4th place in the division, and 7th in the Wild Card race that they won.
Second, The Rockies face the D-Backs 6 times and Giants 7. In order to make a dent, they cannot lose ground to either team head to head, and must gain a couple of games, that means 4-2 or better against the D-Backs and 5-2 or better against the Giants. Ideally combined, they can go no worse than 10-3. In 2007, they went 17-3 against the 3 division teams ahead of them down the stretch 7-0 vs. the Dodgers; 6-1 vs. the Padres, and 4-2 vs. the Diamondbacks.
Third, the Rockies need the Dodgers and Padres to also beat the Giants and D-Backs. Giants play nobody outside the division in September, and the D-Backs have only 3 games against Pittsburgh outside the Division. With the Padres and Dodgers only a couple games behind the Rockies, the Rockies may have to contend with them as well, if they were to falter any. The divisional games means they will gain ground on somebody with a win, and lose ground on someone with a loss. It will be just as important for the Rockies to win against the Dodgers this weekend as well as the Padres in early September, giving them some cushion when they need those two teams to beat the Giants and D-Backs.
If the Rockies make some progress on this road trip in the next week, I will have an analysis of the race and the September schedules.
It would be nice to see the Rockies make a run again in September, although my gut feeling is that this team doesn't yet have that spark that they had in 2007 and 2009, but it's certainly not impossible for them to give us some excitement down the stretch.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
What happened to the Season
It's early August and the Rockies season is pretty much over. 10 Games out with 50 games to play requires them to either win nearly all their games or have both Arizona and San Francisco collapse the rest of the season.
The injury to Juan Nicasio typifies the way the season has gone. From the first defensive play of the first spring training game, injuries have plagued the Rockies. The Rockies have used 43 players so far this year.
But the Rockies have no spark this year. Early on, they had some exceptional pitching but there has never been any sustained consistent hitting, over a long stretch. The bullpen seems in disrepair, and the Starting pitching has never really gotten in a groove.
This team is 45-59 since the end of April. There is little life in this team. The next two months should be spent evaluating what they have on the field, and making sure they have the right parts to start the 2012 Season.
The injury to Juan Nicasio typifies the way the season has gone. From the first defensive play of the first spring training game, injuries have plagued the Rockies. The Rockies have used 43 players so far this year.
But the Rockies have no spark this year. Early on, they had some exceptional pitching but there has never been any sustained consistent hitting, over a long stretch. The bullpen seems in disrepair, and the Starting pitching has never really gotten in a groove.
This team is 45-59 since the end of April. There is little life in this team. The next two months should be spent evaluating what they have on the field, and making sure they have the right parts to start the 2012 Season.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Back on Track
The Rockies may have only gone 3-3 over the past week, but it's clear that their Hitting is starting to sizzle. After scoring 3 or less runs in 15 of 17 games, the Rockies have now had 5 or more runs in 8 of the last 9, a period in which they are 6-3.
The Rockies have found over the last several years that interleague play can be a big boost. Although the Rockies had their first inter-league game of the season last night, the rest of the division played 3 games in May while the Rockies were swept by the Brewers. Last night the NL went 4-10 against the Junior Circuit, with the Rockies, D-Backs, Cubs, and Nationals winning. I find myself rooting for the AL in the non-Rockies games, because we don't actually compete with the AL for playoff spots. Another reason I don't really like Interleague games.
The Rockies are now 29-8 at Home against the AL in the past 6 seasons and 49-30 overall.
The Rockies have found over the last several years that interleague play can be a big boost. Although the Rockies had their first inter-league game of the season last night, the rest of the division played 3 games in May while the Rockies were swept by the Brewers. Last night the NL went 4-10 against the Junior Circuit, with the Rockies, D-Backs, Cubs, and Nationals winning. I find myself rooting for the AL in the non-Rockies games, because we don't actually compete with the AL for playoff spots. Another reason I don't really like Interleague games.
The Rockies are now 29-8 at Home against the AL in the past 6 seasons and 49-30 overall.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Winning Streaks
The Rockies managed to hold on to a 6-5 win last night to get their 3rd winning streak of more than two games. The first two were their first two winning streaks of the year--a 4 and a 7 game winning streak en route to a 11-2 start.
Since then, the Rockies have won 2 consecutive games only twice, going 17-30 with 15 individual wins. Their longest losing streak this year has been 4 games (twice) and 3 games (twice).
If you can take a positive away from the winning streak drought, then you can take heart in the fact that nobody in the West or even the entire NL has run away with anything. Not one Major League team is over .600 going into Saturday's action. That has never been the case on June 10th, since before the Rockies came into the Major Leagues. This works in their favor if they are indeed in the middle of a turnaround.
Last night the Rockies strung together 6 consecutive singles scoring 4 runs and scored another on the 6th single in 8 batters. Just an example of how little hits can be productive. It also helped to have an error and a wild pitch, but contrast the game where they got 14 hits and only 1 Run on May 30th. In fact the Rockies over the past 3 games have had only 2 Home Runs both Solos, among their 40 hits scoring 23 runs. In the previous 9 games the Rockies scored a total of 16 runs with four home runs.
Since then, the Rockies have won 2 consecutive games only twice, going 17-30 with 15 individual wins. Their longest losing streak this year has been 4 games (twice) and 3 games (twice).
If you can take a positive away from the winning streak drought, then you can take heart in the fact that nobody in the West or even the entire NL has run away with anything. Not one Major League team is over .600 going into Saturday's action. That has never been the case on June 10th, since before the Rockies came into the Major Leagues. This works in their favor if they are indeed in the middle of a turnaround.
Last night the Rockies strung together 6 consecutive singles scoring 4 runs and scored another on the 6th single in 8 batters. Just an example of how little hits can be productive. It also helped to have an error and a wild pitch, but contrast the game where they got 14 hits and only 1 Run on May 30th. In fact the Rockies over the past 3 games have had only 2 Home Runs both Solos, among their 40 hits scoring 23 runs. In the previous 9 games the Rockies scored a total of 16 runs with four home runs.
Friday, June 3, 2011
The Flip in the Standings
Exactly 4 weeks ago, the Rockies headed into San Francisco sporting a 4 game lead over the 2nd Place Giants. The Giants promptly swept the 3 game series and have been rolling since going 16-9 in the past month. The Rockies as we know have gone in the opposite direction, going 8-18 in the past 4 weeks.
Tonight the Rockies head into San Francisco, trailing the 1st Place Giants by 4.5 games. Although not a must win situation for the Rockies, it's imperative that they avoid being swept again. By Sunday, they could be either 1.5 games or 7.5 games behind the Giants depending on the results, and they will not see them again until September 15th.
Tonight the Rockies head into San Francisco, trailing the 1st Place Giants by 4.5 games. Although not a must win situation for the Rockies, it's imperative that they avoid being swept again. By Sunday, they could be either 1.5 games or 7.5 games behind the Giants depending on the results, and they will not see them again until September 15th.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
It's J--imenez, U--baldo's N--ifty E--ffort!
Ok, so it's a new month and only one game, but it was great to see the old Ubaldo back. Getting his 2nd complete game of the season but only his first win.
It's hard to lose a shutout, and the Rockies only managed 3 runs on offense, but it's a win nonetheless.
An off day today, followed by 3 crucial games by the Bay. Juan Nicasio gets his 2nd start on Friday against Matt Cain.
STATS: The Rockies last won 3 games in a row April 13-15 at the tail end of their 7 game winning streak through Pittsburgh, New York and the first game against Chicago...The Rockies continue to score rather consistently during the first 8 innings, Ranging from 36 runs in the 1st Inning to 23 in the 8th, but still have only scored 3 runs in the 9th inning. Totals in inning order 36-30-25-30-29-32-34-23-3. Meanwhile the opponents are scattered from 17 to 36 runs in any given inning: 36-20-35-28-20-25-30-19-17...Only 13 of the Rockies first 55 games have been decided after the 6th inning. That means that 76% of the time you can turn off the game at the end of the 6th and know the decision...But wait, 5 of those games were tied going into the 7th inning and in 2 the team leading after 6 still won, so with 1 team leading after 6 innings you've known the outcome 88% of the time..The Rockies still have not had a walk-off win after 28 Home games...There have been 0 Grand Slams by the Rockies or their Opponents 1/3 of the way through the season...The Rockies have 10 3-Run, and 11 2-Run Homers to go with their 32 Solo Homers. That's 21 multi-run Homers vs. 32 Solo's.
It's hard to lose a shutout, and the Rockies only managed 3 runs on offense, but it's a win nonetheless.
An off day today, followed by 3 crucial games by the Bay. Juan Nicasio gets his 2nd start on Friday against Matt Cain.
STATS: The Rockies last won 3 games in a row April 13-15 at the tail end of their 7 game winning streak through Pittsburgh, New York and the first game against Chicago...The Rockies continue to score rather consistently during the first 8 innings, Ranging from 36 runs in the 1st Inning to 23 in the 8th, but still have only scored 3 runs in the 9th inning. Totals in inning order 36-30-25-30-29-32-34-23-3. Meanwhile the opponents are scattered from 17 to 36 runs in any given inning: 36-20-35-28-20-25-30-19-17...Only 13 of the Rockies first 55 games have been decided after the 6th inning. That means that 76% of the time you can turn off the game at the end of the 6th and know the decision...But wait, 5 of those games were tied going into the 7th inning and in 2 the team leading after 6 still won, so with 1 team leading after 6 innings you've known the outcome 88% of the time..The Rockies still have not had a walk-off win after 28 Home games...There have been 0 Grand Slams by the Rockies or their Opponents 1/3 of the way through the season...The Rockies have 10 3-Run, and 11 2-Run Homers to go with their 32 Solo Homers. That's 21 multi-run Homers vs. 32 Solo's.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Miserable May Ends 8-21
I've watched baseball for a long time, and I can never remember a team with so much promise having such a horrible month. I've seen bad teams have months like this, but this is hardly a bad team--or is it?
A lot of people are talking about turning the page to June, as if somehow magically with a new month comes new ability or luck. There is nothing that I've witnessed lately that indicates this team will play better. In fact, as much as I hate to say it, this team looks beat.
1. Gonzalez and Fowler collide in the outfield on Monday, letting a ball drop. This is not only fundamentally unsound, the fact that it happened 50 games into the season is inexcusable, and indicates lack of focus.
2. Troy Tulowitski is constantly chirping with the home plate umpires about bad calls, some warranted, but many are good pitches. This is not a leader, it's a chronic complainer. Man up and take the lead. Also a lack of focus.
3. Seth Smith overruns 2nd base with the play in front of him last week. Smith has been arguably one of a very few bright lights this season both in the field and at bat, but this is also showing a lack of focus.
4. Pitchers have very few "clean" innings. By that, I mean 1, 2, 3. They rely a lot on Double Plays to get them out of jams, but if the pitchers wouldn't constantly get into jams, especially with the significant rise in walks this past month. I'd say rarely do the Rockies have more than 2 defensive 1, 2, 3 innings in a game. In the meantime offensively, they seem to go 1,2,3--5 or 6 times a game.
There is absolutely no outward signs of life in the veterans or manager of this team. The one spark that I see is the exuberance of Eric Young, Jr, Chris Nelson, and a couple of the new pitchers they've brought up in the past week.
The season is not yet lost, but this team has to turn everything around quickly and that will be a daunting task. The saving grace is that no other team in the NL West has yet to run away yet. At this point last year the Rockies were also 4 games behind, but were at 27-24. In 2009, they were 20-29, 13.5 games behind and in 2007, they were 25-29 and 6.5 games out.
A lot of people are talking about turning the page to June, as if somehow magically with a new month comes new ability or luck. There is nothing that I've witnessed lately that indicates this team will play better. In fact, as much as I hate to say it, this team looks beat.
1. Gonzalez and Fowler collide in the outfield on Monday, letting a ball drop. This is not only fundamentally unsound, the fact that it happened 50 games into the season is inexcusable, and indicates lack of focus.
2. Troy Tulowitski is constantly chirping with the home plate umpires about bad calls, some warranted, but many are good pitches. This is not a leader, it's a chronic complainer. Man up and take the lead. Also a lack of focus.
3. Seth Smith overruns 2nd base with the play in front of him last week. Smith has been arguably one of a very few bright lights this season both in the field and at bat, but this is also showing a lack of focus.
4. Pitchers have very few "clean" innings. By that, I mean 1, 2, 3. They rely a lot on Double Plays to get them out of jams, but if the pitchers wouldn't constantly get into jams, especially with the significant rise in walks this past month. I'd say rarely do the Rockies have more than 2 defensive 1, 2, 3 innings in a game. In the meantime offensively, they seem to go 1,2,3--5 or 6 times a game.
There is absolutely no outward signs of life in the veterans or manager of this team. The one spark that I see is the exuberance of Eric Young, Jr, Chris Nelson, and a couple of the new pitchers they've brought up in the past week.
The season is not yet lost, but this team has to turn everything around quickly and that will be a daunting task. The saving grace is that no other team in the NL West has yet to run away yet. At this point last year the Rockies were also 4 games behind, but were at 27-24. In 2009, they were 20-29, 13.5 games behind and in 2007, they were 25-29 and 6.5 games out.
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