MLB 15 The Show: Smooth Pancakes' Colorado Rockies Franchise

[SmoothPancakes]

Los Angeles Dodgers (28-22) vs Colorado Rockies (28-22)
June 1-3, 2015
Coors Field - Denver, Colorado

Probable Starters:

Game One - Monday 6:40 PM
Tyler Chatwood (6-1, 2.66 ERA) vs Clayton Kershaw (6-2, 2.39 ERA)

Game Two - Tuesday 6:40 PM
Kyle Kendrick (5-1, 1.67 ERA) vs Zack Greinke (3-4, 3.64 ERA)

Game Three - Wednesday 6:40 PM
Jordan Lyles (3-3, 3.18 ERA) vs Hyun-Jin Ryu (3-2, 2.94 ERA)


After dropping two out of three games to both the Cincinnati Reds and the Philadelphia Phillies to end the month of May, the Rockies and their fans would certainly be hoping June would bring a change of tune as Colorado had fallen back into a first place tie in the NL West with the Los Angeles Dodgers. A series win or sweep would give either team a 1 or 3 game edge over the other in the standings, and with the Rockies ceasing division play after Wednesday until facing Arizona way off on June 23rd, as well as the fact that this would be the last time the Rockies and Dodgers would play each other until meeting in LA on September 14th, any direct chances for the Rockies to make up ground in the NL West, and particularly in regards to potentially trying to make up ground against the Dodgers, would be severely limited.

[SmoothPancakes]

MLB Standings through Sunday, May 31, 2015

American League

East
Baltimore Orioles - 28-21
Boston Red Sox - 27-24 (2.0 GB)
Toronto Blue Jays - 26-26 (3.5 GB)
New York Yankees - 24-27 (5.0 GB)
Tampa Bay Rays - 22-29 (7.0 GB)

Central
Minnesota Twins - 32-17
Kansas City Royals - 28-22 (4.5 GB)
Detroit Tigers - 27-25 (6.5 GB)
Chicago White Sox - 23-27 (9.5 GB)
Cleveland Indians - 23-27 (9.5 GB)

West
Seattle Mariners - 28-22
Oakland Athletics - 29-24 (0.5 GB)
Texas Rangers - 24-27 (4.5 GB)
Houston Astros - 24-27 (4.5 GB)
Los Angeles Angels - 24-27 (4.5 GB)

American League Wild Card (Teams within 3.5 games)
Kansas City Royals - 28-22
Oakland Athletics - 29-24
Boston Red Sox - 27-24 (1.0 GB)
Detroit Tigers - 27-25 (1.5 GB)
Toronto Blue Jays - 26-26 (2.5 GB)


National League

East
Washington Nationals - 36-14
New York Mets - 23-28 (13.5 GB)
Miami Marlins - 23-28 (13.5 GB)
Philadelphia Phillies - 22-30 (15.0 GB)
Atlanta Braves - 21-29 (15.0 GB)

Central
Pittsburgh Pirates - 29-21
Milwaukee Brewers - 27-24 (2.5 GB)
St. Louis Cardinals - 25-26 (4.5 GB)
Chicago Cubs - 23-28 (6.5 GB)
Cincinnati Reds - 20-30 (9.0 GB)

West
Colorado Rockies - 28-22
Los Angeles Dodgers - 28-22
San Francisco Giants - 24-28 (5.0 GB)
San Diego Padres - 23-29 (6.0 GB)
Arizona Diamondbacks - 20-30 (8.0 GB)

National League Wild Card (Teams within 3.5 games)
Colorado Rockies - 28-22
Los Angeles Dodgers - 28-22
Milwaukee Brewers - 27-24 (1.5 GB)
St. Louis Cardinals - 25-26 (3.5 GB)

[SmoothPancakes]

The 2015 MLB Draft took place on Wednesday. With the first pick in the draft, the Arizona Diamondbacks selected third baseman Amos Eddy (19 years old, 72 OVR, A POT, 2016 ETA). The Colorado Rockies would take the next best overall player, drafting first baseman Beau Brunson (22 years old, 75 OVR, A POT, 2016 ETA). The Texas Rangers drafted left fielder Kurt Snell (21 years old, 59 OVR, A POT, 2019 ETA). The Minnesota Twins would draft right fielder Ryan Fleming (18 years old, 60 OVR, B POT, 2019 ETA). The Houston Astros would use the #5 pick to draft starting pitcher Thurman Hays (22 years old, 64 OVR, A POT, 2018 ETA).

In picks of interest, with the second and third picks in the Compensatory Round, the Toronto Blue Jays drafted right fielder Daniel Barnes (18 years old, 55 OVR, B POT, 2018 ETA) and starting pitcher Joel Aguilar (18 years old, 55 OVR, A POT, 2020 ETA). In the second round, the Toronto Blue Jays drafted relief pitcher Howie Hester (20 years old, 57 OVR, A POT, 2020 ETA). Houston would make a great snag in round 5, grabbing starting pitcher Victor Sanchez (21 years old, 66 OVR, B POT, 2018 ETA).


A rundown of the players that Colorado selected (borrowed from steelerfan):

Round 1, Pick 2
1B Beau Brunson
Age 22, 4-yr. College
B/T S/L, 6'2", 190 lbs
OVR 75, POT A, ETA 2016
2nd Pos: LF, RF

Round 2, Pick 2
SP Justin Brown
Age 19, 4-yr. College
B/T L/L, 5'11", 173 lbs
OVR 57 POT A, ETA 2020
2nd Pos: 2B

Round 3, Pick 2
SP Josh Aguero
Age 20, 2-yr. College
B/T L/R, 6'5", 213 lbs
OVR 66, POT B, ETA 2018
2nd Pos: None

Round 4, Pick 2
CP Peter Childs
Age 19, 4-yr. College
B/T L/R 6'0" 193 lbs
OVR 66, POT B, ETA 2018
2nd Pos: 3B

Round 5, Pick 2
SP Henry Sheldon
Age 22, 2-yr. College
B/T R/R, 6'4", 226 lbs
OVR 53, POT C, ETA 2022
2nd Pos: None

Round 6, Pick 2
SP Chris Fabregas
Age 19, 4-yr. College
B/T L/L, 5'10", 209 lbs.
OVR 64, POT C, ETA 2019
2nd Pos: None

Round 7, Pick 2
RP Bradley Bolton
Age 21, 4-yr. College
B/T R/R, 6'0", 196 lbs.
OVR 48 POT D
2nd Pos: None


This turned out to be a pretty deep draft as multiple A potential players were still left by the start of the second round, and numerous B potential players were still being taken in the fourth and fifth rounds, with Houston making the biggest steal, grabbing a 66 overall, B potential starting pitcher in Victor Sanchez all the way down in round 5. It was also a very pitcher heavy draft, which played well with Colorado's goals of focusing almost solely on pitchers, other than the first round pick that was made purely based on best player available. Main priorities coming out of the draft will be signing Beau Brunson, who has the makeup of a potential future All-Star, as well as Justin Brown and Josh Aguero. After hopefully getting those three to sign, attention will then be turned to Peter Childs and the remaining picks.

[SmoothPancakes]

The Rockies would try to regain momentum after a disappointing series loss to the Cincinnati Reds, but instead of the four game sweep from a week ago, the Rockies would face defeat against the Philadelphia Phillies this time as the Rockies would drop two out of three games in the city of brotherly love.

The first game of the series would see Clayton Kershaw reign supreme as the Rockies would end up shut out. The Dodgers would score the first run of the game in the fifth inning when Howie Kendrick hit a two out single to left, followed by Yasiel Puig lining a double to right to score Kendrick for a 1-0 lead. The Dodgers would add another run in the eighth inning as Carl Crawford hit a solo home run to right field for the 2-0 victory.

Player of the game was also the winning pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who improved to 7-2, going 7.1 innings pitched, giving up 4 hits, no runs, no walks and 12 strikeouts for a 2.16 ERA. Chris Hatcher got his sixth hold and Kenley Jansen picked up his sixteenth save with a one hit ninth inning. Losing pitcher was Tyler Chatwood to drop to 6-2, going 6.0 innings pitched, giving up 9 hits, 1 run, 1 earned run, 1 walk and 4 strikeouts for a 2.55 ERA. Top hitter for the Dodgers was Howie Kendrick going 3-4 with one run scored. Top hitter for the Rockies was Nolan Arenado, Daniel Descalso, Michael McKenry, Charlie Blackmon and Justin Morneau, all of whom managed just one single each.



The second game would see what was on the verge of a blowout turn into a ninth inning win as a key injury would turn the tides. The Dodgers would strike first as Yasiel Puig hit a solo home run in the top of the first. The Rockies would answer in the bottom of the first as Nolan Arenado and D.J. LeMahieu lead off with back to back doubles. Daniel Descalso would hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Arenado to tie the game. Corey Dickerson would come up two batters later and stroke an RBI double to right to score LeMahieu, followed by a line drive single by Michael McKenry to drive in Dickerson for a 3-1 lead. The Dodgers would respond in the second with a one out triple to center by Alex Guerrero, followed by an RBI single by Jimmy Rollins. Then in the third inning, Howie Kendrick would lead off with a walk, followed by a single to center by Andre Ethier. Puig would then ground out a single to right field to score Kendrick. A double play ground out by Adrian Gonzalez would leave two outs but would also move Ethier to third base, where he would be driven in on a line drive single by Hector Olivera to put the Dodgers on top 4-3. In the fourth inning, the Dodgers would tack on one more run courtesy of a one out triple by A.J. Ellis, followed by a sacrifice fly by Greinke. The Rockies would answer in the bottom of the inning with a solo home run to right by McKenry. It was after the home run and a fly out by Charlie Blackmon that starting pitcher Zack Greinke would be forced to leave the game after suffering a groin injury while on the mound, forcing the Dodgers to turn to their bullpen very early, which the Rockies would take advantage of. Justin Morneau would then double to center and Drew Stubbs would get an infield single, bringing up Arenado, who would ground a single into centerfield to score Morneau and tie the game 5-5.

The fifth inning would see Tommy Kahnle and Christian Friedrich lit up as Puig led off with a triple to center, followed by a two run home run to right by Gonzalez. After a single to center by Olivera, Rollins would then smoke a triple to center to drive in Olivera. Rollins would come in to score one batter later as Ellis lined a single to center, giving the Dodgers a 9-5 lead. In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Rockies would manage to plate one run as Blackmon and Morneau each led off with singles, followed by a one out single by Arenado to drive in Blackmon. The Rockies would add two more runs in the seventh inning as Gonzalez led off with a double to right, followed by a two run home run by Dickerson to cut the score to 9-8. Come the bottom of the ninth inning, it looked like trouble for the Rockies as they were hit with one out quick on a strike out by Gonzalez. Then the Dodgers bullpen would collapse as Dickerson smoked a ground rule double to center, followed by a double to right by McKenry to leave runners at second and third. Blackmon would be intentionally walked, loading the bases with one out for Morneau. Morneau would make the Dodgers regret that as he would unload on a pitch with a swing of god’s own might, launching a bomb into centerfield for a walk off grand slam, giving the Rockies a 12-9 victory.

Player of the game was Justin Morneau, going 3-5 with a single, a double and a grand slam, scoring two runs and driving in four RBI. Another top hitter was Corey Dickerson going 3-5 with two doubles and a two run home run, scoring three runs and driving in three RBI. Another top hitter was Michael McKenry, going 4-5 with a two singles, a double and a solo home run, scoring two runs and two RBI. Top hitter for the Dodgers was Yasiel Puig, going 3-5 with a single, a triple and a home run, scoring two runs and driving in two RBI. Winning pitcher was Brooks Brown to improve to 1-0, going 1.0 hitless innings pitched with a perfect ninth inning. Starting pitcher Kyle Kendrick lasted just 4.0 innings pitched, giving up 8 hits, 5 runs, 5 earned runs, 1 walk and 2 strikeouts for a 2.27 ERA. Kenley Jansen to drop to 0-1, going 0.1 innings pitched, giving up 3 hits, 4 runs, 4 earned runs, 1 walk and 1 strikeout with a 3.78 ERA. J.P. Howell (3rd), Joel Peralta (3rd) and Yimi Garcia (7th) all got credit for holds before the disastrous ninth inning. Starting pitcher Zack Greinke would last just 3.1 innings before leaving with a groin injury in the fourth, giving up 6 hits, 4 runs, 4 earned runs, no walks and 5 strikeouts for a 4.02 ERA.



The third game of the series would the Rockies jump out first, but fail to hold on as the Dodgers would get the series victory. The Rockies would score first in the bottom of the second inning as Drew Stubbs led off with a double to center, followed by a two run home run by Corey Dickerson for a 2-0 lead. The Dodgers would come alive in the sixth inning as Hector Olivera led off with a single to third, followed by an RBI double to let by Howie Kendrick to score Oliver. Yasiel Puig would come up next, stroking a triple to center to score Kendrick. After a pop out, Alex Guerrero would line a single to center to drive in Puig for a 3-2 lead. The Dodgers would add another run in the seventh inning as Jimmy Rollins opened with a single to right and would advance to second on a sacrifice bunt by Hyun-Jin Ryu. After a strikeout, Kendrick would come up and blast a two out double to left field to score Rollins for a 4-2 Dodgers lead. The Rockies would respond in the eighth inning as Charlie Blackmon led off with a single, followed by a one out single to right by Carlos Gonzalez to move Blackmon to third and leave runners at the corners. Cristhian Adames would reach base after hitting into a fielder’s choice to score Blackmon from third to cut the score to 4-3. After a strikeout and a ground out to open the bottom of the ninth inning, Dickerson would hit a two out double to left field, but second base would be as close as the tying run would get as Nick Hundley would strikeout to give the Dodgers a 4-3 win.

Player of the game was also the winning pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu to improve to 4-2, going 7.0 innings pitched, giving up 6 hits, 3 runs, 3 earned runs, no walks and 11 strikeouts for a 3.03 ERA. Joel Peralta picked up his fourth hold while Kenley Janson got his seventeenth save. Losing pitcher was Jordan Lyles to drop to 3-4, going 7.0 innings pitched, giving up 9 hits, 4 runs, 4 earned runs, 1 walk and 6 strikeouts for a 3.38 ERA. Top hitter for the Dodgers, the only player with more than one hit, was Howie Kendrick, going 2-3 with two doubles, scoring one run and driving in two RBI. Top hitter for the Rockies, also the only player with more than one hit, was Corey Dickerson, going 3-4 with a single, a double and a two run home run, scoring one run and driving in two RBI.


LA Dodgers – 2-12-0
Colorado – 0-5-0

LA Dodgers – 9-13-0
Colorado – 12-20-0

LA Dodgers – 4-9-0
Colorado – 3-8-0


And so the Rockies would lose their third straight series in a row, dropping seven of their last eleven games to go from a three game grip on first place in the NL West, to sitting in second and trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers by a full game. With that, the Rockies now step out of divisional play for three weeks as they continue their nine game home stand, hosting a weekend series against the Miami Marlins, followed by a three game visit from the St. Louis Cardinals.

[SmoothPancakes]

Miami Marlins (23-31) vs Colorado Rockies (29-24)
June 5-7, 2015
Coors Field - Denver, Colorado

Probable Starters:

Game One - Friday 6:40 PM
Tom Koehler (2-6, 6.06 ERA) vs David Hale (2-3, 3.99 ERA)

Game Two - Saturday 2:10 PM
Jose Fernandez (5-2, 1.69 ERA) vs Eddie Butler (2-4, 7.01 ERA)

Game Three - Sunday 2:10 PM
Mat Latos (2-6, 3.36 ERA) vs Tyler Chatwood (6-2, 2.55 ERA)

Upcoming Opponents:
vs. St. Louis (3 games), at Miami (4 games) at Houston (2 games)


After dropping two out of three games for the third series in a row, the series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers left the Rockies looking up from second place in the NL West, while exiting division play for three weeks to face foes from the NL East, the NL Central and the AL West. The Rockies would have to try and find their heads and turn things around while they still had some sense of control, starting with a three game visit from the fish of Miami.

[SmoothPancakes]

Some trade news from Saturday, Philadelphia traded LF Domonic Brown (27 years old, 77, C) to the Chicago Cubs for 3B Mike Olt (26 years old, 68, B). The move gives the Cubs an instant upgrade at left field while the Phillies pick up a AAA prospect at third.

[SmoothPancakes]

The Rockies would try to rediscover themselves after losing their third series in a row. Instead, the Rockies would nearly being on the losing end of a perfect game and would give up their most runs and hits in a single series all season.

The first game of the series would see the Rockies end up in a hole early and never recover, while the Marlins would change things up, as probable starting pitcher Tom Koehler would be replaced instead by Brad Hand. The Marlins would waste no time scoring in the first inning as Christian Yelich lined a one out double to left, followed by a two out double to left by Marcell Ozuna to score Yelich. Then in the second inning Adeiny Hechavarria would lead off with a solo home run. Third inning action would see Dee Gordon single to right field and then steal second base, coming around to score after Yelich lined out to third base and Nolan Arenado proceed to throw to second, only to have the ball end up in the gap in right center field. Following the run allowing error, Giancarlo Stanton would single to left, coming home on a triple by Ozuna. Ozuna would then score on a line drive single by Martin Prado, giving the Marlins a 5-0 lead. The Rockies would put a dent in the lead in the fourth inning as Carlos Gonzalez would reach base on a single, followed by a two out, two run home run by Michael McKenry to right field to cut the gap to 5-2. Miami would immediately respond in the fifth inning with back to back triples by Yelich and Stanton and then a sacrifice fly by Ozuna to score two runs in the inning and put the Marlins up 7-2. The Rockies would manage just two more runs in the seventh inning as McKenry led off with a double, followed by a two out pinch hit home run to right by Wilin Rosario to make the final score 7-4.

Player of the game was Marcell Ozuna, going 2-3 with a double and a triple, one run scored and three RBI driven in. Another top hitter was Giancarlo Stanton, going 3-4 with a single, a double and a triple, one run scored and one RBI. Top hitter for the Rockies was Michael McKenry, going 2-4 with a double and a home run, scoring two runs and driving in two RBI. Winning pitcher would be Brad Hand to improve to 3-0, going 7.0 innings pitched, giving up 8 hits, 4 runs, 4 earned runs, no walks and 4 strikeouts for a 6.16 ERA. Mike Dunn picked up his fourth hold and Steve Cishek got his thirteenth save. Losing pitcher was David Hale to drop to 2-4, going just 3.0 innings pitched, giving up 7 hits, 5 runs, 5 earned runs, no walks and 3 strikeouts for a 4.52 ERA.



The second game was just plain a disaster, as the Marlins would win in a blowout and the Jose Fernandez would come just a fifth inning walk away from pitching a perfect game. Miami started rocking starting pitcher Eddie Butler from the start as Dee Gordon led off with a bunt for a single, followed by a one out double to right by Giancarlo Stanton. Martin Prado would followed with a two out deflected ground ball for a single to score Gordon for an early 1-0 lead. That would hole until the fourth inning when Prado singled to lead off, stealing second base and then advancing to third on a wild pitch. Jhonatan Solano would draw a walk, Jeff Baker would hit a single into center to score Prado. Fernandez would lay down a successful bunt that deflected off the pitcher, allowing both runners to move up and Fernandez to reach first to load the bases. Gordon would come up next, smacking a double to left to score both Solano and Baker and leave runners at second and third for Christian Yelich, who would hit a sacrifice fly to the warning track in center, scoring both Fernandez and Gordon thanks to an errant throw in from the outfield, giving the Marlins a 6-0 cushion. Miami would add another run in the fifth inning as Marcell Ozuna led off with a triple to center, followed by an RBI ground out to third to score Ozuna. Starting pitcher Jose Hernandez had been pitching a perfect game to this point, but would lose it with one out in the fifth inning when he walked Corey Dickerson on a full count. Miami would come back in the sixth inning with a one out single by Fernandez and a fielding error by D.J. LeMahieu allowing Gordon to reach base. Yelich would come up next and line a single to center to score Fernandez from second while Gordon advanced to third. Stanton would then ground out to the pitcher, allowing Gordon to score from third to put Miami up 9-0. An eighth inning home run by Gordon would push the lead to 10. The ninth inning would see Ozuna and Prado both lead off with singles. Ozuna would reach third and Adeiny Hechavarria would reach first on a fielder’s choice that would see a double play ball thrown over the first baseman’s head. Baker would then hit a ground ball single into right field to score Ozuna from third for the 11-0 margin.

Player of the game, easily, was also the winning pitcher, as Jose Fernandez came a single walk away from pitching a perfect game as he improved to 6-2, throwing a complete game no-hitter, giving up just a single walk and striking out 15 batters. Losing pitcher was Eddie Butler to drop to 2-5, going just 4.0 innings pitched, giving up 9 hits, 6 runs, 6 earned runs, 1 walk and 6 strikeouts for a 7.48 ERA. Top hitter for the Marlins was Dee Gordon, going 3-6 with a single, a double, a home run, four runs scored and three RBI. Top hitter for the Rockies was, no one. Top player, by default, was Corey Dickerson as he at least drew a walk, the only player to reach base the entire game.



The third game of the series would see Tyler Chatwood hammered early and the Marlins score runs at will in a fifth inning from hell as the Rockies would get swept. Miami got off and running in the first inning as Giancarlo Stanton blasted a two out home run to left. Marcell Ozuna would follow that with a single, bringing up Martin Prado who would smack a two run home run to left field for an early 3-0 lead. In the third inning, Christian Yelich would get on base with a one out single, followed by a single to left by Stanton to bring Yelich in to score. The sixth inning would see Chatwood’s day end as Yelich hit an infield single, Stanton drew a walk and Prado managed a two out single to load the bases. That would bring up Adeiny Hechavarria who would line a single in to right to score both Yelich and Stanton. Jhonatan Solano would then drill a home run to left field, driving in Prado and Hechavarria for a 9-0 lead and the end of Chatwood’s day. Tommy Kahnle would come in, promptly giving up a pair of singles to Jeff Baker and Mat Latos, followed by a ground ball single to center by Dee Gordon to score Baker for a 10-0 advantage. The Rockies would finally break on the board in the fifth inning as Nick Hundley smacked a one out triple, followed by a ground single by Charlie Blackmon to drive Hundley in. Colorado would go on their own mini-rally in the seventh inning as Carlos Gonzalez and Corey Dickerson both hit solo home runs, Hundley doubled to center, eventually advancing to third on a fly out. Michael McKenry would come in to pinch hit, lining a single to center to score Hundley and Nolan Arenado would rope a triple to center to score McKenry to close the gap to 10-5. A second home run by Gonzalez in the eighth inning would get Colorado within four runs at 10-6, but Miami would close it out in the ninth inning. Ozuna, Prado and Hechavarria all lead off with singles, followed by a fielder’s choice by Ichiro Suzuki, driving in Ozuna while Suzuki would beat out the double play attempt. Baker would then line a single to left to score Prado, giving Miami the 12-6 win and the three game sweep.

Player of the game was Martin Prado, going 4-5 with three singles, a home run, three runs scored and two RBI. Another top hitter was Adeiny Hechavarria, going 3-5 with two singles, a triple, one run and two RBI. Yet another top hitter was Giancarlo Stanton, going 2-4 with a single and a home run, scoring two runs and driving in two RBI. Top hitter for the Rockies was Nolan Arenado, going 3-4 with a single, a double and a triple and driving in one RBI. Another top hitter was Carlos Gonzalez, going 2-4 with a pair of solo home runs, scoring two runs and two RBI. Winning pitcher was Mat Latos to improve to 3-6, going 6.2 innings pitched, giving up 10 hits, 5 runs, 5 earned runs, no walks and 3 strikeouts for a 3.67 ERA. Losing pitcher was Tyler Chatwood to drop to 6-3, going 4.2 innings pitched, giving up 11 hits, 9 runs, 9 earned runs, 1 walk and 6 strikeouts for a 3.52 ERA. Tommy Kahnle would get tagged for 3 hits and 1 run in 1.1 innings of work while Rex Brothers would get lit up for 3 hits and 2 runs in 1.0 innings of work.


Miami – 7-10-1
Colorado – 4-8-2

Miami – 11-17-0
Colorado – 0-0-1

Miami – 12-18-0
Colorado – 6-12-1


And so the Rockies would lose their fourth straight series in a row, and would get swept for just the third time this season, first since getting swept at home by the Los Angeles Dodgers May 8-10. With this sweep, the Rockies have now lost four in a row, and have lost 9 of their last 11, going from a three game cushion in first place in the NL West, to second place in the NL West and 2.5 games behind the Dodgers, and right back to just barely hanging on to an above-.500 record.

[SmoothPancakes]

St. Louis Cardinals (29-29) vs Colorado Rockies (29-27)
June 8-10, 2015
Coors Field - Denver, Colorado

Probable Starters:

Game One - Monday 6:40 PM
John Lackey (5-3, 3.12 ERA) vs Kyle Kendrick (5-1, 2.27 ERA)

Game Two - Tuesday 6:40 PM
Carlos Villanueva (3-3, 3.40 ERA) vs Jordan Lyles (3-4, 3.38 ERA)

Game Three - Wednesday 1:10 PM
Adam Wainwright (5-5, 2.57 ERA) vs David Hale (2-4, 4.52 ERA)

Upcoming Opponents:
at Miami (4 games) at Houston (2 games), vs. Houston (2 games)


After dropping the fourth straight series and being clean swept for just the third time all season, the Rockies are left reeling and near in free fall as they fallen all the way to within two games of hitting .500, as well as continuously losing ground to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. While numerous players have stepped up, unfortunately, the team morale seems to have taken a serious hit since franchise player Troy Tulowitzki was injured with an inflamed hip two weeks ago, strangely around the exact same time this losing spell began.

In the mean time, unless team play starts to turn around soon, some serious changes may be coming. Some players may be sent packing to AAA Albuquerque, some AAA players may be getting the phone call to come up, and maybe even some staff shakeups might be needed if this team can't get back on track.

[SmoothPancakes]

A couple more injuries hit the Rockies organization on Tuesday, as AA New Britain relief pitcher Ryan Arrowood suffered a strained oblique that would leave him sideline for a couple days, thankfully avoiding the disabled list.

Also injured was AA New Britain second baseman Angelys Nina, who suffered a MCL spring that would leave him out of action for 2-3 weeks, unfortunately earning him a spot on the 15 day DL. This is Nina's second injury to land him on the disabled list this season, raising much concern about his future health and durability.

[SmoothPancakes]

It would take games two and three for the Rockies to finally achieve success, but they would do so against St. Lous, breaking a 5 game losing streak and winning their first series since May 24th, in the process giving themselves a little breathing room from the .500 mark.

The first game of the series would again see the Rockies end up in a hole early, battle back, and then blow it in extra innings. St. Louis jumped on board first with Kolten Wong reached base on a throwing error, making his way to third on a ground out and fly out, and then coming home to score on a single by Matt Adams. The Rockies would bring across a run in the fourth inning as Daniel Descalso led off with a triple to center, followed by a Drew Stubbs double to left. In the sixth inning, an RBI triple by Matt Carpenter would score John Lackey from second for the Cardinals. Then in the sixth inning, the Cardinals would plate two runs on a two run home run by Jason Heyward. The Rockies would answer in the bottom of the sixth as Michael McKenry blasted a three run home run to center for a 4-4 game. The Rockies would go up 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh as Cristhian Adames hit a ground rule double, followed by an RBI single by D.J. LeMahieu. The eighth inning would see the Cardinals take a 6-5 lead as Heyward hit an RBI double to left to score Pete Kozma, before eventually coming home to score himself on a sacrifice fly to right. The Rockies would answer back in the bottom of the inning and tie the game with a solo home run by Corey Dickerson. The Rockies had a chance to win, but Nolan Arenado would try to score from second on a ground ball single to center, and would be thrown out at home plate to send the game to extra innings. The Cardinals would take the lead and the victory in the tenth inning as St. Louis would get runners on first and second for Peter Bourjos, who would hit a ground rule double to center to drive in one run. Then with runners at second and third, a botched catch by right fielder Corey Dickerson would result in a fielding error, allowing both runners to score to give the Cardinals a 9-6 lead and eventually the win.

Player of the game was Jason Heyward, going 4-5 with two singles, a double and a home run, scoring two runs and driving in three RBI. Top hitter for the Rockies was Michael McKenry, going 2-5 with a single and a home run, scoring one run and driving in three RBI. Winning pitcher was Jordan Walden to improve to 2-1, going 1.0 innings pitched in the ninth, giving up 3 hits and no runs. Sam Tuivailala was dinged with his third blown save. Starting pitcher John Lackey went 6.0 innings pitched, giving up 7 hits, 4 runs, 4 earned runs, no walks and 5 strikeouts for a 3.35 ERA. Losing pitcher was John Axford to drop to 1-3, going 1.0 innings pitched, giving up 3 hits, 3 runs, 1 earned run, no walks and 1 strikeout for a 5.48 ERA. Brooks Brown was hit with his second blown save. Starting pitcher Kyle Kendrick went 6.0 innings pitched, giving up 9 hits, 4 runs, 3 earned runs, no walks and 6 strikeouts for a 2.47 ERA.



The second game saw the Cardinal jump out early again as a pair of lead off singles by Kolten Wong and Matt Carpenter allowed Matt Adams to hit an RBI single to right, scoring Wong from second for a 1-0 lead. The Rockies, however, would take over early this time in the third inning. D.J. LeMahieu, Cristhian Adames and Carlos Gonzalez all hit singles to shallow left or center field, loading the bases with two outs. That would bring up Corey Dickerson who would smack a single to left to score both LeMahieu and Adames. Then Michael McKenry would double to right to score Gonzalez and advance Dickerson to third. Drew Stubbs would finish off the action with a single to right to score both Dickerson and McKenry, giving the Rockies a 5-1 lead. The Rockies would add an insurance run in the fifth inning as McKenry hit a sacrifice fly to score Adames from third, putting the Rockies on top 6-1, a score that would stay behind a career pitching performance by Jordan Lyles, breaking a five game losing streak and earn the Rockies only their second win in June through eight games.

Player of the game, easily, was also the winning pitcher, as Jordan Lyles improved to 4-4, going 8.0 innings pitched, giving up 7 hits, 1 run, 1 earned run, no walks and 7 strikeouts for a 3.14 ERA. Losing pitcher was Carlos Villanueva to drop to 3-4, going 4.0 innings pitched, giving up 8 hits, 5 runs, 5 earned runs, no walks and 3 strikeouts for a 4.12 ERA. Top hitter for the Rockies was Michael McKenry, going 2-3 with a single and a double, scoring one run and driving in two RBI. Top hitter for the Cardinals was Matt Adams, going 2-4 with two singles and one RBI.



The third game of the series would see the Rockies finally break their losing spell, winning their first series since May 24th. The Cardinals put up a fight, scoring first with a first inning RBI single by Matt Carpenter, but the Rockies would respond in the bottom of the first inning with a solo home run by Daniel Descalso and an RBI triple by Corey Dickerson to go up 2-1. A second inning RBI triple by Peter Bourjos and an RBI single by Adam Wainwright would give the Cardinals a one run edge, but the Rockies would answer right back with an RBI single by Nolan Arenado and an RBI triple by Cristhian Adames, putting the Rockies back on top 4-3. The Rockies would build their lead in the fifth inning as Dickerson smacked an RBI double to left to score Descalso and Charlie Blackmon hit a two run home run to drive in Dickerson. Then in the sixth inning, a solo home run to right by Adames would give Colorado an 8-3 advantage. The Cardinals would battle back briefly as a Jhonny Peralta single was followed by an RBI triple by Ed Easley in the seventh inning and in the eighth inning, an RBI triple by Adams and an RBI ground out by Jason Heyward to close the gap to 8-6. The Rockies would put the cap on the win in the bottom of the eighth inning as Drew Stubbs and Arenado both got on base with singles and would be driven in by Adames on a two RBI triple to center. Adames would then come in to score on a sacrifice fly to right field, giving the Rockies an 11-6 victory.

Player of the game was Cristhian Adames, going 3-5 with two triples and a solo home run, scoring two runs and driving in four RBI. Another top hitter was Daniel Descalso, going 3-4 with two singles and a solo home run, scoring two runs and driving in two RBI. Top hitter for the Cardinals was Jhonny Peralta, going 3-4 with a single, a double and a triple while scoring two runs. Winning pitcher was David Hale to improve to 3-4, going 6.0 innings pitched, givin up 6 hits, 3 runs, 3 earned runs, no walks and 6 strikeouts for a 4.52 ERA. Rafael Betancourt would earn his third hold. Losing pitcher was Adam Wainwright to drop to 5-6, going 4.1 innings pitched, giving up 10 hits, 6 runs, 6 earned runs, no walks and 4 strikeouts for a 3.10 ERA.


St. Louis – 9-15-0
Colorado – 6-17-3

St. Louis – 1-7-0
Colorado – 6-11-0

St. Louis – 6-12-0
Colorado – 11-16-0


And so the Rockies would finally win another series after four failed attempts, they would get a couple games separation from the .500 mark and they would keep themselves within two games of the first place Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. Now would come the challenge where the Rockies would have to figure out a way to defeat the Miami Marlins, and this time, do it on the road.

[SmoothPancakes]

The Rockies would get great news on Wednesday night as the team doctors cleared Troy Tulowitzki to return to action and has been taken off the disabled list. With rookie shortstop Cristhian Adames impressing in his limited action so far, the decision was made to keep both Adames and Daniel Descalso on the MLB roster, using both as back ups for not only shortstop but also second and third base. The Rockies would instead sacrifice their bullpen to keep Adames in the major, sending a struggling Brooks Brown back down to AAA Albuquerque. To make room for Brown, struggling left fielder Brandon Barnes would be sent down to AA New Britain.

Even though Tulowitzki is cleared for action, he will remain on the bench for a couple days to give him a chance to work his way back into the starting roster (since MLB The Show does not have rehab assignments in the game as Tulo has already used all three of his minor league options). The team hopes to have Tulowitzki back as the starting shortstop by Monday the 15th.

[SmoothPancakes]

Colorado Rockies (31-28) vs Miami Marlins (29-31)
June 11-14, 2015
Marlins Park - Miami, Florida

Probable Starters:

Game One - Thursday 7:10 PM
Eddie Butler (2-5, 7.48 ERA) vs Jose Fernandez (6-2, 1.51 ERA)

Game Two - Friday 7:10 PM
Tyler Chatwood (6-3, 3.52 ERA) vs Mat Latos (3-6, 3.67 ERA)

Game Three - Saturday 4:10 PM
Kyle Kendrick (5-1, 2.47 ERA) vs Jarred Cosart (2-5, 3.06 ERA)

Game Four - Sunday 1:10 PM
Jordan Lyles (4-4, 3.14 ERA) vs Brad Hand (4-0, 5.57 ERA)

Upcoming Opponents:
at Houston (2 games), vs. Houston (2 games), vs Milwaukee (3 games)


After finally getting back into the series win column, the Rockies would now have to turn their attention to figuring out a way to beat Miami. Miami, just the prior weekend, became only the third team to clean sweep the Rockies in a series this season. The Rockies would also have to figure out how to hit against Jose Fernandez, enemy number one in the first game of the series, as he came just a single fifth inning walk away from pitching a perfect game against the Rockies last time, striking out 15 Rockies batters in the process. Thursday's game would be the true test of how the Rockies would hold up throughout the four game series.

[SmoothPancakes]

Another injury would occur in AA New Britain on Thursday as right fielder Raimel Tapia suffered a sprained knee ligament. It would keep him sidelined for an estimated 3-4 weeks, landing him a spot on the 15 day DL.

[SmoothPancakes]

A trade was announced on Friday as Boston traded C Christian Vasquez (24 years old, 73, C) to Tampa Bay for SS Hak-Ju Lee (23 years old, 71, B). Vasquez immediately becomes the new starting catcher for the Rays, while Lee will join Xander Bogaerts at shortstop for the Red Sox.

[SmoothPancakes]

The Rockies received bad news after Saturday's game. Center fielder Drew Stubbs left the game in the eighth inning with an arm injury after sliding in to third while advancing on a fly out. Word came down after the game that it was a fractured forearm that would leave Stubbs out of action for 2-3 months, instantly landing him on the 60 day DL and possibly ending his season.

To replace Stubbs, the Rockies called up AAA Albuquerque left fielder Kyle Parker (25 years old, 68, B). So far in 40 games and 143 at-bats, Parker has batted .308 in AAA with 6 home runs and 19 RBI. He will be replacing Stubbs on the bench as a periodic starter when the other outfielders need a day of rest.

In related moves, AA New Britain right fielder Brandon Barnes (28 years old, 71, C) was re-promoted to AAA, where he had been batting .281 through 50 games.

To replace Barnes, A Modesto center fielder Noel Cuevas (23 years old, 63, C) was promoted to AA.

Also announced, the Rockies promoted A Modesto starting pitcher Peter Lambert (18 years old, 62, B) to AA New Britain.

[SmoothPancakes]

Another series against the Miami Marlins would see another shutout, another blowout and a walk off home run, but while the Rockies would lose another series, they would manage to avoid being swept by the Marlins two weeks in a row.

The first game of the series would see the Rockies do better this time around against Jose Fernandez, but it still wasn’t anywhere near good enough. The Marlins would score first in the second inning as a Christian Yelich single, an RBI double by Martin Prado and Jhonatan Solano hitting into a fielder’s choice gave the Marlins an early 2-0 lead. In the third inning they’d increase it as Michael Morse smacked a two run home run to left while Yelich, Prado and Adeiny Hechavarria all hit singles to load the bases. Solano would strike out swinging for what should have been the third out, but the strikeout would come on a wild pitch that would get behind the catcher, allowing Solano to reach first base safely and letting Yelich race home from third to score. The scoring would be capped off in the fourth inning as Prado would hit a ground ball single to right, scoring Giancarlo Stanton from third to put Miami up 6-0. The Rockies struggled again against Fernandez, managing just three hits through the first seven innings. A pair of eighth inning singles would see the Rockies get a runner to second base for the first time all game, but that would be as far as they would get.

Player of the game was also the winning pitcher as Jose Fernandez improved to 7-2, going 8.0 innings pitched, giving up 5 hits, no runs, no walks and 12 strikeouts for a 1.37 ERA. Losing pitcher was Eddie Butler to drop to 2-6, going 3.2 innings pitched, giving up 11 hits, 6 runs, 6 earned runs, no walks and 5 strikeouts for a 7.93 ERA. Top hitter for the Marlins was Martin Prado, going a perfect 4-4 with three singles and a double, scoring one run and driving in two RBI. Another top hitter was Michael Morse, going 2-4 with a double and a two run home run, scoring one run and driving in two RBI. Top hitter for the Rockies was Daniel Descalso, going 2-4 with two singles, the only Rockies player to finish with more than one hit.



The second game would see the Rockies take an early lead thanks to an error, then fall completely fall apart in later innings as hits and runs would still come at a premium. Colorado would go up 1-0 in the first inning as Daniel Descalso go on base thanks to a fielder error and would come around to score on an RBI double by Drew Stubbs, the lone Colorado hit until the seventh inning. That lead would last until the third inning when Christian Yelich hit a solo home run to center. The fifth inning would see the collapse start. An RBI infield single by Dee Gordon would give the Marlins a one run lead. Then Marcell Ozuna would smack a single to center to score Gordon and Yelich from second and third to go up 4-1. In the seventh inning, Corey Dickerson would cut the lead to two with a solo home run, but it would all go to hell in the bottom of the seventh. Back to back triples by Gordon and Yelich would score one run, Yelich would then score on a single by Giancarlo Stanton. Ozuna would reach base on a fielding error by Justin Morneau and Michael Morse would clear the bases with a three run home run for a five run inning and a 9-2 win.

Player of the game was Christian Yelich, going 4-5 with two singles, a triple and a solo home run, scoring three runs and two RBI. Top hitter for the Rockies was Corey Dickerson, going 1-3 with a solo home run, one run scored and one RBI. Winning pitcher was Mat Latos to improve to 4-6, going 8.0 innings pitched, giving up 3 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned run, no walks and 7 strikeouts for a 3.42 ERA. Losing pitcher was Tyler Chatwood, who has now lost his last three straight starts to drop to 6-4, going just 5.0 innings pitched, giving up 8 hits, 4 runs, 4 earned runs, no walks and 5 strikeouts for a 3.76 ERA. Rafael Betancourt, who came on to relieve Chatwood, also got lit up, going just 1.1 innings pitched, giving up 4 hits, 5 runs, 4 earned runs, no walks and one strikeout for a 2.86 ERA.



The third game of the series would see the Rockies finally achieve victory over the Marlins, using a late game spree to turn a one run game into a blowout. The Marlins jumped out first in the second inning as an RBI double by Michael Morse, and a two run double by Jeff Mathis gave Miami an early 3-0 lead and the threat of another runaway loss. Instead of the Rockies would answer back in the fourth inning as D.J. LeMahieu and Daniel Descalso both opened with singles, and would both advance a base on a wild pitch to stand at second and third. A sacrifice fly by Carlos Gonzalez and a single by Corey Dickerson would drive both runs in, followed by a double to center by Michael McKenry to score Dickerson from first to tie the game 3-3. The Rockies would take the lead in the sixth inning when Gonzalez led off with a solo home run. A two RBI double by McKenry to score Descalso and Dickerson would add two more runs in the seventh inning to go up 6-3. The Rockies would then pour it on in the eighth inning as Drew Stubbs would double to right to lead off the inning and would advance to third on a line out to center. Unfortunately Stubbs would be lost to injury on the play as he went sliding into third. Nolan Arenado would hit a single to center to drive in pinch runner Charlie Blackmon, a single to center by Cristhian Adames would leave runners at the corners, followed by a double to right by LeMahieu to score Arenado. A sacrifice fly by Descalso would score Adames and a double by Gonzalez would score LeMahieu for a four run inning to give Colorado a 10-3 advantage. McKenry would put the cherry on the game in the ninth inning with a lead off solo home run for the 11-3 victory.

Player of the game was Michael McKenry, who would go a perfect 5-5 at the plate with three doubles, a triple and a solo home run, scoring one run and driving in four RBI. Another top hitter was Carlos Gonzales, going 2-4 with a double and a solo home run, scoring one run and driving in three RBI. Top hitter for Miami was Jeff Mathis, going 2-4 with a single and a double and two RBI. Winning pitcher was Kyle Kendrick to improve to 6-1, going 5.0 innings pitched, giving up 5 hits, 3 runs, 2 earned runs, no walks and 5 strikeouts for a 2.54 ERA. Tommy Kahnle would get his eighth hold for two innings of relief work. Losing pitcher was Jarred Cosart to drop to 2-6, going 5.0 innings pitched, giving up 8 hits, 4 runs, 4 earned runs, no walks and 3 strikeouts for a 3.33 ERA.



The fourth game of the series would be a low scoring affair that would end in walk off fashion. Both teams, while getting runners on base, would struggle to reach home plate until the sixth inning. In the top of the sixth, Cristhian Adames would lead off with a single for the Rockies, followed by an RBI double by rookie Kyle Parker to score Adames. Parker would then come in to score as Corey Dickerson would line a single to center to take a 2-0 lead. That lead would instantly disappear in the bottom of the sixth inning as Dee Gordon hit a pinch hit single to right, coming in to score on an RBI double by Martin Prado. Prado would then cross home plate on a double by Giancarlo Stanton to tie the game 2-2. The game would remain tied until the bottom of the ninth inning when Marcell Ozuna would lead off the inning and hit a walk off solo home run for the victory and series win.

Player of the game was Marcell Ozuna, going 1-4 with a walk off home run, scoring one run and one RBI. Top hitter for the Rockies was Corey Dickerson, going 3-4 with two singles and a double and driving in one RBI. Winning pitcher was Sam Dyson to improve to 3-3, going 2.0 innings pitched, giving up no hits, no runs, no walks and no strikeouts for a 3.38 ERA. Starting pitcher Henderson Alvarez went 5.0 innings pitched, giving up 5 hits, 2 runs, 2 earned runs, no walks and 4 strikeouts for a 2.67 ERA. Losing pitcher was Adam Ottavino to drop to 2-4, going 0.0 innings pitched, giving up 1 hit, 1 run and 1 earned run, facing only a single batter, for a 1.88 ERA. Starting pitcher Jordan Lyles went 5.1 innings pitched, giving up 6 hits, 2 runs, 2 earned runs, no walks and 5 strikeouts for a 3.16 ERA.


Colorado – 0-5-0
Miami – 6-14-1

Colorado – 2-3-1
Miami – 9-14-1

Colorado – 11-18-2
Miami – 3-6-1

Colorado – 2-9-0
Miami – 3-8-0


And so the Rockies would drop another series and come down to within a single game of hitting .500 on the season as they approach the halfway mark of June. With a June record of 4-9 so far, rumors of coming changes were rapidly swirling around the Rocky Mountains. A pair of two game series against the Houston Astros could be the powder keg to set off those changes.

[SmoothPancakes]

Colorado Rockies (32-31) vs Houston Astros (27-37)
June 15-16, 2015
Minute Maid Park - Houston, Texas

Probable Starters:

Game One - Monday 7:10 PM
David Hale (3-4, 4.52 ERA) vs Brett Oberholtzer (0-0, 11.57 ERA)

Game Two - Tuesday 1:10 PM
Eddie Butler (2-6, 7.93 ERA) vs Collin McHugh (4-5, 3.86 ERA)

Upcoming Opponents:
vs. Houston (2 games), vs Milwaukee (3 games), vs Arizona (3 games)


Another series loss would drop the Rockies to one game above a .500 record. The only good news, the Dodgers didn't have much success either, as they remained 2.0 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. Depending on how the next 3-5 games go, some changes may be coming, in regards to both staff and players as the Rockies try to get back on track and try to keep this season from falling apart.

[steelerfan]

Go Astros!

[SmoothPancakes]

Go Astros!

The way this team has been playing since the last week of May, you probably won't have much to worry about.

I just hope Miami doesn't appear on my schedule again this year. God I haven't been lit up and had my ass handed to me this season like I was in those two series. Even their pitchers were roping singles and doubles at the plate.

[SmoothPancakes]

A huge scare in Monday's game thankfully turned out to be minor. Starting pitcher David Hale was forced to leave early in the fifth inning with a leg injury. After meeting with team doctors, it would turn out to be just a lat muscle strain that would leave him day to day for just a day or two. With his next start another five days away, the injury shouldn't be of much concern.

The Rockies would also get extremely lucky as Daniel Descalso was forced to leave the game, also in the fifth inning, exactly one play before David Hale was forced out with injury. Descalso left walking off the field gingerly after diving to try and stop a ground ball up the middle. It would turn out after the game that he had just landed wrong and was a little sore, but otherwise uninjured in any way that would force him to miss games.

And so, a fifth inning from hell that would see injuries on back to back plays, would turn out to be very minor and would only cost a pitcher a couple days, which wouldn't matter as he wouldn't pitch again for another 5 days.