Heading into the final series the weekend before the All-Star break, Goose would finally see his first real taste of major league action, as this time Goose really would be made the starter at third base and would be batting seventh in the order. Needless to say, Goose was feeling butterflies as he went from being a shark in a pond in AAA to a minnow in the ocean in the majors and there was no doubt the Twins wouldn't take it easy on him just because it was his first ever games and series in the majors. With the Rockies likely already out of the division race, sitting 11 games back in mid-July, likely the Rockies would be going into sell mode and the Michael Cuddyer trade may very well end up being just the tip of the iceberg, so at this point, it would be playing for stats and ratings to help solidify Goose as a future franchise player of the Rockies and avoid becoming a bench player or becoming bait as part of a multiple player trade.

Colorado 9, Minnesota 2
Colorado 5, Minnesota 2
Colorado 1, Minnesota 0


First game of the series would see Goose batting seventh in the order. He would make his first ever major league at-bat with two outs in the bottom of the second inning. He would make good contact on an 0-1 pitch from Hughes and send it deep to center field, but it would die before the warning track for a simple fly out. Goose would return to the plate in the bottom of the fourth inning with two outs and a runner on second base, somehow turning on a 1-0 slider and sending it down the left field line just inside the chalk for a stand up RBI double into the corner and his first major league hit, first major league double and his first major league RBI. Two pitches later, Goose would score his first ever major league run as Josh Rutledge would double to right field to drive Goose in from second base. Goose would make his next appearance at the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning with no outs and a runner on first base, sending a 1-2 slider up the middle and into center field for a single to put runners on first and second for Rutledge. Rutledge would proceed to hit a ground ball to the shortstop, causing Goose to be forced out at second base. Goose would make his final appearance in the bottom of the eighth inning with no outs and runners on first and second. Catching the infield off guard, Goose would put down a drag bunt that would roll and perfectly die halfway down the third base line for a single to load up the bases for Rutledge. Rutledge would go beast mode and clear the bases in one fell swoop, sending a 3-2 pitch to right center field for a grand slam. Final stats for Goose, in his major league debut, he would go a very impressive 3-4 with two singles (one via bunt), a double, two runs scored and an RBI.

The second game would see Goose remain seventh in the order. He would make his first at-bat in the bottom of the second inning with two outs and the bases empty, hitting a cutter up the middle for a weak single into shallow left field, but the inning would end next at-bat as Josh Rutledge would ground out for the final out. Goose would get his next shot in the bottom of the fourth inning with one out and the bases empty. Swinging at a slider left up in the zone, Goose would set another career first, hitting his first major league home run with a 420 foot shot to left center field to tie the game at 2-2. Goose would come up next in the bottom of the sixth inning with no outs and no one on base, but it would be a decidedly less stellar at-bat, striking out in four pitches. Goose would return to the plate for his final at-bat of the game leading off the bottom of the eighth inning, but he would ground out to the second baseman to end his day. Final stats for Goose, 2-4 with a single, his first career home run, one run scored, one RBI and one strikeout.

The third and final game of the series would find Goose remaining in the seventh spot in the lineup on a dark and very rainy afternoon. Side note: If postponed games because of weather, make-up games and double headers are ever added to this series, this game would have been one of them as it was pouring rain from start to finish. First at-bat for Goose would come in the bottom of the second inning with no outs and a runner on first, proceeding to pop out to the third baseman for the first out. Goose's next at-bat would see him leading off the bottom of the fifth inning, going down swinging on a two-seam fastball for a strikeout and the first out. Next shot for Goose would come in the bottom of the sixth inning, stepping in with two outs and the bases loaded, and Goose would promptly strike out on a circle-change for his second strikeout of the game, killing our chance to increase our one run lead. Goose would reach the on-deck circle in the bottom of the eighth, but the inning would end before he would reach the plate, and with that, his day was over as we would hold on for the win in the ninth. Final stats for Goose, 0-3 with two strikeouts.

Final series stats for Goose, he would start in all three games. Goose would start hot and finish cold, batting .455 for the series, going 5-11 with three singles, a double, a home run, three runs scored, two RBIs and three strikeouts.

With that, we have hit the All-Star break, sitting at 46-50 on the season. The National League would end up winning the All-Star game 8-5 to claim home field advantage in the World Series.

Next up for the Colorado Rockies, we make a brief three game road trip to Pittsburgh over the weekend and then return home for an early week three game series against Washington.

Colorado Rockies (46-50) vs Pittsburgh Pirates (49-46)
July 18-20, 2014
PNC Park - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Probable Starters:

Game One - Friday 7:05 PM
Franklin Morales (10-6, 3.29) vs Gerrit Cole (10-8, 3.10)

Game Two - Saturday 7:05 PM
Brett Anderson (6-5, 5.38) vs Francisco Liriano (9-8, 3.33)

Game Three - Sunday 1:35 PM
Christian Friedrich (7-6, 3.93) vs Brandon Cumpton (4-6, 5.68)