Tonight's Matchup - April 29, 2011

After a few days off (Dead Week on a college campus is never easy), it's time to get back to work, Rockies fans. First, a few news and notes...

Utility man Ty Wigginton has an oblique strain in his right side that will sideline him until at least Monday against Arizona. He won't have to go on the Disabled List, but he won't be available for the series against the Pirates.

To make up for that loss, infielder Alfredo Amezaga has been called up from AAA Colorado Springs and is in uniform ready to go tonight if needed.

Pitcher Clayton Mortenson has been sent down to AAA Colorado Springs. This move has nothing to do with his pitching performance the last week. It's simply an opportunity for him to get more chances to pitch. He'll be back with the club later this year, I'm almost certain.

Alan Johnson has been designated for assignment, effectively ending his run with the Rockies. This action is to make room on the 25-man roster.

Other than that, the Rockies look ready to go after another unexpected day off due to weather, this time in Chicago. Here are tonight's lineups.

Game #24: Kevin Correia (3-2, 3.48 ERA) vs. Jhouyls Chacin (3-1, 2.67 ERA)

Tonight's Lineups

Pittsburgh Pirates

Andrew McCutchen, CF

Jose Tabata, LF

Garrett Jones, RF

Nate Walker, 2B

Lyle Overbay, 1B

Chris Snyder, C

Pedro Alvarez, 3B

Ronny Cedeno, SS

Kevin Correia, P

Colorado Rockies

Dexter Fowler, CF

Jonathan Herrera, 2B

Carlos Gonzalez, LF

Troy Tulowitzki, SS

Todd Helton, 1B

Seth Smith, RF

Jose Lopez, 3B

Chris Iannetta, C

Jhoulys Chacin, P

First pitch is set for 6:40pm Mountain time. The game will be televised on ROOT Sports in both the Rocky Mountain and Pittsburgh regions. On the radio, 850 KOA will have the call in Denver and WPGB-FM 104.7 in Pittsburgh.

Red Flags Abound after Another Near No-Hitter

The Rockies have a lot to hang their heads about this past week.
Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

They say lightning never strikes the same place twice.

The Colorado Rockies almost disproved that in the span of five days.

After Tim Lincecum and the division rival San Francisco Giants took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning Monday night, Anibal Sanchez and the Florida Marlins did it again on Friday night, taking a no-no into the ninth inning before outfielder Dexter Fowler led off with a base hit to right field.

Not an easy week for the Rockies.

While this by no means is an excuse for the Rockies or their fans to hit the panic button, it's not a good sign.

While their defense and the bullpen continue to be strengths of this team, there is one big problem facing the Rockies—the team is severely lacking at the plate. It goes without saying that without a successful offense, winning a championship is nearly impossible.

For the first time in 2011, the Rockies have lost four out of their past six games after winning seven straight. They still maintain a two-and-a-half game lead over the Giants, who began a three-game series with the Atlanta Braves on Friday.

Manager Jim Tracy said in an interview with the Denver Post's Jim Armstrong on Friday that he believes the key to success on the field lies in the players' camaraderie off the field.

Hopefully Jim Tracy will have more to applaud during the rest of this road trip.
Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Just being on the road is no exception.

After a miserable 31-50 road record in 2010, the Rockies currently hold the best road record in baseball in 7-2. They will not, however, hold that record for long playing the way they did on Friday night.

They still face challenges on Saturday and Sunday. Javier Vazquez and Josh Johnson will pitch the next two nights for the Marlins, respectively. They get a bit of a break when they travel to Chicago to face the Cubs for three, but playing at Wrigley in the cold is never easy. The Pittsburgh Pirates come to Denver for a three-game set and, if the Rockies can take care of business at home, they can send April out on a high note.

Before they can worry about Chicago and Pittsburgh though, or any hopes of a solid finish to April, they had to get past Sanchez.

Easier said than done. Sanchez was lights-out Friday night. That may the understatement of the year for the Rockies so far.

At one point Friday night, he sent down eight in a row before Todd Helton managed a walk in the seventh inning. The Rockies did have one offensive bright spot, however. Unfortunately, it came in the form of a Florida error.

Fowler led off the game with a walk and an advance to second base on a John Buck passed ball. Then on third, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki grounded to third, but an errant throw caused Marlins' first baseman Gaby Sanchez to drop the ball. Fowler subsequently scored, giving the Rockies an early 1-0 lead.

The Rockies hope that Jhoulys Chacin's rough outing on Friday was just a fluke.
Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

That lead, however, evaporated fast in the humid Florida night when Jhoulys Chacin gave up home runs to both Sanchez and outfielder Chris Coghlan. A dropped ball at the plate gave the Marlins their fourth run, on their way to an eventual 4-1 win.

On Monday night, outfielder Carlos Gonzalez broke up Lincecum's no-hit bid with an infield hit. The Rockies went on to add three more hits and one run en route to an 8-1 loss at home.

Somehow, through this rough week, the Rockies are still tied with Cleveland for the Major League lead in wins. Their play the past week hasn't backed that up at all.

If Colorado wants to hold on to any hope of finding success in 2011, they absolutely must find a way to continue to put up the offensive numbers they've proven they can. If they can find their swing again, Friday night can be remembered as a fluke instead of a red flag.

They can only keep playing with lightning so much before they get burned.

It's Been a Few Days

Not really anything of note to report from the last few days... The Rockies dropped two of three to Florida on a rough weekend in South Beach.

They'll travel to Chicago to take on the Cubs at Wrigley tonight, tomorrow, and Wednesday, though it'll be a challenge to get all three games in as rain is scheduled all the way through Wednesday.

Keep watching for new posts today. It's Minor League Monday, so watch for a farm report later today.

Today's Matchup - April 22, 2011

Happy Friday, Rockies fans!

Let's start off with a blast from the past.

Former Rockies third baseman Dante Bichette is with the team in South Beach, and threw BP to the team before today's game. Gotta love the Big Cat, and all the Blake Street Bombers.

Moving to the present, the Rockies acquired infielder Brad Emaus from the Toronto Blue Jays. The Rule-5 draft pick was returned to the Blue Jays from the Mets earlier this season. Fans may remember Emaus... he kicked an easy double-play ball for the Mets against the Rockies last week in New York.

That said, here are today's lineups.

Game #18: Jhoulys Chacin (3-0, 1.64 ERA) vs. Anibel Sanchez (0-1, 5.51 ERA)

Tonight's Lineups

Colorado Rockies

Dexter Flower, CF

Jonathan Herrera, 2B

Carlos Gonzalez, LF

Troy Tulowitzki, SS

Todd Helton, 1B

Seth Smith, RF

Ty Wigginton, 3B

Chris Iannetta, C

Jhoulys Chacin, P

Florida Marlins

Chris Coghlan, CF

Omar Infante, 2B

Hanley Ramirez, SS

Gaby Sanchez, 1B

Mike Stanton, RF

John Buck, C

Scott Cousins, LF

Emilio Bonafacio, 3B

Anibal Sanchez, P

First pitch is scheduled for 5:10pm Mountain time at Sun Life Stadium (or whatever it's called now) in Miami. The game will be covered by ROOT Sports in the Rocky Mountain region, and no TV in Miami. On the radio, 850 KOA will have the call in Denver, and in Miami, WAXY 790 and WAQI 710 have the call.

Off Day Today

The Rockies are enjoying a much-needed off day today in sunny Miami Beach.

The Rockies will take on the Florida Marlins in a three-game series starting tomorrow.

Hopefully the off-day combined with the huge win over the Giants yesterday should give the Rox the advantage over the Marlins in this series. They'll need it as Ubaldo Jimenez faces Josh Johnson Sunday night.

Stewart's Demotion More Like an Opportunity

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Everyone has a bad day at the office.

Ian Stewart is no exception.

The Rockies third baseman was optioned to AAA Colorado Springs on Tuesday in a move that was, unfortunately, a long time coming.

Rockies brass is steadfast in saying that this is not a demotion for Stewart. Instead, they encourage him to view it as an opportunity to improve.

It's no secret that Stewart has been struggling lately. In 26 at-bats so far this season, Stewart is hitting a paltry .077 (that's just two hits for those of you doing the math at home) with just one stolen base. He doesn't have any other offensive stats, other than he's struck out 11 times.

Ouch.

If anyone embodies the work ethic that the Rockies promote, it's Stewart. Things just haven't clicked for him this season.

It doesn't help that he missed nearly half of spring training with a knee injury. He and outfielder Carlos Gonzalez collided in the outfield in the Rockies' first spring training game back on February 26th. After examination, trainers confirmed he had sprained his right knee.

He didn't see the field again until late March.

Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

That cost Stewart a lot of at-bats. The lack of playing time in Arizona showed from the very beginning. Stewart, who homered on Opening Day last year in Milwaukee and was one of the Rockies keys to a successful 2010, barely made the Opening Day roster this year.

Nearly three weeks after the Rockies opened the season, Stewart has just two hits.

Something had to give, and it finally did on Tuesday.

Manager Jim Tracy noted that he wanted Stewart to play in Colorado Springs for anywhere between two weeks to a month, to make up for the time lost during spring training. The hope is that Stewart will get his swing back against Triple-A pitching, have time to work on his mechanics and solve problems with his timing that have doomed his batting average this year.

The Rockies won't make another roster move until Thursday at the earliest, one day before they travel to Sun Life Stadium in Miami to face the Florida Marlins. The most likely move will be an infielder, such as Chris Nelson, Eric Young Jr. or Willy Taveras. Outfielders Cole Garner or Charlie Blackmon could also fill the spot come Thursday.

Pitcher Clayton Mortenson, who worked five scoreless innings of two-hit baseball in relief of Esmil Rogers against the San Francisco Giants on Monday, will remain with the team until then, though he is not available to pitch Tuesday night.

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

The Rockies want Stewart back as soon as possible.

Simply put, the team is better defensively with Stewart in the lineup. His glove is the best at third base the Rockies have seen since Vinny Castilla, a member of the famed Blake Street Bombers. Don't be surprised if he doesn't "arrive" like he was supposed to last year until 2012.

Why so long, you ask?

Look no further than catcher Chris Iannetta.

Iannetta was having an offensive year similar to Stewart's this year. He was sent down on April 29th, 2010 in an attempt to give him time to fix his mechanics. He did, and on May 25th, he was recalled. He played well throughout the rest of 2010, but because Miguel Olivo was swinging a better bat, he didn't get a chance to shine.

Much the same could happen with Stewart. Because the Rockies have Ty Wigginton and Jose Lopez to spell him at third, it's not unreasonable to think Stewart might not show his growth at the plate until the start of next season.

The key with Stewart is patience. As long as he's in a place where he can get constant at-bats, fix his timing and adjust his mechanics, he can thrive. Playing with the Sky Sox in Colorado Springs will help him do just that.

A few years ago, Stewart was hailed as the Rockies third baseman of the future.

It's coming soon, but it seems the future is still a little ways away.

Today's Matchup - April 20, 2011

Not a whole lot of news and notes from Coors Field today.

Just want to throw this out there - Don't count Ubaldo out just because of last night. He was rusty, yes, but who wouldn't be after three weeks off the mound? His 4 innings of work after the first were typical Ubaldo. It'll take two or three more starts, but 100mph gas is just around the corner.

Yes, the Rockies have lost two to the Giants. No, it's not time to hit the panic button. Rockies fans are quick to do that. It's actually a good thing, but it's a little too soon now.

On a side note, Coca-Cola All-Star Park in Lakewood was dedicated today to Keli McGregor, the late president of the Rockies. McGregor died last April of a sudden heart failure.

Here are today's lineups for the afternoon matinee.

Game #17: Matt Cain (2-0, 1.42 ERA) vs. Jorge De La Rosa (2-0, 3.18 ERA)

Today's Lineups

San Francisco Giants

Aaron Rowand, CF

Freddy Sanchez, 2B

Buster Posey, C

Cody Ross, RF

Pat Burrell, LF

Miguel Tejada, SS

Mark DeRosa, 1B

Pablo Sandoval, 3B

Matt Cain, P

Colorado Rockies

Dexter Fowler, CF

Jonathan Herrera, 2B

Carlos Gonzalez, LF

Troy Tulowitzki, SS

Todd Helton, 1B

Seth Smith, RF

Ty Wiggington, 3B

Jose Morales, C

Jorge De La Rosa, P

Today's Matchup - April 19, 2011

Today's the day you've been waiting for, Rockies fans.

Ubaldo Jimenez returns to the mound against the San Francisco Giants.

After the Rockies nearly avoided a no-hitter by Tim Lincecum last night, the team returns to Coors to face the lineup once again as they try to avoid losing back-to-back games for the first time all season.

Only three teams haven't lost two in a row - the Rockies, the Phillies, and the Yankees.

On a more somber note, today is the one-year anniversary of the death of team president Keli S. McGregor. His initials, KSM, have been forever retired and he is honored by a patch on the right field wall.

Lots of Rockies news today, fans.

Seth Smith will once again be held out of the lineup due to a groin strain suffered Sunday against the Cubs. He'll be available to pinch hit, and should start again tomorrow. Second baseman Jonathan Herrera has been given a much-deserved day off, and he'll come off the bench as needed.

Third baseman Ian Stewart has been optioned to AAA Colorado Springs to make room for Jimenez. He needs to work on his timing and his mechanics if he hopes to return to the Majors in 2011. Manager Jim Tracy said he was moved so he could get a large number of at-bats down in Colorado Springs.

Also, no official word on how long Clayton Mortenson will remain with the big club, but his chances of staying are good based on his five-inning, two-hit performance last night. Watch the blog for updates as another move could come as early as Thursday, most likely for a position player. As soon as I know, you'll know.

That said, here are tonight's lineups.

Game #16: Jonathan Sanchez (1-1, 3.24 ERA) vs. Ubaldo Jimenez (0-0, 7.50 ERA)

Tonight's Lineups

San Francisco Giants

Aaron Rowand, CF

Freddy Sanchez, 2B

Aubrey Huff, 1B

Buster Posey, C

Pablo Sandoval, 3B

Pat Burrell, LF

Nate Schierholtz, RF

Mike Fontenot, SS

Jonathan Sanchez, P

Colorado Rockies

Dexter Fowler, CF

Ryan Spilborghs, RF

Carlos Gonzalez, LF

Troy Tulowitzki, SS

Todd Helton, 1B

Jose Lopez, 2B

Ty Wigginton, 3B

Chris Iannetta, C

Ubaldo Jimenez, P

First pitch is slated for 6:40pm Mountain time. The game can be seen on ROOT Sports in the Rocky Mountain region, and CSN-Bay Area in San Francisco. The game can be heard on 850 KOA in Denver and KNBR 680 in the Bay Area.

A Letter to Fans After a Tough Loss

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Dear Rockies Fan,

April 18th was very difficult. There's no two-ways about it. An 8-1 loss is tough to take, no matter who you are.

In the midst of this hard loss, there are a some things that bear repeating.

1. You're still 12-4, the best record in the Major Leagues.
2. You were facing the San Francisco Giants, who are still among the best in baseball, and are the defending World Champions. They won the title for a reason—there it was.
3. Not only were you playing the Giants, you were facing Tim Lincecum. Any way you look at it, he's good.
4. You're still three games up on the rest of the teams in the NL West.
5. Tomorrow's another day. You can't face Lincecum every day.
6. You didn't get no-hit. That always makes for a good day.
7. It's April. There's still plenty of time.

Fans, it's just one game. It's not the end of the world. Promise. There will be games when you fail to score a run until the eighth but there will also be games that you score eight runs in a single inning. Just take it in stride.

A word of warning, however. Expect the national media to jump on this. They'll call the Rockies frauds or nobodies or call the 12-3 start a fluke. Don't get frustrated by it. Yes, it's annoying because you, as fans, know the truth.

Was The Loss Against the Giants a Fluke or a Red Flag?

Just a Fluke - This Team will be Back

85.7%

Red Flag - Sign of Bad Things to Come

14.3%

Total votes: 7

As a Rockies fan, however, you have to understand that this comes with the territory. Unless you're theYankees, Phillies, or Red Sox, it's going to happen. Get used to it and just shrug it off.

The Giants are tough, it's true. Realistically, it was improbable to expect the Rockies to sweep them, even at Coors. To be the World Champions, you have to win on the road. They did.

No matter how diehard of a fan you are, you have to be able to look at things objectively. Sometimes it's hard, and that's why we in the media are here—to serve as a nice barometer for your devout fanhood.

And there's nothing wrong with your fanhood.

There are still many facts that remain, even after a tough loss.

You're still 12-4, which is the single best April start ever for this club and still good enough for best record in baseball. For those counting, that's eight games over .500 in a month where two games under that mark is impressive (see 2010).

Not to mention you're also still three games up on the division. You've held onto that lead for almost two weeks now. That's never happened in club history.

The Giants are still one of the best teams in baseball. They're still a favorite to make it back to the postseason. While you may be favored to win your division, you can't afford to take the Giants lightly. There's a reason they won it all last year. They're still very, very good.

Lincecum was good. Like always.
Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

As if it wasn't enough that you were facing the Giants, you were also going up against Tim Lincecum. He's won two Cy Young awards for a reason. Granted he historically hasn't thrown well at Coors but it wasn't like another impressive outing wasn't unexpected and it wasn't all your fault—everyone has a bad day.

Suck it up, learn your lessons, and move on. Tomorrow's another day. You can't face him every day. Just go out there and take care of business.

Two more things that should make you feel slightly better about the loss. One, you didn't get no-hit. It wasn't looking good there for a while but your team—the team you've had faith in for so long—came through and, while they didn't win, they avoided a black mark on their record.

Two, it's still April. There is plenty of time for the team to get back into the swing of things.

Cheer up, Rockies fans. Don't abandon ship. Your team needs you to believe in them now more than ever. This isn't the end of 2011. In fact, if the team rebounds like you know they can, this could be the wake-up call they need to not let this happen again.

Sincerely,

Your friendly barometer