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The Rockies should call up some reinforcements from Colorado Springs when rosters expand on September 1^st.  I believe the following players should be called up for the stretch run:

Chris Nelson- The former 1^st round pick had a brief tour in Denver earlier this season.  He can play all over the infield, and provides some bench flexibility, especially if Ian Stewart’s oblique injury lingers.

Brad Eldred- The power hitting 1B will not help the Rox out defensively, but provides a right handed power bat off the bench.  Eldred could team with Giambi to provide a righty/lefty pinch hit duo with a ton of power.  However, Eldred is not currently on the 40 man roster, and would have to be added to receive a call up. 

Chaz Roe and Edgmer Escalona- Both of these pitchers sport typically ugly PCL ERAs, but the Rox bullpen could use some extra arms.  Additionally, they are both currently on the 40 man roster.  Even if these two were to only pitch in blowouts, they would help by saving some wear and tear on the Rox ‘pen.  Of the two, Escalona is the more likely call up, since he is a reliever and his innings count is lower than Roe’s.

Kaz Matsui- Why not?  He helped the Rox on their epic run in 2007.  Maybe calling up Matsui will help recreate the magic down the stretch.    

The Rockies need a big road series win to establish some confidence away from Coors. This is also a critical opportunity for the Rox to gain ground in the Wild Card race. After this series, the Rockies only have 3 more games against the Giants this season. Probable Starters De La Rosa (5-4, 4.54) vs. Sanchez (9-8, 3.67) Rogers (2-2, 5.66) vs. Bumgarner (5-4, 3.95) Jimenez (17-5, 2.71) vs. Lincecum (11-9, 3.80) Three Questions 1. Can the Rox win an important series on the road? Every time the Rox play away from Coors, this has been one of my three questions. If the Rockies are a playoff team, they need to win on the road and they need to do it soon. If the Rox continue to scuffle on the road, they won’t be able to gain ground in the Wild Card race. 2. Can the Rockies 1-4 hitters stay hot on the road against the tough Giants starters? The Giants send 3 starters with sub-4.00 ERAs to the mound in this series. Eric Young Jr., Dexter Fowler, Carlos Gonzalez, and Troy Tulowitzki have arguably comprised one of the toughest tops of a lineup in the majors over the last couple of weeks. Something has to give in this matchup. The Rockies hitters have struggled on the road, but these 4 hitters could get going and carry the team to a sweep in this series. 3. Can Ubaldo finally get number 18? Jimenez has a tough draw, going against Tim Lincecum. Lincecum hasn’t had the Cy Young caliber year he is accustomed to, but can still shut down a lineup on any given day. Jimenez has been stuck on 17 wins for 4 straight starts. Series to Watch Rockies fans should watch the Phillies at Dodgers series. It would be nice if the Dodgers could help the Rox by beating the Phillies in LA before the Phils stop in Denver on Thursday for one makeup game.

The Rockies just capped off a 5-1 homestand against two of the best teams in the NL with a 10-5 win over the Dodgers.  Apparently, Manny Ramirez decided that he was done playing for the Dodgers and got tossed after seeing one pitch as a pinch hitter.  In unrelated news, Manny is on his way to the Chicago White Sox. 

The hot homestand helped move the Rox to 4.5 games back in the Wild Card race, and 8 back in the division.  The Rockies have a great opportunity to make up more ground in the Wild Card chase with a 3 game series in San Francisco.  The Rox are 3 games behind the Giants in the Wild Card race, and a win in this series would be a huge boost for the Rockies’ confidence on the road. 

The Rockies top four hitters in the lineup continued to carry this team throughout the homestand.  EYJr and Dexter Fowler have continued to set the table, and CarGo and Tulo have come through with men on base.  Let’s hope they can all keep it up on the road against San Francisco.

Maybe, just maybe, this is when the Rockies will start their hot streak and make a playoff run.  Sweeping the NL East leading Braves was exactly what this team needed after a lackluster road trip.  Wednesday’s comeback from a 10-1 deficit could provide this team with some much needed momentum, and a morale boost.  Could this dramatic comeback win spark another run to Rocktober? 

Eric Young Jr. and Dexter Fowler have been an awesome 1-2 combo to lead off games and start rallies.  EYJr went 5-13 with 2 steals against the Braves, and Fowler was 4-12 with a triple and 3 RBIs.  These two, along with Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki make up one of the hottest top halves of a lineup in all of baseball.  With some added protection from the bottom half of the order, this offense can put up some runs consistently.

The Rox struggled on their recent roadtrip, going 1-2 against the Dodgers and Diamondbacks.  The offense neglected to make the trip, as the Rockies only scored 8 runs in 6 games and were shut out twice.  The Rox scored 4 runs in their 2 wins.  When the offense is this bad, the pitching has to be perfect, and while it was good on this trip, it wasn’t good enough to offset the lack of production from the Rox bats.

The Rockies return to Coors Field tonight to meet the NL East leading Braves for 3 games before an off day and a 3 game set with the Dodgers.  This is an important homestand against 2 of the better teams in the NL, and if the Rockies still have playoff aspirations, they’re going to need to win some games soon.  The Rox are 7 games back in the Wild Card chase, and 11 behind the Pads in the division.

Probable Pitchers

Hammel (8-7, 4.36) vs. Hudson (14-5, 2.15)

De La Rosa (4-4, 4.74) vs. Lowe (11-11, 4.32)

Rogers (2-2, 4.53) vs. Jurrjens (5-4, 3.91)

Three Questions

1.  Can the Rockies get and maintain some momentum to make a playoff run?  After a 2-4 road trip, the Rockies need to win some games at home against two of the best teams in the NL.  However, the Braves and Dodgers are both beatable away from home, going 29-34 and 24-35, respectively.  The Rockies home success has been well documented here and elsewhere, and they need to continue to play well at Coors Field to stay relevant in the playoff race.
2. Can the Rockies hitters rebound against the tough Braves starters?  The Braves will send 3 tough starters to the mound in this series, and the Rockies’ bats were ice cold on the recent road trip.  Will the Rox find a way to score against the Braves?
3. Will Derrek Lee make an impact for the Braves?  Derrek Lee has struggled against Colorado this season, going 4-21 with 5 Ks against the Rockies this year.  Will changing teams help the 1B change his luck at the plate against the Rox?  Let’s hope not. 

Series to Watch

The Reds visit the Giants this week in a series that Rox fans should watch closely.  The Reds have a 3.5 game lead over the Cardinals in the Central, and the Giants are 5 games ahead of the Rox in the Wild Card and Divisional races.  A Cards sweep would help out the Rockies, assuming they can take care of the Braves.

Not a lot of positives from this game.  The Rox need to rebound and take at least one of the remaining games in LA.

Name

Eric Young, Jr. – Over the past 3 games, EY Jr. is hitting 4-12 with 3 steals.  He has provided a spark at the top of the Rockies order.  The Young – Fowler duo at the top of the order gives the Rox a pair of fast, aggressive runners who will distract pitchers as they attempt to face Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki.  The two combined to pull off a double steal in the third last night.  It will be interesting to see how Jim Tracy uses Young down the stretch.

Number

5 – 5 was the unlucky number for Jhoulys Chacin, who worked 5 innings, giving up 5 hits, 5 walks, and 5 runs.  He gave up all 5 runs in the 5^th inning. 

Noteworthy

Going, going, gone? – As I mentioned in the previous post, Brad Hawpe’s days with the Rockies could be numbered.  The struggling OF cleared waivers and may be on his way out of Denver.  From 2006-2009, Hawpe was a safe bet to hit around .285, with 20+ homers and 80+ RBIs.  However, his numbers have taken a dive in 2010, as he has posted a .252 – 7 – 37 line to date.  It will be interesting to see where Hawpe goes, when he goes, and how Jim Tracy divides up playing time among the remaining outfielders.

Brad Hawpe has cleared waivers, and the Rox may be looking to move the 31 year old OF/1B.  The club has a $10 million option for 2011, which they will almost certainly decline if Hawpe is still with the team at the end of the season.  Hawpe has struggled this year, posting a .252 average, 7 homers, and a .771 OPS.  Moving Hawpe would clear some space in a crowded Rockies outfield, and would lead to a most-days outfield of Seth Smith, Dexter Fowler, and Carlos Gonzalez.

The Rockies agreed to terms with 1st Round pick Kyle Parker (OF) and 2nd Round pick Peter Tago (RHP). 

Parker, a two sport star at Clemson, will play football for the Tigers this fall before joining the Rockies organization next year.

The Rox have to feel lucky to take two games against the Brewers, both thanks to late-inning heroics from Troy Tulowitzki.  The Rockies begin a divisional road trip in LA, against a Dodgers team that is 2 games behind the Rox in the Wild Card race.

Probable Starters

Chacin (5-8, 4.04) vs. Kershaw (10-7, 3.17)

Hammel (8-7, 4.42) vs. Kuroda (8-11, 3.53)

De La Rosa (4-3, 4.99) vs. Lilly (3-0, 1.89)

Three Questions

1.  Can the Rockies hit on the road against the tough LA starters?  The Rox need to try and be patient at the plate and run up some high pitch counts against the starters.  The Dodger bullpen has been weak all season, and the sooner the Rockies can face LA’s relievers, the better. 
2. Can Huston Street recover from a tough couple of games?  After a loss and a blown save, will Huston Street be mentally ready the next time Jim Tracy calls his number?  The blown save wasn’t entirely his fault, as Clint Barmes lost a high pop up in the swirling winds on Sunday that allowed the Brewers to tie the game.  Closers need short memories, so let’s hope Street can quickly forget this past weekend.
3. Can the Rox win on the road?  Every road trip from here on out is vital to the Rox playoff hopes.  With 3 games in LA and 3 games against the hapless D-Backs, the Rox really need to go .500 on this trip.  A 2-4 record would be disappointing, but going 1-5 or 0-6 on a quick trip against divisional foes would be devastating.

Series to Watch

Rox fans should watch the Giants as they travel to Philadelphia.  These two teams top the Wild Card standings, and Rockies supporters should root for the Giants, simply because the Rox have more opportunities left against them.

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