Rockies at Phillies, September 7 2012: Game Time, Lineups, and Preview

Colorado Rockies at Philadelphia Phillies, 5:05 PM MDT

After the Rockies’ recent run, in which they swept the hapless Mets, were not swept by the hapless Cubs, nearly annihilated the Dodgers, and took a very exciting series from the Padres, I was ready to upgrade them from “the scum that feeds on scum” to “kinda sorta awful.” And then the Braves series happened. If there’s another team that has lost back-to-back games in which their pitching staff gave up zero earned runs, I don’t know it. You can’t make this stuff up, people. It’s the 2012 Colorado Rockies.

Ty Wigginton can drop all the pop flies he wants to tonight. Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

Going into Philadelphia tonight, the high hope is that the Rox can avoid elimination from the division title this weekend. Their magic number is 6, meaning if the Phillies sweep and the Giants sweep the Dodgers, our dreams of the first division win in franchise history are dead. Of course, not to mislead you, they’re dead anyway, but it would be nice to pretend we can hold onto them a little longer.

The Phillies, on the other hand, are in a dead heat with the Marlins for Biggest Disappointment in Baseball. The Marlins are a worse team, but the Phillies have fallen farther in the eyes of many. Their postseason hopes have all but evaporated, and at this point they’re just playing for pride. Can the Rockies upset that? It’s in the hands of Jeff Francis, who’s mostly been mediocre lately. The Phils lineup he faces includes such terrifying bats as that of Ty Wigginton. And the Rockies lineup, stable-ish as it has been recently, will face the mighty Cliff Lee.

Dexter Fowler (S) CF
Josh Rutledge (R) SS
Carlos Gonzalez (L) LF
Wilin Rosario (R) C
Jordan Pacheco (R) 1B
Chris Nelson (R) 3B
Tyler Colvin (L) RF
DJ LeMahieu (R) 2B
Jeff Francis (L) P

Jimmy Rollins (S) SS
Juan Pierre (L) LF
Chase Utley (L) 2B
Ty Wigginton (R) 1B
John Mayberry (R) CF
Domonic Brown (L) RF
Kevin Frandsen (R) 3B
Eric Kratz (R) C
Cliff Lee (L) P