Weekend Links: Rockies News 4/27

The Rockies won 6-3 last night behind a bases-loaded double from Troy Tulowitzki. They are 15-8 and remain in first place in the National League west. Here’s what else is happening with the Rockies and around the rest of the league:

The Rockies. Image: Jennifer Hilderbrand-USA TODAY Sports

From Troy Renck: Rockies’ Carlos Gonzalez “swinging at bad pitches” during slump (Denver Post)

"Carlos Gonzalez does this. He can’t help it. The Rockies left fielder can hit pitches in every quadrant of the strike zone. But that talent becomes a vulnerability when he slumps.And make no mistake, CarGo is in a mini-funk.He broke an 0-for-15 slide with a first-inning bloop single Friday night at Chase Field against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but he has only three hits in his past 25 at-bats.‘I know what I am doing. I am getting myself out,’ Gonzalez said. ‘Even when I am getting into deep counts, I am swinging at bad pitches. I have to lay off those or they will keep throwing them.’"

From Travis Lay: How good is Dexter Fowler? (Blake Street Bulletin)

"When I look at the stats since 2011 Dex ranks behind six to eight guys in wOBA and wRC+ and he falls way short in WAR due to some horrid fielding numbers – which I cannot stand by because I have watched enough games to know that Dex has not cost the Rockies nearly 17 runs on defense over the past two seasons.When I just look at last year and so far in 2013 Dex only ranks behind Trout and McCutchen in wOBA, his on-base percentage over that time is third and he is eighth in slugging.I think what gets a lot of folks caught up on Dex is that he is not a base stealer. I would put a lot of money on Dex winning a race from first to home against nearly anyone in baseball, but that top end speed just doesn’t translate to stealing bases. A lot of people still believe that to leadoff you need to steal bases and that just isn’t the case. Give me a guy with a .384 on-base since the start of 2012 over a guy with an on-base under .340 who can steal bases (Eric Young Jr.)."

From Colorado Springs Gazette: Berg wins first start with Sky Sox

"In his first career start with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, right-hander Justin Berg (W, 1-0) threw six scoreless innings to help the team shutout the Tucson Padres 3-0 at Kino Stadium.The Sky Sox gave Berg the early lead when Charlie Blackmon hit a double to right field to score DJ LeMahieu. Blackmon finished the day 2-for-4 and now leads the team in average at .383.In the fourth inning Blackmon led off with his second double of the game and advanced to third on a Nolan Arenado ground out. After two straight walks by Padres’ starter Tim Stauffer (L, 1-2), second baseman Charlie Culberson grounded into a force out to bring home Blackmon to make it 2-0."

From Bill Baer: Pirates take out struggling Andrew McCutchen in double-switch (HardBallTalk)

"Andrew McCutchen entered tonight’s game against the Cardinals hitting just .235, including .105 in his previous five games, but you don’t expect the Pirates’ star to be subbed out in a fifth-inning double-switch. But that’s exactly what acting manager Jeff Bannister did when he approached home plate umpire Tim Timmons with his lineup card."