Yankees At Rockies, May 8th: Game Time, Lineups, And Preview

Yankees at Rockies. 6:40 P.M. MST (tentatively)

Tonight’s game is going to be weird. It’s cold and rainy again, though the game is still expected to start on time (no word on when the game is expected to end). Troy Tulowitzki is out. Joe Girardi is batting his pitcher 8th. And all of this follows a 2-0 Rockies victory with a final score that is hard to fathom in its own right. Those of us who love stories can’t help but tip to our caps to the baseball gods from time to time and say: “Well played…I would never have thought of that one.”

Here is the Rockies lineup, sans Tulo:

CarGo. Image: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Dexter Fowler CF
Josh Rutledge 2B
Carlos Gonzalez LF
Michael Cuddyer RF
Wilin Rosario C
Todd Helton 1B
Nolan Arenado 3B
Reid Brignac SS
Juan Nicasio P

Brignac is actually playing shortstop! I was starting to wonder if I imagined the whole “the Rockies like Brignac because of his ability to play shortstop” tagline coming out of spring training. Sandwiched between Rosario and Arenado, Helton just needs to start getting back on track by making good contact and spraying some singles. The beauty of this lineup is the fact that it does not need Helton to be the hero.

Nicasio desperately needs to pitch well to prove to the Rockies that he deserves to stay in the starting rotation. That task was perhaps made more difficult by Tyler Chatwood‘s performance for the Sky Sox last night. That task was perhaps made easier, however, when Girardi scratched this batting order out on his lineup card:

Wells. Image: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Brett Gardner CF
Robinson Cano 2B
Vernon Wells LF
Lyle Overbay 1B
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Jayson Nix SS
Chris Nelson 3B
David Phelps P
Austin Romine C

I don’t get it either. Phelps is a converted long reliever who was just recently inserted into the rotation. In one start he went 5.2 innings and surrendered 4 runs to the Houston Astros. I hesitate to get ahead of myself and assume that bodes well for the Rockies, lest I be guilty of some premature jocularity if he pitches well.

But if you’re asking me, yes I think it bodes well for the Rockies. And on the other side of things, Nicasio has no excuse whatsoever if he does not pitch well tonight. In this case, it is that simple.