Morning Links: Rockies News 8/10

Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

The Colorado Rockies routed the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night, getting a much needed win after a terrible road trip. The bats finally woke up and the team scored more in one game than they did in an entire four game series against the Miami Marlins last month. Here’s what else is happening with the Rockies and around the rest of the league.

From Thomas Harding: Exams confirm diagnoses for Chatwood, Gonzalez (MLB.com)

"The results of MRI exams on the right elbow of Rockies right-hander Tyler Chatwood and the right middle finger of left fielder Carlos Gonzalez confirmed earlier diagnoses, and each player should be able to heal without surgery.”"

From David Martin: Colorado Rockies break out the bats after a team meeting (Rockies Review)

"Although, it would be easy to forget that the game could have been much different. De La Rosa gave up four straight base hits to start the game. He was able to pick off Starling Marte, who led off the game with a single, then he gave up three straight hits. With one out and the bases loaded, De La Rosa was in trouble. However, a pitcher isn’t defined by how he pitches with the bases empty, a pitcher is defined by how he deals with adversity. The Rockies lefty showed why he is a true ace.”"

From Scott Andes: Run Differentials Tell The Tale Of The National League West (Lasorda’s Lair)

"The Dodgers have the best run differential in the NL West, with a +27. That explains a lot. The Dodgers have been scoring a lot of runs and not allowing a lot of runs. Pretty self-explanatory. Arizona has the second best in the division with a +11, and the rest of the division is pretty bad. The Padres coming in with the worst run differential at a -62. Yeesh. This tells you all you need to know about the National League West this season.”"

From Peter Gammons: Power is Often the Last Thing to Come (Gammons Daily)

"Todd Helton played two years in the Cape Cod League and did not hit a homer, signed as the 9th pick in the nation and hit one homer in 227 at bats his first pro season. He didn’t hit double figures in homers until he got to the majors. Ryne Sandberg hit 25 in four minor league seasons, seven and eight his first two years in the big leagues, then took off as the 1984 MVP for the Cubs, crediting manager Jim Frey ‘for teaching me how to hit in different counts and look for pitches when I was 2-and-0 and 3-and-1.'”"