Carlos Gonzalez Due For Breakout After Game-Winning Homer vs. Dodgers

Just when you thought Carlos Gonzalez was starting to fall of the map, the native of Maracaibo, Venezuela delivered a three-run shot in the top half of the ninth inning to stun the Los Angeles Dodgers Thursday night, 5-4.

Carlos Gonzalez hasn’t been his prototypical self thus far into the 2015 campaign, sporting a dismal batting average of .192. Yikes. When the Rockies are winning baseball games, both CarGo and teammate Troy Tulowitzki are swinging the bats well. That’s not the case. Both superstars have struggled to muster enough pop to keep Colorado in games, leaving runners in scoring position. Colorado was well on their way to their 12th-straight loss Thursday night if it weren’t for a 2-1 fastball that CarGo sent to the right-field stands.

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Gonzalez is a career .290 hitter, but the past couple of seasons have been rough for the All-Star perennial player. Appearing in just 70 games last season due to injury, CarGo hit a career-low .238 with just 11 home runs and 38 RBI’s in 260 plate appearances. This after coming off a season in which the outfielder slashed at a line of .302/.367/.591 with 26 home runs, 70 RBI’s and 23 doubles. In order for Colorado to compete in the tough National League West, they need their best players to perform up to their capabilities – starting with CarGo.

CSlashing at a line of .192/.261/.327 with just five doubles, three home runs and nine RBI’s, Gonzalez has been moved around the lineup a lot. I mean, it’s kind of hard to fathom Colorado paying a guy $16,428,571 for the 2015 season to produce those kind of numbers. If anything, last night’s go-ahead three-run home run should give Gonzalez a little bit of confidence moving forward as Colorado looks to start putting some more wins up on the board.

One problem with Carlos Gonzalez’ is his strikeout rate. In just 104 at-bats this season, CarGo has struck out a total of 28 times – nearly 27% of his plate appearances. Over Colorado’s last 10 games, Gonzalez has struck out a total of 12 times – slightly over one per contest. Fact of the matter is, CarGo needs to stop chasing balls out of the strike-zone, which he has been doing for years now. In response, he’s an aggressive hitter with a beautiful swing, so why do anything to alter it? In conclusion, as I’ve been saying, hopefully last night’s home run sparks a hot-streak for the 29-year-old – something Colorado desperately needs.

Colorado resumes their four-game series tonight in Los Angeles with Eddie Butler (2-3, 3.73 ERA) taking the hill against Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw (1-2, 4.26 ERA). First-pitch is scheduled for 10:10 PM EST, 8:10 PM MST.