Chris Nelson also looks to stay hot. Image: Andrew B. Fielding - US Presswire

It’s not that simple though. Say this sentence out loud: if somebody needs to sit tonight, it should be Todd Helton. That’s brutal, right? I winced typing it, but sadly it’s true at the moment. As Troy Renck points out, if Colvin stays hot, the Toddfather stands to lose at-bats. Of course, the other option might eventually be to explore trading Michael Cuddyer. We’ll deal with that another day. In the meantime, Cuddyer is at first base, Colvin is in right field and Helton is out.

Here is the rest of manager Jim Tracy’s lineup:

Dexter Fowler CF
Marco Scutaro SS
Carlos Gonzalez LF
Michael Cuddyer 1B
Tyler Colvin RF
Jordan Pacheco 3B
Chris Nelson 2B
Wilin Rosario C
Jeff Francis P

Francis looks to build on his previous outing, in which he went 5 innings and was very effective against the Washington Nationals. With Nelson swinging a hot bat, he leapfrogs Rosario and lands in the 7th spot.

The San Diego Padres enter this weekend series, somehow, some way, with a worse record than the Rockies. They are in last place in the NL West with a 28-49 record. Manager Bud Black dispatches the following lineup for tonight’s series opener:

Chris Denorfia RF
Logan Forsythe 2B
Chase Headley 3B
Carlos Quentin LF
Yonder Alonso 1B
Cameron Maybin CF
Everth Cabrera SS
John Baker C
Jason Marquis P

Yes, that Jason Marquis. So this game is at home, against the Padres, with Jason Marquis pitching. It seems to me that tonight will either mark a golden opportunity for this struggling bunch to win a game or the point that they truly hit rock bottom.

Headley finds himself in the heart of trade rumors as the summer wears on. With Quentin and Alonso as protection, this weekend would seem to be a great opportunity for him to pad his value. Put yourself in his shoes: I would sure like my chances if I was facing Jeff Francis, Christian Friedrich, and an unknown starter in a weekend series at Coors Field. Wouldn’t you? The Padres front office can thank us later.

Now it looks like they are done.

With a team that has only a few question marks, the Rockies look like they should be in a pretty good position to go out and win enough games to be in the playoff race.  That, of course, is pure speculation for any team in February.  Injuries always factor in and guessing how well a player will play is always tough.

Much of the Rockies success hinges on the surgically repaired left shoulder of Jeff Francis.  If he is the pitcher that won 17 games in 2007, the Rockies may very well claim their first ever National League West title.

If Francis falters, the Rockies will be scrambling to find someone who can fill a gaping hole in their rotation.

All reports suggest that Francis is back.  He is healthy and throwing pain free.  That is very good news for the Rockies, who despite finding themselves in the playoffs are still fairly young, with players who still have not realized their full potential.

Expectations are high, fans are expecting quite a bit out of this team.  What are your thoughts?  Have the Rockies done enough to win their first NL West title?  Are they going to miss Jason Marquis more than they know?

I believe that they will win 90 games and make the playoffs, whether it be the Wild Card or the NL West title.