Roadtrip Recap/Pirates Series Preview

Sorry for the lack of recent posts. This past week has been super busy, but I should be able to return to a regular blogging schedule.

The Rox just finished their longest road trip of the season and return to Coors Field to face the Pirates for a three game set tomorrow.

The Rockies dropped 9 of 11 games on this trip, and had a couple games get away. They fell from leading the Wild Card race to 5 games out. In the division, the Rox fell from a 2^nd place tie to 4^th place. The Rox are a different team at home, with a 31-16 record at Coors compared to a 20-32 mark on the road. This team will have to play better on the road to climb back into the playoff race.

However, Rox Nation has reason to be optimistic. The Rox face the miserable Pirates this week in a three game set. Troy Tulowitzki is set to rejoin the team on Tuesday night. It will be nice to have Tulo’s bat back in the lineup. The Cubs and all of their accompanying drama will visit Coors Field this weekend for three games. The Pirates struggle wherever they play, but the Cubs are awful on the road, going 19-27 away from Wrigley, compared to a 26-27 mark at home. These two teams are exactly what the Rox need after a brutal trip through Cincinnati, South Florida, and Philly.

Probable Starters

De La Rosa (3-2, 5.65) vs. Duke (4-9, 5.22)

Cook (4-6, 4.78) vs. Ohlendorf (1-8, 4.39)

TBA vs. Karstens (2-6, 4.72)

Three Questions

Can the Rox right the ship at home? As I noted above, the Rox are good at home and the Pirates are terrible. A sweep of the hapless ‘Rats would help the Rox regain some confidence after a miserable road trip. I think the Rox can take three and should take at least two games in this set.
Can Jorge De La Rosa shut down the Pirates and establish some confidence? A strong outing from De La Rosa against a weak Pittsburgh offense would boost his confidence going into a critical stretch for the Rockies. The Rox need to win some games soon to keep in the race, and better starts from De La Rosa would help out. I think he’ll pull it together with at least 6 strong innings in a Rockies win on Tuesday night.
Where will the offense come from? Excluding a 10-0 win and a 8-9 loss, both against the Marlins, the Rox offense was almost nonexistent on the road trip. In 7 of 11 games, the Rockies scored 2 runs or fewer. That is too little support for the pitching staff. The Rox need to find a way to generate a little more offense. It will be interesting to see if the offense can gain some confidence against the Pirates, and how Jim Tracy divides playing time. Can any of the Rox hitters get hot and carry the offense? How much will Tulowitzki play in his first series back since breaking his wrist? Will the injury affect him at the plate? I think it will take Tulo a couple games to get back into a rhythm at the plate, but I’d look to Seth Smith and Ian Stewart to jump start the offense. Both players had big games in the Philly series.

Series to Watch

Rox fans should check out the Dodgers at the Padres. If the Padres are for real (and it looks like they just may be), they’ll have to hold off a veteran Dodgers team down the stretch. It will be interesting to see if the Pads can hold their own as the pressure of the playoff run intensifies.

Schedule