Rockies Woman Weekly Report – 7/9-7/15

A slightly condensed version of your weekly report today, since the Rockies only played 4 games this week. Still, despite the limited schedule, the team did plenty to show us what they are capable of in the second half.

This week’s record: 3-1

Hitting: B

The Rockies hit a perfectly respectable .279 this week, which is vastly better than their overall season mark of .254. They’re right in the middle of the pack with that average at 13th. The unfortunate thing about their offense is that it once again traveled in packs. They smacked 20 hits on Thursday’s game against Milwaukee, but collected just about that many in their other three games combined. There’s nothing wrong with a laugher every now and then, but being shut out by the Nationals on Sunday was just embarrassing. Especially when the Rockies had 6 hits that day, one more than their opponent. Todd Helton had two of those hits, but nobody was able to get on base ahead of him. The week was also pretty quiet power-wise, with only two home runs, from Helton and Ryan Spilborghs. Still, the Rockies did what they needed to do to get the job done 3 out of 4 times, and that’s more than enough. Some standouts: Helton, naturally, who hit .467 with a home run, 2 walks, and 4 RBIs. Ian Stewart had a .385 week, which makes me happier than just about anything has in recent memory. It remains to be seen whether he’s making a legitimate comeback, but it’s hard to argue with his at-bats lately. He walked 3 times, more than anyone else on the team. Troy Tulowitzki and Mark Ellis each hit 4 doubles this week. And Ryan Spilborghs! 7 hits, 4 RBIs, and 3 runs scored. Struggling this week were Ty Wigginton, Seth Smith, and especially Chris Iannetta, who posted a .182 average.

Running: B-

2 stolen bases is too few for 4 games, but the good news is that the Rockies weren’t caught once this week. Overall the running seems to be getting smarter, if a bit slowly. In both cases, the stolen base put the runner in scoring position and allowed him to score a run. And in one of those cases, the runner was Dexter Fowler. Dex is back from Triple-A and seems ready to use those long legs for good instead of evil. There were a couple of silly baserunning mistakes, notably Spilly trying to get home from 2nd on a Mark Ellis double in Saturday’s game, but in general things were pretty heads-up this week. For next week, I want to see more stealing and a similar success rate.

Defense: A

The Rockies had a stellar defensive week. There were a few little things here and there, but only one error was committed, and it was not by Ty Wigginton in left field. Seth Smith was the culprit, but it was only his second error on the season, and he’s so reliably excellent in right field that I can’t be mad at him. The Rockies turned five double plays in four games. It’s so nice having Ian Stewart back at the hot corner. I hope his offensive production continues so we can keep him there. Ideally, Carlos Gonzalez will return from his wrist injury soon and we can have a strong defensive outfield once again. But for now, even with the one we’ve got, things are looking all right.

Starting Pitching: A

This week may have been the rotation’s best all season. Ubaldo Jimenez turned in not one but two very quality starts, going 14 innings total between Saturday and Thursday and allowing just 3 runs on 11 hits. He struck out 12. The fact that one of those starts was at home felt great too, since Coors Field has been a tough place for him this season. All those scouts who are checking him out for their teams need to turn the car around and head home. We like him too much to let him go. Juan Nicasio was also lights-out last night, pitching 7 innings and allowing no runs on 4 hits against the Brewers. He only allowed two runners to get past 1st base, and really one of them would have been out if Fowler had made the play. Jhoulys Chacin was the only starter to record a loss this week, but he did not deserve it in the least. On Sunday in Washington, he pitched 7 innings and allowed 1 run on 4 hits. That’s every bit as good as what Ubaldo and Nicasio did. It’s a shame that the team couldn’t come through for him and get him the win. Starters’ collective ERA for the week? 1.29. That’s grade-A pitching.

Relief Pitching: A-

The bullpen also had one of their best week’s in a while. They allowed 2 runs in 7 innings pitched, both solo home runs. One was credited to Matt Reynolds, and the other to Eric Stults. Otherwise, perfection. Huston Street pitched two scoreless innings, one of which led to his 26th save (a career-best mark in the first half for him). The path to that save was a little rocky; he gave up 2 hits that resulted in a 1st-and-3rd-with-1-out situation. But he got out of it, as he does almost every time, and his outing last night was flawless. Matt Belisle also turned in a scoreless inning, and Matt Lindstrom and Rex Brothers combined for 2 1/3 innings of hitless baseball. These guys are doing what they’re capable of, and that’s a beautiful thing.

Intangibles: B

If this grade was based on the Rockies’ performance so far in the second half, I’d make it an A. They have come out of the gate very very strong. Dominant pitching and hitting in the clutch have led to two decisive wins for them so far post-All-Star. Seeing Ian Stewart, Ryan Spilborghs, and Dexter Fowler play great baseball in these games after a tough first half was like a giant sigh of relief. In general, the team seems to have remembered how to play with enthusiasm and energy, and how to do what needs to be done. Their games in Washington were a little bit more lackluster; they did win one game, but they only scored two runs. The offense looked incompetent facing pitchers who should have been pretty easy to get to. I just hope that the Rockies we’ll see most of the time in the second half of the season will look a lot more like the Rockies we saw in the second half of the week.

Overall Grade: B+

Hitter of the Week: Ryan Spilborghs (.412, 1 HR, 3 R, 4 RBIs)

Pitcher of the Week: Ubaldo Jimenez (2-0, 1.00 ERA, 14 IP, 12 K’s)