Chatwood Continues to Struggle as Rockies Fall to Cubs

Rockies 8, Cubs 10

What did you really think of Tyler Chatwood when you first heard that the Rockies had traded Chris Iannetta for him? Be honest. Just how hopeful were you? As for me, by then I felt like we had so many young untested pitchers that adding another one seemed like a gamble I wasn’t especially willing to take. And so far the Chatwood gamble has yet to pay off.

Dazzling

Edgmer Escalona overcame his troublesome outing the other day to pitch a scoreless 9th inning. I still like him as an option out of the pen and don’t see any reason to keep him off the 25-man come opening day.

I will also give a pitching nod to Stephen Dodson, who pitched the 7th. He immediately gave up 2 hits and had runners at the corners with nobody out. He kept his head, though, and got a flyout and a groundball double play to end the inning. Quality stuff from a guy who’s had a rotten spring.

Dexter Fowler’s average crept ever so slightly closer to the Mendoza line as he reached base twice and scored once. He also struck out once, because that’s just something he does, but we’ll take this one and call it “not awful.”

Casey Blake apparently decided he was tired of this hitless spring, and recorded 2 hits in 3 plate appearances yesterday. He even managed to hoof all the way around the bases and score a run. Do we want this man at the hot corner in any regular season game? In a word, no. But he still gets a pat on the back for turning things around a tiny bit yesterday.

Tyler Colvin knocked his fourth double of the spring and had a 2-hit day as designated hitter. Maybe we want him at the hot corner? I mean, at this point I’d be willing to hear the case for Eric Young Jr. playing there.

The most offense of the day came courtesy of Carlos Gonzalez, who drove in 5 runs. This was partly thanks to a bases-clearing double he hit with 2 outs in the 2nd. That’s the kind of clutch at-bat we need from him. On days when the pitching staff doesn’t completely melt down, that one swing is enough.

Manny Corpas threw a 5-pitch 9th to earn the save. What’s that? Corpas plays for the Cubs? Oh. Well there you have it.

Disappointing

Chatwood obviously gets top billing in this category thanks to his rough outing yesterday.  In 4 1/3 innings yesterday, he allowed 9 runs (7 earned) on 9 hits and a walk. He also gave up 2 home runs, which is a number you don’t want to see in a full game, much less in half of one. And both were off the bat of Geovany Soto, who really isn’t the guy I think you give up two home runs to. Of the outs he did make, 8 were flyouts, compared to 3 groundouts. So that flyball issue we were all concerned about when Chatwood first popped up certainly is an issue. I think we need to just start him in Triple A in April and call it a day. Even the bullpen isn’t a safe enough place for him right now.

Josh Outman’s line looks pretty good (1 2/3 innings pitched, 1 hit, no earned runs, 2 K’s), but he allowed 2 of the runners he inherited from Chatwood to score, and one of those was on a bases-loaded walk. Let’s not do that, ever, ok? Outman gets a few extra points, though, for picking David DeJesus off 2nd base. We always applaud that.

Why did Jim Tracy let Chatwood pitch to Soto three times? He drove in at least one run each of those times. The king of match-ups ought to have been able to avoid that particular scenario.

The Rockies face the Giants in an afternoon game today.

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