Familiar Ills Plague Rockies in Loss to Diamondbacks

Rockies 3, Diamondbacks 7

The D-backs are the team to beat in the NL West this season, so it might not be a bad idea to go ahead and start making a good showing against them. The Rockies have logged a couple of wins against Arizona so far this spring, but today was a bummer of a loss, in which they were no-hit for 5 innings by some guy named Patrick Corbin.

Dazzling

Eric Young Jr. had another one of those great games he has that make his terrible games all that much more frustrating. He’s actually hitting .308 this spring and is performing better than some guys I thought were more of a lock for a roster spot (*cough* Casey Blake). Today he was 2-for-3 with a run scored. He was also caught stealing after a lead-off walk, something I’m sick of from this team as a whole. LEARN HOW TO RUN THE BASES. That is not directed at EYJ. That’s for everybody. He just catches the brunt of my wrath for being the lone offender today.

Marco Scutaro continues to improve his batting average, today with a 2-run single. Don’t let that .188 scare you. Scutaro has a better approach to the plate than some guys I’m more worried about (*cough* Dexter Fowler), and he has shown that he can come up with a big hit when one is needed.

Disappointing

Opening day starter Jeremy Guthrie was less than stellar today, lasting 6 innings but allowing 6 runs (4 earned) on 10 hits. He also gave up an RBI triple to some guy named Patrick Corbin. It was his toughest start so far this spring. I think we can expect this sort of thing from Guthrie every once in a while (hopefully a great while). He’s a talented pitcher, certainly, as we keep saying, with “ace potential,” but he also does this sometimes.Nothing to be especially alarmed about, just a loss we’ll have to live with.

Tyler Colvin went 0-for-3 today and made a 2-base error in right field that cost the Rockies 2 unearned runs. He still makes the team as far as I’m concerned, but let’s not have games like this ever.

Ramon Hernandez is turning in a so-so offensive performance this spring. His .259 average is pretty reflective of what he’s accomplished. He’s come through in the clutch a couple of times, but 0-for-3 is more common, and that’s what he did today. Career-wise his numbers are not that far off of Chris Iannetta‘s, but I’ll take Iannetta at the plate any day. Let’s hope that Hernandez’s veteran presence behind the plate will make his game-calling skills worth the offense he costs us. And that Wilin Rosario will be ready soon.

All together now: no hits for Dexter Fowler today.

The Rockies remain at Salt River Fields tomorrow for an afternoon game against the White Sox.

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