Rockies At Giants, May 24th: Game Time, Lineups, And Preview

Colorado Rockies at San Francisco Giants. 8:15 p.m. MST.

The Rockies have got their groove back as they hit the road for a key series in San Francisco this weekend. Their recent success includes a series victory over these very Giants in which they banged around numbers 1-4 in the starting rotation. After a disastrous road trip leading up to this week’s successful home stand, the Rockies needed to find their offense. They did, and now they need to figure out how to bring it with them on the road.

In the interest of doing just that Walt Weiss is shaking things up. After demoting Josh Rutledge to hand the reigns to DJ LeMahieu at second base, Weiss bumped electric rookie Nolan Arenado up to the #2 hole in tonight’s lineup. Michael Cuddyer is back, and here is the rest of the batting order:

LOL. Image: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Dexter Fowler CF
Nolan Arenado 3B
Carlos Gonzalez LF
Troy Tulowitzki SS
Michael Cuddyer RF
Todd Helton 1B
Wilin Rosario C
DJ LeMahieu 2B
Tyler Chatwood P

The difference between having Rosario’s bat 4th or 5th and having it 7th is significant, no? That is one deep lineup that Tim Lincecum will face.

There is a sneaky amount of pressure on Chatwood to pitch well for the Rockies tonight. If he struggles the team might be forced to turn to the potentially disastrous Juan Nicasio and the struggling Jon Garland to rescue them from another disappointing series on the road against the Giants. Nobody wants that. Here is the lineup Bruce Bochy will dispatch for Friday night’s game:

Angel Pagan CF
Marco Scutaro 2B
Pablo Sandoval 3B
Buster Posey C
Hunter Pence RF
Brandon Belt 1B
Gregor Blanco LF
Brandon Crawford SS
Tim Lincecum P

Is it possible that this weekend might actually yield some high scoring games in AT&T Park? The Giants’ pitching is a disaster (third in the NL with 211 runs allowed) and the Rockies do not exactly have their studs lined up as projected starters.  If ever it was going to happen, it might be this weekend.

And yet I have a feeling that each game will be a ridiculously frustrating 3-2 Giants victory…