Rox Pile
Fansided

The Colorado Rockies Will Start Yohan Flande Tuesday Night In Chicago

By Bobby DeMuro

facebooktwitterreddit

Sep 9, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Y. Flande (58) looks on as New York Mets left fielder M. den Dekker (not pictured) is checked after being hit by his wild pitch during the seventh inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

The Colorado Rockies have made a decision about who will be their fifth starter — well, at least in the very short-term, with the rotation spot on July 28 now filled. 

More from Colorado Rockies News

You guys. It’s almost as if the Colorado Rockies are not listening to us even a little bit. Remember when we asked you guys on this poll, and then wrote this piece a couple days ago, all about how Yohan Flande probably shouldn’t be starting games for the Rockies, but instead ought to maybe stay in long relief?

Guess what…

Yep! You guessed it! The Rockies have named a starter for Tuesday night’s game in Chicago, and it’s YOHAN FLIPPIN’ FLANDE.

Ahem. Excuse me, I’ll stop yelling. Thomas Harding (among others) confirmed the news on Twitter:

Look, I love Flande. Y’all know I love Flande. But he’s not a starter. Expect him to throw up four pretty decent innings Tuesday night against the Cubs, and then things are going to get dicey.

If the Rockies score, like, seven runs early against Chicago, then hey! Yohan can go five mediocre innings and save the rotation! That’d be heroic! But if the Rockies only score one or two… don’t count on Flande tossing a gem to fill out a pitcher’s duel at Wrigley Field.***

I can understand why Jon Gray wasn’t recalled; he’s gotten much better in AAA this year, but he’s not there yet. What I don’t understand is why AAA starter John Lannan didn’t get this chance to start Tuesday night.

He started tonight (Monday) for the Isotopes against Sacramento and, ok, he didn’t do so hot (5.1 IP, 13 H, 9 R, 2 BB, 3 K, yikes). In fact, he’s allowed double digit hits in five of his last ten starts with Albuquerque (seriously, go look at his stats. The dude is imminently hittable, not that it’s a bad thing). Why not move him back one day and give him the chance in Chicago?

The thing about Lannan — and this can’t be overstated — is that he’s a starting pitcher. He has 118 minor league starts and 148 more big league starts under his belt.

He’s extended to go 5-7 innings every single night, whereas Flande hasn’t tossed more than five innings since he was starting games for the Rockies’ AA affiliate in New Britain in early April. Again, I love Flande. And again, it’s only one start for a team that isn’t going anywhere anyways.

But these are those little front office roster decisions that make you scratch your head, and a bunch of little ones (like this) snowball into one of the big ones (trade deadline stuff?!) that one day will likely have us all up in arms.

[***Ok you little jerks: if on the off chance that Flande throws a gem, y’all line up BEHIND ME for the Yohan Flande Fan Club, because I’m starting that bad boy. I’ve paid my dues the last twelve months cheering for Flande, he’s MINE.]

More from Rox Pile

Home/Colorado Rockies News