Colorado Rockies Rundown: Barnes Rakes, Lyles' Rehab, Rafael Ynoa

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May 18, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher J. Lyles (24) delivers a pitch during the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Your morning rundown — news, notes, analysis, and more — on the biggest stories surrounding the Colorado Rockies for this Friday, August 28, 2015.

Rockies vs Pirates series preview

(via MLB.com)

The Rockies and Pirates are playing tonight! We’ve got the series preview right here.

MLB.com also has their own preview, that includes information about Francisco Liriano, who is starting Friday night for the Bucs, and it includes this little tidbit:

The Rockies have gotten the better of Liriano over his career — he is 1-2 with a 5.48 ERA in 21 1/3 innings — but 10 of the 13 earned runs and 12 of the 22 hits came in 2 1/3 innings on Aug. 9, 2013, at Coors Field, when they beat him, 12-1. The Rockies do not have an earned run off him in his two starts as a Pirate at PNC Park, covering 12 innings.

The start of that paragraph is great! We’ve got a shot! The end is not as great. We may not have a shot.

Liriano’s tough, the Pirates are tough, and they’ve been playing pretty well lately — and something tells me they are going to be focused some kind of way this weekend against the Colorado Rockies, because those are three important and winnable games for Pittsburgh.

In other words, I wouldn’t count on a 12-1 Rockies’ win this weekend.

Next: Brandon Barnes heats up

Jul 30, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Colorado Rockies left fielder B. Barnes (1) scores a run on a sacrifice fly by shortstop J. Reyes (not pictured) against the St. Louis Cardinals. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Brandon Barnes finds his stroke

(via MLB.com)

Brandon Barnes is beginning to find his stroke again at the plate, after slumping pretty severely in July and early August.

Talking to MLB.com about his home run off Edwin Jackson and the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night, Barnes said:

“I was just trying to battle. He was making good pitches. I knew that 3-2 count, I had [pinch-hitter] Nolan behind me and they really didn’t want to walk me to get to Nolan. So I was looking for something middle of the plate. I was sitting fastball and he threw a slider, so I was able to get the bat out in front. “It’s good. You want to continue it. The big thing is to feed off of it, and keep going. Feel that positive energy and roll with it. We’ve got to go in there rolling. They need to win to make the postseason and we’re going to try to stop them.”

That’s a great quote about the upcoming series, and the Colorado Rockies playing the role of spoiler in Pittsburgh.

Whether that’ll actually happen or not, well… (see above), but at least Barnes has the right attitude — and the mindset that everyone on the roster should have.

Series preview stuff aside, there’s a lot of use of the word “grind” in that piece, but Barnes has pretty cool tattoos, so I’ll allow it… for now.

Next: Jordan Lyles' rehab is going well

Aug 6, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher J. Lyles (24) delivers a pitch in the fourth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Jordan Lyles is really bored, guys

(via MLB.com)

Poor Jordan Lyles has been out of a walking boot for just two weeks, and the Colorado Rockies’ starting pitcher — who had toe surgery two months ago — is already bored to death with the rehab, and ready to play baseball again.

The 24-year-old righthander spoke to MLB.com about the rehab process, and how, well, how much it sucks:

“Weird little things. Standing on a little mat and trying to balance, which strengthens all the different muscles and tendons around the actual injury. Manuals, where I have to resist someone pulling on my foot. Not fun stuff. Nothing interesting.”

I literally feel for the guy through the quotes in that piece. It’s got to be some kind of painful to have an injury perceived as so bizarre end Lyles’ season (it’s a toe, after all, not an elbow or a shoulder), especially after a freak non-throwing hand injury ended his year last season, and the Colorado Rockies’ staff has been in such dire need of quality starters.

All Lyles can do now is prepare for Spring Training, though there is good news there: he says he will be completely 100% by the time the spring rolls around, and he’ll be pain and injury free and able to do everything expected of him as he tries to make the starting rotation for 2016.

And in the meantime… somebody just play catch with the guy!

“If someone needed a catch partner, I was out there. I’ve been throwing with Kyle Kendrick on his rehab [for right shoulder inflammation] this past week. We’re not going to have any schedule or anything throwing-wise and just go into the offseason normal. “I have not decided if I’m going to do winter ball to get some more innings, but I’m able to do that if that’s necessary. Definitely able to do things this offseason.”

At least Lyles will be able to run again in a couple of weeks. The Colorado Rockies sure could’ve used him this year.

Next: TBD

Aug 2, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Colorado Rockies center fielder C. Blackmon (19) slides in safely stealing a base against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Ben Hochman talks Rockies, Cardinals

(via Grantland)

Ben Hochman went on Jonah Keri’s podcast and discussed the differences between the Colorado Rockies and St. Louis Cardinals (there might be perhaps one or two of them), as well as the future of journalism. Talk about disparate topics!

Hochman, of course, left Denver this month for St. Louis, so he has an interesting perspective on each city and baseball team.

Oh, and he’s also a sharp dude who actually understands the Internet, unlike the vast majority of newpaper men and women, so it makes for a compelling interview even if it weren’t partly about the Colorado Rockies.

Side note, too… does everyone have a podcast now? But, like, no seriously… everybody has one, right? So it’s only a matter of time until that goes out of style, and then the next thing will be… ??

Next: TBD

Jun 15, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Colorado Rockies left fielder R. Ynoa (43) smiles from the dugout after scoring a run during the sixth inning against the Houston Astros. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Rafael Ynoa starts a triple play

(via MiLB/YouTube)

This is pretty cool. In the Albuquerque Isotopes’ game against the Oklahoma City Dodgers on Tuesday night, the club turned a triple play (in a 5-5 game!) to get out of a Dodgers’ really.

Check it out:

That’s pretty cool. Coincidentally, everybody who turned that triple play (Rafael Ynoa, Cristhian Adames, and Wilin Rosario) will likely be up in Denver come next week when the Colorado Rockies expand their rosters for September…

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