Colorado Rockies: Offense Backs Up Strong Start by Bettis

The Colorado Rockies started their four game series against the Atlanta Braves on a high note as they got the best of starting pitcher Mike Foltynewicz in a 7-3 victory. Carlos Gonzalez and Mark Reynolds helped to fuel this fire with two monster shot home runs, both traveling more than 450 feet. Here are a few takeaways from the game I was able to personally watch at Coors Field.

The Rockies backed up their starting pitching with some run support.

It may have taken the Rockies until the sixth inning to put a run on the board, however Carlos Gonzalez’s three-run bomb that landed 459 feet away from home plate gave Chad Bettis the support he needed to win his eighth game of the season.

The Rockies offense has struggled many times this season to support strong starts by their man on the mound, so seeing a little offensive output at home was a nice change of pace to help Bettis claim his well deserved win. This is a trend we hope can continue as our starters put together quality starts that have in the past ended in no decisions, or worse a loss.

Charlie Blackmon pushes his hit streak to 13 games with a hit in the bottom of the eighth.

As I sat in the stands in the bottom of the eighth, I started to doubt that Blackmon would get his last chance to extend his hitting streak. After Tony Wolters ripped a double to score the Rockies seventh and final run, I knew this was a perfect time to extend the streak. The Rockies were already up six runs at the end of the game, and Charlie had no large obligation than to simply put the ball in play and hope it landed on some grass in the outfield or leg out a base hit. He did just that with a base knock to right field to rack in his 13th straight game with a hit.

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The Rockies can win without key position players in the lineup.

As I stood on the Rooftop hearing the lineups being announced, I was sad to not hear Nolan Arenado‘s name announced in the starting lineup. Nolan alone makes the price of admission worth it, whether he’s at bat or in the field. However, it was a nice change of pace to see Cristhian Adames get some time at third base.

Adames usually “splits” time with Trevor Story at shortstop or DJ LeMahieu at second, however he did not skip a beat playing third. He made a couple of strong plays and looked confident fielding. As the season continues, I still hope he can find some rhythm with his bat.

That being said, the majority of the Colorado Rockies offense did come from their normal starters as Gonzalez hit a three-run home run, which brought Blackmon and LeMaheiu to the plate, and usual starter Mark Reynolds hit a pinch-hit home run in the bottom of the seventh inning.

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The Rockies looked strong in this series opener and will hope to continue this momentum into tomorrow night as they take on Braves ace Julio Teheran. If Jon Gray can power past Teheran tomorrow night and give the Rockies their second straight win, that will give put them in a strong position to not only win their first four-game series of the season, but possibly sweep them in the process.

Check out the next game on Friday at 6:40 p.m. MST.