Colorado Rockies vs. Minnesota Twins: 5 key players to watch

Tyler Chatwood, SP, Colorado

Kyle Freeland and German Marquez are a pair of young pitchers who will get the call for the Rockies in the first two games of the series against Minnesota. However, it’s the Colorado pitcher taking the mound on Thursday afternoon that could draw the most attention from Rockies fans.

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The 2017 version of Tyler Chatwood has been little like the 2016 version of Chatwood that set a franchise road ERA record. At 3-5 and 5.25 ERA, Chatwood has been struggling at home … and on the road if you compare last year to this year.

Chatwood is 1-2 with a 3.98 ERA away from home this season but opponents are batting just .186 against the 27-year-old right-hander. He’s also given up four of his nine homers on the road.

He has given up five earned runs in three of his last four outings. Those are sandwiched around a seven-inning, two-hit performance at Coors Field against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

That’s been the maddening thing about Chatwood this season. Will he put together a masterpiece like he did in San Francisco on April 15 in a two-hit, complete-game shutout or will he give up five runs in 4.1 innings like he did against the Dodgers on May 12 when he lasted just 85 pitches?

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Which Chatwood will show up in Minnesota? For the Rockies it will need to be Chatgood as he’s slated to go against Jose Berrios (1-0, 1.17 ERA), who was stellar in his season debut against Cleveland.