Colorado Rockies: 3 things we have learned so far on this road trip

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May 18, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Colorado Rockies shortstop Alexi Amarista (2) throws to second base in the eighth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /

After a season-long 10-game homestand, the Colorado Rockies hit the road for a season-long 10-game road swing through Minnesota, Cincinnati and Philadelphia. After Sunday’s 6-4 win over the Reds, Colorado has just one more stop on the road trip before heading back to Coors Field.

In Colorado’s first two stops of the road trip, the Rockies jumped on the host team to win the first game. That makes them 11-3 in the first game of a series this season, a big reason why the Rockies have a 28-17 overall record and two-game lead in the National League West.

There have been good points of the trip so far (like the Rockies jumping on Minnesota’s Ervin Santana for five earned runs in a 5-1 win on May 18) and not-so-good points of the trip (like Saturday’s 12-8 loss in Cincinnati where Colorado’s 2017 bullpen looked like the bullpen of years past).

So after seeing the Rockies post a 6-4 homestand before hitting the road for this 10-game quest through the Central and Eastern time zones, what have we seen? Plenty that makes us believe this Colorado team isn’t just a fluke. Ian Desmond said it best when the Rockies were in Minnesota, right? Wins any time of the season matter.

What are three things we’ve noticed on this road trip so far, heading into the City of Brotherly Love? Let’s take a look.

May 19, 2017; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black (10) MLB talks with umpire Sam Holbrook (34) in the fifth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

Bud Black trusts his gut

Colorado manager Bud Black isn’t afraid to tell you that he trusts his gut when he is making decisions. We have seen two big instances of that during this road trip.

First in Minnesota, during Thursday night’s 2-0 loss to the Twins, Colorado starting pitcher Tyler Chatwood was on the ropes early and often. Minnesota struck for one run in the first and threatened again in the second and third before a visit to the mound. With the bases loaded in the third and the Twins poised to blow the game open, Chatwood struck out Byron Buxton to end the frame.

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Minnesota would score again in the fourth and there was doubt that Chatwood would make it through that inning. However, Black didn’t want to go to the bullpen just yet and decided to see if his 27-year-old right-hander could give him another inning. He did just that, setting the Twins down in order in the fifth.

Despite five hits and five walks given up through four innings, Black believed his starter had one more inning in him … and the move paid off, keeping the Rockies in the game and keeping one more inning off his bullpen as the 10-game road trip was just starting.

In Cincinnati, Black sat Pat Valaika at shortstop in favor of Alexi Amarista. The move paid off in a big way as Amarista went 3-for-5 (including a homer) and four RBI in a 12-6 win. Amarista then went 2-for-5 with two RBI. Considering he had just six RBI all season heading into the Cincinnati series, the gut feeling certainly paid off.

May 18, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Mike Dunn (38) pitches in the eighth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /

Mike Dunn is coming back to earth

In his initial few weeks with the Rockies, Mike Dunn appeared to be the ideal setup man for the team. In April, the left-hander signed in the offseason away from the Miami Marlins posted a 2-0 mark and 1.17 ERA with 10 strikeouts and just two walks.

Unfortunately for the Rockies, when the calendar turned, so did Dunn’s fortunes on the mound.

The Rockies bullpen needs an upgrade

While Mike Dunn had his share of trouble in Cincinnati on Saturday, it also exposed a glaring weakness for the Rockies this season. There is a bad gap between the starters and handing the ball over to Greg Holland for the save.

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After giving up two runs on Saturday, Scott Oberg’s ERA has crept up to 5.50. Chad Qualls gave up three runs against the Reds to see his ERA move up to 5.19. Jordan Lyles has an ERA of 8.53 this season in 12 appearances. Carlos Estevez showed he still had work to do in Triple-A after allowing a pair of hits in a 26^th-man outing during the May 18 double-header against Minnesota.

If the Rockies are going to contend in the National League West, the bullpen has to get better and stronger. Certainly there’s been an upgrade with Holland as the closer and Chris Rusin providing help in long- or short-term relief when needed (his consistency and 2.28 ERA this season has really been overlooked). However, there are still too many times that a Rockies reliever enters the game and you never know what you’re going to get from him.

Are there reinforcements in the minors? Possibly. CC Lee and Matt Carasiti are having solid seasons in Albuquerque. However, don’t be surprised to see the Rockies look to upgrade their bullpen even further as the trading deadline creeps closer.

Next: Vote now: Who was Colorado's best offseason acquisition?

When the Rockies released Stephen Cardullo on May 19, it opened up a spot on Colorado’s 40-man roster. The Rockies have yet to fill it. Don’t be surprised if that spot is filled by someone who could make the middle bullpen much stronger than it currently is.

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