Colorado Rockies: Road trip wish list for Opening Week

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PHOENIX, AZ – OCTOBER 04: Jon Gray #55 of the Colorado Rockies walks in the dugout after being pulled from the game in the bottom of the second inning of the National League Wild Card game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on October 4, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

At last. It’s been nearly six months since the D-backs‘ Fernando Rodney delivered the final pitch of the Colorado Rockies’ 2017 season and short playoff run. If you’re like me, you’ve tried to put that memory away, so I looked it up. Nolan Arenado hit a ground ball to Arizona second baseman Daniel Descalso, who went the short way and threw Carlos Gonzalez out at second base to win the one-game playoff and advance to the National League Division Series.

Just 176 days later, Nolan, CarGo and company will step back into that same batter’s box as the Rockies kick off the new year with a three-game set against those same D-backs at Chase Field in Arizona. Afterwards, they will head west to San Diego for a four-game set with the Padres. The team will look very similar to the one that lost Game 163 last season, with a few notable differences.

The Rockies will sport a shiny new back end of the bullpen with the additions of setup man Bryan Shaw and closer Wade Davis. They’ll also have a new, yet familiar face behind the plate in Chris Iannetta, who is switching dugouts and returning to his old team after spending last season as a Diamondback.

But we know all of that. My reason for writing is to create a Wish List … a Road Trip Wish List. My goal will be to make one of these for each of the longer road trips the Rockies embark on this season.

I’ll lay out three goals for the team that I, and hopefully all Rockies fans, would like to see come to fruition before the squad returns home. We’ll also have some fun with a dream scenario as well as the dreaded (gasp) nightmare scenario. So without further ado, let’s get it started with the first, and so far greatest, installment of the Road Trip Wish List.

The Wish List

Break in the new toys

I would love to see the new back end of the bullpen come out firing for the fans back home. First, that would mean we are leading games heading into the eighth inning. Second, I would love to get those guys’ feet wet before they return to Coors Field for the first time as Rockies.

As witnessed a year ago when Greg Holland saved three of the Rockies first four games to start the season, there is no doubt that a strong showing from Jake McGee, as well as the newcomers Shaw and Davis, can have a resounding impact on the weeks ahead. Let’s start strong there.

As for Chris Iannetta, I’d be alright with him launching a ball or two into the Chase Field seats this weekend, but mostly his job is and always will be to handle an extremely young starting pitching staff, and I have confidence that he’ll be on his game.

Put the doubt to rest

Colorado Rockies

If I was a betting man, I would say that nobody is more excited for Opening Day Thursday (excluding Nolan … he’s been excited for 176 days) than two Rockies who struggled quite a bit a year ago: Trevor Story and Carlos Gonzalez. Both players are very similar in that we know what they are capable of and we drool over the possibilities, but they both had their lion’s share of trouble at the plate a year ago.

CarGo’s struggles and Story’s strikeouts have been extremely well documented and, finally, it’s time to stop living in the past. Both players have a chance to announce to Rockies fans and the baseball world that they are back, and that starts Thursday.

I’m looking for both players to come out raking on this road trip to put any doubt that Rockies fans may harbor to rest. These are the guys we know and we are lucky to have them.

Pick their pockets

As I mentioned in a previous article, I believe a big key for the Rockies to take the next step as a team is stealing more bags, especially on the road. Stolen bases not only make the opposing pitcher uncomfortable, but if the Rockies can achieve a decent proficiency at it, it will help them manufacture runs in ballparks that don’t fit the slugging nature of the offense.

Last season, in the first seven road games of the season, the Rockies stole a total of three bases. They only attempted two others. That isn’t going to get it done with the volume of games the Rockies have to play in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco, which consistently play as pitcher’s parks.

I understand that as the Rockies commit to being more aggressive, a byproduct will be more guys getting thrown out. I expect that to be a problem particularly early in the year as they get more comfortable, but let’s go out and steal at least six bags on this road trip, doubling last year’s output from the first seven road games.

MIAMI, FL – AUGUST 11: Nolan Arenado #28 of the Colorado Rockies hits a two-run home run in the third inning against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on August 11, 2017 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images) /

The Scenarios

**NOTE** I am not a time traveler (yet), so please don’t stumble upon these scenarios and confuse them with what actually happened or what will actually happen. This is just for fun. For the sake of ending on a good note, I’ll start with the nightmare.

Nightmare scenario

Dream scenario

The Rockies, led by six home runs between CarGo and Trevor Story, win two of three against the D-backs, followed by winning all four in San Diego. Wade Davis records four saves in four chances and Jon Gray, in his second start, no-hits the Padres through 7.1 before finishing with a complete game, two-hit shutout. The Rockies return home 6-1, already red hot.

Let’s go Rockies!

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