Colorado Rockies: Make or break time as the schedule now turns brutal

Last week, after the Colorado Rockies lost the first game of their seven-game homestand to the New York Mets by a 12-2 score, I stated that it was imperative that they win five of the next six games or face falling out of contention in the National League West. After winning the next four games, the Rockies disappointingly dropped the final two games to the teams with the National League’s worst record, the Miami Marlins, to finish the homestand at 4-3.

The back-to-back losses, leave the Rockies, before play on Monday, sitting two games under .500 at 38-40, 6.5 games back in fourth place in the NL West to the Arizona Diamondbacks and 4.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot. It might be only one game but going 4-3 instead of 5-2 on the homestand may be really tough to swallow for a few reasons:

First, it was a chance for the Rockies to get back to .500. It might not sound like a big deal but, for perception and for morale, being at or above .500 would have given this team a much-needed boost of confidence.

Second, it was a chance for the pitching to get right. Both the Mets and Marlins are at the bottom of National League in most offensive categories.  Unfortunately that didn’t happen as the pitching staff gave up exactly seven runs a game during the homestand.

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Finally, and most importantly, the Rockies needed to take advantage of playing the two worst teams in the NL because now schedule now turns absolutely brutal. For the next six weeks, there is not a single team currently with a losing record on the schedule. It won’t be until August 6, when the Pittsburgh Pirates come to Coors Field, that the Rockies will see a team under .500.

From June 26 to August 5, the next 33 games are against teams who are a combined 78 games over .500. Those teams include the Giants (six games), Dodgers (three), Diamondbacks (six), Mariners (six), Astros (two),  A’s (three), Cardinals (four), and Brewers (three).

For those of you who are glass half-full thinkers, this provides the Rockies a prime opportunity to get right back into the thick of the race. If you are on the opposite side (like me), this stretch will turn the Rockies into sellers at the July 31 trade deadline. If the Rockies can’t win a series at home against the team with worst record in the NL, how do you think they will fare when the MLB-best Astros roll into town?

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The next six weeks are going to make or break the Colorado Rockies. Hopefully they used Monday’s day off to get things right or the second half of the season is going to be a long one in Denver.