Colorado Rockies: 3 things we learned from the Mariners series

The Colorado Rockies failed to close out the series sweep Sunday as they lost to the Seattle Mariners 5-3 but they did extend their franchise record by winning the first 5 series of the season.

Believe it or not, the MLB season is already a quarter of the way through and the Colorado Rockies are leading the NL West with an 11-4 record.  Even though Sunday’s defeat to the Seattle Mariners was a disappointment, they still came away with a series victory.

Here is what we have learned after the 3-game series against the Mariners.

Chuck Nazty is a freak of nature

Remember when Charlie Blackmon started out 0-for-9 to begin the season?  Yeah, me neither.

Since that slow start, he has put together one of the most ridiculous hitting displays in short memory.  During his current 13-game hitting streak, Blackmon is hitting 27-for-50 (.540) with 3 home runs, 18 RBI, and 12 runs scored.

In the Seattle series alone, he was 8-for-11 from the plate. Those numbers can only be described as Nazty!

Nolan who?

Sandwiched between Blackmon and Daniel Murphy (who has 6 hits in his last 11 at-bats including 2 home runs) has been Nolan Arenado, who is stuck in one of the worst slumps in his career.  After hitting a home run in 3 consecutive games to begin the Rockies last series against the Giants, he has been hitless in his last 14 at-bats dropping his season average down to an anemic .185.

His struggles earned him his first day out of the starting lineup of the season on Sunday to clear his head.

However, there is little concern that Nolan won’t soon get hot and hit like the perennial All-Star we have all come to know and love.  Until then, as long as players continue to hit around him, the Rockies will wait patiently for him to find his swing.

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Pitching continues to roll

The Rockies pitching has been fantastic to begin the season and it was just as good, if not better, in the series against Seattle. Antonio Senzatela extended his record to a perfect 3-0 on Friday giving up 2 earned runs in 6 innings in the Rockies’ 8-4 victory.

In his Major League debut Saturday night, Ryan Castellani was perfect through 4 innings of work before a hit-by-pitch and a walk had him lifted in the 5th.  Jeff Hoffman, Yency Almonte, and Phillip Diehl came in for relief and combined for the Rockies’ sixth 1-hitter in franchise history.

Finally on Sunday, after the first two batters of the game scored, Germán Márquez settled down before some untimely miscues in the 7th made his numbers look rough.

He went 7 innings allowing 5 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits with 4 strikeouts and a walk. Unfortunately, the Rockies’ offense decided to not show up until late and were limited to three runs.

The Rockies return home Monday for a 6-game homestand starting with a 3-game series against NL West foe Arizona Diamondbacks. The probable starters for Game One are Jon Gray and Robbie Ray with the first pitch scheduled for 6:40 MT.