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3 trends the Colorado Rockies need to continue against the Dodgers

By Kevin Henry |
DENVER, CO - AUGUST 20: Relief pitcher Carlos Estevez #54 of the Colorado Rockies delivers to home plate during the eighth inning against the Houston Astros at Coors Field on August 20, 2020 in Denver, Colorado. The Astros defeated the Rockies for the fourth straight game, winning 10-8. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - AUGUST 20: Relief pitcher Carlos Estevez #54 of the Colorado Rockies delivers to home plate during the eighth inning against the Houston Astros at Coors Field on August 20, 2020 in Denver, Colorado. The Astros defeated the Rockies for the fourth straight game, winning 10-8. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
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DENVER, CO – AUGUST 16: Relief pitcher Carlos Estevez #54 of the Colorado Rockies walks off the field with the medical staff after getting hit in the hand on a ground ball that ended the game in the ninth inning against the Texas Rangers at Coors Field on August 16, 2020 in Denver, Colorado. The Rockies defeated the Rangers 10-6. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – AUGUST 16: Relief pitcher Carlos Estevez #54 of the Colorado Rockies walks off the field with the medical staff after getting hit in the hand on a ground ball that ended the game in the ninth inning against the Texas Rangers at Coors Field on August 16, 2020 in Denver, Colorado. The Rockies defeated the Rangers 10-6. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) /

The Colorado Rockies have lost nine of their last 11 games. Now they must head to Los Angeles to face a Dodgers team this weekend that holds the best record in the National League.

It’s not the best time for the Colorado Rockies to hit the road for three games at Chavez Ravine followed by four games in Phoenix against the Arizona Diamondbacks. However, in a stretch where there is no off day for the Rockies until September 3, the team has nowhere to go but forward.

So what needs to happen for the Rockies to right the ship in southern California this weekend? Let’s look at three trends that need to continue for Colorado against the Dodgers.

Bullpen contributions

After starting pitcher German Marquez gave up 10 runs on 10 hits in five innings on Thursday afternoon against Houston at Coors Field, Colorado’s bullpen shut down the Astros for the final four frames to give the Rockies a chance to rally.

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Joe Harvey, Tyler Kinley, and Carlos Estevez threw four hitless frames and didn’t walk a batter. It was an especially tremendous outing for Estevez, who returned to the bullpen after narrowly avoiding injury when a comebacker struck the back of his hand on Sunday as he nailed down a victory against Texas.

With the back end of Colorado’s bullpen in flux after recent struggles by Jairo Diaz, Estevez could play a key role for the Rockies in the coming days, including in Los Angeles. He and the rest of the Rockies bullpen have to return to the form they showed early in the season when Colorado raced to an 11-3 mark.

DENVER, CO – AUGUST 20: Ryan McMahon #24 of the Colorado Rockies is congratulated on his two-run home run by Daniel Murphy #9 during the second inning against the Houston Astros at Coors Field on August 20, 2020 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – AUGUST 20: Ryan McMahon #24 of the Colorado Rockies is congratulated on his two-run home run by Daniel Murphy #9 during the second inning against the Houston Astros at Coors Field on August 20, 2020 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) /

Young bats keep improving

I wrote in this article about the recent revival of Ryan McMahon at the plate. While he had his first multi-homer game of the season in Thursday’s loss, it will take more than just RyMac powering balls deep to boost Colorado.

There is also signs of life from Raimel Tapia, who responded to being moved to the top of the order on Thursday with one of his best all-around offensive games.

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Tapia drew a career-high four walks and also singled, marking the 10th time in Rockies history that a player had turned that feat since Michael McKenry did in August of 2014.

In August, Tapia is now hitting .375 with a .500 OBP. That’s after ending July with a .154/.200/.154 slash line, so the 26-year-old outfielder has definitely been on a roll.

Now the big question is this: How will the Rockies use that “roll?” Will Tapia be a fixture at the top of the lineup (let’s not forget Garrett Hampson has been hitting .275/.351/.431 in 12 games as Colorado’s leadoff hitter)? Will Tapia slide down and solidify the bottom of the order? Will he be a DH or play in the outfield?

It will be interesting to see what happens with Tapia, as well as outfielder Sam Hilliard, who recorded a career-high four hits on Thursday. With David Dahl on the injured list, Colorado needs options in the outfield who can produce.

DENVER, COLORADO – AUGUST 03: Nolan Arenado #28 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates after hitting a 2 RBI home run in the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field on August 03, 2020 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
DENVER, COLORADO – AUGUST 03: Nolan Arenado #28 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates after hitting a 2 RBI home run in the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field on August 03, 2020 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

Nolan Arenado at the plate

Colorado All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado smashed his seventh homer of the season in Thursday’s loss. He also struck out for the seventh time this season.

You read that correctly. Arenado has as many homers this year as strikeouts. The problem for the Rockies is that all of Arenado’s home runs have come at Coors Field and the 29-year-old Platinum Glove winner has zero extra-base hits on the road in nine games.

“I do think guys are upset, because you’re never going to be happy losing nine out of 11,” Arenado said after Thursday’s loss. “We need to continue to fight and continue to battle. There’s not a whole lot left to say. We just have to play better baseball. “Our pitchers are pitching good and then we don’t score runs. And then today we scored runs and kind of tripped on the bump. So, collectively, we have to put it together a little bit better.”

That goes for Arenado as well. And he’s starting to put things together in terms of connecting at the plate. His home run had an exit velocity of 105.5 mph (per Baseball Savant) and a double he hit came off the bat at 104.2 mph.

Next. A dangerous trend is looming for the Rockies. dark

If he can keep hitting the ball hard, good things will happen for Arenado. Past years show that.

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