Colorado Rockies
Gonzalez Left Finger Contusion
May 2nd
Before hit his sixth home run of the season, a foul ball dealt him what was later diagnosed as a left index finger contusion.
Gonzalez was replaced with pinch-hitter Brandon Barnes in the fourth inning of the Rockies’ eventual 7-4 victory over the Mets, but neither he nor the Rockies believe the injury to be serious. The finger was still swollen by game’s end, but it had already improved.
Gonzalez suffered a ligament strain of his right middle finger last July, and it severely curtailed his playing time and effectiveness. Thursday’s injury, he said, was nothing like that.
The Rockies announced that his availability would be assessed day to day, but manager Walt Weiss doesn’t think the outfielder will be out of the lineup for long.
The home run, off Mets starter Bartolo Colon with two out in the first inning, was Gonzalez’s second in the last two games — after he had gone homerless since April 11. But the finger was already becoming a problem.
Gonzalez has been trying to climb out of a slump. He left the game with a .245 batting average.
Source: MLB.com
Rockies vs Mets
May 1st
The Rockies have a winning record at Coors Field this season, and they are trying to put their road woes in the rearview mirror.
The Rockies are 8-4 at home entering Thursday’s series opener against the Mets. They are 8-8 in their first 16 road games of the season. Last season, the Rockies finished 45-36 at home and 29-52 on the road.
So far, the strategy has worked, and it will be up to starter Juan Nicasio to add to Colorado’s win total when he takes the mound on Thursday. In his last outing, Nicasio struggled with his fastball and gave up eight hits, two home runs and five runs in 4 1/3 innings in a loss to the Dodgers. In his last two games, he’s worked just 9 1/3 innings and has a loss and a no-decision.
Because of Wednesday’s rainout in Philadelphia, the Mets will shift their rotation back one day, pushing right-hander Bartolo Colon, who was scheduled to start Wednesday’s game, to Thursday. Colon will be followed by Zack Wheeler, Jenrry Mejia and Dillon Gee in the four-game series.
More than half of Colon’s runs allowed came in one start, and that’s a big reason why his ERA sits at 4.50. He holds a 2.33 ERA with 23 strikeouts and one walk in his other four outings.
The Mets are 7-3 on the road this season.
Source: MLB
Stubbs Puts Rockies In Lead
Apr 30th
With all the heavy lumber the Rockies have unleashed in the last two days against the D-backs at Chase Field, Drew Stubbs was basically sitting on the bench as an afterthought — until the ninth inning on Tuesday night.
Stubbs smacked a go-ahead solo homer off D-backs closer Addison Reed to open the final inning and win the game, 5-4. He then ended it with a catch toward the 407-foot mark in dead center on a drive hit by Eric Chavez with the tying run on second and potential winner on first.
It was all in a brief night’s work. Asked which of the two feats he preferred, Stubbs said, “I’d say the home run. When you get to the point where you have to make a catch to end the game, that gets a little more nerve-racking. It was two contributions to an all-around team effort and a win, which is most important.”
Stubbs had plenty of help. Troy Tulowitzki continued his sizzling hot streak, picking up where he left off in Monday night’s 8-5 win. He reached base safely eight times in his nine plate appearances during the first two games of the three-game series that ends on Wednesday night.
In the past two games, Tulowitzki has had two homers, two doubles, a single, three walks, five RBIs and three runs scored. He gave the Rockies a short-lived 4-3 lead with his seventh homer of the season, a two-run blast in the sixth against rookie D-backs starter Mike Bolsinger.
A.J. Pollock answered with a homer of his own after Boone Logan struck out the first two batters of the eighth to tie the score, 4-4, setting the stage for Stubbs.
In addition, Nolan Arenado extended his Major League-leading hitting streak to 19 games and Justin Morneau kept pace with him by hitting safely in his 13th consecutive game. The pair combined to drive in two runs in the fourth when Morneau tripled home Tulowitzki and Arenado knocked Morneau in with a single.
Source: MLB