Colorado Rockies
Denver Lyles vs Kendrick at Coors
Apr 19th
On Saturday, Lyles faces Phillies right-hander Kyle Kendrick in the second game of a three-game series at Coors Field.
Lyles sailed through the first four innings but gave up three runs and three extra-base hits in his fifth and final inning against the Padres. Although he left with a lead, the Rockies eventually lost, 5-4.
But while he was in, he forced eight groundball outs, forced two double plays and generally let the Rockies’ stellar defense do its work. Lyles (2-0, 4.32 ERA) has been solid in three starts because he has forced 29 groundball outs in 16 2/3 innings.
Source: MLB
Pitcher De La Rosas Duel
Apr 17th
Wednesday night wasn’t Rockies Jorge De La Rosa’s dream. But it wasn’t a nightmare, or at least it wasn’t a nightmare of his doing. Sometimes you take what you can get.
After three short and horrid starts, De La Rosa went six innings and was hurt more by misfortune than missed pitches in a 4-2 loss to the Padres at Petco Park in front of 17,428.
De La Rosa (0-3) had one poorly located pitch early — Tommy Medica’s leadoff home run in the second — but otherwise made a good percentage of his pitches while giving up three runs (two earned) on seven hits (two damaging infield hits in the fifth), with four strikeouts and a walk.
“I feel good, but we still lost the game,” De La Rosa said. “No matter how I did, it’s my fault when a mistake is made and we lose the game.”
Source: MLB
Cashner to face Rockies
Apr 16th
Andrew Cashner nearly made history in his last start. The recent past hasn’t been nearly as good for Rockies Jorge De La Rosa.
In Wednesday night’s third of four games between the clubs at Petco Park (they’ve split the first two), Cashner will make his first start since his one-hit shutout against the Tigers the last time out. It was the second time in five starts, dating back to last season, where Cashner has flirted with a no-hitter.
The Padres are the only Major League team without a no-hitter. Cashner is well aware of this fact. “Totally aware,” he said. Cashner struck out a career-high 11 batters and became the first pitcher in the Majors to throw a shutout when he blanked the Tigers, who, of course, are far from an offensive patsy. “It’s one of my goals,” Cashner said after the game. “I definitely want a no-hitter.” The Rockies have given Cashner fits since he joined the Padres in 2012. He’s 0-3 with a 5.40 ERA in seven games, including four starts. But with the roll he’s currently on — Cashner has a 1.29 ERA in 21 innings this season — anything can happen.
“He was incredible. He had the kind of stuff where something special could happen. You saw it right from the beginning,” said Padres third baseman Chase Headley. As for De La Rosa, he has a 9.69 ERA in three starts — each of which he has lasted just 4 1/3 innings. De La Rosa has 16 strikeouts in 13 innings pitched, but he has overthrown and run into troubles that have limited his effectiveness and his ability to last in ballgames. But as is the case with many pitchers, it’s nice that De La Rosa gets to take the mound at Petco Park. In seven games, including five starts, De La Rosa has gone 3-1 with a 2.56 ERA in San Diego, and held the Padres to a .195 batting average.
The only pitchers who have pitched 25 or more innings at Petco and have lower batting averages against: Felix Hernandez (.177), Ricky Nolasco (.178), Ubaldo Jimenez (.188) and Clayton Kershaw (.194). Rockies: Blackmon likely back in the lineup. With the Padres going to a right-hander, left-handed-hitting outfielder Charlie Blackmon can be inserted back into the lineup. Blackmon started against Padres lefty Eric Stults on Monday but sat against harder-throwing lefty Robbie Erlin on Tuesday. Blackmon, who went 0-for-1 with a walk as a pinch-hitter on Tuesday, has six multihit games in 10 starts and carries a .468 batting average into the contest. It turns out this is more than just a big start for Blackmon.
Source: Colorado Rockies