80 pitches thrown by Chacin
Apr 25th
On Thursday night, Jhoulys Chacin took another step toward rejoining the Colorado Rockies.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound righty threw 80 pitches in 4 2/3 innings in a rehab start for the Triple-A Colorado Springs Sky Sox against the Iowa Cubs, allowing five hits and four runs (two earned) while striking out four and walking one. Chacin, who began the season on the 15-day disabled list with a strained throwing shoulder, threw 52 strikes and hit 91 mph on the radar gun with his fastball.
The 26-year-old said his shoulder felt strong, and he was happy with the location of his offspeed pitches.
Chacin spent most of his start focusing on locating his array of pitches.
Chacin said his shoulder strain likely occurred because he was not delivering the ball “the right way” or with the correct arm angle while ramping up his offseason throwing regimen heading into the season. He could rejoin the Rockies as early as next week, and he said he would be ready if called upon even though he has pitched just 12 innings in his three rehab starts this month.
Chacin needed just 22 pitches to retire the first six batters he faced, but ran into trouble in the third. After giving up a hit to Logan Watkins, Chacin walked Eli Whiteside after a nine-pitch at-bat and gave up his first run when Chris Coghlan doubled Watkins home from second.
He followed a 26-pitch third inning by throwing 21 in the fourth, when he surrendered two unearned runs after giving up a double to Whiteside. Chacin got the first two outs of the fifth before being lifted for Pedro Hernandez with a runner on second base and the Sky Sox trailing, 3-0.
Source: MLB
Lyles Dominates Phils
Apr 24th
Whatever disappointment the Rockies had from blowing an early four-run lead and losing to the Giants, 12-10, in 11 innings Wednesday was tempered by the big picture.
Manager Walt Weiss wants to dominate at home and at least hold their own on the road, especially within the National League West. The Rockies are 8-4 at Coors Field. Their first road trip within the division (San Francisco and San Diego) yielded a 3-4 record, with three of the losses by one run and one by two.
That brings the Rockies to Friday’s opener of three against the Dodgers and six within the NL West. Righty Jordan Lyles (3-0, 3.04 ERA) will start the opener against Dodgers righty Josh Beckett (0-0, 2.57).
“We won another series, that’s the way we’ve got to look at it,” Weiss said after Wednesday’s game. “We are a team with confidence. The energy in the dugout is good, even when we’re down. Even being down four in that last [11th] inning with [Giants closer Sergio] Romo in the game, there was still a lot of energy, guys feeling like we could put something together and win a game.”
Lyles lost his only career start at Dodger Stadium, as a rookie on Aug. 14, 2011 — a 7-0 decision during which he gave up seven earned runs on seven hits, including three home runs, in 5 1/3 innings.
This season, his first with the Rockies, Lyles has won three straight to match his career high, May 22-June 18 last year.
Source: MLB
LaTroy Hawkins Closer for Rockies
Apr 23rd
It’s up to Hawkins, at the age of 41, to draw on the experience of a big league career that is in its 20th season and reach out to help Brothers deal with moments like his struggles in back-to-back games starting last Sunday.
In the first of those back-to-back outings, Brothers came on in the bottom of the 10th at San Francisco, and Brandon Crawford greeted him with a walk-off home run.
The next night, in San Diego, Brothers came on in the eighth inning with a 4-3 lead. After walking the first two batters he faced, the lefty issued a two-out walk to load the bases, then saw the Padres score the tying run on a wild pitch and what would be the winning run on an ensuing errant throw back to the plate by catcher Wilin Rosario.
And that, as much as anything, is what Hawkins is trying to help Brothers understand.
“There are things other than what is on the field,” Hawkins said.
It’s about the mental challenges, more than the physical. It’s about helping Brothers learn to forget yesterday and focus on today.
It’s about watching Brothers respond to those back-to-back disappointments by working a 1-2-3 seventh inning — in which he struck out two Padres batters — in last Thursday’s 3-1 win, which closed a road trip.
And it’s about Brothers responding to the challenge by setting up for Hawkins on Tuesday.
Source: MLB
