Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Rock Solid Recrap: Bad Losses Piling Up

If the Rockies were an NCAA basketball team trying to get in the Big Dance, they would be firmly planted on the outside. They wouldn't even be on the bubble. Not when the number of terrible losses outnumber the quality wins by so much.

File tonight under the terrible loss column.

The team is going to play better as the seaon moves along. I truly believe the offense will improve and those badly needed clutch hits will start coming. I'm hopeful the pitching can continue being awesome.

The problem: You can't take back these losses to teams you have to beat. Once you lose to them it's on your record... and they're still going to be on your record when August and September come around.

Another problem: The three teams you're chasing -- San Diego, San Francisco and Los Angeles -- are all winning the games they should win. Help isn't coming from the outside. That means the Rockies have to start helping themselves more, and there's more pressure on them to win the majority of their games against those three teams.

Lineup Card: Rockies vs. Astros 6-8-10

Strasburg Free Baseball tonight in Denver!

Thanks to fantastic pitching performances from Ubaldo Jimenez and Jason Hammel, the Rockies have a chance to reverse the three-game losing streak suffered last week.  In order for that to happen though, they'll need Jeff Francis to be better than he has been his last two outings.

Here's how they're lining up back behind Jeff.

Rockies Lineup (30-27)

  • CF Gonzalez
  • LF Smith
  • SS Tulowitzki
  • RF Hawpe
  • C   Olivo
  • 1B Helton
  • 3B Mora
  • 2B Barmes
  • P   Francis
Two starts in a row for Mora.  The Rockies are saying there's a minor ankle issue with Ian Stewart.  Probably for the best right now anyway.  Mora is playing well, Stewart needed some time to clear his head.  

Astros Lineup (22-36)
  • 2B Keppinger
  • SS Manzella
  • 1B Berkman
  • LF Lee
  • RF Pence
  • 3B Feliz
  • CF Michaels
  • C   Cash
  • P   Moehler