Colorado Rockies

BY DAVID MARTIN

Can it get any worse than this? How bad can this team really be?

A day after playing one of the worst games in franchise history in a 9-7 loss at Coors Field, the bumbling Colorado Rockies were shut out by veteran and former teammate, Kevin Millwood on Friday night.

The pitching got blamed on Thursday, but it wasn’t their fault on Friday as Alex White went seven innings and gave up two earned runs. He struck out seven and walked none. It was the type of outing that gets a starting pitcher a win the vast majority of the time at Coors Field. This, however, was not one of those times.

When the pitching is good, the offense doesn’t show up. When the offense is good, the pitchers can’t buy an out.

It’s tough. It has been going so bad, for so long that it is tough to continuously be negative about this team. At some point, there needs to be something positive to say. The only bright spot in the past three weeks has been the emergence of Christian Friedrich, the Rockies starter on Saturday.

This team’s under performance is remarkable. Some people would like to believe that they are not a talented team. That just isn’t true. This team has proven players. They have veterans who know how to win and young players that have a ton of talent.

The rotation has struggled, but really, are they as bad as their numbers? There are plenty of teams that would be thrilled to have a combination similar to Juan Nicasio, Jhoulys Chacin and Drew Pomeranz. Add in other young pitchers like Alex White and Friedrich and the rotation might not be great, but to suggest that they are anything less than average is a mistake. This rotation is good enough to compete.

Even if the Rockies rotation is simply average their lineup is better than average. They should be able to score more runs than their opponent more often than not.

Before the season began, I felt the heat from the disgruntled Rockies fans when I said that they were better than they were being given credit for. I bought into the clubhouse turnover. I thought that guys like Ian Stewart and Chris Iannetta weren’t interested in winning and that they were bringing the club down. I thought that bringing in a gamer like Michael Cuddyer, even if they overpaid for him, would be a positive influence.

Couple those moves with the fact that the team grossly underperformed a year ago, and the signs pointed to a team that could really surprise some people. Playing in the National League West, with no real dominant teams, the Rockies had a chance. It all made sense.

The detractors suggested that the team didn’t do anything good, they just got older. They became more veteran, but those players would wear down quicker. They also were quick to point out that the real issue was pitching, and bringing in Jeremy Guthrie as the sole move would not work.

Still, buying in to Dan O’Dowd’s past success of finding diamonds in the rough like Jason Marquis and trading Matt Holliday and getting Carlos Gonzalez and Huston Street, I felt that the moves might just pay off. I was positive. I picked the team to win 84 games. That is an improvement of 11 games from 2011. That is being very positive.

However, before Memorial Day arrives, the Rockies have removed all doubt that the bold spring training prediction was one that made fools of the people who believed in the franchise. It wasn’t easy to be positive, but the moves could be seen as winning moves.

Diving in and trying to figure out what is wrong is the next step. Well, if the clubhouse was an issue and guys didn’t care enough about winning, then why does this team play with the same lack of effort since the losing started? Is it Troy Tulowitzki’s fault for not leading well enough? Is Todd Helton too quiet? Are both of those guys failing in the batter’s box too often?

The issue might be beyond the talent on the field. Is Jim Tracy too nice? Is he afraid to bring the hammer down when someone needs to be put in their place? Is it his crazy lineup moves, and indefensible bullpen maneuvers that have doomed this team?

Does the weight of this team’s struggles fall on the shoulders of Bob Apodaca? After all, the biggest issue is that the starting pitchers have underperformed. Well, at what point is it coaching when none of the pitchers attack the strike zone? When nearly all of the pitchers are three to four mph down in their velocity, is the message from the pitching coach not resonating?

Is it an organizational issue? Are the Monforts too soft? Do they treat their employees too much like family that making tough decisions takes too long?

It’s tough to be positive. It’s easy to be negative. At some point is it just complaining? I’m not sure. It is incredibly difficult to lift something positive out of a team that is struggling so badly, yet is so unwilling to acknowledge that things must change in order to right the ship. It is frustrating to watch a franchise accept status quo and tell their paying fans that instead of making an effort to turn things around, they are juts going to blindly drive the car into the brick wall with the gas pedal to the metal.

Being positive will come back. It will return when the Rockies make difficult decisions. It will come back when the owners say that enough is enough and let everyone know that mediocrity isn’t going to cut it.

Some people think that changing a manager or a coach won’t do anything to turn the season around. They might be correct. However, what it will do is tell a fan base that the franchise isn’t content with losing, that they aren’t content with being a joke around the league and that they are willing to make tough decisions in an effort to become better.

That day needs to come soon. The fans are starting to become cynics. They have every right to be. This team stinks and nothing is being done about that.

If the owner’s don’t tell someone it is time to pack it in, the fans will pack it in themselves and quit paying attention. It’s time to make a move. It’s time to start handing out pink slips. Who gets the first one is not important, but it has to happen soon.

BY DAVID MARTIN

If the Colorado Rockies have any hope whatsoever, they have to have strong pitching performances from their starting rotation.

They got that from their oldest pitcher on Wednesday night at Coors Field. The Rockies emerged victorious against the Diamondbacks, winning in convincing fashion, 6-1. After a disappointing road trip that has left plenty of elbow room on the Rockies bandwagon, the team was in desperate need of a win to start the homestand.

“We played a very clean ballgame,” manager Jim Tracy said. “The pitching, defense and hitting all combined for a very good night.”

Jamie Moyer, pitching among the whispers of losing his spot in the rotation, answered the call for the Rockies. The 49-year-old gave the team 6 1/3 innings on the mound. He gave up six hits and only one run. He struck out five batters and walked two.

Moyer rocked the Diamondbacks to sleep with his 78 mph fastball, mixing in off-speed pitches that barely reached registered 70 mph on the gun. Moyer flew through the first five innings, but Rockies fans were holding their breath despite the dominance.

The lefty has looked good in nearly all of his starts in the early going. However, the third time through the batting order has been a struggle for him. It seems as if the opposing hitters are finally able to wait on his well-below-average fastball the third time they see it.

On Wednesday though, Moyer was able to buckle down, only giving up a run when pinch hitter Cody Ransom doubled to left field.

“It’s all about creating a tempo,” said Moyer. “It’s about creating early contact and not giving free passes. This team showed a little bit of character tonight. There is still room for improvement, but we are going to strive for excellence in everything that we do.”

Moyer didn’t just impact the game on the mound. He also became the oldest player to record an RBI. Ironically, he notched two of them on the same play, a dribbler that only made it about 75 feet.

With runners on second and third and two outs, Moyer tapped a pitch up the first-base line. Instead of jogging down the line, he ran as hard as possible. Paul Goldschmidt and pitcher Patrick Corbin both got caught in no-man’s land and Moyer avoided the tag.

On the play Dexter Fowler screamed all the way from second base to score the Rockies’ fifth run of the night. From that point on, the wind seemed to come out of Arizona’s sails.

“I was hustling from the beginning. I always hustle on the bases,” said Fowler. “He (Moyer) was hustling himself.”

It was the first time since before the Braves swept the Rockies at Coors Field that it felt like the Rockies played a complete game. Over that weekend the offense was on fire, but the pitching and defense let the team down. On the road trip, the starting pitchers started pulling their weight, but the offense was swallowed up by poor execution and the heavy air that resides in the California ballparks.

Make no mistake, the Rockies have dug a hole that is going to be difficult to get out of. However, the only way that they are going to be able to accomplish that is if they start winning games now. They must begin to play better baseball and climb back toward .500. Any further and they will be too far behind to make a run.

That starts with better play from top-to-bottom. They need consistent pitching, consistent hitting, and most importantly, they need consistent managing. Playing like they did on Wednesday night makes managing easy. When players pitch well and hit well, the manager doesn’t have to use too much tact to influence games. As Rockies fans have seen lately, the more they can keep their managers out of the game, the better off they are.

The Rockies go for the sweep in the two-game miniseries on Thursday afternoon at Coors Field. The game will be a good test to see if the team can string together a few wins and get some momentum going in the right direction.

BY DAVID MARTIN

A terrible road trip, one that has made nearly every believer jump off the bandwagon, ended with a bright spot on Tuesday night in San Francisco. The Colorado Rockies won 5-4, thanks to a 9th inning home run from Marco Scutaro, his first in a Rockies uniform.

The home run was an unexpected as it gets. The Giants had closer Santiago Casilla on the mound, who owns an ERA of 1.84 after the outing. The right-hander is filling in for the injured Brian Wilson, but has essentially made the injury a non-factor since taking over.

The home run came at the most opportune time for the struggling Rockies. There was no way to come back to Colorado without feeling like the trip was a disaster, but finishing it being swept twice by teams that are above them in the standings, and completing a road trip at 1-7 would have been a dagger to the team. 2-6 isn’t much better, but it ends the skid and gives the team something to build on.

Of course, the Giants didn’t go quietly. Rafael Betancourt gave up a single to Angel Pagan, then walked Brandon Crawford. With the tying run a base hit away, the Rockies closer was able to strike out pinch hitter Nate Schierholtz to end the game.

The Rockies won, and as few and far between as those have been, it seems like it is piling on to question managerial decisions. However, the further the Rockies go down the 2012 road, the more evident it becomes that Jim Tracy is inept.

The top half of the 6th inning ended with Jeremy Guthrie at the plate for the Rockies. On a ball in the dirt, Michael Cuddyer got too aggressive at second base and extended his lead too far. He was thrown out diving back into the base, leaving Guthrie’s spot to lead off the 7th for the Rockies.

In the bottom of the 6th inning, Guthrie was clinging to the team’s 3-1 lead. He started the inning by walking Posey, the fourth walk he had issued. Pagan then singled. After Guthrie got Charlie Culberson to hit an infield pop-out, and his day was done. Tracy decided to go to Josh Outman for the final two outs.

Here is where the questions began. With the pitcher’s spot due up first in the 7th, it would make sense for Tracy to double-switch. The most obvious choice would be to remove Jordan Pacheco, a weak hitting third baseman, in favor of Chris Nelson, allowing Nelson to lead off and Outman to be due up eighth in the inning.

However, no double-switch was made, so it seemed that Outman’s job was to get two outs and hit the showers. He did his job, getting two quick outs very efficiently. Then came the head-scratching.

Outman, a relief pitcher with eight career at-bats, strolled to the plate with the Rockies only possessing nine more offensive outs to work with in a place where everyone knows the Giants never quit. Outman actually took a good at-bat against Lincecum, seeing six pitches before striking out. With one out, the Rockies ended up striking for another run, padding their lead.

As Outman went back to the mound in the bottom half of the inning, the results were predictable. While recording only one out, Outman gave up three runs, allowing the Giants to tie the game and swinging the momentum greatly in their favor.

Essentially, for the second time on the road trip, Tracy had sacrificed a crucial offensive out in order to stretch a pitcher another inning, when conventional wisdom would suggest that the offensive out was more important than finger-crossing and hoping for a few more outs from the pitcher.

The decision was a tough one. Clearly Tracy wanted to avoid using the rubber-armed Matt Belisle who has struggled in his recent outings. However, Belisle had to come into the game anyway, and instead of it coming with a clean slate, he was forced to deal with the mess that was left by Outman, something that makes the outing that much more stressful.

It seems as if Tracy is conflicted. On one hand, he desperately wants to win each game. On the other hand, he cannot be irresponsible with his bullpen, especially with the load they have had to carry in the early going. The only problem is that Tracy’s moves haven’t taken the load away from them. In fact, his moves have made the load that much heavier.

If Tracy really wanted to save the bullpen, he should have stayed with Guthrie, hoping that he could get through the sixth inning, then pinch-hitting for him and going with Outman to start the 7th inning. If he didn’t feel that Guthrie had any gas left in the tank, he should have gone with Outman, but moved Nelson into the pitcher’s spot and at least given the team a better chance at scoring more than the two runs that they scored after Outman’s strikeout to lead off the 7th.

Managing 162 baseball games is hard. It is far easier to manage from afar and not understand the logic. Sitting in the dugout is a difficult job. However, certain scenarios, the same scenarios that have been fatal so many times in the past, continue to burn the Rockies.

In both stops before becoming the manager in Colorado, Tracy garnered a reputation of being stubborn. Clearly that description describes him perfectly. Sometimes that can be a good thing. In this case, it has hampered the Rockies, costing them games.

As bad as the in-game decisions were, the Rockies still picked up a win. They showed fight, something that hasn’t been seen since they left Denver. They won a game that they normally lose in a park in which they struggle. So as much criticism as Tracy deserves, his club still got the win, and when a team is struggling like the Rockies have been, that is all that matters.

The Rockies head home for a season-defining home stand. They must find a way to dominate at home against the Diamondbacks and Mariners before heading back on the road. If they cannot get closer to .500 during the five-game stretch, they may be buried.

BY DAVID MARTIN

Writing about the Colorado Rockies can be tough. When they head to the west coast, the games start late and end late. However, writing about this team is simple, especially on the west coast.

To find the words to say is easy. All it takes is looking at the previous years Rockies schedule, spotting when they were in San Francisco, copying the article, changing a few names, and then hitting “publish.”

The script doesn’t change. The Rockies offense is nowhere to be found. They may scratch out a run early, but the feeling the whole game is that the Giants or the Dodgers, insert whichever team is required, will find a way to take the lead late. The Rockies might get a few base runners late in the game, but the feeling is that the big hit might fall, or the guy at the plate will fail to hit the ball in the air to score the runner from third base.

On Monday night the victim was Christian Friedrich, who is quickly showing that not only does he belong in the big leagues, but that he might be the most dependable pitcher the Rockies currently have in their rotation.

The lefty went seven strong innings. He gave up just one run on six hits. He pounded the strike zone, striking out 10 Giants while walking only one. His curveball was reminiscent of Barry Zito. Not the Zito who has pitched for the Giants, but the Zito who won the Cy Young award in 2002.

Friedrich pitches with confidence. He looks focused and isn’t afraid to throw strikes. Pounding the strike zone paid off for him. Most games at the big league level when a pitcher goes seven innings and gives up one run, he picks up an easy win. Not in San Francisco. Not with the Rockies struggles on the road.

Despite scoring only two runs, fingers have to be pointed at two players in particular. In the 8th inning, Michael Cuddyer had the bases loaded with two outs. Sergio Romo headed into the game from the bullpen with one job, get Cuddyer out. Romo is well known as a guy who pounds the slider. Very rarely does he throw the fastball, especially against a righty. The first pitch came in and Cuddyer was fooled. He guessed fastball and got the slider. The look on his face suggested that he was surprised, and he was clearly outmatched in the at-bat. He fouled a pitch off before striking out to end the threat.

In the 9th inning the Rockies were given a break. On a routine ground ball to third base Giants infielder Joaquin Arias let the ball go right through his leg, scoring one run and allowing pinch runner Alex White to get to third base with one out.

Dexter Fowler stepped to the plate with one job. Hit the ball in the air. A good at-bat would tie the game. A great at-bat that resulted in a hit would give the Rockies the lead. Instead, Fowler did what he does 27 percent of the time he steps to the plate. He struck out. On an 0-2 count, Fowler took a very long swing and whiffed. Instead of trying to simply make contact, Fowler looked like he was trying to plant the ball into McCovey Cove.

The offensive performance wasn’t a surprise. It is tough to score runs at AT&T Park. However, when opportunities to score runs comes about, teams must find a way to capitalize. Over the years, the Rockies have made a habit of blowing good chances in San Francisco.

It was an unfortunate no-decision for Friedrich. In just two games in the big leagues, his poise has been remarkable. Even in a tight game, he was unflappable. His focus was better than what the Rockies have seen from several of their veteran pitchers. He worked with traffic on a couple of occasions and didn’t let it get to him.

If there is a bright spot, it is Friedrich. However, that bright spot almost makes things worse, knowing that the club had a chance to win and simply didn’t get it done. They had chances late and failed to even put the ball into play. Simply put, that is bad baseball. The Rockies have made a habit of bad baseball over the past two weeks.

BY DAVID MARTIN

Does this look familiar to anyone else?

After a decent start, finishing April close to .500, the Colorado Rockies suddenly forgot how to play baseball.

This team was never expected to be phenomenal. No one was predicting them to walk away with the National League West. No one was expecting them to come out and win 100 games. However, with a lineup that is arguably one of the most powerful in the National League, the Rockies were thought of as a team that might just be able to compete.

The club came out pretty well. They weren’t great, but they weren’t bad in April. Despite a poor starting rotation, the club was showing fight and coming from behind to win baseball games. It was easy to be optimistic.

That optimism is long gone. As the Rockies hit the airport to head to their third and final destination in a disastrous road trip, most fans had jumped off the bandwagon. The way the club was playing, it seems like many of the players have jumped off the bandwagon as well.

On Sunday it looked as if the Rockies might not roll over for the Dodgers. Facing Ted Lilly, a pitcher who consistently dominates them, they quickly scored three runs in the first inning. The club came out being aggressively patient. The first four batters knocked singles against Lilly.

The good feelings for the Rockies ended with a thud. In the 5th inning, the Dodgers loaded the bases on Alex White. With Bobby Abreu at the plate, replacing Matt Kemp, who left with a hamstring injury, he lined a 2-0 fastball into the left-center gap, scoring three runs.

With the lead coughed up, the Rockies made it far worse. Before it was all said and done, the Rockies had given up six runs in the inning, and any hope of the club avoiding the sweep was long gone.

It was one of those days for the Rockies. Face it, the Dodgers are tough to beat at home. It’s not a Rockies thing, it’s an every team thing. With the win, Los Angeles improves to 15-3 at home, the best record in baseball. Couple the fact that the Dodgers win at home with the fact that the Rockies struggle on the road and it is a recipe for disaster for any fans who wear purple.

The problem for the Rockies is that the fight seems to be gone. Early in the year when things went wrong there was a strong feeling that they would fight their way back into the game. Lately, however, the feeling has been quite the opposite. In fact, the feeling has a very similar feeling to the 2011 season in which the team rarely fought back.

In 2011, word came out after the season that there was a finger pointing going on in the clubhouse. The feeling was that players were playing for themselves and not interested in helping the team win. When they lost, it wasn’t a big deal to several players who were accused of not having the passion required to be a successful Major Leaguer.

Well, those guys were shipped out. Those guys were supposed to be long gone. So what is the issue? If the guys who played for themselves were sent packing, how could a whole new group of players suddenly find a way to continue a clubhouse mindset that sabotaged the team a season before?

The answer might not be an easy one. The answer might be that the team is starting to point fingers again. It wouldn’t be too hard to imagine that a team that had starter pitchers struggling for a month and an offense that was hitting like crazy to collapse on itself.

It would be hard to blame the Rockies offense if they were frustrated with the pitchers. It would be easy for the pitchers to get frustrated with the batters for not producing on the road and falling flat when they do have a good outing.

When fingers start to point, attitudes start to form. Players start to not root for each other and they start to play for themselves. Instead of looking for how they can help the team, they start to look at how they can help their own numbers. When players start to play for their own numbers, a losing streak turns into a losing mentality.

The Rockies season isn’t over. It is still May. However, the mindset needs to change soon. They simply cannot afford to continue to play poor baseball if they want to stay in the race. They have to pitch better, they have to hit better, and they have to manage better. Every aspect of the game needs to improve if they want to have any chance at having a good season.

BY DAVID MARTIN

The other game going on in Los Angeles featured the Colorado Rockies and the hometown Dodgers. The focus should have been squarely on the basketball game.

On Saturday night, the Rockies offense couldn’t support Juan Nicasio, blowing the best start of his young, courageous career. The offense allowed journeyman Aaron Harang to look like an ace, scoring just one run against him in eight innings. In the end, the Rockies lost 2-1.

As discouraging as this west coast trip has been for the Rockies, losing both three game series so far, Nicasio’s outing has to be a huge encouragement. He went seven strong innings, giving up one run on five hits. The most impressive part of the outing was in the final line of the stat. The young right-hander struck out a Rockies season-high nine while walking none.

All night long Nicasio was pounding the strike zone. He worked the corners very well, hitting his spots. He pitched with no intimidation. He showed no fear in going after Matt Kemp and the rest of the Dodgers lineup that has been very tough for the Rockies to get out in previous seasons.

As bad as the Rockies starting pitchers were during the homestand, suddenly they have emerged as a bright spot on the road trip. Despite a rough outing by Jamie Moyer on Friday, the prospects that the Rockies called up in Alex White and Christian Friedrich impressed in their outings. Then Nicasio took care of his business on Saturday.

As it seems to happen in baseball, the pitchers got better when the batters cooled off.

There is a reason for that, however. It often seems that in Colorado, Troy Tulowitzki can do no wrong. Despite his struggles, he gets a pass from fans. Part of that is deserved, as he has been the best player in a Rockies uniform since Todd Helton. However, if Tulowitzki wants to be a superstar, there are areas in which he needs to improve upon.

In the 3rd inning the Rockies had their chance. Jonathan Herrera looped a double down the left field line, putting Marco Scutaro on third base. With Carlos Gonzalez at the plate, the Dodgers elected to pass and fact Tulowitzki with the bases loaded.

The way the Rockies have played on the road, especially in Los Angeles, Tulo should have known the situation. This might be the only chance that the club had to score runs. As the cleanup hitter, the shortstop had his chance to do some damage.

A good hitter knows that the pressure is on the pitcher in that situation. Of course, that means that the pitcher is going to be trying to throw strikes because he doesn’t want to be in a hitter’s count. However, that is easier said than done. A pitcher has to be perfect, not laying one over the plate, but still keeping the ball low in the zone.

Tulowitzki, instead of working the count, fired at the first pitch, fouling it off. The second pitch came in and the shortstop hit the ball hard, but well within center fielder Matt Kemp’s range, ending the threat while only seeing two pitches.

It seems like Tulowitzki is in such a hurry to make sure he gets the job done that he doesn’t relax. He looks like he is so afraid that he is going to miss the one pitch that he has to drive that he is intent on swinging at everything and creating something out of nothing. He struck the ball hard in the third inning, but the pitch was slightly inside and wasn’t a pitch that he could drive.

It is impossible to know exactly what is going through Tulowitzki’s head. However, one thing is certain is that the shortstop isn’t taking a good approach at the plate. He is constantly trying to do too much.

Speculation might suggest that Tulo is putting too much pressure on himself. He desires to be the hero so desperately that he isn’t willing to wait for the right pitch to drive. He is forcing the situation. Instead of knowing that even if he gets two strikes, he can foul off bad pitches until the pitcher eventually is forced to give in.

Whatever the reason is, Tulowitzki does not pose the threat to the opposition that he should in tough situations. At this point, he almost seems like a break in the lineup. No pitcher wants to face Gonzalez, and they don’t want to face Todd Helton, so the easy pick is the guy right in the middle of those two.

If Tulowitzki wants to be the best player that he can be, which, by all indications, he does, then he must begin to take quality at-bats. He doesn’t have to take the first strike all the time, but he has to be patient enough to get his pitch. He must be patient enough to trust his teammates that if he doesn’t get it done, someone else will.

Until that happens, the likelihood of the the Rockies figuring out their west coast issues seems small.

BY DAVID MARTIN

Same story, different year. If you’ve seen one Colorado Rockies game at Dodger Stadium over the years, you’ve seen them all.

The script usually remains the same. The Dodgers score a run or two early, while the Rockies get a few hits in the early going. It seems like the Rockies are right in it, like they might actually have a chance if they can just scratch a few runs out.

The Rockies bats usually go cold, but there is nothing to worry about because the Dodgers only have a run or two and really haven’t threatened too much.

Then it happens. Suddenly the Dodgers get a couple of guys on base and then the unlikeliest of hitters comes through with a bloop double or a ball that finds a hole right in the perfect spot for a couple of guys to come around and score.

Suddenly a game that was within reach is now 5-0 and it is the 7th inning. At Dodger Stadium, with the Rockies history in that park, may as well be a 15-0 score.

The results year-in and year-out are almost maddening. It doesn’t seem to make sense that a franchise, with as many different faces as have come and gone, seem to carry the same baggage into the West Coast swing that happens three different times per season.

Sure, Dodger Stadium and AT&T Park are tough places to hit, but there is no reason why the home team finds ways to push runs across and the Rockies offense is nowhere to be found. On top of that, talent-wise, the Rockies have had the better lineup the vast majority of the years.

The results make no sense. However, one thing that does seem to be a constant is that Rockies pitching does not get the job done. The common reasoning why the offense doesn’t get the job done is because those West Coast cities are so tough to hit in. The only problem is that the home team usually finds a way to score a few runs.

Speaking of common stories, starting pitcher Jamie Moyer rewrote the same script that seems to be plaguing him since picking up his record win.

As nice of a story as Moyer is, and it is an incredible story of perseverance, the reality is, the 49-year-old must find a way to be effective for more than four innings. The issue is that his slow speed throws batters off for the first couple of times they see him. Then, suddenly the batter has figured out how to wait on the 79-mph heater. If the batter isn’t off balance, that slow of a pitch suddenly becomes like batting practice. They keep their weight back and drive the ball. This has been the case in Moyer’s three previous starts.

The Rockies, with the emergence of Alex White and Christian Friedrich, and with Jeremy Guthrie’s scheduled return, have enough depth at the Major League level that they might need to make a tough decision when it comes to Moyer. The story is great, but the reality is, this level of baseball isn’t about great stories, it is about winning. If Moyer can’t give his team a chance to win, it may make more sense to see what the young kids can do.

The Rockies suddenly find themselves in a position similar to what they were in at this point in 2011. At this point, when the team seems like it isn’t going to have much of a chance to compete, it is easy for players to start thinking about their own numbers. Instead of moving runners over and doing the little things that help a team win, it will become easy for players to start thinking about contracts and hitting home runs to earn bigger amounts. If that starts to happen, the season will go from bad to worse in a hurry.

The Rockies try to figure out Dodger Stadium again on Saturday night, with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m.

BY DAVID MARTIN

With the season hanging in the balance, the Colorado Rockies were forced to lean on a player who had never had his name on a Major League lineup card.

With as much pressure as can come in a early May start, Friedrich’s debut went off without a hitch.

The former first-round draft pick, who as late as last season was labeled a bust, pitched six strong innings, giving up just two runs, only one of which was earned. In those six frames he gave up five hits. The most important stat, however, was the strikeout to walk ratio. The lefty struck out a Rockies-season high seven batters, and walked only one.

The simple fact is that the Rockies have been struggling. A problem that could be brushed off as early season struggles was suddenly thrust into the spotlight when the starting pitchers blew leads of five runs and six runs on consecutive nights.

That, coupled with their expected ace, Jhoulys Chacin only missing out on a trip back to the minors because of an inflamed shoulder, suddenly showed just how serious the pitching issues are for this team.

On the verge of being swept for the second straight series, the Rockies got more than they could have hoped from their rookie. Mixing a 93 mph fastball with a big bending curveball, Friedrich didn’t seemed fazed by the extra set of seats that come with pitching in a Major League stadium.

The start, combined with the Rockies bats breaking out of their mini-slump, helped the Rockies avoid the sweep and, for the time being, kept them from being too far buried in the National League West.

It may be early, but this team, at their age in the field and youth on the mound, cannot be expected to be able to put together a run and claw their way back from a seven- or eight-game deficit. If they want to contend, they must stay in the race all season long.

More important than staying in the race in May is staying mentally focused.

The offense has come out in the early going of the season and proven that they are one of the top teams in the National League. Top-to-bottom, this team is going to hit. Of course, there are going to be some bumps along the way, but for the most part, the offense is going to score runs.

With an offense that scores runs, even mediocre pitchers should be able to at least sustain the team. They should lose a few games here and there because they get blown out of the water, but for the most part, if the starting pitchers can keep their ERAs in the 4.00 neighborhood, the club should win its fair share of games.

The Rockies’ plan in the offseason seemed to be just that. Build an offense that is exciting, while working with a pitching staff that is filling the gap until the next round of prospects is ready to make their splash. The plan would have worked, but it was difficult to foresee the struggles of Chacin and the injury to Jeremy Guthrie.

What that means is that the future had to arrive quicker. Instead of giving Friedrich and Alex White, Tuesday night’s starter, at least half of a season in Triple-A, they were both thrust into duty.

In their first starts, both pitchers have shown that they might just be the better option than the guys who started the season with the big club. Of course it is far too early to tell how things will play out, but both starters were impressive.

Both pitchers going at least six innings was impressive enough, but the fact that they were able to keep the Padres’ run total down was the most relieving part. A strong performance by the starting pitcher for the Rockies seems so foreign at this point that two in a row is like a kid getting out of school for summer.

As hard as it is to suggest that a game in May is as important as this game felt for the Rockies, there is reason. This team traditionally struggles on West Coast trips. This eight-game road trip through San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco has the potential to set the tone for the season. The way the team has been playing a 2-6 or 1-7 trip would not be surprising. That might be the confidence buster that could take a team that felt like they could compete and turn them into a club that has no chance.

The performance of both White and Friedrich were huge boosts for this team. If they want to compete, it has become clear that they will need these two pitchers to rescue the sinking ship that is the Rockies pitching rotation.

BY DAVID MARTIN

It has become an extremely common occurrence.

In the top of the 7th inning, in a 2-1 game, Jim Tracy elected to allow pitcher Alex White to lead off the frame. White was pitching well in his 2012 debut. He had given Tracy six strong innings and kept his team in the ballgame. However, he was as much of a guaranteed out as it gets in Major League Baseball.

The offense had just nine outs to work with, and an offense that has sputtered on the road, and had scored just two runs in the previous 18 innings. On a humid night at Petco Park where the air gets extremely heavy at night, runs come at a premium.

Of course, White struck out for the first out of the inning.

So what’s the big deal? It was the first out of the inning and it was only the 7th inning anyway. Of course, saying that the Rockies bullpen has been overused is as big of an understatement as can be made. So it makes some sense to try to extend the starter for another inning.

The problem starts there, however. White was making his first big league start of the year. He had already given the club and the bullpen a huge lift by pitching through six innings. To this bullpen, it probably felt like he had pitched 16 straight innings. However, he was understandably tiring on the mound.

So what happened? White went back out to the mound and walked the first hitter, got an out, then gave up a single to put runners on first and third with one out. Tracy went and got White, choosing Matt Reynolds to face lefty Wil Venable. Reynolds got the strikeout. Tracy went back to the mound to get a right-on-right matchup with Cameron Maybin facing Esmil Rogers.

Rogers ended up getting the strikeout, putting the Rockies back in the dugout.

It may have seemed like great maneuvering by Tracy. He had pieced together three pitchers to get out of a runner-on-third-one-out-jam.

Look deeper. Now of course, there is no guarantee that a pinch hitter gets on base, in fact, the results may have been exactly the same. However, what if Dexter Fowler or Chris Nelson came in and got a base hit. The Rockies would have the tying run on with no outs and a plethora of possibilities to score the tying run.

Of course, the run never scored, the pinch-hitter never happened. So who knows what would have happened.

The Rockies then headed back to the field for the bottom of the 8th inning. Who was on the mound for the Rockies? Rogers. After getting a huge strikeout to end the previous inning, Tracy opted to go back to Rogers for the 8th. The frustration with Rogers is that he isn’t inconsistent from outing-to-outing, he is inconsistent from hitter-to-hitter.

Rogers immediately walked Yonder Alonso. After getting an out, Rogers then predictably gave up a triple to Orlando Hudson. Alonso nearly was thrown out, but Marco Scutaro fumbled the relay throw and there was no play at the plate.

Tracy had to go back to the mound and get newcomer (and after Tuesday’s game, newly departed) Adam Ottavino.

So, for review, Jim Tracy gave away one of the remaining nine offensive outs in a one-run game in order to allow Alex White to pitch another inning and save the tired bullpen. In that inning, White got one out while allowing two base runners. To get the additional two outs, Tracy had to use two relief pitchers, both of whom have been overworked.

Instead of trying to keep the club within one, Tracy chose to go back to Rogers in the bottom of the 8th. He predictably gave up another run, effectively putting the Rockies out of it.

Tracy has to decide what he wants to be. Does he want to be a guy who saves the tired bullpen? If so, he needs to forget about winning the game and give the bullpen much needed rest.

Or, does Tracy want to be a manager who wants to win the game in front of the team that day? Of course no manager can run pitchers out there over and over. That is simply irresponsible. However, the way Tracy managed on Tuesday night, he picked neither of those options and ended up with what he wished for. Not only did the team not win, but he wasn’t able to save a tired bullpen, even when his starter gave him 6-1/3 beautiful innings.

Despite the ineptitude in the Rockies dugout, one thing must be mentioned. The Rockies got an excellent start from White. If there was one thing good that came from the game on Tuesday it was that the Rockies might have a few answers down on the farm. White looked great. He pounded the strike zone and did more than anyone could have expected. He certainly looked better than he did in September of 2011. That is a very positive development for the Rockies.

BY DAVID MARTIN

The Colorado Rockies are a hard team to predict. They have the offensive firepower to win a bunch of games. They have a solid bullpen. Unfortunately, their starting pitchers leave much to be desired.

On Monday night in San Diego, the Rockies lost to the Padres 3-2.

After scoring eight runs on Friday night and nine runs on Saturday, the offense has been nearly nonexistent the past two days, scoring two runs in each contest. Half of the offense came from the bat of rookie pitcher Drew Pomeranz, who hit is first career home run to left field in the top of the 3rd inning.

As exciting as hitting a home run may have been for Pomeranz, his night on the mound wasn’t as much fun. In the previous half inning before launching the home run, the lefty was hit by a line drive from Edinson Volquez on the leg. He pitched through it, but ended up coming out of the game due to the injury tightening up.

In the 6th inning, the Rockies had a chance. With runners at second and third base and one out, Padres manager Bud Black went to lefty specialist Joe Thatcher. He was able to get Todd Helton to strike out. Black went back to the bullpen to get Brad Brach to face Michael Cuddyer. The right-hander got Cuddyer looking, preserving the lead.

Early in the game, Volquez was all over the place. At one point, he threw 10 straight balls. That generally means a big night for an offensive team, especially one with the talent of the Rockies.

Unfortunately, the at-bats from the club started to look more like 2011 then early in the 2012 season. Carlos Gonzalez swung at a 3-1 pitch with runners on and bounced out to second base. Wilin Rosario swung at two pitches out of the zone. Cuddyer hacked at a pitch at his eyes.

Early in the season, when a pitcher was on the ropes, the Rockies offense did a good job of putting the pressure on and forcing the pitcher to either throw strikes or walk them. That approach was nowhere to be found on Monday night.

The base running didn’t help either, as the Rockies helped Volquez out of an inning when he was struggling to throw strikes. Both Cuddyer and Rosario made base running errors, first when Cuddyer stole second, but over-slid the bag and was tagged out. Next came when Rosario saw a pitch in the dirt and took off, only to be gunned down by 10 feet.

When the pitching has been as bad as it has been, it would make sense that an offense starts to press. Instead of taking good at-bats, they start to feel like they have to score eight or nine runs per game, which means that they have to swing the bat, even when the opposing pitchers are struggling. Obviously that isn’t necessarily true, but it is easy for an offense to feel that way when their pitchers are giving up so many runs.

As the Rockies start looking more like the team the critics accused them of being, there is still reason for excitement. The club announced that on Tuesday Alex White will start on the mound, and on Wednesday afternoon, former first-round draft pick Christian Friedrich will make his Major League debut.

The reality is, it is time to see what these young pitchers can do. White wasn’t impressive in his debut in 2011, but much of that was due to recovering from injury. His sinker wasn’t sinking and he was giving up the long ball.

Friedrich has been a question mark for the past two seasons after looking like a great pick before that. He struggled in Double-A for two consecutive years, but dropped 30 pounds in the offseason and looked great in spring training.

Whether or not these guys are ready or not isn’t important anymore. The way the Rockies have been playing, it is time to see what they can do. There is no reason to continue forward with what is not working. The starting rotation simply isn’t working.

Getting to see what the team has on the farm is always exciting. Friedrich might be making his debut about a season after the club originally anticipated, but seeing what he can do and if he can step up and solidify a rotation spot will be interesting.

The reality is, with the rotation struggling the way it has been, both White and Friedrich have an opportunity to not just make a start or two, but prove that they belong in the rotation. They may not have a better chance in their careers to make an impact and prove that they are ready.