MEDIA CLIPS – August 14, 2017

Cancer fighter Bettis to make '17 debut tonight Freeland (left groin strain) to return from DL on Tuesday

By Thomas Harding and Patrick Pinak / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | 1:11 AM ET

MIAMI -- Rockies Chad Bettis won't feel alone on the mound tonight, when he faces the Braves at in his return to the Majors after fighting testicular cancer.

"Not a day goes by that I don't think about the many people who were positively affecting me the whole time," Bettis said

Sunday. "I know that I will be carrying it forward, more than just on a pitch-by-pitch basis. I couldn't be where I am without them.

Bettis, 28, was diagnosed and underwent surgery in November, and he also needed chemotherapy this spring, when doctors found that the cancer had moved into his lymph nodes. Bettis has made six Minor League appearances.

"To see a guy go through what he's had to go through, and to see him work his butt off, and to come from a guy that had chemotherapy and how that feels to where he is now," Rockies said. "What a great story for all of us, for Chad and his family, and a lot of people who are battling cancer."

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In his final Minor League appearance, Bettis held New Orleans to one and three hits in five innings while throwing 70 pitches. He was removed because of threatening rain, but threw 20 more pitches in the bullpen to reach his prescribed total of 90. Then he waited. 1

After all he had been through for nine months, Bettis didn't mind getting the word from Black on a delayed basis.

"Bud gave me a call a couple days ago and asked how I was feeling, my thoughts on my last outing," said Bettis, who was with his wife, Kristina, and 4 1/2-month-old daughter, Everleigh, when the phone rang. "Did I feel ready? I explained everything to him and told him that I felt ready to go. He said good, that they had some decisions to make and would give me a call tomorrow.

"I got the call yesterday and he said that he is very excited to see me take the ball. He said to get my rest and be ready to go. I felt like a kid the night before Christmas."

Rockies outfielder said Bettis never let the disease get him down whatsoever.

"Chad Bettis is a special person," Blackmon said. "He had an incredible attitude throughout the whole process. He's been a joy to be around during the whole process, which is the opposite of what you might think."

Added fellow pitcher Tyler Anderson, who has been Bettis' teammate since last year and is currently recovering from knee surgery: "He's handled everything he's faced this year with just a ton of grace and courage. He's handled himself really well. Bettis is a good friend of mine, so I'm really excited for him and can't wait to see him back and throwing again."

In two appearances (one start) at -A Hartford and four starts at Albuquerque, Bettis went 0-3 with a 4.24 ERA, 17 and seven walks in 23 1/3 innings. But the key was how he grew stronger with each start.

"There was a critical eye on him really the last couple starts," Black said. "Our evaluators in the Minor Leagues felt that he was ready from a delivery standpoint, a strength standpoint, a stuff standpoint. All the factors that determine if a guy's ready to pitch in the Major Leagues, and he checked off all those boxes."

Bettis led the Rockies' staff in 2016 with 186 innings and 14 wins. Last season, Bettis (23-19, 5.01 ERA career) went 7-2 with a 3.75 ERA after the All-Star break. With the Rockies in the thick of Wild Card contention, Bettis will balance emotion against the need to lead the rotation. With 89 appearances and 60 starts, he's by far the most- experienced starter.

"The moment I take the mound tomorrow, emotion will take its course and it will be whatever the moment will be," Bettis said. "Am I excited that it's tomorrow? Of course I am. I'm just trying not to get ahead of myself. 2

"I have started studying the Braves, though. I need to prepare myself."

Freeland to start Tuesday

One more starter will join the rotation this week, , who Black said will start Tuesday's game against Atlanta.

Freeland has been on the 10-day DL with a left groin strain since Aug. 5. The left-hander threw a 35-pitch bullpen on

Saturday at what he said was 85-90 percent effort without any lingering effects of the injury.

"I wasn't hesitant on it and didn't feel any cramps or hinges or anything like that," Freeland said.

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X-rays negative after Arenado on hand Disabled list stint doesn't seem likely for Rockies' star

By Patrick Pinak / MLB.com | August 13th, 2017

MIAMI -- Relatively good news followed 's early exit on a hit by pitch on his left hand that forced him to leave Colorado's 5-3 loss to the Marlins on Sunday afternoon.

Arenado sustained a left hand contusion, and X-rays were negative. Rockies manager Bud Black said Arenado is still sore, but the fact that no bones were broken is a positive outcome.

"In the long run, it's great news," Black said. "Are you kidding me? A broken hand or broken bones in the hand? Not good."

A 88-mph fastball caught Arenado on a 2-1 pitch in the fifth inning. Clearly in pain, Arenado walked toward the dugout as a Rockies trainer and Black examined him.

After several minutes, Arenado came off the field and headed for the clubhouse.

At the time, Arenado thought the injury was worse than results showed because he felt his hand tightening up. With the hand wrapped up postgame, he said it was swollen and that it was difficult to move his pinky.

"Luckily it's not broken, but it hurts a little bit," Arenado said. "It's gonna take some time. I don't know how many days, but hopefully a couple. It hurts pretty bad right now."

While it's still early, Arenado said the training staff didn't seem to think a disabled list stint would be necessary.

"They don't think so, which is good, but we'll see," Arenado said. "Hopefully these next couple days I can start gripping a bat or something. If not, then there's a possibility, probably."

The Rockies, in the thick of the National League Wild Card race, can ill afford to lose their All-Star for an extended period of time. Colorado is tied with the D-backs atop the Wild Card standings after Arizona's defeat to the

Cubs.

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Trevor Story entered the game to pinch-run for Arenado and remained at . took over at third.

It marked the second straight game Arenado has exited early. He was ejected in the seventh inning of Saturday's 4-3 loss after tossing his bat on a called strike three on a check swing.

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Marquez chased in 5th; Arenado exits in loss

By Joe Frisaro and Patrick Pinak / MLB.com | August 13th, 2017

MIAMI -- Milestones are seemingly coming on a daily basis for , who connected on his 42nd of the season on Sunday, matching (1996) for a Marlins record.

Mike Aviles' two-run double and five scoreless innings from the bullpen backed Stanton's heroics as the Marlins swept the Rockies with a 5-3 victory at Marlins Park.

"It's definitely cool for me," Stanton said. "It's not something I will fully appreciate until the year is over, I'd say. But it's a cool thing to have under my belt. I've got time to get more."

Colorado (65-52) and Arizona are tied for the National League Wild Card lead after the D-backs lost to the Cubs. The

Rockies never got on track in the series, scoring nine total runs. Odrisamer Despaigne threw a perfect ninth inning for his first Major League save.

"We were pretty light out there today," Marlins manager said of his bullpen. "Bringing in Despaigne was probably our last guy that we were wanting to use today."

The Rockies received a scare in the fifth inning when All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado exited after being struck on the left hand by a Vance Worley pitch. X-rays came back negative with a left hand contusion.

Rockies manager Bud Black said Arenado has a left hand contusion and X-rays were negative. Arenado's initial reaction worried Black, but he said it was good news there were no broken bones.

"In the long run, it's great news. Are you kidding me?" Black said. "A broken hand or broken bones in the hand? Not good."

Stanton has become a must-see attraction, as the slugger has now homered in four straight games, nine of 10 and has belted 21 in 33 games. In August, he has connected nine times in 12 contests.

"Big G is obviously impressive," Mattingly said. "It's been amazing to watch, but it was also good to get production from some guys we don't really count on."

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Added Rockies right-hander German Marquez said: "It's really impressive. A guy that takes the ball that way and hits it out of the park is really impressive. I mean, you've got to give him credit. He's hot now, too."

Marquez gave up five runs in 4 1/3 innings, taking his first loss since June 26, snapping a string of four straight winning decisions.

"Fastballs up and couldn't really land his ," Black said of his starter. "I think the curveball was inconsistent today.

Since June or at least a handful of starts, the breaking ball was pretty consistent. But today, it wasn't there."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Rally squashed: Down 5-3, the Rockies had a chance to rally in the fifth inning, after a leadoff HBP to Arenado and a ground-rule double by Gerardo Parra. With second and third and no outs, Javy Guerra relieved Worley and picked up the biggest outs of the game. The right-hander struck out Carlos Gonzalez and retired Pat Valaika on a popup to second. After rookie Ryan McMahon walked to load the bases, Ryan Hanigan tapped to second for the third out. Guerra struck out two in a clean sixth inning to collect his first Major League victory since Sept. 8, 2014, while he was with the

White Sox against the A's.

"It was a lot of fun today," Guerra said. "It was fun to go out there and pitch and keep the game moving along. Second and third, no outs. Unfortunately, I've been in that situation a lot. I have a lot of experience in there."

Turning the tables: First time around, Aviles went down swinging with two on in the second inning. In the fourth, it was a different story for Miami's second baseman, who got the start because Dee Gordon was given the day off. Aviles delivered a two-run double off Marquez that put the Marlins in front, 5-3.

Aviles and Worley each recorded two-run hits on the day.

"We talk about [Stanton], but today was a good day also for Vance and Mike Aviles," Mattingly said. "Two guys you wouldn't think are going to give you four ribbies."

QUOTABLE

"Most fun stretch, for sure. We've got a ways to go for past the regular season, but this stretch, for sure." -- Stanton, on his hot streak being the most fun of his career

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"The runners in was tough on this trip, for sure. We just couldn't get the big hit. The Marlins got a couple key hits that got them over the top when the score was close. It didn't happen for us on this trip." -- Black, on his club going 5-for-39 with runners in scoring position on the five-game road trip. Colorado went 1-4.

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Stanton has reached 250 home runs in 941 games, making him the sixth-fastest player (in terms of games played) to reach that marker. According to Stats Inc., the other five players to reach the mark since 1913 in fewer games are Ryan

Howard(855), (871), Harmon Killebrew (905), (933) and Juan Gonzalez (936).

McMAHON'S FIRST HIT

It may have taken a few at-bats into his first start, but McMahon collected his first Major League hit in the eighth inning.

The Rockies' No. 3 prospect and the No. 64 overall prospect by MLBPipeline.com bounced a single through the right side off an 0-2 forkball from Junichi Tazawa. The hit was part of a Rockies comeback that quickly fell through when

Hanigan grounded into a . McMahon finished the day 1-for-3 with a walk.

UNDER REVIEW

A run was in the balance when the Marlins challenged a safe call at first base on what initially was ruled an RBI fielder's choice for McMahon. But Miami asked for a review, and the call was overturned, resulting in an inning-ending double play.

The Rockies scored three runs in the third inning, and nearly had a fourth. With runners on first and third, McMahon grounded to first. Tomas Telis went to second for the forceout and Miguel Rojas returned a strong throw to Worley covering the base as McMahon was arriving. It was initially ruled that Worley's foot wasn't on the bag before McMahon's.

WHAT'S NEXT

Rockies: Chad Bettis will complete his comeback from testicular cancer surgery last November and toe the rubber for the first time this year. The Rockies open a four-game set at home against Julio Teheran (7-10, 5.25 ERA) and the

Braves at 6:40 p.m. MT on Monday.

Marlins: The Marlins open a three-game series with the Giants, a team they swept in three games in San Francisco leading into the All-Star break, at 7:10 p.m. ET on Monday. The pitching matchup will be a couple of left-handers: Adam

Conley (4-5, 5.43 ERA) goes for Miami, with (8-7, 4.15 ERA) throwing for San Francisco.

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Bettis to complete comeback from cancer

By Nate Latsch / Special to MLB.com | August 13th, 2017

Colorado's Chad Bettis will be back on a Major League mound on Monday for his 2017 debut after being diagnosed with testicular cancer last year.

"He's handled everything he's faced this year with just a ton of grace and courage," Rockies pitcher Tyler Anderson said.

"He's handled himself really well. Bettis is a good friend of mine, so I'm really excited for him and can't wait to see him back and throwing again."

The 28-year-old right-hander is 23-19 with a 5.01 ERA in 89 career games, including 60 starts. He led the Rockies with 14 wins and 186 innings last season, his fourth in the Major Leagues.

He went 0-3 with a 4.24 ERA in six Minor League games (five starts) between Double-A Hartford and -A

Albuquerque this season.

The Rockies return home following a five-game, seven-day road trip to and Miami. They are 35-21 at home this season, and their .625 winning percentage is the third best in the National League. Colorado is 12-4-2 in home series in

2017. The Braves will counter with right-hander Julio Teheran, a two-time All-Star who has a 7-10 record and 5.25 ERA this season. Teheran has lost four of his last five starts and is 0-1 with a 7.20 ERA in two starts in August.

Three things to know about this game

• Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte has four hits in eight career at-bats against Bettis. He's also walked twice, giving him a .600 OBP in 10 plate appearances.

• Rockies catcher has four hits, including two doubles, in 11 career at-bats against Teheran. He's hitting

.364 with a .462 OBP.

• The Rockies are 14-4 in the first game of a series at home this season. The Braves are 11-9 in series-opening games on the road.

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Nolan Arenado injures hand as Rockies lose to Marlins, get swept in Miami Arenado departed the game against Marlins after getting hit in the left hand on a pitch

By Patrick Saunders / Post | August 13th, 2017

MIAMI — The Rockies ran headlong into a hurricane of bad news this weekend in South Florida.

The first squall arrived in the fifth inning Sunday when Nolan Arenado, the Rockies’ all-star third baseman and National

League MVP candidate, departed the game against after getting hit in the left hand on a pitch by Vance

Worley.

Fortunately for Arenado, X-rays were negative and the Rockies are calling the injury a contusion. The third baseman said he didn’t think he would have to go on the 10-day disabled list, but he’ll probably be out at least a few games.

The secondary news was bad, too. The Marlins got another home run from the unstoppable Giancarlo Stanton and beat

Colorado 5-3 to complete a three-game sweep at Marlins Park. Colorado rookie starter German Marquez did not pitch well and was gone after 4⅓ innings.

“My hand hurts pretty bad, and it also got really tight, and that was my concern,” Arenado said after the game, his left hand thickly wrapped. “Luckily it’s not broken, but it hurts and it’s going to take some time, Hopefully just a couple of days.

But it hurts pretty bad right now.”

Sunday’s loss was the Rockies’ fifth in their last six games, and they fell below .500 on the road for the first time all season, at 30-31. Their grip on a National League wild-card spot, once so strong, is getting weaker by the day.

The game started out just fine for the Rockies. They took a 3-2 lead in the third on an RBI single by Gerardo Parra and a two-run double by Carlos Gonzalez.

But the lead didn’t last very long.

Stanton led off the bottom of the frame with a homer into the right-field corner off Marquez. It was Stanton’s 42nd homer, tying him with Gary Sheffield for the Marlins’ franchise record. Just as remarkable, it was Stanton’s 250th career homer, his 21st in 33 games and ninth in his last 10 games.

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Prior to the game, Rockies manager Bud Black talked about the danger of leaving pitches over the plate for Stanton to rip into. Marquez didn’t do that. He actually painted the black edge of the plate with a 98 mph fastball, but the muscular

Stanton managed to slice it over the wall.

“It was a good pitch, so you have to give credit to him,” said Marquez, who fell to 9-5 and saw his ERA rise to 4.13.

Yet it wasn’t the solo homer that sunk Marquez. Instead, three consecutive Marlins hits in the fourth inning did him in.

Singles by Tomas Telis and Miguel Rojas set the table for Mike Aviles’ double into the right-field corner, giving Florida a 5-

3 lead.

Marquez had been the Rockies’ best pitcher for the last month, making six quality starts and going 4-0 with a 2.45 ERA over that span. But on Sunday, he pitched like the 22-year-old rookie that he is, giving up five runs on seven hits. He needed 90 pitches (just 57 strikes) to get into the fifth inning.

“Overall, there was some fastballs up over the plate that ended up costing him,” manager Bud Black said.

Added Marquez: “Most definitely I agree. The fastball command was not there today, and I just kind of started off slow. I tried to pick it up, but it just wasn’t there today.”

As has been the case for most of the 1-5, five-game road trip, the Rockies squandered scoring opportunities. They were

2-for-12 with runners in scoring position Sunday and 5-for-39 over the trip.

In the fifth inning, after Arenado’s departure, they had men on second and third with no outs but failed to score a run.

A similar scenario was repeated in the eighth inning. Pat Valaika, starting at shortstop, led off with a single, followed by a single by fellow rookie Ryan McMahon. It was the first hit of McMahon’s big-league career.

But Ryan Hanigan, rather than bunting, grounded into rally-killing double play, and pinch-hitter Mark Reynolds hit a soft roller to short for the final out.

“Runners in scoring position was tough on this trip, for sure,” Black said, agreeing that Colorado had too many empty at- bats. “We just couldn’t get the big hit. The Marlins got a couple of key hits when the score was close. It didn’t happen for us on this trip.”

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Chad Bettis’ return to Rockies is a story of love, not a story of cancer Bettis said he never doubted he would play baseball again

By Patrick Saunders / Denver Post | August 13th, 2017

The life-changing journey began at the Sanctuary Resort and Spa at Camelback Mountain, a luxury resort in Scottsdale,

Ariz. where Chad and Kristina Bettis were married Nov. 21, 2015.

One year later, they returned to celebrate their first anniversary with a candlelight dinner and champagne, but there also was an unwelcome specter hovering over the young couple. A few days before, Chad had discovered a lump in one of his testicles, which led to a visit to his doctor.

That night, during their anniversary dinner, a phone call from his urologist confirmed the bad news.

Bettis, 27, an expectant father, had cancer.

Shortly thereafter, he received supportive phone calls from Rockies general manager , manager Bud Black and head trainer Keith Dugger. But it was Kristina who made sure love — not cancer — was the focus that night.

“My wife did a pretty good job of tricking me,” Bettis recalled recently with a soft laugh. “She was able to get my mind off it, at least for a little while.”

Of course Kristina was scared. She was expecting her first child in the spring, and now cancer had invaded her husband’s body. But she made a decision that night that set the tone for the trying months ahead.

“Let’s not be sad. Let’s celebrate our love and our future and our child,” she recalled. “I told Chad, ‘Let’s be happy, we’ll make it through this. I know you, I know how strong you are.’ I never doubted he would come back from this.”

Eight days later, Bettis had surgery to have one of his testicles removed in the hope that the cancer would be wiped out.

Unfortunately, it spread, which he learned in March, making the road back steeper, more daunting.

But after nine weeks of chemotherapy, after the loss of his hair, after the birth of his baby girl, and after a month getting his arm in shape by pitching in the minor leagues, Bettis will return Monday to Coors Field to start in front of the home crowd against Atlanta.

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“I’m trying to stay far away from imagining what it will be like,” Bettis said. “I don’t want the moment to be ruined, so I’m not going to project. Whatever the moment is, I will let it be that moment. Whether it’s amazing — claps from guys on the other team, cheers from the crowd — whatever it is, I’m going to enjoy it.”

Kristina will be in the stands, and so will their daughter, Everleigh Rae, born March 29, nine days after her father began chemotherapy.

The Rockies will celebrate too — especially young right-hander , who has become close with Bettis, the veteran of the Rockies’ rotation who took Gray under his wing.

“Chad always knew he was going to come through this,” Gray said. “He’s so positive. He’s got this great mind-set, not just on the mound, but in life.”

A second setback

Last winter, Bettis had every reason to believe 2017 would be his breakthrough season. Why not? He was Colorado’s ironman last season, finishing with career highs in wins (14), starts (32) and innings pitched (186). He was counted on to be the anchor of a young rotation.

His cancer seemed, initially, to be a traumatic yet manageable setback. Follow-up checkups were good, and blood work indicated he was free of cancer. He began working out soon after his surgery last fall.

Three days before Christmas, he was driving his truck through Texas with his dog, a chocolate Lab named Cy, riding shotgun.

“I was at a truck stop outside El Paso when I got a call from my oncologist,” Bettis said. “He said, ‘Your blood looks good and your tumor markers are all in the normal range.’ I really took that to mean I was cancer free. I wanted to scream out. I started making phone calls because I wanted to tell people how great that moment felt.”

Life went back to normal.

Then, on March 10, in the middle of , during a regularly scheduled cancer screening, abnormalities showed up. A subsequent biopsy showed the cancer had spread to his lymph nodes. Baseball was again put on hold, a chemotherapy treatment was prescribed and a baby was about to enter the Bettis couple’s lives. 13

The setback shook the Rockies — including Dugger, their head trainer since 2004. “Doogie,” as he is affectionately known, often is the players’ best friend and confidant. He was at Bettis’ side when doctors laid out a plan for him to beat cancer.

“The thing in baseball, in my profession, is that everyone comes to you, or the doctors, for answers,” Dugger said. “But in the real world, in the medical world, they don’t have all the answers.

“But you have to paint a positive picture, no matter what. You have to present it as a fight. Part of my job is to tell the kids to fight — whatever it is. I don’t downplay it, but I want to keep it calm for everybody, and I let the players know that there is quite possibly a great outcome.”

Kristina never lost faith that her husband would recover.

“Yes, it was difficult hearing that cancer had come back,” she said. “But we remained calm, put our faith in God and knew that he could bring us through this — and he did.”

Dealing with chemotherapy

Bettis began chemotherapy March 20. He had 21 infusions spread over nine weeks. Doctors installed a port on the right- handed pitcher’s left side, under his clavicle, to make it easier for him to keep throwing — when he was up to it.

“I’m not going to lie. Chemo was tough, brutal at times,” Bettis said. “There were days when I didn’t want to get out of bed.

… I started thinking, ‘OK, 21 treatments is now down to 19. Then it was 12, 11, then it’s 3-2-1. Then it was done. Then I could look back and say, ‘Wow, that was a lot of chemo!’ ”

Bettis maintained his weight at 210 pounds, but there were side effects. Between his first and second chemo cycles, he ran his hands through his hair while taking a shower and a huge chunk of hair fell out. The next morning, he shaved his entire head. Chemo took his eyebrows too.

“You do get a little self-conscious,” Bettis said. “You don’t look in the mirror and go, ‘Oh, man!’ It’s more when someone else looks at you and they are like, ‘Oh, man, are you all right?’ That’s when it hits you.

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“I went really pasty white, and when I was going through my treatments or going up to the Rockies’ complex in in

Scottsdale, you see people’s reactions and you think, ‘Do I really look that bad? Man, I thought I was doing all right.’ ”

As funny as it might sound, Everleigh Rae Bettis came into the world at a perfect time.

Bettis’s schedule called for daily chemo treatments March 20-24, then another on March 28. The next day, the couple thought, would be perfect for Everleigh’s arrival. It was her due date, and the start of the longest stretch before Dad’s next treatment.

So Kristina planned to have labor induced that day, but instead went into labor naturally.

Bettis said he never doubted he would play baseball again. Besides, he had more important things on his mind.

“I was worried, because my immune system was down because of the chemo,” Bettis said. “Would I be able to hold my little girl? Would I be able to stay in the hospital? Was I risking infection? Would I be able to be there for my wife at a time that’s really special?”

Yes, he was. Bettis slept on a hospital couch for two nights, constantly checking on his wife and his baby girl.

“My chemo nurse, Angela, said, ‘Chad, you aren’t even going to worry about yourself anymore,” Bettis recalled. “She was right. Everleigh’s birth completely took the attention off me, which was really nice. It’s what I needed.”

Bettis’ final chemotherapy treatment was May 16. Doctors told him there was a 90 percent chance the cancer wouldn’t return. He rejoined the Rockies on June 6 and began working out.

“I know Chad has said that coming back to us was a huge boost for him,” Gray said. “But it was huge for us too. … When he’s in the clubhouse, everybody feels better. He has that kind of effect.”

Bettis embraced his starts for Double-A Hartford and Triple-A Albuquerque with the gusto of a rookie. At Hartford, he bought dinner for all of the Rockies’ prospects at an upscale Italian restaurant.

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True to his nature, Bettis is quick to thank those who helped him through his ordeal. Bridich and Black were in frequent contact, as were former Rockies Jason Motte and David Hale, along with their wives. Reliever Adam Ottavino’s wife, Brette, gave Kristina new-mother advice.

When Bettis throws a pitch on a major-league mound for the first time since he was diagnosed with cancer, his wife will give thanks.

“It was definitely a difficult journey, but we all have choices in this life,” Kristina said. “The cancer was out of our control, but we chose to look at the other side.

“We thought, ‘Good, we caught this early, so let’s be thankful.’ When you think that way, when you focus on the good, it changes everything.”

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The Rockies lose, Nolan Arenado leaves early, and everything is terrible Arenado was hit in the hand with a pitch and exited early

By Eric Garcia McKinley / Purple Row | August 13th, 2017

I broke a dish today. It wasn’t the entire dish, mind you, but just the lid. Still, it’s a nice casserole dish that’s incomplete now. I received it as a gift, and I’ve always made sure take care with it. But I was a little careless pulling out a baking sheet next to the dish. The sheet caught the lid, yanking it out and to the floor, where broke into two pieces. Right now, super glue is trying to fasten the two pieces back together. We’ll see if it works. I’m not that optimistic.

It feels like the Rockies season being held together by an adhesive of indeterminate strength. The Rockies lost 5-3 against the Marlins Sunday afternoon and fell to 65-52. The loss completed the sweep at the hands of the Marlins, who improved to 56-60 on the season. Colorado has now lost four out of the five games they played since winning three in a row against the Mets and Phillies. After starting the season 24-10 in their first 34 road games, the Rockies have gone 6-

21 in their last 27.

Nolan Arenado got hit in the hand with a pitch. He had to leave the game to go get X-rays, and the Rockies and their fans are going to be holding their breath until the results come back. Bad news could very well sink the Rockies season.

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Germán Márquez has been the Rockies’ best in 2017, but he wasn’t great on Sunday. Márquez’s command was off, which made his velocity much less effective. He gave up a couple runs in the second, but the Rockies got him the lead back in the top of the third. The hit that gave the Rockies the lead was a weak grounder through the middle of the infield, courtesy of Carlos González. It was the limpest of game highlights.

The Rockies relinquished the lead in the bottom half of the third, when Giancarlo Stanton homered to right field. Márquez didn’t make it out of the fifth inning and departed with the Rockies down 5-3.

The loss. The sweep. The ball that hit Arenado. The increasingly plausible third place finish in the Wild Card race. The broken dish. They all evoke feelings of distinct letdown and powerlessness. Even if the pieces seem to fit, it may not be possible to put it all back together. And it can all be traced back to the moment when both sturdy instruments and future certainties are revealed to be as brittle as bone.

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Colorado Rockies series preview: Coming home to face Atlanta

By Noah Yingling / Rox Pile | August 13th, 2017

The are coming home to face the in a four game series for the first part of their seven game home-stand.

The Colorado Rockies finished their five game road trip with a split in their two games with the reigning champion and being swept by the Miami Marlins in a three game series. The Rockies look to get back on track with Braves this week and the this coming weekend. Here are some thing to look for during the series with the Braves.

Monday’s starting pitching match up

On Monday, Rockies starter Chad Bettis will making his long awaited debut as he returns from chemotherapy and testicular cancer.

In his rehab appearances at Double-A Hartford and Triple-A Albuquerque, Bettis had a 4.24 ERA in six games (five of which were starts). His WHIP and , walk, hit, and home run rates were all just about the same for him in the minors this year as they were in the major leagues last season. Seven of the Braves position players have hit against

Bettis and there are some of note. Nick Markakis is 4-for-10, is 0-for-10, is 1-for-

11, Ender Inciarte is 4-for-8.

He will be facing right-hander Julio Teheran. The 26 year-old is 7-10 with a 5.25 ERA in 23 starts. In his past four starts, he is 0-3 and he has an 8.14 ERA and an opponent average of .299. He has had an off season as in the past four seasons (2013-16), he never had an ERA of 4.04, which he had in 2015. With the exception of that, he didn’t have an

ERA above 3.21 in the other three seasons. He was an All-Star in 2014 and 2016.

In three career starts in Coors Field, he is 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA. The Rockies had 21 hits against him in that span (a .309 average). There are nine current Rockies who have faced him before and Jonathan Lucroy and Charlie Blackmon have both done well against him. Lucroy is 4-for-11 with two doubles and two walks (for a .364 average). Blackmon is 5-for-17

(a .294 average) with a double and a homer. Alexi Amarista, Gerardo Parra, DJ LeMahieu, Nolan Arenado,

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and Carlos Gonzalez all have more than nine at-bats against Teheran and none of them have an average better than

.188. Interestingly enough, Teheran has a faced Chad Bettis in the batter’s box before and he is 2-for-2.

Tuesday’s starting pitching match up

For the Rockies on Tuesday, Kyle Freeland will be coming off the 10-day disabled list to make the start. It will be his first start since he left in the first inning of his start on August 4 against the .

This season, he is 11-7 with a 3.70 ERA in 22 appearances (21 have been starts). Excluding that start in which he only had nine pitches, in his previous four appearances (three of which have been starts), he has an ERA of 2.01 and an opponent batting average of .198.

Freeland will be facing fellow rookie left-hander Sean Newcomb. He is 1-7 with a 4.45 ERA. Even though his ERA isn’t sparkling, you can see that the lefty hasn’t gotten much run support by his win-loss record. In his past four starts, he has a

3.74 ERA. In that span of 21 2/3 innings, he has walked 16, though, so that will be something the Rockies will have to keep their eye on.

In Triple-A Gwinnett, Newcomb was 3-3 with a 2.97 ERA in 11 starts so he didn’t particularly get much run support there either. He also averaged more than five walks per nine innings in Triple-A, like he has at the major league level.

Neither Newcomb or Freeland have ever faced their opposing team nor any player on the opposing team since both of them are rookies.

For the Rockies, Jon Gray will be on the mound for them. He is 4-2 with a 4.92 ERA in 11 starts. In his past three starts, he is 1-1 with a 3.20 ERA and a .250 opponent batting average. Rockies manager Bud Black said, before Gray’s start on

Friday against Miami that “[the past] two outings were his best, for me” (as we talked about in this article from Friday before the series started.)

The Braves have seen Gray before but only in limited action. Only five position players currently on the Braves roster have seen him before and none of them have more than seven at-bats against him. However, combined, they haven’t had much success as they are hitting .207.

Gray will be facing fellow right-handed pitcher Mike Foltynewicz (pronounced Fol-ten-eh-vich). He is 10-7 with a 4.29

ERA in 23 games (22 have been starts). He has struggled in his past three starts, though, as his ERA in that span is 8.31.

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As a result, his ERA is up from 3.82 in that time. He’s only gone 13 innings in the past three starts an he has walked seven in that span and has an opponent batting average of .321.

In three career games at Coors Field (with only one start), he is 0-1 with a 4.70 ERA with a .267 opponent average.

Against current Rockies in general, there have been mixed results. DJ LeMahieu is 7-for-9 (.778 average) with two RBI and a walk against him and Carlos Gonzalez is 3-for-7 (a .429 average) with a double, a home run, four RBI. However, seven other Rockies have faced him before (Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon, , Jonathan Lucroy, Gerardo

Parra, and Mark Reynolds) and combined, they are 1-for-29 (a .034 average) against him with four walks.

In the series finale, Jeff Hoffman will be starting for the Rockies. This season, he is 6-4 with a 5.15 ERA in 16 appearances (15 of which have been starts). Even after a less-than stellar performance on Saturday against the Marlins in which he went five innings, gave up seven hits, four runs, and walked three, in his past three starts, Hoffman’s ERA is

3.50 and his opponent’s batting average is .239.

He will be opposing another right-handed rookie in Lucas Sims. He was just called up at the beginning of this month so he has limited experience. In three starts at the major league level, he has struggled as he is 0-3 with a 5.71 ERA. His opponents (which have been the Dodgers, Marlins, and Cardinals) have had a .324 batting average against him.

In Triple-A Gwinnett, he was 7-4 with a 3.75 ERA in 20 games (19 of which were starts).

Thursday’s game has a scheduled start time of 1:10 PM Mountain time so, as with most weekday day games, AT&T

Rocky Mountain will not be televising the game. The rest of the games have a scheduled start time of 6:40 Mountain time and they will be televised. Of course, all games will be broadcast on KOA 850 and the Rockies Radio Network. If you don’t live in Colorado or in Wyoming and you are a subscriber to MLB.TV, you can watch the Braves telecast of the game on Thursday.

The Braves offense

The Braves offense is an offense that has struggled all season. They do have a good team batting average of .259 (which is 4th in the National League and 8th overall in baseball) and 208 doubles (6th in the NL and 11th in baseball) but that is where the good numbers end.

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In nearly every other offensive stat, they are in the bottom half of baseball and/or the National League. They include in on- base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS+, runs, and triples.

As a result of seeing these numbers, you can see that the Braves hit a lot of singles and doubles but fail to drive runners in. After all, they are 20th in baseball in runs for a reason. They are very impatient at the plate as they are dead last in the

National League in walks and they don’t hit for much power in ways of triples and home runs as they are in the bottom five in baseball in each category.

Freddie Freeman is their best offense player. He was injured for part of the season but in 71 games in 2017, he has 85 hits, 57 runs, 18 doubles, 21 home runs, 48 RBI, seven stolen bases, a .322 batting average, a .424 on-base percentage, a .636 slugging percentage, and OPS+ of 170 (100 is league average). He, essentially, is the Braves version of Nolan

Arenado (but he’s not as good defensively. Good, but not Arenado good.)

The Braves bullpen

For a team that is 12 games under .500, 12 games back of the second wildcard, and 17 1/2 back in the National League

East, the Braves have actually had a decent bullpen. Their 4.34 is only 20th in baseball but it is better than the Rockies.

They had an atrocious month of July as they had a 6.34 bullpen ERA in July and a 4.66 ERA in April but in May, June, and August, they have done very well. In May and June, their bullpen ERA was 3.86 and 3.69, respectively, and in

August, their ERA has been even better as it is 2.06 for the month and batters are only hitting .183 against them.

They currently have six relievers with at least 29 1/3 innings pitched and an ERA of 3.86 or below so they have been pretty effective. Their , Jim Johnson, has an ERA of 3.86 but he has blown eight saves this season so that is something that the Rockies could take advantage of in a close game late.

Also, of note, two former Rockies now call the Atlanta bullpen home: Jason Motte and Rex Brothers(you probably were hoping to not hear his name for a while). Motte has done well as he has an ERA of 3.68 in 29 1/3 innings but Brothers has not. He has pitched in 13 1/3 innings and he has an ERA of 6.08.

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Arenado’s injury

It will also be interesting to see how long Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado will be out of commission due to his hand injury. At least for Monday’s game, I would suspect that either Pat Valaika or Ryan McMahon will get the start at third base.

The Rockies did avoid a catastrophe, though, as Arenado does not have any broken bones (you can see the video in this article that our own Kevin Henry published yesterday). We will have to see, though, if the injury causes Arenado any production issues or lingering problems.

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House of Horrors: Rockies swept in Miami, Arenado hurt

By Drew Creasman / BSN Denver | August 13th, 2017

House. Of. Horrors.

The Colorado Rockies led at some point in each game of this three-game sweep but the Miami Marlins persevered each time. Miserable performance with men on base, sheer dumb luck, and a nightmarish ending culminated in a 5-3 win for the Marlins to complete the series.

The top of the fifth was the biggest and most recent piece of evidence in the “Miami is a House of Horrors for Colorado” case. Nolan Arenado was hit on the hand by Vance Worley and had to be removed from the game. As we said before the road trip started, the Rockies are usually lucky to get out of Miami without anyone getting hurt, let alone winning a ballgame. And again, they might have been better off skipping the flight to Florida and catching up on some sleep the last few days.

Not only was Arenado hurt to start the inning, but Gerardo Parra followed with a ground-rule double, the second time in the series such an occurrence has robbed the Rockies of a run. And then, of course, the second-and-third, nobody out situation led to zero runs as Carlos Gonzalez struck out, Pat Valaika popped up on the infield and Ryan

Hanigan grounded out weakly to second. (Ryan McMahon did draw a walk in there to load the bases, reaching base for the first time in his MLB career.)

Marquez caught a tough break in the second after plunking J.T. Realmuto and surrendering a ground ball single to Tomas

Telis, he got a ground out and a strike out and had two strikes on the opposing pitcher, Worley, and even threw a good pitch on the outside of the plate. But Worley took an ugly swing, stepping practically out of the box, but managed to poke a two-RBI single into right field to put the Marlins on top early.

Worley has three hits and four RBI against the Rockies in his career in just six plate appearances. He has 18 hits and six

RBI against everyone else combined over 162 plate appearances.

The Rockies took the lead in the bottom of that frame, though, also on a rally that started with a hit batsman in Charlie

Blackmon. A single from LeMahieu put two on and another one from Gerardo Parra got the Rockies on the board. Parra moved up to second with some smart base running and it paid off on a two-RBI single up the middle from Carlos

Gonzalez to give the Rockies a short-lived 3-2 lead. 23

Miami tied it right back up with an absurd home run from Giancarlo Stanton, his third in the series, 42nd of the season, and already the 250th of his career. Stanton has smashed 21 homers in his last 33 games. It wasn’t even a bad pitch from

Marquez, a 98 mph fastball on the edge of the outside corner.

Colorado got a pair of base runners in the fourth with an infield single from Marquez and a walk to Blackmon but

LeMahieu hit into an inning-ending double play.

The Marlins would not fail to capitalize in that same way in the bottom of the inning, getting singles from Telis and Miguel

Rojas before a big double from Mike Aviles pulled just inside the left field line score a pair of runs to make it 5-3, Miami.

Marquez’ rough day snapped a streak of six straight quality starts. He gave up five runs on seven hits, walked one and struck out four. Adam Ottavino was called upon to get the final two outs of the fifth and he did so, getting some help on a nifty diving stop from McMahon. Another first of should be many great defensive moments in his MLB career.

Antonio Senzatela pitched the next two innings for Colorado and looked dynamite. He did not allow a base runner and struck out three Marlins, including getting Stanton looking on a perfectly located breaking pitch.

The Rockies went down in order in the sixth and seventh but Valaika hit his third single of the game to break that streak and McMahon followed with the first base hit of his career, a solid single through the right side. Anyone who has watched closely could see what was coming next, though. Hanigan ground into the third double play of the game for Colorado and

Mark Reynolds ground out weakly to short to kill yet another rally.

The Rockies were retired 1-2-3 in the ninth to finish off the most frustrating game and series in a very long time. And now so much depends upon the outcome of one single X-Ray, though Colorado does get a huge boost on Monday when they return to Denver to face the Atlanta Braves. Chad Bettis will take the mound after kicking cancer’s ass. It was a brutal road trip for the Rockies, but it’s hard to believe they won’t be in the highest of spirits tomorrow.

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Pat Valaika has grown into the Rockies’ No. 1 utility man

By Alissa Noe / Mile High Sports | August 13th, 2017

Last season, when Colorado Rockies infield talent Pat Valaika first got the call-up, he found himself bouncing back and forth between the minors and the majors. This year, after getting called up from Triple-A just a couple weeks into the season, he’s morphed into perhaps their most reliable bench man as he has the ability to play any infield position from first to third base.

“It’s fun,” Valaika said. “I take it one day at a time. In this game, you never know what’s going to happen. I just try to enjoy every single day, and it’s fun when every game we play matters. I think that intensity throughout the whole season is fun, because it doesn’t really drag. You never come to the field and drag it, because you know you’ve got a game to win that night.”

Valaika says he’s enjoyed helping out the team in whatever way he can, no matter where he ends up sitting or playing on any given night. Whether filling in because of injury, rest or inconsistency by a starter, or when the matchup favors his bat in the starting lineup, Valaika has delivered consistently for manager Bud Black.

He was 3-for-4 on Sunday in a loss to the Marlins, starting the game at shortstop before moving to third base when Nolan

Arenado left the gameafter being hit by a pitch. That raised his season average to .281; he’s hitting an impressive .340 with a 1.029 OPS off the bench.

“I’m just being confident, trying to help the team win in any way possible, be it starting or coming off the bench,” he said. “I think I know my role as a bench player and kind of embraced it and learned to enjoy it. It’s been fun.”

Through the thick and thin this season, Valaika has played every non-battery position in the infield and even made a few appearances in left field. Whether or not he’s really played there much before, he always leaves everything on the field to do what’s best for the team.

“I’ve played shortstop probably the most, but I enjoy playing second. Third base is newer, but I enjoy playing there too,”

Valaika said. “First base is my newest one, so whenever I get thrown in over there, it’s fun for me. It’s just so different and

I enjoy doing that because it’s something new.”

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While he’s perhaps most comfortable in the middle infield, that doesn’t change the excitement of defending first whenever he gets the chance.

“It’s just the maybe the novelty that it’s a position that I don’t play a lot or have never played. Everything’s new and you see the ball differently. I don’t know. I’ve seen a lot of ground balls from second base and shortstop and third, but I haven’t seen a lot there,” Valaika said. “You’re on a different side, taking your eye off the ball to run to the bag, which you never do playing the other positions, so it’s little things like that that I never get to do playing those other positions.”

With Mark Reynolds healthy and ready to suit up at first base and waiting in the wings, there’s really no reason Valaika should need to put on the big glove – even if his teammates would like to see more of it.

“I know I’ll never be as good as [Reynolds and Desmond] at it, but I try to pick their brains,” Valaika said. “Actually, I do use Mark’s glove whenever I do play over there, because it’s a lot better than mine is. They’re great about it, and Mark’s always tried to lobby for me to get in over there. He’s always telling Bud, ‘Put Valaika over at first.'”

No matter where he’s deployed on the field, Valaika’s heart and determination on defense has only been matched by his production at the plate thus far in 2017. In his 78 games with the Rockies this year, he’s racked up 10 home runs, 10 doubles and 31 RBIs .

“I wouldn’t say I’ve changed anything. I’ve kind of had the same approach [at the plate] since the start of the season,” he said. “I think, if anything, I’ve been a little more selective on the pitches I swing at. I think, early on, not that I was going to swing no matter what, but I really locked in my approach more lately.”

For Valaika, it doesn’t matter how much action he’s seen up in the bigs. He still gets that rush of excitement every time he steps into the batter’s box.

“The more you’re up here, the more comfortable you get,” he said. “I still get butterflies every time going up to the plate, but I think that’s a good thing.”

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Rockies swept in Miami but survive Arenado injury scare

By MHS Staff / Mile High Sports | August 13th, 2017

The Miami Marlins defeated the Colorado Rockies 5-3 on Sunday to complete a three-game series sweep at Marlins Park.

Thankfully, the loss in the W-L column was the biggest one they suffered on the day. For a time, it looked like that might not be the case.

Leading off the top of the fifth inning, All-Star third baseman and MLB RBI leader Nolan Arenado was hit in the left hand with a pitch by Vance Worley. Arenado immediately exited the game. After the game, the team announced that x-rays were negative and the official reason for Arenado’s departure was a left hand contusion.

German Marquez (9-5, 4.13 ERA) suffered his shortest outing since June 26, going just 4.1 innings and allowing five runs on seven hits and a walk. It was the first time in six starts that Marquez did not pitch at least 6.0 innings.

Giancarlo Stanton hit his third home run in as many games against Colorado, a shot down the right field line to lead off the third inning and tie the game. It was Stanton’s 250th career home run.

Pat Valaika was 3-for-4 on the day, but had no runs scored or RBIs to show for it. The Rockies had two on and with no outs in both the fifth and eighth innings but could not push anyone across.

Missed opportunities were the story of the weekend for Colorado, who was 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position on

Friday, 2-for 11 on Saturday and 2-for-12 on Sunday.

After being called on Friday, Ryan McMahon registered his first big-league hit – a single in the eighth inning – in his first start.

After a strong showing on Saturday, Colorado’s bullpen again was solid on Sunday with 3.2 innings of one-hit relief from Adam Ottavino (0.2 IP), (2.0 IP) and Carlos Estevez (1.0). Miami’s pen was just as strong, though, combining for 5.0 innings and allowing just two hits.

With the loss, Colorado (65-52) falls below .500 for the first time this season (30-31).

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Chad Bettis returning Monday marks the end of a long journey

By Aniello Piro / Mile High Sports | August 13th, 2017

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Chad Bettis will make his return to the mound at Coors Field Monday after a battle with cancer.

The return marks the end of a hard-fought fight against the disease for Bettis, and represents the beginning of a new chapter.

Bettis has missed the entire 2017 season to date fighting the disease, but is set to join a Rockies club that is in the thick of the postseason hunt. With a record of 65-51, Colorado is currently in tied with the for the first Wild

Card spot in the National League.

Bettis will be a welcome addition to the Rockies starting rotation, a group that has featured four rookies for a majority of the season.

At 28, Bettis has the most experience among Rockies starters, instantly making him the veteran of the youngest rotation in baseball. With a lifetime record of 23-19 and ERA of 5.01, Bettis will give the Rockies dependency from the get-go, and almost acts as a trade deadline acquisition given that he hasn’t stepped foot on the mound yet this season.

Performace aside, Bettis will give the Rockies an immediate spark within the clubhouse. All season long, Rockies players have sported shirts with themes about defeating cancer in support of Bettis.

Since his diagnosis in November, Bettis has been a source of inspiration for the Rockies. When he returns, that inspiration could help elevate Colorado’s play with the season dwindling down and pressure ramping up.

The Rockies will begin a four-game series with the Atlanta Braves Monday. First pitch for Monday’s game is scheduled for

6:40 p.m. MDT.

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Stanton hits homer No. 42, helps Marlins sweep Rockies 5-3

By / ESPN.com | August 13th, 2017

MIAMI -- Giancarlo Stanton emerged from the Miami Marlins' postgame clubhouse Sunday sipping on a pink refreshment.

Watermelon-flavored water, he said.

So that's the secret?

"It might be," Stanton said. "I don't know."

No one can really explain his current home run binge, not even Stanton, but it shows no signs of ending. The All-Star slugger reached a couple of milestones Sunday by hitting a homer in his fourth consecutive game, and the Marlins completed their first series sweep of the Colorado Rockies since 2006, winning 5-3.

Stanton hit his 42nd homer leading off the third inning to tie Gary Sheffield's team season record set in 1996. It was the

250th homer of Stanton's career and came in his 941st game.

Only five players since 1913 have reached the 250-milestone faster, and Stanton's pace is accelerating. The homer was his 21st in the past 33 games.

"There's a lot happening at once," Stanton said. "Just enjoy the ride, and keep it going."

Stanton made it a long weekend for the Rockies, and their misery was compounded when major league RBI leader Nolan

Arenado left the game in the fifth inning with a bruised left hand after being hit by an 88-mph fastball from Vance Worley.

Following the game, Arenado said his hand was stiff and swollen, but X-rays were negative. He said he hopes to be sidelined for only a couple of days and is optimistic he can avoid a stint on the disabled list.

"It hurt real bad," the All-Star third baseman said. "It got real tight. That was my concern -- how tight it was getting. Luckily it's not broken, but it hurts a little bit."

German Marquez (9-5) lost for the first time in his past seven starts, allowing five runs in 4 1/3 innings. Worley gave up three runs in four-plus innings but contributed a two-run single.

Javy Guerra (1-0) earned his first victory since 2014 with two scoreless innings. He protected a two-run lead in the fifth, when he came on with runners at second and third and none out, and escaped without allowing a run.

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Odrisamer Despaigne pitched a perfect ninth for his first career save. Manager Don Mattingly said he had limited options in the bullpen because of a recent heavy workload, but four relievers combined for five shutout innings.

"We were a little light," Mattingly said. "Despaigne was probably our last guy we wanted to use today."

STANTON'S SURGE

Stanton lined a 3-2 fastball over the right field fence to make the score 3-all, giving him at least one home run in eight of the past 10 games. He leads the majors in homers, and his 16 since the All-Star break are also the most.

"There are not that many guys who leave that opposite field that often," Mattingly said. "But as soon as he hits it, you know it's gone."

As Stanton reflected on tying the team home run record, he talked about growing up in Los Angeles and attending

Dodgers games when Sheffield played for them after leaving the Marlins.

"I really enjoyed watching him play as a kid," Stanton said. "Definitely good company to be in. It's not something I'll fully appreciate until the year is over, but it's a cool thing to have under my belt, and I've got time to get more."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rockies: Manager Bud Black returned to the dugout after missing one game because of illness.

SEA LEVEL WOES

The Rockies went 2 for 12 with runners in scoring position, and 5 for 39 (.128) in those situations on their five-game trip.

The rough weekend is nothing new for the Rockies in Miami, where their record is 35-64.

UP NEXT

Rockies: RHP Chad Bettis will complete his comeback from chemotherapy for testicular cancer by starting Monday night's game in Denver against Atlanta.

"We're all extremely excited to have him back in a big league uniform," Black said. "He has been through a lot in the past nine or 10 months. It's a great comeback for a guy who is a tremendous human being."

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Rockies' Nolan Arenado: Hand hurts but relieved it's not broken

By Associated Press / ESPN.com | August 13th, 2017

MIAMI -- Colorado Rockies slugger Nolan Arenado says he feared the worst when he took an 88-mph fastball on the left hand Sunday.

X-rays were negative, and the injury was diagnosed as a bruise, which took a little sting out of the pitch.

"Whenever you get hit in the hand, it scares you,'' said Arenado, the major league leader with 100 RBIs. "It hurt real bad.

It got real tight. That was my concern -- how tight it was getting. Luckily it's not broken, but it hurts a little bit.''

Arenado was hit by a pitch from Vance Worley. Following the Rockies' 5-3 loss , Arenado said his hand was swollen and stiff, but he hopes to be sidelined for only a couple of days and avoid a stint on the disabled list.

The All-Star third baseman has missed only three games this season and is batting .311.

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