MEDIA CLIPS – September 1, 2017

WC push gives Rox novel September strategy Roster decisions framed by wins and losses, not prospects' goals for next year

By Max Gelman / MLB.com | August 31st, 2017

DENVER -- The Rockies begin September as contenders, holding the second National League Wild Card spot, and their strategy when rosters expand on Friday will be different than their approach in recent years.

Contending teams can specialize in certain aspects, manager said. Giving more time to left-handed specialists, pinch-runners and defensive standouts are among the options. That's a different strategy than the one used by most rebuilding teams, which may bring up players who hope to make a strong impression for the next season.

"Both in contention or not contending, you just don't want to bring guys up [without] planning on using them," said Black, who has been part of contending and rebuilding teams in his 38 years as a player, coach and manager. "In our case, we're going to bring up guys that we think can help us win games."

Though the Rockies have played well all season, the franchise has appeared in the postseason just three times in 25 seasons, and it last played meaningful September in 2010. One game out of first place on Sept. 19, 2010,

Colorado lost 13 of its final 14 games to miss the postseason.

Carlos Gonzalez, who is in his ninth season with the Rockies, said he's excited to be contending again. Gonzalez strives to recapture the intensity of the 2009 postseason, when Colorado won the NL Wild Card and played Philadelphia in the

NL Division Series.

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"It's way different than the past, when you play in September and you're already out," Gonzalez said. "When you're out, you're just trying new players. … [This year], whoever comes from the Minor Leagues, they don't need to carry the team; all they need to do is be helpful whenever they get the opportunity to play.

"[Contending] takes a lot more out of you," Gonzalez added. "Normally, during the regular season, you go in the tunnel and watch your at-bats or whatever, but when you're playing great games, you don't want to miss one pitch."

September roster flexibility isn't popular among every player. Reliever Pat Neshek, a member of postseason teams from

2012-15, said that competing against rebuilding teams can be cumbersome.

From a pitching standpoint, it can be difficult to study a new surge of scouting reports on hitters who were called up from the Minors. Neshek suggested a limit of six or seven callups, pointing to a 2012 series with the Athletics in which he faced a Mariners team that used all 40 roster spots.

"There were 22 hitters to go over, and [the coaches] just gave up," Neshek said. "We did our report, and then there were, like, nine other guys that weren't even in the lineup. To me, it's just a different game of baseball."

Rosters aren't all that change in September, though. With the potential for October baseball right around the corner, Black expects the atmosphere around Coors Field to be electric.

"It's the feeling you want," Black said. "Every pitch becomes critical, especially as you get deeper into September. That's when it's fun."

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Rockies struggling to notch consecutive wins Team won back-to-back games just twice in August

By Max Gelman / MLB.com | August 31st, 2017

DENVER -- Tuesday's offensive performance was a rare bright spot, but Justin Verlander halted any chance for momentum in the Rockies' 6-2 loss to the Tigers on Wednesday at Coors Field.

As the Rockies begin September with an important series against the D-backs, they end their worst month of the season -

- a 12-15 record in August. Since sitting a season-high 21 games over .500 after June 20, the Rockies are 25-35, which is the worst record in the National League West during that span.

Rebounding after facing Verlander and diving into an important series will be challenging, but the Rockies feel up to the task.

"[Verlander] was good today. When you face a guy like that you know what he brings to the table," Carlos

Gonzalez said. "[Now] we're going to play a good team that we could possibly play in the [National League] Wild Card

Game. It's important for us to bring our best game.

"It's a big series, big weekend too. There's gonna be a lot of crowds so that's gonna be helpful too."

The lackluster offense the Rockies bring into their series against the D-backs spans almost the entire month of August.

Over their last 22 games, the Rockies scored three runs or fewer 15 times and went 4-11 in such contests.

Not only are the Rockies trying to catch the D-backs, but also need to stave off the Brewers for the second NL Wild Card spot. The Brewers have been hot lately and won Wednesday when outfielder Keon Broxton robbed a potential go-ahead home in the ninth.

"You don't want to be the No. 2 Wild Card, you want to be the No. 1," Gonzalez said. "That's everybody's goal, if you want to end up winning the Wild Card, you want to win in first. This is a great opportunity to gain ground and to put those guys behind us."

The off day will help serve as a reset, manager Bud Black said, and the Rockies know what they're up against. Before

Wednesday's loss, Black said starter is amped up to start a game like Friday's, as Freeland hails from

Denver and grew up a Rockies fan.

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Some of the veteran presences will help the team navigate not just the D-backs series, but September as a whole, Black said.

"[Jonathan] Lucroy has [been in the postseason], Ian [Desmond] has, [Mark] Reynolds has, that helps a little bit of the dialogue in the clubhouse," Black said before Wednesday's game. "I do think as a team we haven't hit well with runners in scoring position this month and that can turn, as we were one of the better teams earlier in the year."

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Leader Watch: Arenado losing grip in RBI race Arenado's quest for 3 straight crowns is suddenly in jeopardy

By Matt Kelly / MLB.com | August 31st, 2017

Rockies star drove in his 100th run of the season on Aug. 11, and at the time he appeared set to not only claim his third consecutive league RBI crown, but to do so in historic fashion.

But the top of the National League RBI race has undergone some changes since then. Arenado still leads with 111, but the company around him has gotten a little cozier in a span of less than three weeks. When Arenado hit the century mark, his next closest competitor, Paul Goldschmidt, sat nine RBIs back with 91. Now, with about 4 1/2 weeks remaining,

Arenado's lead is down to one over the white-hot (110 RBIs) and the ever-steady Goldschmidt (107), who drove in a pair with his 33rd homer Wednesday against the Dodgers.

Arenado is seeking some history, potentially his first league MVP Award, in addition to an NL Wild Card berth for his club.

Since RBIs became an official stat in 1920, Arenado would be only the fifth player to pace his league in RBIs for three straight years, the first to do so in the NL since the Reds' from 1976-78 and just the second NL infielder to do it after Hall of Famer from 1920-22. Arenado hasn't exactly been shut out, collecting 11 RBIs in the 17 games since he reached 100, but a slower pace has opened the door just enough.

Stanton sat in sixth place with 86 RBIs on the morning of Aug. 12, but as his barrage has taken center stage, a bushel of RBIs has been the byproduct. As Stanton has clubbed a staggering 30 home runs in his last 49 games stretching back to July 5, he's also driven in 60 runs -- 12 more than Arenado, and any other big leaguer for that matter.

Stanton would become the first Marlins player in the 25-year history of the franchise to capture an RBI crown.

"Every time [Stanton] comes to the dish, you contemplate walking him at this point in time," said Padres manager Andy

Green last Sunday, after Stanton clubbed his 50th dinger. "He looks about as locked in as anybody I've ever seen. It reminds me of seeing Barry [Bonds] years ago, when I was in the other dugout watching him do what he was doing."

Goldschmidt hasn't grabbed as many eyeballs as Stanton, but his 29 RBIs in August is tied with Anthony Rizzo for second-most by any NL player. Stanton's emergence has made the league's MVP race more crowded, but an RBI crown could be a differentiating factor for Arizona's first baseman.

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"What more could you ask for?" asked D-backs manager Torey Lovullo recently. "For me, I've been saying now for half a season, he is a severe MVP candidate."

As more and more statistics and measures are introduced, RBIs may not be as hallowed as they once were. But good luck convincing these three sluggers that RBIs don't matter. Their roles are to drive in runs for their clubs, after all, and whoever does so best just might take home the MVP Award.

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Slumping Rockies face streaking D-backs in crucial weekend series Rockies last played September baseball with playoff implications in 2010

By Patrick Saunders / Denver Post | August 31st, 2017

All season long, even when they were a season-high 21 games over .500 with a 47-26 record on June 20, the Rockies repeated a mantra: “We still think our best baseball is ahead of us.”

At various points, all-star third baseman Nolan Arenado said it, and so did right fielder Carlos Gonzalez, newcomer Ian

Desmond, veteran first baseman Mark Reynolds and even manager Bud Black.

Now that September is here, it’s put-up or shut-up time.

Of late, the Rockies have not been playing their best baseball. Red-hot Arizona (76-58) comes to Coors Field Friday night to open a three-game series full of playoff ramifications in a litmus test for the reeling Rockies (72-61). The Diamondbacks finished a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday with an 8-1 victory, becoming the first team to sweep the Dodgers all season. Arizona, which has won seven in a row, leads Colorado by 3 ½ games for the National

League’s top wild-card spot. The Rockies’ lead over Milwaukee for the second spot has dwindled to three games heading into play Thursday night.

The NL’s two wild-card teams will play a one-game playoff on Oct. 4 with the winner advancing to the National League division series to face the powerful Dodgers, in all likelihood.

“We’re going to play a good Arizona team that we could possibly play in the wild-card game,” Gonzalez said. “It’s important for us to bring our best game. You don’t want to be the No. 2 wild card. You want to host a game here.”

The Rockies have not brought “their best game” to the ballpark for weeks, at least not on a consistent basis. Their 12-15 record in August was their worst month of the season. Since reaching their high-water mark on June 20, the Rockies are

25-35, which is the worst record in the NL West during that span.

The Diamondbacks were struggling too, despite the presence of MVP candidate Paul Goldschmidt and his 33 home runs and .318 average, until this past week. Their bats finally woke up, especially against the Dodgers when they averaged seven runs per game.

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“I just feel like hitting is contagious,” second baseman Brandon Drury told reporters Wednesday. “We’ve been putting together good at-bats. We’ve been scoring first a lot lately, which is huge, to get out to a lead and get some momentum going. I think that’s really big.

“That’s the kind of offense we have, too. We’re dangerous. When we get that rolling, we can really roll with it.”

Colorado’s offense, meanwhile, is stuck in the weeds. Over their last 22 games, the Rockies scored three runs or fewer

15 times and went 4-11 in those games. . The inability to come up with big hits with runners in scoring position hangs over the Rockies’ dugout like an albatross.

“I think our overall play has been pretty solid lately, so I feel pretty good about where we are,” Black said. “Our defensive component is solid and our bullpen is coming together. And we’ve been getting men on base, but what we’ve been missing is that key hit at the key time.”

On Wednesday, Black provided a brief scouting reports on the D-backs, singling out Goldschmidt, left-hander Robbie Ray and right-hander Zack Greinke, who allowed one run over six innings vs. the Dodgers on Thursday.

“They have an excellent team with a number of all-star caliber players,” Black said. “They have two of the best players in the game, in Goldschmidt and Greinke. They are a well-rounded team. Their team pitching (second in the NL with a 3.66

ERA) has been outstanding.”

The Rockies last played September baseball with playoff implications in 2010. They were one game out of first place on

Sept. 19, but lost 13 of their final 14 games to miss the postseason.

Black believes this year’s team will embrace the opportunity, and the pressure.

“It’s the feeling you want, and the guys are excited to be here,” Black said. “Every pitch becomes critical, especially as you get deeper into September. That’s when it’s fun.”

NL WEST TEST

The Diamondbacks and Rockies open a crucial three-game series Friday night at Coors Field with wild-card playoff implications at stake. A comparison of the two teams:

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Record: Diamondbacks 76-58 … Rockies 72-61

Head-to-head: The clubs have split the first 12 games

Last 10 games: Diamonds 9-1 … Rockies 4-6

Starting pitching: Diamondbacks 3.58 ERA (3rd) …. Rockies 4.40 ERA (9th)

Relief pitching: Diamondbacks 3.84 ERA (3rd) …. Rockies 4.73 ERA (10th)

Team batting: Diamondbacks .253 average (9th), 176 HRs (7th), 4.90 runs per game (5th) … Rockies .273 avg (1st),

160 home runs (10th), 5.12 runs per game (2nd)

Note: Rankings are National League only

Looking ahead

Diamondbacks RHP Taijuan Walker (7-7, 3.55 ERA) at Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (11-8, 3.81), 6:40 p.m., AT&T

SportsNet

The Rockies kick off a critical weekend series at home against the Diamondbacks with their best Coors Field ,

Freeland, the 24-year-old native of Denver. He faced this matchup once before, in Arizona way back in April, when he allowed just one run over six innings in victory. His last game, last week against the Braves, didn’t go as well as Freeland gave up four runs on 10 hits over six innings in a road defeat. But this is at home, where he has a 3.30 ERA this season in

Colorado. Walker is coming off two strong outings, against the Mets and Giants, in which he combined to allow just one run over 11 2/3 total innings. Nick Groke, The Denver Post

Saturday: Diamondbacks LHP Patrick Corbin (12-11, 3.91) at Rockies RHP (6-3, 4.18), 6:10 p.m., AT&T

SportsNet

Sunday: Diamondbacks RHP Zack Godley (6-7, 3.29) at Rockies RHP (10-5, 4.68), 1:10 p.m., AT&T

SportsNet

Monday: Giants’ LHP Matt Moore (4-13, 5.49) at Rockies RHP German Marquez (10-5, 4.18), 1:10 p.m., AT&T SportsNet

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Rockies’ draft and develop agenda progressing as planned, sort of A question that stings more with each hapless game from a struggling lineup.

By Hayden Cane / Purple Row | August 31st, 2017

The are seeing things go according to plan, at least in part.

Draft and develop. Stockpile young talent and develop. For years, the Rockies have been doing just that, Jeff Bridich and his team quietly working while those who followed the team argued about the false choice between "draft and develop" and "win now."

The Rockies needed to rebuild, and these plans take time. They require patience and the willingness to acknowledge incremental progress. There were signs of hope in 2016, and now the team has been in the playoff race for all of 2017 so far. For as long as it's been since the Rockies mattered, they are arguably a year ahead of schedule in terms of their young talent graduating to the big leagues.

The Rockies have been led by a group of rookies and young players exceeding expectations. Kyle Freeland (age 24) and Germán Márquez (age 22) have both pitched over 130 innings and have double-digit wins. Antonio Senzatela (age

22) has pitched 125 innings and charged out early as one of the team's best . We know what Jon Gray is and what he can be, to the point that we would be wise to remind ourselves that he is still just 25 years old.

With the pitching, we have been rewarded with the pay-offs of the Rockies' commitment to developing young talent. Throw

Jeff Hoffman (age 24) and his flashes of brilliance in there, and you have three first round picks (Gray, Freeland and

Hoffman). You also have pitchers added to the organization via trade (Márquez) and international signing (Senzatela).

With more help on the way in the farm system, this is a glimpse at how the Rockies can consistently compete: get a lot of talented young guys and give yourself a lot of chances for things to work out. This also protects you when a guy takes a step back or gets hurt, as has happened with Tyler Anderson. Call it organizational depth, if you want to use the team's chosen buzz word for the year.

If the pitching side of things has shown us how the Rockies can win by developing a lot of young talent, the hitting side of things is oddly lagging behind. Where we hoped for David Dahl and , we have Gerardo Parra, Carlos

Gonzalez and . Where the team planned on Tom Murphy and Tony Wolters, we have Jonathan

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Lucroy and Ryan Hanigan(before he got hurt). Where we might have seen Jordan Patterson or Ryan McMahon, we have Mark Reynolds (aka the Sheriff of Swattingham, and yes somebody calls you that Mark).

That's not to say this is necessarily a bad thing. The Rockies wouldn't be where they are without Reynolds or Parra.

Lucroy has been a stabilizing presence since his arrival before the trade deadline. In sum, the offense is a disaster, but it's not quite right to say that's because the team is stuck with these veterans (except for a couple, and they know who they are).

There have been varied reasons that the young hitters haven't been given larger opportunities. In some cases the players weren’t quite ready or took a step back, which is going to happen with many rookies and prospects. In other cases the path to playing time was blocked (insert Desmond or CarGo gripe here), or there were injuries.

Wolters regressed on both sides this season and needed a Triple-A refresher. Murphy was hurt and then looked overwhelmed in a short 2017 stint. Dahl is dealing with an injury that clearly requires patience and attention. Tapia has been unsteady enough that it’s reasonable to think he's not ready for everyday work on a contender, even if his back-and- forth to Triple-A has been confusing at times. McMahon hasn't gotten an extended opportunity yet because of a crowded roster and also ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

It is not fair to say that the Rockies' offense is bad because their young hitting prospects didn't graduate at the same time as their young pitchers. Player development isn’t that simple, and this situation can be partially explained by better luck with the pitchers than with the hitters. Whatever the reasons, however, it is glaring because the offense is very bad and is the reason that this team might actually blow its once-significant lead in the Wild Card race.

I don't know how it could look different or if the offense would be better, but I know this: when you look around the starting lineup and see Parra's frosted tips in the cleanup spot, Lucroy's glorious beard behind the plate, and the Sheriff over at first base, you know this isn't exactly what the Rockies thought their contender would look like after years of drafting and developing.

Maybe all of this just shows that plans are fickle and teams need to be able to adapt. It probably does, and even with a flailing lineup, Bridich has adapted well with a number of these veteran additions. But the disconnect between the arrivals of the young pitchers and the young hitters also makes you wonder what the near-term future might hold, and even what this team might look like one year from now. 11

Colorado Rockies prepare for a September to remember, win or lose

By Kevin Henry / Rox Pile | August 31st, 2017

The month of September dawned full of promise for the Colorado Rockies … promise to be one of the most memorable months in franchise history. The month ahead will determine if Colorado will make the postseason for the first time since

2009 or suffer arguably its most deflating collapse in franchise history.

Pressure? Sure, there’s plenty on Bud Black’s team right now. A first half that was so good has almost been erased by a second half filled with struggles. As Mark Kiszla pointed out in this article, since June 21, the Rockies have been the

National League’s worst team. Mock San Francisco for their bad season if you like, Rockies fans. However, they’ve been better over the last two-plus months than the men in purple pinstripes.

Starting with Friday night’s series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado has the chance to shake off its recent struggles and make a statement. Seven games are left against Arizona, the team that has surged to 3.5 games ahead of the Rockies in the Wild Card standings. Seven games are left against the Los Angeles Dodgers, a team that has already clinched its spot in the postseason and essentially the top seed in the National League.

Those 14 games are almost half of the 29 games between now and when the final pitch of Colorado’s regular season is thrown at Coors Field against the Dodgers on October 1. Those 14 games could spell the difference between Game 163 and simply looking ahead to spring training.

Milwaukee sits just 2.5 games behind the Rockies after beating Washington on Thursday night. The Brewers are the only team with a legitimate chance to catch Colorado for the second Wild Card slot. MLB.com thinks it isn’t much of a chance, however. They give the Rockies a 73 percent chance to make the postseason. Milwaukee is at 14 percent.

A Colorado team that reverts back to its early season ways of solid pitching and timely hitting (especially with runners in scoring position, something the Rockies rarely did in August) has the talent to not only get to the postseason but make some noise in October as well. That’s the team that had Denver excited for the majority of the season. It’s also the standard that has made recent losses so bitter.

The eyes of the National League will be on downtown Denver for the next three games. How the Rockies fare against

Arizona sets the tone for the rest of the month. No, it won’t solidify anything for the postseason but it will be a barometer for how September may go.

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With roster expansion, Colorado will have different players to use in different situations. How will they be used? What will their impact be? Those are just two of the questions Rockies fans will be anxious to answer as the month unfolds.

The month begins Friday night at 20th and Blake against a playoff-bound division rival. The month ends on October 1 at

20th and Blake against a playoff-bound division rival. What happens in between will determine what kind of season the

Rockies will have in the history books.

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Welcome to one of the most important months in Colorado Rockies history

By Andrew Dill / BSN Denver | August 31st, 2017

If the season ended today, the Colorado Rockies would have locked up their first postseason berth since 2009.

Wow, that’s a long time ago. Eight years to be exact.

Sitting at 72-61, the Rockies currently hold the key to the second Wild Card spot, holding off the surging Milwaukee

Brewers by just three games.

However, Colorado isn’t exactly doing itself any favors, posting a record of 8-14 in their last 22 games. During that span, the Rockies — as an offense — have managed to put up just 90 runs. For those of you mathematicians, that’s roughly

4.09 runs per game and that includes one game of 17 runs. Not to mention, out of those 22 games, the Rockies managed to score more than three runs in just eight of them.

That’s not winning baseball.

The club has 29 games remaining in the 2017 campaign, 26 of which are against NL West foes.

Games Remaining (not in order):

D’Backs: 7

Dodgers: 7

Marlins: 3

Giants: 5

Padres: 7

The Rockies kick off their eventful September schedule on Sept. 1 with the Diamondbacks, who currently hold the first

Wild Card spot by three games over the Rockies. Fortunately for the Rockies, the team won’t have to face Zack

Greinke in the three-game set. Greinke is starting the series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers Thursday afternoon.

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Also, the Rockies will trot out Rookie of the Year candidate Kyle Freeland in game one, while Jon Gray will get the ball for the second game.

A sweep (clearly what Colorado is hoping for) of the D’Backs would result in a tie atop the Wild Card spot. Tiebreaker going to Colorado.

Good news for the Rockies is that they’ve faired pretty well against the National League West this season.

Colorado is a combined 29-21 against the NL West.

D’Backs: 6-6

Dodgers: 5-7

Giants: 10-4

Padres: 8-4

One player that needs to get back on track for Colorado is third baseman Nolan Arenado. He’s in what you would call a

“mini slump” right now.

Arenado, in the month of August, posted a line of .265/.348/.547 with six doubles, one triple, seven home runs, and 20

RBI in 102 at-bats. The production is there but the OPS is not. With the way Colorado’s offense has been of late, they are going to rely heavily up No. 28 as the month goes on. A good final month for Arenado could easily mean a good final month for Colorado which could lead to the first postseason berth in eight years.

Failure to make the postseason won’t render the 2017 season a disaster, though it would be incredibly disappointing after everything that has unfolded. But a strong finish with this group, and even seeing just one game of postseason play, could be huge for the franchise moving forward as they claw their way back into relevance.

The ride throughout September may be smooth or it may be bumpy — or maybe a little bit of both. At the end of the day, win or lose, it’s nice for Rockies fans to have meaningful games back this late in the year.

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On Deck: D-Backs at Rockies

By Tracy Ringolsby / Inside the Seams | August 31st, 2017

The D-Backs arrive with a seven-game winning streak which includes the first sweep of the Dodgers this season. They also swept the Giants on their just-completed homestand. They are leading the NL wild-card, holding a 3 1/2-game edge on the Rockies. The teams have split 12 games, including going 3-3 at Coors Field. The Rockies lost six of their last 10 home games at Coors Field.

Pitching Matchups: Friday

Kyle Freeland (11-8, 3.31) for the Rockies vs. Taijuan Walker (7-7, 3.55) for the D-Backs.

Kyle Freeland

Freeland leads rookie pitchers with 11 wins. HE is 3-1 with a 3.38 ERA in his last seven starts. In his only career appearance against the D-Backs he earned a victory April 28 at Chase Field, allowing one run in six innings.

Freeland vs. current members of the D-Backs roster: Name AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP

Brandon Drury 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .333 .333

Paul Goldschmidt 2 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 .500 .667

Chris Iannetta 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .333 .333

David Peralta 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000

A.J. Pollock 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .333 .333

Daniel Descalso 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000

Robbie Ray 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .500 .500

Total 18 5 0 0 0 1 1 2 .278 .316 Taijuan Walker

Walker is 1-1 with a 2.41 career ERA agaisnt the Rockies. He is coming off his off allowing the Giants one run in 6 1/3 innings, his only win in his last seven starts during which he does have a 3.43 ERA and has worked at least five innings in each start.

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Walker vs. current members of the Rockies roster: Name AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP

Ian Desmond 14 4 0 0 1 1 2 3 .286 0.412

Charlie Blackmon 13 3 0 0 0 0 1 3 .231 0.286

DJ LeMahieu 11 4 0 0 0 0 2 2 .364 0.462

Nolan Arenado 8 3 1 0 0 3 1 0 .375 0.444

Carlos Gonzalez 9 3 2 0 1 3 0 1 .333 0.333

Mark Reynolds 8 4 1 0 2 2 1 1 .500 0.556

Trevor Story 8 3 1 0 0 2 0 3 .375 0.444

Alexi Amarista 6 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 .167 0.167

Gerardo Parra 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 .333 0.333

Tony Wolters 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 .000 0.667

Tyler Chatwood 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000

German Marquez 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000

Pat Valaika 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .500 .500

Chris Rusin 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000

Total 88 27 7 0 4 11 9 18 .307 .384 Saturday

Jon Gray (6-3, 4.18) for the Rockies vs. Patrick Corbin (12-11, 3.91) for the D-Backs

Jon Gray

Gray is 3-0 with a 2.30 ERA in his last five starts. He is 1-1 in three career starts against the D-Backs, the winning coming on June 30 at Chase Field when he allowed two earned runs in six innings.

Gray vs. current members of the D-Backs roster: Name AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP

Brandon Drury 8 3 1 0 0 1 1 3 .375 .444

Jake Lamb 9 4 2 0 0 1 0 1 .444 .444

Paul Goldschmidt 5 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 .000 .000

David Peralta 6 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 .500 .500

Gregor Blanco 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .200 .200

Daniel Descalso 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .500 .667 17

Chris Herrmann 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 .333 .333

A.J. Pollock 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 .500 .333

Archie Bradley 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000

Robbie Ray 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 .000

Adam Rosales 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000

Total 45 14 5 1 0 4 2 13 .311 .327 Patrick Corbin

Corbin is 0-2 with a 7.67 ERA in his last five starts against the Rockies, including allowing eight runs in four innings at

Coors Field on May 6. He does arrive on a roll, having won his last four starts, and allowing one run in 30 1/3 innings in those games.

Corbin vs. current members of the Rockies roster: Name AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP

DJ LeMahieu 33 12 0 2 2 5 2 3 .364 .400

Nolan Arenado 32 6 1 0 1 2 0 4 .188 .188

Charlie Blackmon 24 9 2 1 1 3 0 1 .375 .375

Carlos Gonzalez 19 5 0 0 1 5 1 9 .263 .300

Jonathan Lucroy 10 6 1 0 0 0 2 0 .600 .667

Mark Reynolds 10 2 0 0 2 4 1 2 .200 .250

Ian Desmond 10 3 0 0 1 2 0 4 .300 .300

Trevor Story 6 2 0 0 1 2 4 3 .333 .600

Alexi Amarista 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 .667 .667

Chad Bettis 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000

Tyler Chatwood 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000

German Marquez 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000

Gerardo Parra 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000

Total 155 47 4 3 9 23 10 30 .303 .343 Sunday

German Marquez (10-5, 4.18) for the Rockies vs. Zack Godley (6-7, 3.29) for the D-Backs.

German Marquez

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Marquez is 5-1 in his last 10 starts (the Rockies are 8-2) with a 3.92 ERA. He is 0-1 in four career starts against the D-

Backs with a 3.42 ERA. Antonio Senzatela is listed as the starter for this game, but given his struggles it would seem

Marquez could be put into the spot instead. He would be working on the normal four days of rest.

Marquez lifetime vs. current members of the D-Backs roster: Name AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP

Brandon Drury 13 2 2 0 0 1 0 2 .154 .154

Paul Goldschmidt 8 4 0 0 2 4 4 0 .500 .692

Jake Lamb 13 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 .308 .308

David Peralta 7 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 .143 .333

Gregor Blanco 5 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 .200 .333

Daniel Descalso 5 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 .400 .400

Chris Iannetta 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 .000 .000

Zack Greinke 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000

Chris Herrmann 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000

A.J. Pollock 3 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 .667 .667

Patrick Corbin 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000

Ketel Marte 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .500 .500

Taijuan Walker 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000

Adam Rosales 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000 1.000

Total 73 18 3 1 2 6 7 15 .247 .321 Zack Godley

Godley is 1-3 in his last four starts, allowing 12 earuned runs in 22 innings. He won his only career start against the

Rockies, allowing three earned runs in seven innings at Coors Field on June 22.

Godley vs. current members of the Rockies roster: Name H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP

Nolan Arenado 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .250 .400

Ian Desmond 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 .000 .000

DJ LeMahieu 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000

Charlie Blackmon 1 0 0 1 1 2 1 .500 .750

Carlos Gonzalez 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 .000

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Jonathan Lucroy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000

Gerardo Parra 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .333

Trevor Story 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 .333 .333

Alexi Amarista 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 .000 .500

Mark Reynolds 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000 1.000

Antonio Senzatela 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000

Pat Valaika 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1.000 1.000

Total 5 1 0 1 3 4 9 .161 .278

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#TGW: ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH 2017 has been -- and continues to be -- a banner year for #ProJacket Charlie Blackmon

By Jon Cooper / The Good Word- Ramblin Wreck | August 31st, 2017

Sports really is the ultimate reality show because you simply can’t script it.

Charlie Blackmon certainly couldn’t have scripted a season like 2017.

“It’s been really good. I’ve enjoyed being on this team this year,” said Blackmon, who’s finishing up his seventh season with the Colorado Rockies, and his third as their starting center fielder.

There’s been a lot to like.

The 31-year-old native of Dallas, Texas, who patrolled right field and earned second-team all-ACC honors in 2008 in his one year playing on the Flats -- he led the Yellow Jackets in batting average (.396), hits (99, tied for 14th in program history), runs (68), on-base percentage (.469) and stolen bases (25, tied for 19th), with 30 multi-hit games and 12 multi-

RBI games -- has become one of ’s most dangerous leadoff men, igniting a Rockies’ offense that is one of the most explosive in the game.

Blackmon, who was all over MLB All-Star week -- participating in the annual , then making his first All-

Star Game start in his second ASG appearance -- began September having already set career-highs in runs (120), triples

(14, including a Rockies record 13 at Coors Field), homers (32), RBIs (84), walks (51) and total bases (334) and sat six hits (he had 82) and eight doubles (he’s at 28) shy of setting career highs in those categories.

All but the high in triples were set LAST SEASON, when he was Silver Slugger (his previous high in triples was nine in

2015).

His career-best numbers setting the table -- when he’s not clearing it, himself, that is -- have helped set the Rockies up for one of two National League Wildcard spots, as they’re 3.0 games up in the second spot.

The prospect of a return to postseason -- where the Rockies have not been since 2009 and only three times in their 25- year history -- has given Blackmon a career-high mentally.

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“It’s very exciting to be playing meaningful baseball this deep in the season. I’ve never done that,” he said. “It’s way better to be on a team that’s winning. Usually that means your personal goals will take care of themselves. Then just your overall mental health is in a better state when you’re winning.”

It’s probably a good thing that Blackmon’s mind is on the postseason because it might be blown were it focusing on his regular season.

Let’s start with runs batted in. Blackmon will begin the season’s final month Friday night with 84. That total is amazing enough coming from a leadoff hitter, and NL leadoff hitter (St. Louis’ Taylor Douthit did it in 1930), and is only four behind the NL record, set by Houston’s Craig Biggio, who sparked the “Killer B’s” of 1998.

Biggio’s not the only Hall of Famer that Blackmon has a chance of catching milestone-wise.

He currently leads the Majors in hits (by 10 over Atlanta’s Ender Inciarte), runs (by 17 over Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton), total bases (plus-11 on Stanton) and triples (five more than Cincinnati speedster Billy Hamilton). Should that continue he’d be only the 13th player in history to lead in all four categories and the first in the National League since Stan “The Man”

Musial, who did it for the Cardinals in 1948. He also leads the Majors with 55 multi-hit games (he’s seven up on Inciarte).

Blackmon’s also has a chance to score 150 runs. Only 12 players in history have done that in a season (since 1901) and the last two to do it were Houston’s Jeff Bagwell, 152 in 2000, and Boston’s Ted Williams in 1949!

Pretty mind-blowing stuff...except to Blackmon. He can wait on all that.

“I’m really not big into the statistics and stuff,” he said. “There will be a time for that, maybe after the season, where I’ll sit down and evaluate what’s happened but right now I’m more focused on the quality of my at-bats and scouting reports and stuff like that. Hopefully that will LEAD to those good numbers but that’s not really how I go about it.”

Blackmon’s going about things resulted in his being named NL Player of the Month for May, when he hit .359 (42-for-117) with six doubles, five triples, six homers, scored 24 runs, drove in 22 more and put up a 1.037 OPS (.387 on-base percentage + .650 slugging).

The Rockies’ great play drew attention to him and led to his being named an All-Star for the second time (he also made it in 2014). He also got prime time exposure by agreeing to participate in Home Run Derby. 22

“That was really cool. I didn’t know how that was going to go. I’d never really done it before,” he said. “I actually got really nervous for it but I ended up having more fun than I thought I was going to have. So it was a great experience. I’m glad to have done it and felt honored to be invited to such an event.”

Blackmon hit 14 homers, but was eliminated in the first round, 15-14, following a furious last-minute rally by Dodgers’ rookie sensation .

He found hitting homers on demand was quite taxing.

“It’s not as easy as you think,” he said. “If you come watch BP, maybe there’s a handful of guys that can do it consistently and that’s certainly not how I hit batting practice. So it was a big change for me to go out there and really only try to hit home runs.”

Blackmon, aka “Chuck Nazty” -- his longtime Twitter handle -- hit a home run and became an Internet sensation when two-year-old Tommy Carlson’s reaction to seeing Blackmon on TV went viral.

“OH YEAH! ‘The Charlie Blackmon Kid.’ That was great,’” Blackmon said, breaking to a huge smile. “It was such a genuine moment there for him that was caught on film. I really enjoyed seeing that. I thought it was hilarious. I enjoyed learning the background to that story, also. It was cool. We actually brought him out to a game. I met him. I didn’t know how he would react in person. He’s only, what, two? He was a little bit nervous.

“I’m probably a little scary,” he added, with a laugh.

Blackmon’s proficiency for leadoff homers -- his six this year, tie for the N.L. lead and his 28 since 2013 lead the Majors -- is very scary.

It could be very scary come postseason when you consider the Rockies are 62-26 when hitting a homer and 56-22 when they score first.

Then throw in the spookiness for pitchers of pitching in Coors Field.

“A lot of guys don’t like pitching there,” he said, smiling slyly. “Whether there’s as much truth to it or it’s just in their head, either way, it’s our advantage.”

“That’s not to jump that far ahead,” he added. “We still have another month of baseball and we have to play really well if we even want to have a chance to play a playoff game.” Blackmon will simply just continue to enjoy the ride. 23