MEDIA CLIPS – September 3, 2015

Rox drop D-backs on CarGo's slam, 7 RBIs By Steve Gilbert and Dargan Southard / MLB.com | 2:41 AM ET

DENVER -- Carlos Gonzalez launched a go-ahead in the seventh and a two- homer in the eighth, propelling the Rockies to a 9-4 win over Arizona in Wednesday's series finale at .

"That's what we work for every day," Gonzalez said. "We work really hard to put up numbers to help this club win. I understand that when you're hitting third or fourth in the lineup, the situations are going to come to you."

Trailing, 4-3, Colorado loaded the bases against Randall Delgado (5-4) on two singles and a walk before Gonzalez crushed his second grand slam this season. The seventh-inning long ball was projected by Statcast™ to land 458 feet away, and the eighth-inning long ball tied him with Nolan Arenado for the lead at 33. Arenado a two- run homer in the first, which gave him 100 RBIs on the season and supplied the Rockies with a 3-1 lead.

"It's always fun," Arenado said of his back-and-forth homering with Gonzalez. "We're pulling for each other. That's the main thing. It's always cool to see your teammate be with you there at the top."

But Arizona starter Chase Anderson settled in and did not allow another run through five as the D-backs clawed back against Rockies starter Jon Gray. They plated a single run in the second and briefly took a 4-3 lead in the sixth, using two doubles and an RBI fielder's choice to score a pair of runs.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Hammer down: Aggressiveness on the basepaths paid off for the D-backs in the sixth inning. Jake Lamb led off the frame by pushing the envelope on a hit to right and wound up just beating the throw to second for a . Later, ' steal of third base allowed him to score one batter later when Ender Inciarte hit into a fielder's choice. More >

"It got us a big run right there," Owings said.

Taking a good look: Gonzalez often gives his deeper home runs a good look, but Wednesday's was even more dramatic. After connecting with his go-ahead grand slam -- which bounced hard off the second-deck facade and ricocheted into the Rockies bullpen -- Gonzalez took a good five or six steps before running to first. One more homer this season and Gonzalez will have tied his career high, which was set in his near-MVP season of 2010. More >

"He's been pretty locked in for a while now," Rockies said of Gonzalez. "He can change the game at any time."

Bullpen meltdown: After the D-backs took a 4-3 lead, Delgado tossed a scoreless sixth before running out of gas in the seventh and loading the bases with no outs. With veteran lefty Matt Reynolds unavailable, D-backs manager Chip Hale went to rookie Keith Hessler, who allowed Gonzalez's grand slam.

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"Randall had the good first inning and then just seemed to tire out in the second inning -- they had put some good at-bats on him," Hale said. "We tried to use Hessler there to get the one lefty. It was just a one-hitter guy and just hung his breaking ball. He's going to have to get the ball down and hit his spots better."

Clouds of Gray: In his sixth Major League start, Gray wasn't sharp from the beginning. He needed 25 pitches to get through the first inning, which included an 11-pitch battle with A.J. Pollock that resulted in Arizona's first run on a . Although the D-backs only scored in three innings off Gray, they had at least one runner in in each of the first six frames. Arenado saved Gray in the fifth on a diving stop with a man on third but the D-backs finally broke through in the sixth off the young right-hander. Gray's 79 pitches were the second-most he's thrown this season, and he owns a 6.15 ERA so far.

"It's been three weeks of straight battling," Gray said. "I think it's easier every time to deal with that, so I think mental toughness is really what you're getting out of those type of games."

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Brooks Brown (1-2) picked up his first Major League win, tossing 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Brown has battled right shoulder inflammation for much of the season, and Wednesday was his first appearance with the Rockies since June 16. Justin Miller also earned his first Major League save.

REPLAY REVIEW The Rockies completed an impressive 2-5-4 in the second after video evidence showed that second baseman DJ LeMahieu held the first-base bag on Arenado's return throw and the call was overturned.

Colorado, however, challenged again in the sixth and lost. Umpires originally ruled that Lamb didn't come off second base while being tagged during a slide after a leadoff double. The call stood after video evidence was reviewed.

WHAT'S NEXT D-backs: The D-backs open a three-game series with the Cubs at 11:20 a.m. MST Friday at Wrigley Field. Zack Godley will be recalled from Double-A Mobile to start the game and face off against his former organization.

Rockies: Colorado will open up a four-game series with the Giants on Thursday, beginning at 6:40 p.m. MT. The Rockies will give the ball to left-hander Chris Rusin, who gave up five runs (two earned) over 6 1/3 innings against San Francisco on June 27.

Watch every out-of-market regular season game live on MLB.TV.

Steve Gilbert is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Inside the D-backs, and follow him on Twitter @SteveGilbertMLB. Dargan Southard is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of or its clubs.

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CarGo has monster night, matches Arenado in HRs Colorado sluggers tied for NL lead with 33 homers

By Dargan Southard / MLB.com | 2:37 AM ET

DENVER -- Carlos Gonzalez had never faced D-backs rookie reliever Keith Hessler before. He had some paperwork that said Hessler threw an upper-90s fastball with a slider, but the resources were still limited.

The Arizona left-hander chose to come with three straight sliders -- the last of which proved costly. Gonzalez went down and got the third breaking ball, crushing it off the second-deck façade in right field for a seventh-inning, go-ahead grand slam. Gonzalez tacked on a second homer in the eighth for good measure, helping propel the Rockies to a 9-4 win on Wednesday at Coors Field.

"In that situation, I didn't want to get jammed," Gonzalez said. "I wanted to get the barrel out, and he decided to go with all sliders. I can't even say that it was down the middle. It was a good pitch, but I was able to throw my hands and put it in the seats."

Wednesday was another chapter in Gonzalez's essentially three-month tear: He tied a career-high with seven RBIs and churned out his fifth multi-homer game this season.

Since June 1, Gonzalez has 28 homers and 68 RBIs -- a long way from his early season struggles that had his average hovering around the .200 mark well into the year.

"He was in a place where a lot of people were not thinking about CarGo doing any damage," said Nolan Arenado, whose first-inning homer gave him 100 RBIs on the season. "And now, he's had one of the best second halves I've ever seen."

After Wednesday, Gonzalez and Arenado were tied for the National League homer lead at 33. Arenado acknowledged that Gonzalez hits more no-doubters between the two, citing the grand slam as a perfect example.

The blast, which was projected by Statcast™ to land 458 feet away, cracked Gonzalez's top-5 longest homers this season.

"He's one of the freaks in the league who can do something to wow you on any given night," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "He certainly did tonight."

Dargan Southard is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Arenado slugs way to 100 RBIs with 2-run HR first Colorado player since '11 to reach mark

By Dargan Southard / MLB.com | 2:02 AM ET

DENVER -- If you happen to see Nolan Arenado out and about, don't forget to call him by his new professional title.

After crushing a first-inning, two-run homer in Colorado's 9-4 win over the D-backs on Wednesday at Coors Field, Arenado became the first Rockies player with 100 RBIs since in 2011. That earned him a name-change.

"Right now, he's Mr. Arenado," a laughing Carlos Gonzalez said. "He's got 100 RBIs. When you reach that milestone, you're not 'Arenado' anymore. You get the 'Mister' part."

Arenado has certainly earned that this season. His breakout 2015 campaign has been littered with towering long balls and clutch RBIs, not to mention an endless highlight reel of defensive gems.

His two-run homer, which was projected by Statcast™ to land 423 feet away from home, touched down in the center-field trees and briefly padded his National League lead until Gonzalez tied him later in the game.

"It's great," Arenado said of reaching -digit RBIs. "I'm very thankful, very happy, very blessed. But there are a lot of games left, so it's hard to really soak it in. I don't want to get too complacent. I want more RBIs."

With Tulowitzki gone, Arenado is one of Colorado's most pivotal pieces moving forward. He's only in his third season, but his offensive development this year has been what many had hoped for when the Rockies selected him in the second round of the 2009 MLB Draft.

"He's one of the building blocks," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said before Wednesday's game. "He's a complete player. He's established himself this year as an elite guy and an elite player.

"People raved about his defense for a couple of years, but we saw the offense coming little by little. He's put himself in that conversation as one of the elite players in the league."

Arenado has the numbers to back it up, but is the 24-year-old actually old enough for such a sophisticated title as "Mr. Arenado?"

To be determined.

"I mean I'm not married or anything," he joked. "So I don't think so. But it's cool."

Dargan Southard is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Morneau, on DL since mid-May, nears return Rockies 1B hit .500 with 2 HRs, 9 RBIs in rehab assignment

By Dargan Southard / MLB.com | September 2nd, 2015

DENVER -- Back in the Rockies clubhouse, Justin Morneau was on a mission. By any means possible, he was going to attempt to talk his way into the lineup for Wednesday's series finale with the D-backs.

"Oh, he tried," Colorado manager Walt Weiss said.

Morneau didn't succeed, but after a five-game rehab stint with Double-A New Britain, the Rockies first baseman will be evaluated later in the week. He's been on the disabled list since mid-May with concussion symptoms and a cervical neck strain.

"He's close," Weiss said. "I don't know about complete clearance quite yet, but he's definitely close."

Although the Rockies have a logjam at first base -- including the likes of Matt McBride, Kyle Parker, Ben Paulsen and -- Weiss said Morneau would have the chance to show he's healthy if cleared.

The 13-year veteran is nearing the end of a two-year contract that has a $9 million mutual option for 2016 (or a $750,000 buyout), but Morneau's successes -- both in Colorado and elsewhere -- have certainly not gone unnoticed.

"For what he's done," Weiss said when asked why Morneau would potentially play over younger players. "That would be No. 1. What he's done as a player, what he's done for this team. If he's cleared to play, he's going to play.

"We've got a lot of guys. I'd imagine I'll be mixing and matching quite a bit, but if he's cleared to play, he's going to get playing time."

Although Morneau hasn't faced Major League pitching in more than three months, his bat didn't falter in New Britain. In his five games with the Rock Cats, Morneau hit .500 (9-for-18) with two homers and nine RBIs.

He also left his mark off the field.

"The Double-A manager sent me a text just raving about the way he played the game, what an impression he had in a few days on our Double-A team," Weiss said. "Those types of things we already knew, but you have somebody in New Britain confirming the things we've seen here for a couple years.

"He's a constant pro, and he's meant a lot in his couple years here."

Worth noting:

• In their second batch of September callups, the Rockies recalled right-hander relievers Brooks Brown and Justin Miller from Triple-A Albuquerque. Right-hander David Hale, who was in the clubhouse pregame, will likely be activated on Thursday.

Weiss said he doesn't expect any more callups.

"I think that's probably it," he said. "I'm not completely ruling that out, but it's probably less than 50-50 that you see anybody else."

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Rockies look to take advantage of reeling Giants

By Chris Haft / MLB.com | @sfgiantsbeat | 1:32 AM ET

The have a shaky grip on their home-field advantage. The will try to wrest it from them when the clubs open a four-game series on Thursday.

Colorado traditionally has enjoyed a measure of comfort at Coors Field. That's largely because opponents, particularly , often cannot adjust to the hitter-friendly, mile-high conditions. The Giants, for example, are 78-95 at Coors, including 3-3 this year.

But the Rockies, who are striving to avoid finishing with the Major Leagues' worst record, have lost seven of their previous 10 home games, yielding 73 runs in that stretch. This won't stop Colorado from trying to play the spoiler role against the Giants, who have lost four of their last five series as they struggle to remain on the fringes of the National League West and Wild Card races.

Things to know about this game

• Among the Rockies' goals is avoiding their worst season in franchise history. The 2002 club established that forgettable standard by finishing 64-98. Colorado is 54-78 this year.

• With his next home run, Giants catcher will reach 100 for his career. But he has gone 27 games without homering.

• This contest marks the start of a 22-game stretch against sub-.500 teams for the Giants.

Chris Haft is the Giants beat reporter for MLB.com. He has been covering the club since 2005. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Carlos Gonzalez goes deep twice, matches Nolan Arenado in HRs

Gonzalez added a two-run homer in the eighth, making the score 9-4 By Patrick Saunders The Denver Post

Carlos Gonzalez knew it was gone.

He knew it the moment his bat connected with Arizona left-hander Keith Hessler's 83 mph slider in the bottom of the seventh inning, lining it off the second-deck facade in right field Wednesday night at Coors Field.

Grand slams don't come along every day, so CarGo took his time admiring the fourth of his career and his second this season. He took six steps up the first-base line before tossing his bat aside. CarGo's homer — his 32nd this season — delivered the Rockies from a 4-3 deficit to a 7-4 lead. "This is fun. This is what you work for every day," Gonzalez said. "That was a big situation. We were down by a run with no outs and the bases loaded. You have to get the job done right there. That's what you get paid to do."

Gonzalez added a two-run homer in the eighth, making the final score 9-4 as the Rockies split the four-game series with the Diamondbacks. CarGo finished the night with a career-high seven RBIs. He is now tied with teammate Nolan Arenado for the National League lead with 33 homers, one shy of his career-high of 34, set in 2010 when he won the National League batting title and was an MVP candidate.

"He's been pretty locked in for a while now," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "He can change the game at any time, not only on offense, but on defense. He's one of those guys, one of those freaks, that can wow you at any time, on any night. He certainly did that tonight." Gonzalez also made a diving catch on A.J. Pollock's shallow sacrifice fly to right field in the first inning. Had Gonzalez not made the play, Arizona might have ignited a big inning. Instead, the Diamondbacks scored only one run.

On a night when No. 1 pitching project Jon Gray failed to do anything special, the Rockies' sluggers did the heavy lifting and the Rockies pounded out 18 hits, tying a season high.

Arenado, the second fist in the Rockies' one-two punch, continues to hit a ton at the plate and should be preparing his trophy case for his third consecutive Gold Glove at third base. He hit a two-run homer in Colorado's three-run first inning and added two 24-karat plays to his growing highlight collection. In the fifth, with a runner on third, he closed out the inning with a diving stop of Welington's Castillo's smash, then got to his feet to throw out Castillo by a half step.

In the sixth, Arenado bare-handed Brandon Drury's roller up the third-base line and gunned a throw to get Drury.

Arenado's first-inning rainbow homer over the center-field wall gave him 100 RBIs for the first time in his career. Arenado became the first Rockies player with 100 or more RBIs in a season since Troy Tulo witzki drove in 105 in 2011.

"Right now, he's Mr. Arenado," said Gonzalez, flashing his 100-watt smile. "He's got 100 RBIs, so when you reach that milestone you're not Arenado anymore, you're mister."

Arenado was taken aback by his new title. "I'm not married or anything ... but it's cool," he said, laughing.

Per his custom, Arenado praised his teammates, including former infield partner Troy Tulowitzki, for getting on base so he could drive them in. But it's clear that the 100-RBI benchmark means a lot to the 24 year old. "It's a great thing, and I've been blessed," he said. "But it's early and I don't want to get too complacent. I want more RBIs and I want to help the team win."

Gray remains winless after six starts in the majors and owns a 6.15 ERA. "I didn't like (my performance)," Gray said. "I knew from the get-go that I didn't have a feel for anything, but I still tried to battle and strand as many runners as possible, limit the damage."

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He entered the sixth inning with a 3-2 lead, but he couldn't hold it. A leadoff double to left by Jake Lamb, followed by a one-out, game-tying double by Chris Owings, forced Gray out of the game. Ender Inciarte's RBI single off reliever Christian Friedrick scored Owings, a run that was charged to Gray.

Gray flashed some toughness and staying power, but it was an erratic performance. The Diamondbacks didn't bludgeon Gray, but they did get 10 hits off him in 5 innings. He needed 25 pitches to get through the first inning, including an 11- pitch battle with Pollock that ended with CarGo's great catch but scored Inciarte for the game's first run. Gray walked Inciarte to open the game. "I thought he did a good job," Weiss said. "He had a little trouble early, but I like the fact that he was able to settle in after that. I thought he did great job pitching through some traffic and keeping the game in tact for us." Patrick Saunders: [email protected] or twitter.com/psaundersdp

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Rockies Mailbag: Coors Field upgrade, Cubs , developing pitching and more

Steve from Centennial wants to know if it is time for a new video board at Coors Field By Patrick Saunders The Denver Post

The on-field problems are too numerous to mention, so let's focus off the field. Coors Field has always been a gem, but isn't it time for a new video board? Particularly with the new HD screens at Sports Authority Field and the Pepsi Center now, the one at Coors is a relic. Any plans for an upgrade, especially with the Avs game there this winter?

— Steve, Centennial

Steve, I agree that the video board above left field could use an upgrade, but I don't think there are any immediate plans to do that. Coors might not have the best video board in the majors, but it's still pretty good. I should also add that the scoreboards all around Coors Field are very fan friendly. It's easy to find all of the pertinent information: Score, ball and strikes, outs, linescore, pitch counts, pitch speeds, type of pitch, etc. Other ballparks have more impressive video boards, but Coors Field ranks near the top as far as providing in-game information. For more on other ballparks, check out my recent blog where I rank the National League ballparks, worst to first. Patrick, The picked the to win the World Series this year. How do you like their chances and what are your thoughts on the National League Central being such a power house of a division this year. — Jeff, Aurora

Jeff, I didn't realize The Sporting News picked the Cubbies. Wow, how trendy of them!

Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great story, but I think the Cubs are at least a year away from being a championship team. They've got a lot of good, exciting young talent in the field and on the mound. But they don't have the starting pitching, or the bullpen, to beat the Cardinals, Pirates or Mets over a long series in order to get to the World Series.

As you obviously know, the NL Central is the best division in the National League, and perhaps all of baseball. Amazing, isn't it, that the Cubs are 75-56 (as of Tuesday afternoon) and still 10 1/2 games behind the Cardinals and 4 1/2 games behind the Pirates. Here's a question back at you: Do we really want to see what happens to the world order if the Cubs actually win a World Series? Patrick, please help me understand the complexity surrounding MLB's multiple trading deadlines? Why not go to a single trading deadline like the NFL, NHL and NBA? — Brian, Denver

Brian, I'm not sure I can provide a satisfactory answer to your question, because I'm not exactly sure why MLB has it's two major trade deadlines — non-waiver (up to July 31) and waiver trades (from Aug. 1 to the end of the season). Maybe there is somebody out there who can explain it better than me.

My reasoning would be that the baseball season runs from mid-February () until November, so there are a lot of moving parts and pieces over a long time.

Plus, with the farms systems and all the players under each club's umbrella, there is more chance for movement. The NBA only has to have teams of 12 players, while MLB teams have 25 players, plus all the minor leaguers.

Also, with the expanded playoffs, a lot of teams seek to re-stock their rosters for the stretch run, while the losers want to get rid of overpriced veterans. There is a lot of bureaucracy and red tape, but a lot of hot stove baseball geeks love it. For a more in-depth look at this topic, check out this story by Dave Cameron. He provides plenty of history, plus an argument for why a July 31 trade deadline doesn't make sense anymore.

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As a follow up to your post about , why do the Rockies still have him on the 40-man roster if there is no chance he's going to pitch at the major-league level this year? — Craig, Providence, Rhode Island

Craig, the Rockies still think Matzek can pitch in the big leagues, although there are signs that he could return as a reliever instead of a starter.

If they took Matzek off the 40-man roster, they would have to pass him through waivers and they would risk losing him. Believe me, if the Rockies designated Matzek for assignment, he would be scooped up in a heartbeat. What's the financial standing of the Rockies? I heard various sources state the Rockies have money to burn going into 2016. Is this true and who could be some free agent targets for 2016?

— Jess, Arvada

Jess, "Money to burn" is a relative term. The club's payroll is around $100 million this season, ranking them 20th out of 30 MLB teams.

It's too early to tell how much salary relief the Rockies will have going forward, because there will be deals made between now and spring training, 2016. There are a lot of moving parts.

For example, when the Rockies traded Troy Tulowitzki to Toronto, they got rid of his $20 million annual salary, but they picked up Jose Reye's $22 million price tag. Colorado could trade Reyes, but they would likely have to eat a lot of his contract.

Carlos Gonzalez will make $17 million next season, but there will be trade talk surrounding him, so we don't know how much of his contract the Rockies will have to play next season.

The Rockies will gain money because they won't have to pay Kyle Kendrick ($5.5 million) or ($5.825 million), but other players will get raises through arbitration. Justin Morneau ($6.75 million this year) also likely won't be back. So, there are place where they gain some possible spending money. Still, it's too early to start making predictions about payrolls and free agents. I'm not trying to dodge your question, it's just a question that can't be answered with much authority right now. Bob Gebhart said early on the Rockies would have to develop their own pitching. We all know how that's worked out. The question is why? Bad luck? Bad coaching? Altitude? Lack of talent through bad drafting? Or all of the above? What do you see as the way out of this dark woods?

— Dave, Fort Collins

I think "Geb" was right. We've seen what happens when the Rockies trade for or sign back-of-rotation starters (see Jeremy Guthrie and Kyle Kendrick). Still, I would like to see them take a chance, perhaps every three years, on over paying for an established arm. I think the team, and the fans, deserve that.

However — and this is a big however — the key to Colorado's future success is developing their own pitching. I think they are on the right track, finally. I think there are some good young arms in the system. We all know that the Rockies' history of developing pitching is bad, and it's not all because of high altitude. Poor coaching? I think that's part of it, although I've been very impressed with Darryl Scott, who used to be at Double-A Tulsa and is now at Triple-A Albuquerque. I think he's a good teacher and communicator.

I think, I hope, that GM and Company have started to get a handle on the problem. Time will tell. Have the Rockies considered moving DJ LeMahieu to as that is where he began his career? If the Rockies can't trade Jose Reyes, it seems it would make more sense to move him to second base where his diminished range wouldn't be as much a factor while installing a Gold Glove second baseman into the shortstop position. — Ross Sasso, Rapid City, South Dakota

Great question and one I had not even considered. 10

On paper it make some sense, but I don't see it happening. I'm not sure Reyes would thrive at second and I'm wondering if it would be worth it to move LeMahieu out of the position where he's become a star. Reyes is no Tulo, but LeMahieu wouldn't be Tulo's equal at shortstop, either.

I honestly think the Rockies will try very hard to move Reyes and that would free up a spot for shortstop prospect Trevor Story. Denver Post sports writer Patrick Saunders posts his Rockies Mailbag every other week on Tuesdays. Pose a Rockies- or MLB-related question for the Rockies Mailbag.

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Kiszla: Will Jon Gray ever win his first big-league game?

Gray has thrown one out shy of 141 innings in 2015 By Mark Kiszla The Denver Post

Inquiring minds want to know two things about these Rockies:

Can Colorado lose 100 games in a season? And will pitching phenom Jon Gray ever win his first big-league game?

On a summer night so perfect it made even meaningless baseball seem like ample reason to be thankful for living in Colorado, Gray took the mound for the sixth time in a Rockies uniform. He still does not own a victory, despite home runs by fence-busters Nolan Arenado and Carlos Gonzalez in a 9-4 beatdown of Arizona. Jon Gray is the Big Tease.

"He's got the stuff," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said Wednesday.

Despite all his natural gifts, however, Gray often does not look ready for prime time, as if his maturity lags behind his talent and his mind does not completely trust the power in his right arm.

In the first inning, as Gray stubbornly tried to pump one fastball after another past rising Arizona star A.J. Pollock, the professional major-league hitter patiently fouled baseball after baseball into the screen behind home plate. Clearly frustrated as the pitch count to Pollock mounted to six, seven and eight, Gray would drop his head in disgust and kick up dirt, which forced Nick Hundley to make a visit to the mound, where instead of delivering a juice box to a kid throwing a little tantrum, the veteran catcher gently placed a reassuring hand on the most valuable right shoulder in the Rockies' organization.

"It can be frustrating," Gray admitted. "But as long as you get him out in the end ..." The stuff of Gray is electric. But the rookie's command of the situation is often as shaky as his ability to throw strikes.

It's the mental aspect of the game, not his obvious physical gifts, which will be the difference of whether Gray eventually wins more than 100 times in the majors or forever remains the Big Tease.

"What's impressed me most is the mental and emotional growth (in Gray) since spring training," Weiss said. "When we called him up, I saw a confidence that I'm not sure I saw in spring training."

So this is what's mystifying: When an Arizona player wearing No. 62 stepped in the batter's box, Gray walked him on four straight balls, unable to present the challenge of even a single pitch in the zone against 23-year-old Brandon Drury, working only his second day in the big leagues and carrying a .000 batting average. In an effort to give Gray his first victory, his defense stacked web gems high. Gonzalez made a diving catch in right field. Arenado did his usual Brooks Robinson imitation, dropping jaws not once but twice with plays that robbed hits from the Diamondbacks. Colorado got Gray out of two jams with double plays. Yet all of that wasn't enough to get Gray the win.

Gray battled into the sixth inning. So there's no doubting his competitive nature. "It's been three weeks of straight battling," said Gray, describing his introduction to the majors. "I think it's easier every time to deal with that. So I think mental toughness is what you're getting out of those type of games."

In a small sample size of six starts, however, Gray's is 6.15, in part because I'm not sure he has the nasty demeanor to match his filthy stuff.

To record 16 outs, Gray gave up 10 hits and two walks. His ability to throw swing-and-miss heat and a knee-buckling slider rarely translates into an effortless inning. Everything is a struggle because Gray does not know how to pitch.

"Consistency is the typically the next step with a young , especially consistency with his secondary stuff. ... And the secondary stuff is legit stuff," Weiss said. After his outing against the Diamondbacks, Gray has thrown one out shy of 141 innings in 2015. Weiss told me that Colorado will shut down its prized prospect when Gray reaches 160 innings.

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So how many more glimpses will we get of the Big Tease as the September light fades and the cheers move down the highway from Coors Field to Mile High? At best, it seems as if Gray will get four, perhaps five more chances to start. That's why I wish Gray would have been brought up to the Rockies earlier in the summer. The development of a stopper's attitude takes the time required by repeated success. Next spring, it's fair to expect Gray will still be a work in progress, with much work to do.

Yes, there is tantalizing promise in every 96 mph fastball fired by Gray. But is Gray ready to step up and be the Colorado ace in 2016?

Only in our dreams. Mark Kiszla: [email protected] or twitter.com/markkiszla

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Colorado Classic: George Frazier relayed a pitcher's opinion to fans

"I try to put myself in the game as a pitcher as it's going on," Frazier said. By Irv Moss | The Denver Post With 415 games over 10 seasons of pitching in the major leagues, it's no wonder that George Frazier watches baseball games from a pitcher's point of view.

And, of course, as an ex-pitcher, he believes the view from the mound is the most important. For 19 seasons, Frazier has been the pitcher in the Root Sports broadcast booth for Rockies fans.

"I try to put myself in the game as a pitcher as it's going on," Frazier said in describing his approach. "I try to relay a pitcher's opinion to the fans."

Frazier is a student of the game. He didn't leave that when he retired as a player from the pitching staff of the after the 1987 season. And he won't leave it after retiring from the Rockies' broadcast booth at season's end.

Chances are you'll find him at a baseball game or attending to flower beds at his home in Tulsa, Okla. It might be far away from Coors Field and the Rockies, but it won't be far away from baseball.

"I like to scout young players," Frazier said. "I already see a lot of games on my own and might like to do some scouting for a team down the road."

He has a special interest in watching young talent. His son Parker, once a draft choice of the Rockies, is a pitching prospect in the Oakland Athletics organization.

"He's still a string bean," Frazier said of Parker's tall, slim physique that runs in the family. Frazier has a pitcher's point of view about one of the most asked questions about playing baseball at Denver's mile high elevation.

"Coors Field is a tough place to pitch, and you've got to be a tough-minded person to deal with it," he said. Frazier learned to be tough-minded during his time with the , during the 1981-83 seasons.

The learning experience wasn't always so pleasant. He once gave up 11 runs while getting just one out against the Chicago White Sox. Yankees manager Billy Martin brought in a catcher to finish the game.

"If I screwed up when I was with the Yankees, I much preferred facing Billy Martin than Goose Gossage," Frazier said. "Being around Goose Gossage helped me more than anything else."

Frazier said Gossage, the Hall of Fame pitcher from Colorado Springs, was as tough-minded as any player he knew.

Being a game analyst on television also requires some moxie. Fans see the comfort of broadcasting from a major-league stadium. They don't see the drudgery.

"We checked into our hotel after 4 a.m. at the start of a road trip earlier in the season," Frazier said. "I told my wife that was the last time I'd be calling at that time of day."

There will be some things about baseball he won't miss. Irv Moss: 303-954-1296, [email protected] or twitter.com/irvmoss

Frazier bio

Born: Oct. 13, 1954, in Oklahoma City High school: Hillcrest, Springfield, Mo.

College: University of Oklahoma

Family: Wife Kay; sons Matthew, Brian, Parker; daughter Georgia Hobbies: Fishing, hunting, golfing, gardening

Next: Finding a future Cy Young Award winner

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Justin Morneau looks to play during final month for Rockies

Morneau suffered a concussion and a cervical neck sprain May 13 By Patrick Saunders The Denver Post

A matter of respect. That's the bottom line on why the Rockies are close to bringing Justin Morneau back for the final month of the season, even if it costs others playing time at first base.

"(It's) for what he's done. What's he's done as a player and what he's done for this team," manager Walt Weiss said Wednesday before the Rockies hosted Arizona. Morneau, 34, was back in the Rockies' clubhouse Wednesday after a successful rehab stint with the team's Double-A affiliate in New Britain, Conn. He will be evaluated over the next few days to see if he's ready to rejoin the club.

Morneau suffered a concussion and a cervical neck sprain May 13 against the Los Angeles Angels and has not played since. He was transferred to the 60-day disabled list in early July.

If he returns, he will have to be reinstated to the Rockies' 40-man roster, meaning the team would have to designate a player for assignment. Moreover, if Morneau gets back on the field, he'll be taking playing time away from starter Ben Paulsen, as well as Wilin Rosario, who was called up from Triple-A on Tuesday.

"We have a lot of guys there, so we would have to mix and match," Weiss said. "But if (Morneau) is cleared to play, he's going to play. He's the consummate pro, and he's meant a lot to us during his two years here." Morneau made $5 million in 2014 while winning the National League batting title. He's making $6.75 million this year. There's a mutual, $9 million option for 2016 that includes a $75,000 buyout if the Rockies decline.

Weiss agreed that Morneau can use September to gauge if he can continue playing, and also use the month to display his talents to interested teams.

"I think that's first and foremost on his mind, to see if he still wants to play," Weiss said. "And the best-case scenario for him is playing at some point this season, as opposed to going into the offseason having not played."

Thirtysomething. This season marks the first time since 2004 that the Rockies have more than one player with 30 home runs. Nolan Arenado entered Tuesday's play with 32 homers (then hit his 33rd in the first inning), while Carlos Gonzalez had 31. In 2004, Jeromy Burnitz (37), (35) and (32) all hit more than 30. Roster moves. Colorado expanded it's September roster by two, adding relievers Brooks Brown and Justin Miller. David Hale will be added Thursday. That will likely complete the Rockies' September call-ups.

Looking ahead Giants' Ryan Vogelsong (9-10, 4.19 ERA) at Rockies' Chris Rusin (4-7, 4.94), 6:40 p.m. Thursday, ROOT; 630 AM

Vogelsong is struggling, and were it not for Matt Cain's sore elbow, he wouldn't be in the Giants' rotation. He has pitched beyond the fifth inning just once in his last five starts, so the Rockies have a chance to dent the Giants' postseason hopes Thursday night. Vogelsong has struggled against the Rockies in his last seven starts, posting a 2-3 record with a 7.75 ERA, with the Rockies hitting .321 against him. Rusin hasn't been a showstopper, but the left-hander has given the Rockies 10 quality starts.

Friday: Giants' TBA at Rockies' Jorge De La Rosa (8-6, 4.40 ERA), 6:40 p.m., ROOT

Saturday: Giants' Jake Peavy at Rockies' Chad Bettis (6-4, 4.78), 6:10 p.m., ROOT Sunday: Giants' Madison Bumgarner (16-7, 2.96) at Rockies' Yohan Flande (3-1, 4.04), 2:10 p.m., ROOT Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post

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Gonzalez has 2 HRs, 7 RBIs as Rockies beat D-backs, 9-4 By MICHAEL KELLY | Sep. 3, 2015 1:36 AM EDT

DENVER (AP) — After struggling at the start of the season, Carlos Gonzalez is finishing up strong. Gonzalez homered twice, including a grand slam, and had a career-high seven RBIs to give the Colorado Rockies a 9-4 victory over the on Wednesday night. Gonzalez, who had his 15th career multi-homer game, is tied with Nolan Arenado for the team lead with 33 home runs. Arenado also homered as the Rockies earned a split of the four-game series. Gonzalez scuffled in the first two months of the season when his batting average hovered near .200. He heated up after May and hasn't cooled off, hitting a major league-best 29 home runs since June 1. Gonzalez is hitting .319 since July 5 and raised his average to .270. "He's been pretty locked in for a while now," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "He can change the game at any time. Certainly on offense but on defense, too. He's one of those guys, one of the freaks in the league that can do something to wow you on any given night. He certainly did tonight." Brooks Brown (1-2) pitched 1 1/3 innings and Justin Miller got the final five outs for his first career save. Trailing 4-3 in seventh, the Rockies loaded the bases with two hits and a walk against Randall Delgado (5-4). Keith Hessler, recalled before the game, came on and Gonzalez hit a 1-1 slider off the facing of the second deck to put Colorado ahead 7-4. It was his fourth career grand slam, second this season. "I never faced the guy before," Gonzalez said. "The sheet says he throws a 95-mph fastball. In that situation I didn't want to get jammed. He decided to go with all sliders. It was a good pitch but I was able to throw my hands in and put it in the seats. It was down and going away from me but I got the barrel out front." Gonzalez added a two-run homer off Matt Stites in the eighth. "We still had a shot and I wanted to get a look at Stites," Arizona manager Chip Hale said. "He threw the ball (well) until two outs and then CarGo got him again." Gonzalez also helped starter Jon Gray out of a tough jam in the first inning when he made a diving catch on A.J. Pollock's sacrifice fly that gave Arizona a 1-0 lead. "He minimized damage," Weiss said. "It could have been a big inning right there." The Rockies rallied for three in the bottom of the inning. Gonzalez hit a sacrifice fly and Arenado followed with a two-run homer to center, giving him 100 RBIs. Arenado is the first Colorado player to reach that mark since Troy Tulowitzki had 105 in 2011. Chris Owings had three hits and drove in two runs for the Diamondbacks. He had an RBI single in the second and a run- scoring double in the sixth that tied the score at 3-all. He scored on a force out later in the inning to give Arizona the lead, but the bullpen couldn't hold it. "So we came out of it with two wins," Hale said. "A split on the road is not bad." TRAINER'S ROOM Diamondbacks: 1B is away from the team to be with his wife, Amy, for the birth of their first child. Goldschmidt left late Tuesday and is expected to rejoin the team in Chicago when they take on the Cubs this weekend. Rockies: 1B Justin Morneau (concussion symptoms) has rejoined the team but has not been activated. Weiss said Morneau has not been cleared yet despite having played in a rehab assignment with Double-A New Britain. ... RHP Tyler Chatwood pitched two innings in a rehab assignment for Single-A Modesto. Chatwood (Tommy John surgery) hasn't pitched since April 29, 2014. UP NEXT

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Diamondbacks: RHP Zack Godley (4-0, 1.90 ERA) will be recalled to start Friday's series opener against the Cubs in Chicago. Rockies: RHP Kyle Kendrick (4-7, 4.94 ERA) opens Colorado's four-game series against San Francisco on Thursday.

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Colorado Rockies should shut down Jon Gray By Drew Creasman @DrewCreasman on Sep 3, 2015, 11:42a | Purple Row

Other than Carlos Gonzalez' Jack-the-Ripper-esque murderous rampage against all , the biggest reason to watch Colorado Rockies games in the second half of 2015 has been Jon Gray.

But now that he has passed the 130 innings mark -- in addition to showing signs of fatigue on the mound -- it would be wise to shut him down very soon. In fact, I'm not sure he should make another start.

To my eyes, he was falling off his delivery last night to either side of the rubber giving him wildly inconsistent side-to-side command. He didn't have the strength and explosion in his body moving toward the plate that he normally does which made it harder to keep in a straight line.

After watching the film closely for his last two starts I think the command issues and slight reduction in velocity are coming from fatigue. Oddly enough, I though he compensated well by throwing some of his best sliders since being called up last night.f

Another day we can all fight about whether or not Jon Gray has been, or will be, worth all the hype, but today our question is: What do the Rockies or Gray gain by giving him a few more starts this season?

There is the ambiguous yet legitimate argument toward further development. Every at-bat is a potential learning learning situation but the difference between what he could gain in another six-12 innings and what he has seen already is likely negligible.

The goal in bringing him up the the MLB level was to get his feet wet. Feet status: Wet.

You also risk overloading a young pitcher with too much information, but everything else is secondary to preserving his arm. In an age where Stephen Strasburg was shut down for a playoff run despite pitching extraordinarily well at the time, the Rockies need to play the long game and so far under the new direction have shown a willingness and ability to do just that.

There is no reason to see if Gray can "push through" something like this now. Nor is there reason to see if he can push himself already into starting next season as the team's "ace" as some other writers have suggested.

What Gray gives the Rockies in terms of production means nothing this season. Sadly, it likely means nothing next season. But Gray's long term health is one of the top three factors toward realizing the future in the aftermath of the Tulowitzki trade. We don't need Gray to be good now, we need to do everything possible to make sure he is good two years from now.

It's going to make the rest of the season far less interesting to watch but -- and not because of anything he did wrong -- Jon Gray should be done pitching competitive innings in 2015.

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An At-the-Plate Anomaly: Madison Bumgarner and the Rapid Decline of the Hitting Pitcher SEPTEMBER 2, 2015 | by JONAH KERI | GRANTLAND

Last night’s Giants-Dodgers game provided plenty of intrigue: The teams are bitter rivals, the Giants desperately needed a win to cut down the Dodgers’ 4.5-game lead in the division, and the two guys who took the mound are both among the 10 best pitchers in baseball. They combined for three earned runs and 13 over 14.1 innings as the Dodgers came out on top, 2-1, but not only are and Madison Bumgarner bona fide Cy Young contenders; they’re also two of the best hitting pitchers in the game.

Granted, Greinke’s offensive numbers are down sharply from 2013, when he hit a terrific .328 and posted a sky-high .409 on-base percentage. Still, even after an 0-for-3 performance last night, he’s batting .207/.217/.328 this year, better than any starter except Tyson Ross and Bumgarner.

Despite Greinke’s best efforts both at the plate and on the mound last night, Bumgarner stands out as the undisputed king of #PitchersWhoRake.1Bumgarner joined the long list of hitters who’ve gone down quietly against Greinke, going 0-for-2 last night. But his batting line still stands at .254/.277/.508 this year, putting him in elite company. Among pitchers with 50 or more plate appearances in a season during the DH era, Bumgarner’s 2015 line places him 14th in park- and league- adjusted offense. And while he didn’t homer last night, Bumgarner’s five round-trippers this year rank fourth among pitchers in a single season since 1973.2 The Giants ace’s August surge has thrust him into the Cy Young conversation, and his pitching, of course, will always be the thing that gives other teams nightmares. Still, opposing pitchers now have a scouting report they must follow when he’s : Groove a pitch, and Bumgarner could hit the ball a mile.

Watch Bumgarner and Greinke enough, and you might be convinced that pitchers are experiencing something of a batting renaissance, but that’s just not true. In fact, the exact opposite seems to be happening.

♦♦♦

Forty-two years ago, as part of an effort to inject more offense into a sport that was coming off one of the lowest-scoring periods in its history, the implemented the designated-hitter rule. Rather than watching pitchers flail away at blazing fastballs and nasty breaking balls, the AL decided that each team could instead choose one hitter from its roster to bat in place of the pitcher. Ron Blomberg played a modest 461 games in the big leagues, but he’ll always be remembered for becoming the first DH in MLB history, stepping to the plate on of 1973 for the Yankees.

At that moment, the number of pitchers who’d need to learn how to hit was immediately cut in half. It’s no coincidence, then, that pitchers have grown progressively worse at hitting since Blomberg suited up for the Yankees. Since the advent of the DH, the best offensive season for pitchers was 1974 (the year after the DH began), when pitchers collectively hit .165/.208/.204. And nine of the 10 best offensive seasons for pitchers since ’73 came in that first decade after the DH was introduced, because there were still plenty of batting-trained pitchers making it to the majors.

As all the pre-DH stalwarts were eventually filtered out, though, things have gotten much worse. Seven of the 10 worst offensive seasons for pitchers since 1973 have come in the past decade. And the worst of those seasons came last year, when pitchers combined to “hit” a terrible .122/.153/.153.

This year hasn’t been much better, either, as pitchers have combined for the third-worst offensive results in the DH era. They’re batting a woeful .131/.157/.166, and let’s give that number some context. The worst batting-title-qualified hitter this season has been Royals second baseman Omar Infante. He’s batting a pathetic .218/.232/.308 … and those numbers still top every pitcher other than the outlier trio of Bumgarner, Ross, and Greinke. /GETTY IMAGES

So, how did we get here? In an analytically driven sport constantly striving for excellence, how did we reach a point where everyone now accepts total incompetence in one out of every nine times at bat?

“Specialization,” says Pirates GM Neal Huntington. “As early as high school, more pitchers are only pitching, so their bat never develops. Even guys that pitch and play a position tend to be more focused on pitching, as that is more than likely their best path to . On a positive note, high school and college coaches are more aware of overuse

19 risk and are less likely to play a kid at shortstop the day after he pitched. But that does cut down on at-bats and development as a hitter.”

That specialization puts pitchers in a bad spot from the moment they get drafted. Huntington says that pitchers drafted and signed into the Pirates’ system start taking batting practice right away in because many have batted so rarely in games at the amateur level. Even then, Huntington says, that batting practice happens only “periodically.”

Then there’s the question of how best to use a pitcher’s time. Tommy John surgery has become such an epidemic for young arms that teams are now hyperfocused on keeping pitchers healthy and getting them to the big leagues before the injury monster attacks, rather than even feigning interest in teaching them how to hit. Once they get to the big leagues, they encounter a landscape in which starters are pulled from games earlier than at any other point in MLB history, which further disincentivizes batting instruction.

“There are fewer opportunities to hit, and less need to focus on offense,” says Braves assistant general manager John Coppolella.

Although major league pitchers swinging at air might seem inevitable, many team execs still say they’d love to have pitchers who can handle the bat. But even then, hitting ability is only looked at as an indicator of desirable athleticism and not necessarily a skill that will ever help boost a team’s offense.

“We always try to target athletes when we look at pitchers, but that’s more about being able to repeat a delivery and field a position than it is swing a bat,” Coppolella said. “Some of our recent top picks like Lucas Sims and Kolby Allard were good two-way players in high school, and we have had a lot of success with converted players like Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy. In terms of trades or free agency, when you are trading good young players or spending a lot of money in the market, we are looking for the best pitcher. Whatever offense they can bring is an added bonus.”

Since the sample sizes tend to be so small, aside from those rare two-way players, teams are mostly guessing when it comes to how well a pitcher might be able to swing the bat once he gets to the majors.

“It is tough to quantify how much an amateur or [even a] pro pitcher has hit, or worked on hitting,” says Rockies GM Jeff Bridich. “Particularly when that pitcher is not yet a part of your organization.”

♦♦♦

The big question, then, is what — if anything — baseball should do about its dearth of pitchers who can swing the bat. Given how hard it is for pitchers to simply make it through a season without getting injured on the mound, having to bat provides another risk some don’t want to take: After hurting himself during an April at-bat, $210 million Nationals starter told reporters that nobody wanted to see pitchers hit and that expanding the DH rule to cover the National League was baseball’s best course of action.

Even longtime defenders of National League rules and DH-less baseball have started to come around.

“At my core, I am opposed to the DH,” Huntington says. “However, given the increase in the overall number of injuries in the game — I like the ability to distribute DH at-bats among all of a club’s regulars to help keep guys sharp and fresh — and the risk that we expose most professional pitchers to by asking them to do something that they are not equipped to do because they lack the experience and/or skill development, I have begun to see the benefits of the DH in both leagues.”

As for the other side of the argument, DH opponents cite the additional layer of strategy involved when it comes to managing one lineup spot that’s not likely to deliver offense. Even though its returns remain unclear, we’ve already seen plenty of managers start batting their pitchers eighth this season. And while a skeptic could argue that a pitcher declaring his intention to drop down a bunt two hours early isn’t quite the highest form of strategy, figuring out when to pull your starter or double-switch at least adds a little nuance to the game.

There’s also a bit of whimsy involved with the opposition to the DH: Sure, it may border on farce, but there’s also nothing quite like watching a lanky southpaw reach first base and then try to run the bases in a windbreaker. But for all the swinging and missing a pitcher normally provides at the plate, it also creates an atmosphere where anyone who’s 20 competent with a bat in his hands becomes an outlier and provides the kind of statistical unpredictability that makes sports so great in the first place.

Watching Bumgarner smash a ball into the bleachers can be breathtaking — it’s a player excelling at something he’s not really even paid to do. Then, of course, there are those moments when something truly special happens. Like when a completely overmatched pitcher somehow hits the ball right on the sweet spot of his bat.

So yes, hitting brings an additional injury risk for pitchers who can’t afford any more scares. It might even be unfair to expect pitchers, with all that goes into maintaining and improving their arms, to do something totally different than their one core skill. But on the rare occasion when it works out, we get rewarded with something we rarely see in other sports: a combination of pure joy and absolute comedy.

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Minor League Update Games of Wednesday, September 2nd by Jeff Moore | Baseball Prospectus

Raimel Tapia, OF, Rockies (Modesto, A+): 2-3, R, HR, K. Tapia is a polarizing prospect, though both those highest and lowest on him seem to see the same things. The question is just how they will work against better competition. Tapia is supremely talented at putting the barrel of the bat on a moving baseball, which is the key to hitting that you can’t teach and what gives him a head start on the majority of minor-league hitters. He swings at everything and lacks a plan at the plate, which becomes more concerning with each progressing season but hasn’t slowed him down yet. He’s also destined for a corner-outfield spot but has yet to grow into his power potential. There’s a lot to love about Tapia, but he’ll remain a volatile prospect among those debating him.

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