MEDIA CLIPS – April 10, 2017

Batting champ LeMahieu emerges from slump

By Owen Perkins / Special to MLB.com | April 9th, 2017

DENVER -- A silver lining to Sunday's 10-6 Rockies loss to the Dodgers came off the bench, and was powered by the man with the Silver Bat symbolizing his Award from 2016.

DJ LeMahieu, last year's batting champion who boasted a Majors-best .348 average, was taking a pre-planned day off

Sunday, but it probably came at an opportune time. LeMahieu entered the game in the seventh inning having .087 (2- for-23) in his first six games of the season.

"It's not like an ideal start for me, but it's fine," LeMahieu said after Sunday's game. "I had a couple good ABs today. I'm ready to get going, and ready to beat up on the Padres coming in. We had a good series this series. I'm ready to get going tomorrow already."

LeMahieu matched his season total of two hits with two late-inning at-bats Sunday, a couple hard drives to right field with the second bouncing off the out-of-town scoreboard for a .

"Those are more like his swings," manager said. "The line drive to right. The ball that hit off the wall, he hit that good. That was good to see."

His ninth-inning -scoring triple and his subsequent run scored to touch Dodgers Kenley Jansen for two runs gave the Rockies a sense of satisfaction as they won the series, but lost their chance at the sweep.

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"With Jansen, he's usually lights out," LeMahieu said. "We didn't want him to have a comfortable inning. I feel like we put together some good ABs, so it was good to get on their closer like that."

A week is a small sample during the course of a 162-game season, and nobody in the Rockies clubhouse has panicked about the reigning batting champ, who seems to be finding his groove again.

"It kind of stinks to get off to a start like that, especially when guys are on base and I'm not driving guys in," LeMahieu said. "It's really frustrating. But I felt good today. Hopefully, I can continue that. I'm looking forward to playing the Padres."

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Blackmon homers as Rockies lose finale

By Owen Perkins and Ken Gurnick / MLB.com | April 9th, 2017

DENVER -- The Dodgers jumped ahead of Colorado early Sunday at Coors Field and held on through six tight innings before pulling away in the seventh, avoiding a sweep and rising above .500. The pop from the top of the order paced

L.A.'s 10-6 win over the Rockies on a windswept day.

"We needed to get a win today," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

The Dodgers took the early lead on a serving of first-inning doubles from Logan Forsythe and three- hole hitter , who plated two with his drive to left. took a free pass between the doubles. The

Forsythe-Seager-Turner triumvirate reached base in six of their first seven trips to the plate, scoring four runs and driving home all of L.A.'s first five runs.

Seager padded the Dodgers' early lead with his second homer of 2017, a towering 427-foot two-run shot to center field.

Rockies starter Tyler Anderson had uncharacteristic control troubles, walking a career-high four batters in five innings.

Three of his four walks resulted in runs, and his high pitch count -- 95 pitches (54 for strikes) sped his exit, marking his shortest career outing at Coors Field.

"Tyler's a strikes thrower," Rockies manager Bud Black said. "Today he was a little bit off. The walks came back to haunt him a couple different occasions. He'll work on that between starts. His next start up in San Francisco, hopefully we'll see a better ball-strike ratio."

Anderson is the first lefty the Dodgers have beaten in three tries this season.

Dodgers starter took advantage of the cushion to notch his first win of the season without his best stuff, allowing four runs on five hits and a walk while striking out five in five innings. It marked the most runs the right-hander has allowed against the Rockies in five career starts.

"I thought Kenta pitched well until the leadoff walk to [Tony] Wolters in the fifth," said Roberts. "That got him off track a little bit."

Charlie Blackmon sailed his first homer of the season through the wind when he crushed a 403-foot blast over the center-field fence in the third inning and trimmed the Dodgers' lead to 4-2.

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DJ LeMahieu powered a ninth-inning Rockies rally with a run-scoring triple, touching closer Kenley Jansen for two runs in the losing effort.

"With Jansen, he's usually lights out," LeMahieu said. "We didn't want him to have a comfortable inning. It was good to get on their closer like that."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Extra outs: The Dodgers converted a pair of unusual fielding plays and a Rockies error into extra runs to secure their lead in the sixth and break away in the seventh. Austin Barnes tripled to right with one out in the sixth, taking advantage of swirling winds that gusted from 10-38 mph and a tough sky to get an extra base. Rockies Alexi

Amarista stopped a grounder from pinch-hitter Andrew Toles in the next at-bat, but couldn't get a throw off to first as

Barnes scored from third.

A costly error in the seventh came on Wolters' pickoff attempt that allowed Turner to score. Two more runs would score before the end of the inning.

Black talked to home-plate umpire Gary Cederstrom about possible interference from Turner on the pickoff attempt.

"They said it was non-interference, and I begged to differ," Black said. "I thought it was. They said it wasn't. I do like the fact that they conferred, the home-plate umpire and the third-base umpire conferred. In real time, what I saw, it looked a little funky."

Tyler sets the table: With everyone in the park knowing the attempt was coming, Anderson put down a beauty of a sacrifice bunt in the third inning with one out and Wolters on first to set the stage for Blackmon's first homer of the season.

The rally got the Rockies back in the game, and they were able to keep it close until the Dodgers' three-run seventh.

QUOTABLE

"That was one of the weirdest games, weather-wise, condition-wise, I've probably ever played at Coors Field, for sure." --

LeMahieu, on the bizarre conditions that wreaked havoc on the behavior of the baseball Sunday

"You could tell as the game went on there were a number of plays that definitely affected the ball. You saw a couple of step off, not unlike Stu Miller back in the All-Star Game at Candlestick. There were some balls that were knocked down, there were some balls that carried in the wind. That's almost better to have no wind and have it be cold than to be windy. It screws a lot of things up." -- Black, on the mighty wind

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SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

The Rockies bullpen gave up five runs (four earned) on 10 hits and a walk in four innings Sunday. In the season's previous six games, Rockies relievers had given up a total of four runs on 12 hits and eight walks in 21 innings.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW

The Dodgers asked for a review of Cederstrom's call on a passed ball that rolled into the Dodgers' dugout with runners on first and second in the seventh, claiming that Wolters touched the ball with his mask. On a crew-chief review, the umpires verified that the play was not reviewable.

"We thought Wolters might have touched the ball before it went into the dugout, but we learned that play is not reviewable," Roberts said.

In the top of the ninth, the Rockies challenged a "no-catch" call on an Adrian Gonzalez short fly to left that Gerardo

Parra dove for and gloved. The initial call was that the ball hit the grass. Gonzalez was safe at first with a 7-3 fielder's choice as Parra threw out Yasiel Puig as he returned to first base thinking the ball had been caught. After review, the call was ruled to stand.

"Yasiel got a good jump and thought he made the catch and retreated, but he didn't pick up the umpire, and the umpire made the right call," said Roberts.

WHAT'S NEXT

Dodgers: Alex Wood subs for to start Monday's 5:05 p.m. PT game against the Cubs, who will be raising their

World Series championship banners in the opener.

Rockies: Tyler Chatwood (0-1, 6.00 ERA) climbs the hill for his second start of the season, a 6:40 p.m. MT tilt with the

Padres on Monday. Chatwood was 3-0 in four starts against San Diego in 2016, posting a 3.76 ERA and walking nine while striking out 21 over 26 1/3 innings.

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Lefty Rusin's return bolsters bullpen

By Daniel Kramer / MLB.com | April 9th, 2017

DENVER -- A versatile Rockies bullpen installed another left-hander Sunday when Chris Rusin was activated off the 10- day disabled list from a right oblique strain he suffered March 3.

Rusin pitched two innings in Sunday's 10-6 loss to the Dodgers, and gave up an unearned run and four hits while striking out two. He issued no walks, and pitched through 40-mph winds. He also started an inning-ending in the eighth inning.

"I feel good," Rusin said. "It was good to be back, and get out there and compete. I missed some of my locations and some of my pitches were a little rusty, but all in all, I was pleased with attacking the strike zone and not walking anybody.

… It's just one of those days, crazy Colorado weather that you just have to deal with and try to block it out, and make your pitches."

The Rockies' eight-man bullpen is now carrying three lefties -- Rusin, and Jake McGee -- giving manager Bud

Black a resourceful luxury of depth.

"It gives you options to get certain matchups that you like on a given night you might want to get to," Black said. "Again, it all comes down to availability of the guys that night, and what you're looking for. I hate saying it, but every game is different based on what happened the previous night -- how guys feel, how their stuff is and what not."

In the Rockies' five wins this season, the bullpen has been credited with three wins and has given up just two earned runs in 19 innings (0.95 ERA).

Rusin gives the Rockies a utility pitching role. His best outings last year came in relief, particularly a string of nine outings from Aug. 29 to Sept. 29 in which he tossed 10 1/3 scoreless innings and gave up two hits. He also has long-relief capability, having made 15 appearances of three or more innings, including seven starts. As a reliever in '16, Rusin was 2-

1 with a 2.58 ERA and 0.926 WHIP.

The Rockies haven't needed a long reliever this season, even with their bullpen amassing 21 innings entering Sunday.

They've made do with their current depth, sending Carlos Estevez, and McGee when the primary setup of

Dunn, Adam Ottavino and Greg Holland need rest, such as in Friday's 2-1 home opener win over the Dodgers.

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It's largely why right-hander German Marquez, who was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque in a corresponding move

Sunday, hadn't pitched since making his first career Opening Day roster. Marquez, who last pitched in game action in a

Cactus League game March 30, will immediately be installed in Albuquerque's starting rotation, Black said.

Black, Story discuss plate discipline

At this time last year had seven home runs through the Rockies' first six games, which set an MLB record.

The slugging is still seeking his first deep fly of '17, but said his approach has been geared toward rate than slugging percentage. Entering Sunday, Story had fanned nine times in 24 plate appearances. He laced a double off in Saturday's 4-2 win.

In consulting Story about his plate discipline, Black has maintained a simple approach.

"We've talked about a lot of different things," Black said. "Not just on-base percentage, we've talked about a lot of different things. We talk baseball. In regards to his offense, he specifically said: 'Yeah, Buddy, I want to cut down my and walk more.' We don't talk statistics."

Worth noting

• Triple-A Pat Valaika hit for his first career cycle Saturday in the Isotopes' 12-5 win over Salt Lake, finishing with a career-high seven RBIs and three runs scored. Valaika, the Rockies' ninth-round Draft choice out of UCLA in 2013, cracked the Majors as a September call-up last year, and went 5-for-19 with a homer, two RBIs and eight strikeouts in 13 games.

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Rockies' Black welcomes former club to town

By AJ Cassavell / MLB.com | April 9th, 2017

Bud Black spent nine seasons at the helm of the Padres. On Monday, he'll manage against them for the first time when the Friars visit Colorado.

The Rockies hired Black during the offseason, a year and a half after the Padres let him go midseason. During his time in

San Diego, Black posted a 649-713 record, while never making the postseason. Coincidentally, it was the Rockies who spoiled his best chance, beating the Padres in a thrilling Game 163 in 2007.

Full Game Coverage

Tyler Chatwood starts for Colorado. The Padres, meanwhile, turn to Jarred Cosart to replace Trevor Cahill, who was placed on the 10-day disabled list Sunday with a lower back strain. For Cosart, he will return to the rotation after making only the second relief appearance of his career Thursday.

Things to know about this game

• In 2016, Chatwood contrasted his 1.69 road ERA with a 6.12 mark at Coors Field. He struggled a bit in his season debut, allowing four runs over six innings in Milwaukee on Wednesday.

• In 16 career games at Coors Field, Padres Wil Myers is batting .323/.378/.600. His five home runs there are tied with Yankee Stadium for his most anywhere as a visitor.

• The Rockies won their final four meetings against the Padres last year, giving them the season-series victory, 10 games to nine.

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Bullpen of the Week: Rockies Holland resurfaces in Colorado; McGee, Dunn also solid

By Doug Miller / MLB.com | 9:19 AM ET

The are feeling good. They're playing well. And one of the main reasons has been the work done by their bullpen in the opening week of the Major League season.

The Rockies finished off the week with a 5-2 record, and the efforts of their relief pitchers earned the collective group the honor of MLB Bullpen of the Week presented by The Hartford.

As part of the MLB Prevailing Moments program, each Monday throughout the 2017 season, MLB.com is honoring the

Bullpen of the Week. An industry-wide panel of MLB experts, including legendary stats guru Bill James, constructed a metric based on James' widely renowned game-score formula, to provide a weekly measurement of team-bullpen performance.

Here's how the Bullpen Rating System is compiled for each week. For reference, a weekly score of 100 is considered outstanding:

• Add 1.5 points for each out recorded

• Add 1.5 points for each strikeout

• Add 5 points for a save

• Subtract 2 points for each hit allowed

• Subtract 4 points for each earned run allowed

• Subtract 2 points for each unearned run allowed

• Subtract 1 point for each walk

• Subtract 5 points for a blown save

The Colorado bullpen scored a rating of 98 points by allowing eight earned runs and 22 hits in 25 innings of relief.

Relievers struck out 35 batters against nine walks, and they earned five saves.

Resurgent closer Greg Holland showed he's all the way back from Tommy John surgery, earning four of the saves by pitching four scoreless innings and striking out six batters while walking one. Jake McGee also did well, garnering the 9

other save and striking out four batters in two innings. And left-hander Mike Dunn might have pushed the Rockies over the edge. Dunn was simply spectacular, going 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA and striking out seven batters in four innings over four appearances.

The unexpected: Right-hander Carlos Estevez didn't have much experience above Double-A before he arrived on the big league scene last year, and it remained to be seen how he'd fare this year after making the team out of Spring

Training. So far, so good.

How they prevailed: Estevez went 1-0 after going unscored upon in 3 1/3 innings, striking out four, including a high- leverage situation in a 2-1 victory over the Dodgers on April 7 in which he protected a one-run lead in the seventh inning despite giving up a leadoff to Corey Seager. That was good for his third hold of the season.

The Rockies relief corps' overall performance was good enough to finish ahead of the equally surprising , who earned a weekly rating of 93 and just squeaked by the third-place Dodgers (92) and fourth-place Yankees (90.5).

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Gerardo Parra bounces back and against the best lefty in baseball; LeMahieu sits, Rusin returns Parra has a .440 batting average with a and six RBIs

By Nick Groke / Denver Post | April 10, 2017

Gerardo Parra, the Rockies’ diminutive pest, is a giant killer. Against one giant, anyway. Colorado’s roving left fielder on

Saturday belted a solo home run off Dodgers all-world lefty Clayton Kershaw. He is among the most successful hitters against the three-time Cy Young Award winner.

Parra’s home run, backing up Mark Reynolds‘ two-run shot, were the first back-to-back homers off Kershaw in his 10-year career. It gave Parra a 1.023 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) against the lefty, the highest OPS among hitters with at least 30 at-bats. Parra passed (1.016) on Saturday.

“He’s the best right now in the big leagues. I don’t want to try too much. I just got a couple good at-bats against him.”

Parra’s fast start this season (.440 batting average with a home run and six RBIs) has helped ease some worry. A season ago, he hit .253 and averaged a strikeout every five at-bats. It was his worst professional season.

BOXSCORE: Dodgers 10, Rockies 6

“I don’t want to talk about last year,” he said. “This is a new year. My point is to work hard and play hard every day.”

Parra switcheroo. Colorado manager Bud Black on Sunday used Parra’s streaking bat in the No. 2 spot of their batting order. He bumped Parra up from the fifth spot in place of second baseman DJ LeMahieu. Parra went 3-for-5.

Black, though, said Parra is not likely to remain in the two-spot. LeMahieu, who struggled through six games, tripled and singled off the bench Sunday.

“Look at each game, look at each series, see what makes sense,” Black said. “If he would’ve hit three home runs

(Saturday) night, he probably would’ve played (Sunday). I do have a home run rule: if you hit a home run you play the next day. Don’t hold me to it.”

Rusin back. Left-handed long reliever Chris Rusin returned to the Colorado clubhouse Sunday, activated from the disabled list after recovering from a rib muscle oblique injury. The Rockies, in turn, sent right-hander German Marquez down to Triple-A Albuquerque.

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Marquez, 22, did not appear in a game this season and will resume a starters role in the minors. He was the odd-man out in when the Rockies sought a fourth and fifth starter. Those jobs went to and Kyle

Freeland.

Rusin was placed in Colorado’s bullpen, where he will share a long-arm role with . Rusin gives the Rockies three left-handed relievers in an eight-man pen.

“It’s a luxury if they’re good,” Black said.

Looking ahead…

Padres RHP Jarred Cosart (0-0, 27.00) at Rockies RHP Tyler Chatwood (0-1, 6.00), Monday, 6:40 p.m., ROOT TV,

850-AM

The Padres’ hodgepodge roster — general manager A.J. Preller has them in rebuild mode — owns a .250 average against Chatwood over the past five seasons — but on just 32 at-bats. More than half of them will face Chatwood for the first time. Chatwood, 27, the Rockies’ most experience starter, struck out five and walked none in his first outing last week at Milwaukee. But they touched him for four runs over six innings. His home-road splits last year were extreme, throwing a

1.69 ERA on the road (the second-best road mark in baseball) and a 6.12 ERA at Coors Field.

Tuesday: Padres RHP Jered Weaver (0-1, 7.20) at Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (0-0, 0.00), 6:40 p.m., ROOT

Wednesday: Padres RHP Luis Perdomo (0-0, 8.44) at Rockies LHP (1-0, 1.50), 1:10 p.m., ROOT

Thursday: Rockies RHP (0-0, 5.79) at Giants’ LHP (0-1, 3.00), 8:15 p.m., ROOT

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Dodgers get right against lefty Tyler Anderson as Rockies miss sweep at windy Coors Field Anderson struggles at Coors Field

By Nick Groke / Denver Post | April 10, 2017

A crack opened in the ’ early campaign for a fifth consecutive West title.

After hitting 50 points lower against left-handed pitchers than right-handers in 2016, the first week of this season was hinting that not much had changed. Manager Dave Roberts’ lineup, including Rockies killer Adrian Gonzalez and 2016 rookie of the year Corey Seager, seemed vulnerable.

So Rockies manager Bud Black set up two southpaws for his first series against the Dodgers. When rookie Kyle Freeland started for Colorado on Friday, Roberts responded by sitting Gonzalez and Seager for statistically leveraged right-handed bats. It didn’t work. Freeland struck six in seven innings and the Rockies won.

On Sunday, Colorado lined up behind lefty Tyler Anderson looking to sweep Los Angeles. But Gonzalez and Seager started and pushed the Dodgers to a series-saving 10-6 victory over the Rockies with 33,529 in attendance at wind- whipped Coors Field.

“Most of his pitches, he didn’t have command of any of them,” Black said of Anderson. “The ball-strike ratio was almost

50-50, which is not going to work for a . Tyler is a strike thrower. The walks came back to haunt him.”

The Rockies, who beat Clayton Kershaw on Saturday night and moved to 5-1 for just the third time in their 25-year history, fell to 5-2. The Dodgers won for the first time in three tries this season against a lefty starter and improved to 4-3.

“They are really good players,” Black said of Gonzalez and Seager. “They are everyday players. Everyday players, you know what they do? They play every day. Isn’t that profound?”

Seager in the second inning belted an 87 mph cut fastball from Anderson to center field for a two-run homer. That gave the Dodgers an early 4-0 lead. And Gonzalez in the seventh singled in a run to help push L.A. to a five-run advantage.

As 42 mph wind gusts spun empty bags of chips and napkins into trash tornadoes around Coors Field, Anderson lost his control. After Logan Forsythe doubled to lead off the first, Seager walked and Justin Turner doubled them in.

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Anderson walked Forsythe in the second before Seager homered. And Anderson walked Kike Hernandez to lead off the fourth before Forsythe singled him in for a 5-2 lead.

The wind drew Black into remembering Candlestick Park in San Francisco, the long-ago stadium notorious for its blustery weather.

“You saw a couple pitchers step off, not unlike Stu Miller in the All-Star Game at Candlestick Park,” Black said. Miller’s notorious slip off the mound in the ninth inning in 1961 gave the a game-tying balk.

“You could tell, as the game went on, there were a number of plays the wind definitely affected the ball,” Black said.

Anderson walked a career-high four and struck out three. He left after five innings with a three-run deficit.

“A lot of pitches in the first inning. Probably not what you want to do,” Anderson said.

But even with the wind slamming in from left field, Rockies sailed a two-run homer in the bottom of the third off Kenta Maeda, cutting the lead to 4-2.

Colorado bounced back in the fifth, too, when Gerardo Parra singled to left to score Tony Wolters and Blackmon scored on a sacrifice fly by Carlos Gonzalez to make it 5-4. But with Anderson out and long man Jordan Lylesin, the seventh inning devolved into a mess, with a wild pitch, a passed ball and an error as the Dodgers scored three more.

The Rockies a season ago went 7-12 against Los Angeles. They last finished with a winning record against L.A. in 2013.

They got blown away Sunday.

“Sometimes baseball has crazy innings like that,” Colorado catcher Tony Wolters said. “We’re trying to get as few of those this year as possible. Every team gets those innings. It’s just trying to slow the game down. We came back and started battling, but lost. We’ll come back tomorrow.”

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Trevor Story’s strikeouts are not concerning Greg Holland and Mike Dunn look great, and other trends from the first week of baseball.

By Isaac Marks / Purple Row | @IsaacSMarks | Apr 10, 2017, 12:00pm MDT

This has been the most wonderfully strange first week of baseball for the Colorado Rockies in my memory. The bullpen (!) has been the strongest part of the team, Gerardo Parra looks like a player, and the Rockies are off to their hottest start since 2015, when they started the season 7-2 while sweeping the Brewers in Milwaukee and the

Giants in San Francisco. I’m a very happy person because of all of this, but there is some concern around the Rockies potent offense; the usual suspects besides superstar are struggling.

Charlie Blackmon, DJ LeMahieu, Carlos Gonzalez, and Trevor Story have all started the season below the Mendoza Line.

Three of these four - Blackmon, Gonzalez, LeMahieu - have been BABip’d to death with a .250, .222, and .200 BABip, respectively. Those will rise as the season progresses.

Story currently has a BABip of .308, so his issue isn’t on balls in play; it’s putting the ball in play. I know, I know, it’s only the first week, but here’s the thing; that’s always going to be an issue for Story. His high strikeout rate has been well documented, along with the decrease in strikeouts as 2016 progressed, but he’s never going to be a guy that drops his strikeout percentage below 20. That’s not his game. The strikeouts come with the power. The power will come, but Story’s added something else while that comes around; patience.

Last year during his fiery start, Story struck out 11 times in his first 32 at-bats. This year, Story has struck out 11 times in his first 28 at-bats. Still not good, but not outside of the norm for him in his very short major league career. Again, we are looking at a very small sample size by comparing his first week of two seasons, but even during Story’s power binge he walked only once. This year, while he’s been struggling for hits, he’s walked four times, showing patience when the power isn’t there. That’s not to say the power isn’t there - three of his four hits are doubles - but the added patience is a good sign moving forward, both for hits and his strikeout rate.

Story isn’t going to be replaced for a while. He’s our shortstop of the foreseeable future. Have patience, just like Story; the power will come around.

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Four other things from the opening week:

Greg Holland looks like the Real Greg Holland

The Real Greg Holland was a dominant force in one of the best bullpens in recent memory; from 2013-2015, the triumvirate of Holland, Kelvin Herrera, and Wade Davis terrorized the American League Central. Holland went down with an injury and is still making his way back to his old form and is dominating his way there. In four innings, Holland has allowed only one hit and has struck out seven. Best part; there’s a chance that he’s going to get even better as the year goes on.

Rookie pitchers making a difference

Kyle Freeland was wonderful after a shaky and nerve-filled first inning for the home opener on Friday following Antonio

Senzatela’s wonderful debut in Milwaukee. Those two have delivered the two best starts in the short season, going a combined 11 innings, allowing six hits, five walks, and striking out 12. Hell of a start to two promising careers.

Mike Dunn is on a scoreless streak

Mike Dunn’s signing was widely criticized this offseason. The Rockies were giving another left-handed pitcher a three- year deal after coming off an injury. Don’t they remember the first two years of ?

Dunn has been lights out in a Rockies uniform. In four appearances this year, Dunn has pitched four innings while allowing one hit, two walks and striking out seven. If we go back and include Spring Training, Dunn has pitched in 13.2 innings, allowed two hits, walked six, and has produced 19 strikeouts. So far so good! *knocks on wood*

Left-handed pitchers can hit; righties can’t

The Rockies have gotten two hits from their pitchers to start the season, one each from Freeland and Tyler Anderson. Jon

Gray, Tyler Chatwood, and Senzatela are all hitless on the year and Senzatela doesn’t have an official at-bat due to two sacrifice bunts. This information clearly proves that lefty pitchers are better hitters.

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Rockies injury updates: Chris Rusin returns; , Tom Murphy recovering Help is coming ... eventually.

By Bryan Kilpatrick / Purple Row | @purplerowBK | Apr 10, 2017, 12:00pm MDT

DENVER — The Colorado Rockies, after a spring full of injury surprises, are inching closer to getting healthy.

Chris Rusin returned to the big league bullpen on Sunday and worked a couple of innings, allowing an unearned run on four hits while walking a batter and striking out two. It was a decent performance that came a couple of days after Rusin

2 worked 2 ⁄3 scoreless innings in Triple-A Albuquerque’s opener.

Fellow reliever Jairo Diaz—now at the tail end of his recovery from a torn UCL—is a little further away from returning, according to Rockies GM Jeff Bridich, but is progressing in his own right.

“Jairo threw a live BP today at Salt River and our plan is at some point soon for him to go out on an official rehab

[assignment]," Bridich told reporters prior to the home opener on Friday. Diaz made two appearances in Cactus League

2 play, allowing six earned runs on five hits in 1 ⁄3 innings.

David Dahl, on the 10-day disabled list with a rib injury, is still seemingly a while away.

“He’s doing athletic stuff now,” Bridich said. “They’re small steps toward ramping up his overall activity. We’re still in a waiting game, like with [Ian] Desmond and [Tom] Murphy.”

Considering Dahl spent only 18 games at Triple-A last season and offers roster flexibility because of the team’s ability to option him, it won’t be a surprise if he spends a little bit more time than usual rehabbing the injury.

Unlike Dahl, who is in extended spring training in Arizona, Murphy and Desmond are currently with the big league club.

Both are healing well—”My arm feels good,” Murphy said Friday—from fractured bones and will undergo additional medical evaluation today, with the next steps in their respective rehab programs to be determined shortly thereafter.

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Rockies unable to sweep Dodgers after windy Sunday game Pitching goes a little wild on a windy day

By Richard Bergstrom / Purple Row | Apr 10, 2017, 7:30am MDT

DENVER - After two brilliantly executed games to open up the return of baseball to Denver, Colorado Rockies fans came to Coors Field on Sunday hoping to see a sweep of the defending National League West champions, the Los

Angeles Dodgers. Instead, their wishes were blown out of town as the Dodgers beat the Rockies 10-6 on a particularly windy day at 20th and Blake.

Tyler Anderson took the hill for the Rockies in his second start of the year. He lasted only five innings while giving up eight hits and a career high four walks while striking out only three batters. It took him thirty pitches just to get through the first inning as he labored with his command against a Dodgers lineup with a reputation of having difficulties of left handers.

After the game, manager Bud Black said “Most of his pitches didn’t have command. His ball-strike ratio was almost fifty- fifty, which is not going to work for a starting pitcher. Tyler’s a strikethrower, today he was just a little bit off.” Continuing a trend that started last September and was in play during last week’s start against Milwaukee, not only is he giving up more hits than innings pitched, but he’s also giving up more flyball outs than groundball outs.

Dodgers starter Kenta Maeda also only lasted five innings, allowing four runs in the process, including a Charlie

Blackmon home run. The score was 5-4 Dodgers when it became a bullpen game. Unlike the other outings so far though, the Rockies bullpen wasn’t quite up to the task today. Each of the Rockies relievers used Sunday, Scott Oberg, Jordan

Lyles and the recently promoted Chris Rusin, gave up at least one run in their appearances. The worst line score effort came from Jordan Lyles who allowed three runs in his one inning of work.

The Rockies offense, though it put runs on the board, remained a bit out of sync. In the third through seventh slots in the order, the Rockies went 0 for 19 with one walk and 10 strikeouts.

The wind, mild to begin the game, was a swirl of chaos in the later innings. “Have I managed a game that was windy? I am going to say no. Have I played in a game as windy as that? Yes... you saw a couple guys step off, not unlike Stu

Miller [who balked during the 1961 All-Star Game] at Candlestick Park.” Hot dog wrappers and paper bags whipped through the field of play onto the pitcher’s mound as pitches were being thrown. The wind affected the play for both sides,

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causing players like Mark Reynolds to dive for what should’ve been a routine infield fly to completely killing a line drive to center field that landed about twenty feet short of where Charlie Blackmon thought it would end up.

Beyond the wind, Tony Wolters was involved in two unusual plays in the 7th inning. One came from a gallant effort by Wolters to corral a passed ball. After the pitch bounced off the heel of his glove, Wolters raced towards the errant ball, trying to prevent an automatic base advancement which, had the ball entered the dugout, advanced the baserunners and allowed a runner to score. In the process of hustling, Wolters slid into the Dodgers dugout himself though which generated an umpire conference on whether or not the Dodgers should still get the runner advancement. They didn’t and they also announced that kind if play wasn’t renewable. Later on that inning, Wolters attempted to pick off Justin Turner off third base. As Turned tried to return, he stepped into fair territory which made Wolters’ attempt carom off his back and into the outfield, allowing Turner to score. That play wasn’t reviewable either.

Still, with as weird as this game got, there were some positive takeaways. Both long men in the Rockies bullpen got a lot of work, meaning that all the other one inning relievers with the possible exception of Oberg would be available for the

Rockies next series against the Padres. Blackmon and DJ LeMahieu, who entered the game as a , had two hits each which might indicate they may be making progress at getting out of their early season slumps.

Also, the Rockies have a record of 5-2 and a pretty well-rested plan for the San Diego series. That series begins tonight.

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Black moves on, up with Rockies

By Kevin Acee | April 9, 2017

Bud Black had to go. In the end, he’d been here too long, was just too intrinsically a part of the Padres.

A team that would be seeking a new direction needed a new voice.

But Black most certainly could have overseen the Padres youth movement.

They played music during workouts and ping pong in the clubhouse at the Colorado Rockies spring training complex this year, too.

But, just shy of 60, he’s in a better place now, at least for now.

After being fired by the Padres a third of the way through the 2015 season, Black spent the ’16 season out of managing before landing a mile high – and probably a couple years ahead of where the Padres are.

“This is a good young team,” Black said late last month as he stood watching his players warm up before a morning workout. “Even the guys that have established themselves … those guys are in their 20’s. The core group is young and talented.

“Are we in a good place now and moving forward in the next two, three, four, five years? Yeah.”

Even with Nolan Arenado (25), Charlie Blackmon (29), D.J. LeMahieu (28) and Trevor Story (24) comprising what is considered to be one of the better up-and-coming, on-the-verge cores in baseball, the major league experience those players have far surpasses what Andy Green, Black’s successor in San Diego, has to work with.

Add in Ian Desmond and Carlos Gonzalez, both 31, and the Rockies appear to be about where the Padres hope to be in two years or so.

Through the season’s first week, the Rockies (5-2) are second in the National League West, a game behind Arizona after taking two of three from the Dodgers over the weekend.

The two teams Black has managed in the big leagues meet a three-game series that begins Monday at Coors Field.

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Black has been in this place before, if in the exact opposite type of place.

When Black got his first managerial gig in San Diego in 2007, was cavernous, back before the Jack Daniels deck was built and before they eliminated a good portion of the acreage in the gaps.

Black spent a lot of time counseling Padres hitters in those days.

Now he’ll manage half his games at Coors Field and anticipated spending time inside the heads of pitchers.

“This is the reverse of Petco,” he said.

Coors Field is where pitchers go to cry and managers tread carefully through nine innings that feel more like a roller coaster than a game.

“You were always uncomfortable,” Black said of the 76 games he managed at Coors Field as a visitor. “That’s the thing I have to get used to. I’m going to be uncomfortable for 81 games.”

The Rockies entered this season believing they had their best rotation in year, perhaps ever. But every one of their starting pitchers is in their 20s, and two made their major league debuts last week.

“I’m pumped about it,” Black said. “I’m excited about young guys. I like young players, and these young pitchers are talented. They’ve got big arms and have good heads on their shoulders.”

Young is relative, and Black knows the difference. The Padres had a chance to truly start over a couple times during his eight-plus seasons leading a franchise that at times seemed to lack a compass.

He didn’t endure the do-over in San Diego and now has joined the Rockies a few years after their still-young core began to matriculate to the majors.

It was surreal to see Black in purple this spring. His eight-plus seasons with the Padres was the second-longest managerial tenure in the majors (same as Bruce Bochy and behind Mike Scioscia) at the time of his firing.

Further, he had made San Diego his offseason home since 1989, a decade after his senior year at San Diego State. That is where he met his wife. The younger of his two daughters was born in San Diego, both were raised here and have

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returned to live here. Even when pitching coach for the Angels from 2000 until being hired as Padres manager after the

’06 season, Black commuted from the Rancho Santa Fe house he still owns and will return to in the offseason.

“San Diego is my home,” Black said. “I love it. When you think about it, to manage and live in a place you love for that long — hey, how about that?”

And how perfectly San Diego sports it would be for Black to finally get to the playoffs, managing the winner he deserves, in a place so different than his home.

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Colorado Rockies Roster News: Chris Rusin Reinstated from Disabled List

By Kevin Henry / Rox Pile | Apr 10, 2017, 7:30am MDT

During spring training, the Colorado Rockies were hit with numerous injuries. On Sunday, the Rockies got the first of their injured players back on the active roster.

Prior to their series-ending game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field, the Rockies announced they had reinstated left-handed pitcher Chris Rusin from the 10-day disabled list. With the move, the Rockies optioned right- hander German Marquez to Triple-A Albuquerque.

The 30-year-old Rusin was placed on the 10-day disabled list on April 2, retroactive to March 30, with a right oblique strain. Prior to being recalled by the Rockies, Rusin made one rehab appearance with Triple-A Albuquerque (on April 6), throwing 2.2 scoreless innings and allowing two hits and no walks with three strikeouts.

Last season, Rusin made seven starts and 22 relief appearances for Colorado. The southpaw went 2-1 with a 2.58 ERA, surrendering eight walks and logging 41 strikeouts as a reliever. In two seasons with the Rockies since being acquired off waivers from the on Sept. 27, 2014, Rusin has gone 9-15 with a 4.71 ERA, with 64 walks and 155 strikeouts in 52 appearances, 29 of those being starts.

The 22-year-old Marquez did not make an appearance in his time on the Rockies Opening Day roster, the first time he had been included on an Opening Day roster. In 2016, he went 1-1 with a 5.23 ERA with six walks and 15 strikeouts in six appearances (including three starts) in his debut season in Colorado. He earned his first career win on Sept. 21 against

St. Louis, becoming the second-youngest Rockies pitcher to earn his first career win.

Rusin returning to the Rockies not only gives Colorado a veteran arm in the bullpen, it also returns Rusin to the role in which he thrived last season. Marquez, meanwhile, will return to Albuquerque and be inserted into the rotation. Long-term, the Rockies envision Marquez as a starter rather than a reliever.

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Colorado Rockies Morning After: Rox Fall as Dodgers Hang 10

By Nolan Lees / Rox Pile | Apr 10, 2017, 7:30am MDT

The Colorado Rockies modest three-game winning streak came to an end Sunday afternoon as they dropped the finale of their home series with the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-6. Here are the three big takeaways from the ballgame:

1) Another Rough Start For Tyler Anderson

In 19 starts for the Colorado Rockies in 2016, Tyler Anderson only allowed five earned runs in a game twice. Less than one full week into the 2017 season, Anderson has already matched that total.

The Dodgers lineup got to Anderson quickly, as a Justin Turner double plated two runs just three batters into the game.

In the second inning, Anderson looked like he was getting back on track after recording two quick outs, but a walk to Logan Forsythe was immediately followed by a massive home run to center field from Corey Seager.

Anderson was able to settle in somewhat after the rough start, allowing a single run over his final three innings, but by that point, he had already put the Rockies in a hole that they were unable to climb out of. That’s the second straight shaky outing for Anderson, who has now allowed 10 earned runs on 13 hits in just 10.2 innings so far this year.

It’s still too early to start thinking about pulling Anderson from the rotation, but if he’s still sporting an ERA over 8 heading into May, Colorado may have to consider letting one of their talented pitching prospects in Triple-A (Jeff

Hoffman? German Marquez?) give Anderson some time off to clear his head.

2) A Hole In The Lineup

Let’s take a moment to recognize the efforts of Charlie Blackmon and Gerardo Parra. Hitting first and second, respectively, on Sunday, the duo combined for five hits, four RBI, and two runs scored. That’s excellent production from the top of the lineup, and Parra continues to be a pleasant surprise early in the 2017 season.

Unfortunately, we also have to discuss what happened after those two, or more specifically, what happened from #3-#7 in the lineup.

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Carlos Gonzalez, Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story, Mark Reynolds and combined for 20 plate appearances on Sunday. With the exception of a walk from Story in the sixth inning, every one of those plate appearances ended with an out.

It’s hard to beat a MLB team when they score 10 runs in a ballgame. It’s basically impossible when the middle of your lineup goes missing.

Despite their successful start, the Rockies have actually struggled to get their entire offense rolling at the same time. It’s encouraging that Colorado has been able to win games behind unexpected contributors like Reynolds and Dustin

Garneau, but Bud Black would surely love to see a more consistent effort from the entire lineup, particularly near the top and middle of the order.

3) Bullpen Not Quite Bullet-Proof

Perhaps the single biggest factor in Colorado’s 5-2 start is their revamped bullpen. Through the first six games of the season, Rockies relievers held teams to a .174 batting average and just four runs over 21 innings.

But on Sunday, the bullpen struggled to hold off a talented Los Angeles offense. All three relievers that pitched for

Colorado allowed at least one run (although in fairness to Chris Rusin, his run was unearned).

The worst offender was Jordan Lyles, who coughed up three runs on four hits in just a single inning of work. That being said, Scott Oberg and Rusin didn’t exactly shut the Dodgers down during their innings either.

While Sunday certainly could have gone better for the bullpen, no one should be panicking, or really even all that concerned. With all due respect to the trio of arms Colorado ran out there today, if any of them are pitching in high- leverage situations much this season, then something will have gone terribly wrong.

The other good news for the Rockies is that unlike some years in the past, the team has some options to turn to should anyone in the bullpen continue to falter. With Greg Holland, Adam Ottavino and Mike Dunn firmly established in their roles, the competition for the few remaining spots will be intense.

That may not be the best thing for a struggling reliever hoping to stay in the majors, but it’s most certainly a good thing for the Rockies chances of competing in 2017.

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The 100 Greatest Colorado Rockies: No. 40

By Ben Macaluso / Rox Pile | April 10, 2017

We continue our look at the top 100 Colorado Rockies of all time in this article. Here, we look at No. 40 on our list, Jerry

Dipoto.

Jerry Dipoto arguably has the most successful career post retirement than anybody who has ever suited up for the

Colorado Rockies. It doesn’t hurt that he had a successful run in the majors. Especially in Denver.

Dipoto is now the General Manager of the Seattle Mariners. A role he has earned after starting in the front office of former Rockies general manager, Dan O’Dowd. Before we get there, we have to start in Cleveland.

Dipoto was drafted in the third round of the 1989 draft by the Indians. He made his debut in 1993 and was traded to the

Mets among others for Jeromy Burnitz. In his season with the Indians and Mets, the only standout season was his first when he pitched 56.1 innings with a 2.40 ERA.

He wasn’t bad in New York or Cleveland but he stood out when he came to Colorado. Dipoto came in a trade for Armando

Reynoso in 1997. He pitched 95.2 innings that year which is an unfathomable number for Rockies relief pitching.

He pitched under a 4.00 ERA with a 1.8 WAR and in 1999 he pitched 86.2 innings with a 4.57 ERA with a 2.8 WAR.

He played his last season in 2000 after a neck injury derailed his career. After serving as an assistant to O’Dowd, he severed as a scout with the . After success with the Sox, he came back to Colorado to serve as the team’s pro scouting director.

That scouting experience led him to the where he became vice president of scouting and eventually an interim general manager in the 2010 season. The next season he moved to Los Angeles and became the

Angles GM. That led to clashes with manager Mike Scioscia about sabermetrics. Dipoto left the team in 2015.

He wasn’t without a job long as the Seattle Mariners hired him a month later in the 2015 offseason. He is the only general manager with major league experience in 2017. Dipoto has became a general manager not afraid to make transactions making 37 trades since 2015. The moves are to take advantage of the Mariners incredible core of

Robinson Cano, Felix Hernandez, and Kyle Seager and help them get to the playoffs.

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The team hasn’t seen October baseball, in a league leading drought, since 2001. Helping him with this immense challenge is another former Rockie, Scott Servais who is the Mariners head coach a former assistant general manager to

Dipoto for the Angeles. The duo led the Mariners to an 86-77 record in 2016 missing the playoffs by three games.

Dipoto’s love of baseball and his experience in Colorado helped him become one of the most prominent former Rockies ever.

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Wind, non-interference call among Rockies’ issues Sunday

By Ben Macaluso / Rox Pile | April 10, 2017

The Colorado Rockies had a chance to earn an important early season sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday, only to have several factors outside their control contribute to an eventual 10-6 loss in the series finale.

Wind gusts of up to 38 MPH wreaked havoc on game play, in several instances negatively impacting the Rockies. Charlie Blackmon saw a base hit bounce in front of him in center field after the wind knocked it off course, and Carlos Gonzalez misplayed a ball off the right field wall after a wind gust sent it in an unexpected direction.

“You could tell as the game went on there was a number of plays that the wind definitely affected the ball,” Rockies manager Bud Black said postgame. “You saw a couple pitchers step off. You know, there were some balls that were knocked down. There were some balls that carried in the wind.”

Compared to other adverse weather conditions Denver can throw out in the spring months, Black said he’d rather have cold than wind.

“It’s almost better to have no wind and have it be cold, than windy. It just screws a lot of things up,” Black said.

The wind wasn’t the only thing that caused the Rockies some consternation on Sunday. Black was equally frustrated by a non-interference call that resulted in a pair of runs in the seventh inning.

With runners on first and third and two outs, Tony Wolters attempted a pickoff play to Nolan Arenado at third base. Dodgers Justin Turner‘s route back to the base took him into the grass portion of the Coors Field infield, causing the ball to ricochet off his back and towards the outfield. Turner would score and Franklin Gutierrez advance to second. Black felt that Turner’s path back to third base should have been ruled interference.

“They said it was non-interference,” Black said about what the umpiring crew told him after they conferred on the play, “and I beg to differ. So that was what they told me.

“I thought it was; they said it wasn’t. But I do like the fact that they conferred and the third base umpire and the first base umpire talked about it, and they deemed that it wasn’t interference.”

At the root of Black’s complaint was the fact that on the play Turner started outside the baseline and came all the way into the infield grass on his path back to the base before being struck by the ball.

“It looked like it to me in real time,” Black said. 28

Gutierrez would later come around to score on an Adrian Gonzalez single, part of a three-run inning that stretched L.A.’s lead to 9-4 at the time.

Of course, several factors within Colorado’s control also led to the loss. Rockies pitchers surrendered five walks on the day, four of which came around to score, and Los Angeles scored six of their 10 runs with two outs.

The Rockies face the Dodgers later this month in a two-game set in Los Angeles, April 18 and 19.

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Carlos Gonzalez cold start makes him even harder to trade

By Drew Creasman / BSN Denver | April 10, 2017

DENVER — The Colorado Rockies have gotten off to a very good start in 2017, posting a record of 5-2 so far while winning both their first road and first home series’ of the year.

There have been a few troubling signs here and there — the base running remains suspect, and a particular bullpen move is baffling, to say the least — and as good as the record is, a little bit of difference on some of those small issues could have us looking at an undefeated Colorado Rockies team. How crazy is that?

Well, it’s pretty crazy when you consider that the Rockies entered the season with the second-most players on the DL in

MLB and even more so when you take a look at who those players are. Ian Desmond, David Dahl, Tom Murphy, and Chad Bettis all factored in to be regular contributors on this club. Only Murphy had his “starting” status in doubt, but even then he was going to get to play a decent amount like backup always do, as we have seen with Dustin

Garneau.

So, the Rockies are clearly off to a great start, pretty much no matter how you look at it. But that doesn’t mean that every individual player is and yes, we’re talking about Carlos Gonzalez.

Once a superstar, he may longer be elite, and that may be just fine.

But Colorado finds themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place. Or as Ulysses Everett McGill would say, they’re in a tight spot.

One of the things GMs are paid to do is take a step back every once in a while and view their players as assets. It can seem cold and calculated because it kinda is. It can drive the hardcore fans crazy; the people who just want to cheer on their favorite players and don’t want to have to take their jersey’s down off the wall. But that jersey might be coming down one way or another with Gonzalez who is playing out the final year of his contract and could leave in free agency following this season.

And the Rockies can’t just let that happen.

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This offseason, we posited that the Rockies actually could afford to ride out the CarGo contract, pay him the $20 million he is due for this year, and when some other team comes in with an offer he can’t refuse and they can’t match this winter, have a toast, shake hands, and say so long and thanks for all the fish.

And there are still a lot of ways this could play out, but Gonzalez’ poor production early in the season begs the question;

How much is CarGo worth in a trade right now? In a vacuum, getting something for CarGo is better than getting nothing and still losing the player. But his current .167/.192/.250 slash line while striking out at 27 percent isn’t helping Jeff Bridich who loses leverage every day his star fails to perform.

Now, this could easily just be a normal slump. We are still firmly in small sample size territory. It wouldn’t be all that surprising if, in three weeks, CarGo is back to being one of the most feared hitters in baseball and is smack in the middle of one of his patented hot streaks. But every day that goes by where he remains cold means less incentive for other GMs to offer anything of real value in exchange for Gonzalez.

There is a long, long, way to go before the trade deadline, but right now, Carlos Gonzalez doesn’t look like the final piece to anyone’s playoff dreams. This gives Bridich a very tight window if the ultimate move is to trade Gonzalez, though does give him a bit of leverage on the other side if the goal is to re-sign him to a team-friendly contract, more or less allowing

CarGo to finish out his career in Colorado.

With all the talented outfield prospects they have, that still feels like an unwise investment at this time unless he would be willing to move to first base.

So let’s break down the outcomes:

1. Cargo stays a Rockies and stays an OF, getting probably $80-100 million for his age 32-35 seasons. This could block or Jordan Patterson or present roster problems with David Dahl, Gerardo Parra, and Charlie

Blackmon. It also limits the budget for other parts of the team.

2. CarGo gives the Rockies an incredibly friendly deal this offseason and signs for 4-5 years for under $80 million. Let’s also say he opens himself up to playing more positions (1B) and the Rockies keep one of their franchise faces without hurting the budget too much.

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3. CarGo continues to play poorly but the Rockies trade him by the deadline anyway for a few mostly under the radar pitching prospects.

4. CarGo turns it around in a hurry, starts hitting like his old self, and the Rockies move him for some more exciting prospects, again most likely in the pitching department.

5. CarGo plays out 2017 (at whatever production level) and it is his final season in Colorado.

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Rockies blow chance to sweep Dodgers in windy affair at Coors

By Drew Creasman / BSN Denver | April 10, 2017

DENVER – The forecast called for wind, and runs. Lots of each actually. The Los Angeles Dodgers breezed to a 10-6 win over the Colorado Rockies in the Mile High City. The Rockies dropped to 5-2 on the year, losing once again in the series finale just as they did in Milwaukee.

Tyler Anderson had a rough outing for the home nine and Jordyn Lyles got bounced around by visitors in his inning of work. Corey Seager and Justin Turner both had big games for the Southern California club.

Anderson struggled with his command, walking two runners, giving up two runs on an RBI double to Turner, and taking 30 pitches to get the first three outs of the game.

Things didn’t get any better in the second as a two-out walk to Logan Forsythe (who led off the first with a double) led to a two-out home run off the bat of Seager, giving the Dodgers a 4-0 lead.

The Rockies didn’t get a hit off of Dodgers’ starter Kenta Maeda until Tony Wolters hit a single in the third. He came around to score on Charlie Blackmon‘s first home run of the season. It was a laser shot from Blackmon, leaving the bat at 105 mph and traveling 403 feet, landing in the Rockies bullpen.

But the Dodgers got one right back, another two-out run on an RBI single from Forsythe in the fourth.

Anderson battled himself as well as the Los Angeles all day. He wasn’t the best version of himself but showed a ton of fortitude in grinding through five innings. The oft-worked Rockies bullpen can use all the help they can get.

Anderson’s final line: 5 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 3 K.

He threw 95 pitches, 54 for strikes. That’s not the ratio of walks-to-strikeouts or strikes-to-balls that he is used to. The four walks were a career high and the earned runs tied his career high.

Scott Oberg replaced Anderson and Austin Barnes hit a one-out triple off the auxiliary scoreboard in right field and scored the Dodgers sixth run when Alexi Amarista couldn’t complete a fantastic play, dropping the ball on the transfer after a diving stop.

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Then the game got away from the Rockies when Jordan Lyles relieved Oberg and gave up three earned runs on four hits, raising his ERA to 15.00 on the early season. Chris Rusin made his season debut and pitched the final two innings allowing one unearned run on four hits while striking out two.

The Dodgers brought their closer, Kenley Jansen, into the game despite having a six-run lead coming into the ninth.

Wolters produced a one-out single and DJ LeMahieu hit a triple off the scoreboard in right (reminiscent of Barnes earlier in the game) then came in to score on a sacrifice grounder from Blackmon to make it 10-6. But it was too little, too late.

It was an ugly game at 20th and Blake, and the Rockies took their first home loss of the series but can find some comfort in having won their first two series’ of 2017.

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Colorado Rockies top prospect starts minor league season on DL

By Jake Shapiro / BSN Denver | April 10, 2017

The Lancaster JetHawks (High-A) placed Colorado Rockies’ top prospect shortstop Brendan Rodgers on the 7-day disabled list over the weekend. He reportedly has a ‘minor’ hand injury and will be sidelined for the neat future.

Rodgers is the Rockies clear cut No.1 prospect as he earned top overall prospect status on every major prospect list this past offseason. Drafted third overall in 2015 by Colorado out of hugh school he has struggled with the durability over the longer pro seasons. Rodgers will be eligible to make his debut on Friday.

In 2016 at Single-A Asheville Rodgers slashed .281/.342/.480 with 19 home runs in 110 games played.

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Seager homers, helps Dodgers to 10-6 win over Rockies

By Associate Press / ESPN.com | April 10, 2017

DENVER -- Things were really flying around Coors Field -- the baseball, of course, along with plenty of napkins, hot dog wrappers and plastic bags.

"It was like playing in a whirlpool," Justin Turner explained.

Corey Seager hit a two-run homer and the Los Angeles Dodgers avoided a sweep by breezing to a 10-6 win over the Colorado Rockies on a blustery Sunday.

The Dodgers came up with clutch hit after clutch hit, scoring seven runs with two outs in winning their 98th game at Coors

Field -- most of any visiting team. Turner added a two-run double in the first to get the team off and running.

"This was different from Coors Field. Weather plays one factor, but the wind, that's something that guys don't like,"

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

Kenta Maeda (1-1) pitched five shaky innings and allowed four runs, including a two-run homer to Charlie Blackmon, before turning it over to the bullpen. The Dodgers' relievers shut down the Rockies until the ninth, when Kenley

Jansen gave up two runs before closing it out.

Tyler Anderson (1-1) took the loss for the Rockies, who had their three-game winning streak stopped. The lefty allowed five runs in five innings. He also had a career-high four walks as he threw just 54 strikes in his 95-pitch outing.

"Most of his pitches, he didn't have command of any of them," Rockies manager Bud Black said. "The walks came back to haunt him."

It was a breezy day in Denver with the wind gusting up to 42 mph. That made even routine-looking popups an adventure, with first baseman Mark Reynolds diving on the infield to catch a high fly. Some of the flags around the stadium were taken down.

"You could tell, as the game went on, there were a number of plays the wind definitely affected the ball," Black said. "You saw a couple pitchers step off."

The Dodgers certainly weathered the wind, even if, "it made it tough keeping your concentration and catch the ball,"

Turner said.

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Trailing 5-2 in the fifth, the Rockies scored twice on a run-scoring single by Gerardo Parra and a sacrifice fly from Carlos

Gonzalez. But the Dodgers scored a run in the sixth and three more in the seventh to break open the game.

There was a quirky play in the seventh with two on and no outs when catcher Tony Wolters tried to chase after a passed ball near the Dodgers' dugout, only to tumble inside. Seager, who advanced to third on the play, wasn't awarded home and that drew an inquiry from Roberts. After a consultation, the umpires kept Seager at third and Turner at second, since the play was not subject to a replay review.

After Seager was thrown out at home on a grounder and Yasiel Puig struck out, Turner scored when Wolters hit him in the back on a pickoff attempt and the ball bounced away. Adrian Gonzalez followed with an RBI single, and Joc

Pederson added another to make it 9-4.

"Sometimes baseball has crazy innings like that," Wolters said. "We're trying to get as less of those this year as possible.

Every team gets those innings."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Dodgers: Pedro Baez (strained right thumb) allowed two runs over two-thirds of an inning Saturday at Triple-A Oklahoma

City during his second rehab appearance. He could be ready for the upcoming series in Chicago.

Rockies: LHP Chris Rusin (right oblique strain) was reinstated from the disabled list and threw two innings. The team optioned right-hander German Marquez to Triple-A Albuquerque.

THIS & THAT

Dodgers 2B Logan Forsythe broke out of his slump by going 3 for 5 with a double and an RBI. He raised his average 92 points to .250. ... Rockies reliever Jordan Lyles threw 42 pitches in the seventh.

FINDING HIS SWING

Reigning NL batting champion DJ LeMahieu didn't start but entered late in the game. He had a single and a triple to raise his average to .160. He hit .348 last season. "Those were two good swings, more like his swings," Black said.

UP NEXT

Dodgers: LHP Alex Woods steps into the rotation Monday in Chicago with Rich Hill sidelined by a blister. The Cubs will counter with LHP Jon Lester.

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Rockies: RHP Tyler Chatwood (0-1, 6.00 ERA) looks to bounce back Monday as Colorado opens a three-game series against San Diego. He gave up four runs in six innings during his first start at Milwaukee.

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