MEDIA CLIPS – July 20, 2017

Arenado thrives with unconventional technique Uncommon footwork paying off at plate for Rox slugger

By Joe Trezza / MLB.com | 10:00 AM ET

NEW YORK -- Give it a few years, some in the Rockies' organization believe, and the Major Leagues could be a league littered with players like Nolan Arenado. Not in terms of production -- not everyone woke up Thursday fresh off a three- homer game and eyeing a third straight RBI title -- but in hitting approach and style.

Baseball is a copycat game. Do something at the plate a little differently and very well, and soon someone is bound to mirror it. people don't think it a coincidence Giants prospect Christian Arroyo resembles Buster Posey in stance and swing, or how Jose Bautista's leg kick led to Josh Donaldson's and Justin Turner's, and on and on. The next trend may come from a mechanical tweak in Arenado's load some are calling the driving force behind not just the third baseman's homers, but also his future standing as a pioneer.

"It's now three straight years, and he comes in at the break and he's leading baseball in RBI," Rockies broadcaster and former Ryan Spilborghs said. "You start paying attention to him. Mechanically, what does he do?"

It's what Arenado does with his back (right) foot, specifically, during his swing that is turning heads. Slow down the video of his three-homer game Wednesday. Before each one, Arenado actually lifts his back foot off the ground prior to stepping with the front foot, a momentum-creating motion that essentially gives him a running start into the pitch. Though hitters have been experimenting with back-foot movement for years, none as radical as Arenado's exists anywhere else in baseball.

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Which is why Arenado's back foot became a hot topic around the All-Star batting cage last week in

Miami. Joey Votto, Daniel Murphy and all inquired after getting an up-close look at a swing that they

-- though they're some of the most meticulous hitters in the game -- had never considered trying.

"It's cool that people ask. I feel like those guys are so good and I'm not at that level yet," Arenado said. "That's my way.

Everybody has their specific way. I guess that's just mine."

Arenado calls his "step back," a way to "get in my legs" and create power. Since implementing the foot shuffle into his swing in 2015, Arenado has more home runs than any player in the National League. Nearly half have come away from this season. More than half did in 2015.

"It changed who I am as a hitter. Now I'm back-legging the ball, I'm backspinning homers, and I never used to be that guy," Arenado said. "It's a rhythm thing. I feel powerful with it."enado nets cycle with walk-off

In some ways, what Arenado does is an extension of what all players are trying to do: create a kinetic mix of balance and tension that transfers as much of their weight to the baseball as possible. But how he does it is more a modern remix to an antiquated style, predicated on "diving" into the ball, more commonly seen in black-and-white highlights.

"Back in the day, hitters would take a walking load," Spilborghs said. "Watch . Watch some of the '69 Mets.

Their feet are active."

But over much of the past 40 years, when players have tried to create power, they've done so mostly with front leg kicks.

Their back foot remained rooted in the ground, even as they shifted energy to and from it, a base for their weight and head.

Arenado doesn't have a leg kick, but when he's going right, his foot shuffle creates enough lower-half tension for him to dive into the ball and still drive it. His feet move more than any other hitter, but they end up in nearly the exact place they start, which allows his head to stay relatively still and his body balanced. Where most hitters want to create enough momentum for their back foot to come off the ground naturally by the end of a swing, Arenado's does so twice: before and after.

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"Like a kickstart on a motorcycle," Rockies assistant hitting coach Jeff Salazar said.

Arenado first began lifting his back foot at the advice of Troy Tulowitzki, a mentor with whom he shared an infield from

2012-14. Tulowitzki lifts his back foot very slightly now, but back then he lifted just the heel as a way to rock his body into rhythm.

More players are subtly beginning to do the same, lifting the back heel, not the whole foot. The thinking behind the trend comes rooted in a common batting cage drill, where hitters take an exaggerated step backward before crow-hopping a swing into a ball off a tee.

"Nolan moves his feet more than most, but he really understands how his body moves and what he has to do to be successful," said Salazar, who tried the heel lift during his four-year MLB career. Salazar said DJ LeMahieu and Trevor

Story also use it to create momentum.

Whether players mimic Arenado fully will likely depend on whether they are strong and athletic enough to do so. All the movement gives Arenado's mechanics a relatively small margin for error, and that margin keeps shrinking for everybody with velocities going up and up.

"There is a whole domino effect if his base isn't in the position he wants it to be in," Salazar said. "His swing starts from the floor up."

"Nolan is an active person, he's a high-energy guy," Spilborghs said. "Some guys like to be calm at the plate. You wouldn't teach Francisco Lindor this, or Andrew McCutchen. Swings kind of take your personality. Swings are snowflakes. Even though you get to the same point in all these swings, how they get there is different."

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Nolan, Nolan, Nolan: 3 HRs power Rox rout

By AJ Cassavell and Max Gelman / MLB.com | 8:49 AM ET

DENVER -- Nolan Arenado was already an All-Star, but now he can stake claim to another accomplishment -- leading the Rockies to their best offensive game in five years.

Arenado slugged three home runs in an 18-4 rout of the Padres on Wednesday afternoon as the Rockies scored 18 runs for the first time since April 27, 2012. They won their fourth straight and earned their first sweep since June 18, while

Arenado's five hits set a new career high. With the victory and and the D-backs' 4-3, 11-inning loss at Cincinnati, Colorado moved a half-game in front of Arizona for the top National League Wild Card position

The Rockies' offense was immediately off to the races, scoring three runs in the first and six runs through three. Three innings later, the Rockies had piled on 11 more.

Five Rockies starters finished Wednesday with at least three hits -- Arenado, , Gerardo Parra, Trevor

Story and Ryan Hanigan. The Rockies totaled 21 hits on the afternoon, their most since Sept. 17, 2014.

The offensive outburst had clearly been brewing, though. Over their last four games, the Rockies have scored 49 runs, an average of 12.25 runs per game. Additionally, the 36 runs scored vs. the Padres was their most in a series since August

2007.

"Our guys came out Sunday morning on a mission against [Steven Matz] and the Mets, and I think that's just been carrying over," Rockies manager said. "[] got a base hit in the first inning, and from there we've just been on a bash roll."

For the Padres, all of their offense came in the sixth inning when they got to Rockies starter for four runs. Cory

Spangenberg dealt the biggest blow with a three- homer, and Gray's afternoon ended following that inning.

Padres starter Clayton Richard struggled from the start, and he wouldn't last through the fourth inning. He tied a pair of unwanted franchise records by surrendering 11 runs and 14 hits. The 18 runs allowed by San Diego were the most since

Sept. 20, 2005, also against the Rockies at Coors Field. That's the last time Padres surrendered 21 hits in a nine- inning game, as well.

"You hate to leave him out there that long," said Padres manager Andy Green said of Richard. "But the two outings prior to that we got three innings and four innings. You're doing whatever you can to get deeper into the ballgame so you don't 4

run through your bullpen. It's just a tough one -- one you end up flushing, get back out there in San Francisco tomorrow and get after it."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

A #Nazty streak: Blackmon entered Wednesday with a 13-game and wasted no time extending it to 14.

Blackmon deposited Clayton Richard's third pitch into left field for a single, matching his career-high hitting streak.

Blackmon also had another 14-game hitting streak earlier this season from April 14-29.

However, Blackmon was removed mid-at-bat in the 6th inning with cramping due to dehydration in his left hamstring. He finished the afternoon 3-for-3 with a and a hit-by-pitch. Pat Valaika finished the at-bat with an RBI single. More

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May the fourth be with you: The Rockies cruised early but really put their stamp on this game in the fourth inning.

Arenado led off the frame with his first homer of the afternoon. Richard nearly ended it right there, retiring the next two batters, but he gave up four straight hits, including a home run to Story. Gray's RBI single eventually knocked Richard out, but Blackmon greeted reliever Kevin Quackenbush with a first-pitch home run. The Rockies ended up scoring six and batting around in the inning to double their lead to 12-0.

QUOTABLE

"You have to take responsibility. I have to take responsibility for giving it up. That's part of the game. But unfortunately, it just seemed like mis-hit balls found the right spots. It was a Coors Field day." -- Richard

"He's my favorite player to watch. Obviously, he does it on both sides of the ball. I love watching him hit. I think he does a good job of working down on the ball." -- Padres first baseman , on Arenado

WHAT'S NEXT

Padres: Jhoulys Chacin is set for his third duel with Giants ace Madison Bumgarner this season. The Padres have won the first two, including a walk-off thriller on Saturday at Petco Park. The scene shifts to San Francisco on Thursday, where first pitch is slated for 7:15 p.m. PT.

Rockies: The Rockies will enjoy an off-day Thursday before returning to face the Pirates on Friday at Coors Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. MT, and rookies Jeff Hoffman and Trevor Williams will face off on the mound.

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Arenado HRs in 3 straight frames in career game Third baseman sets personal high with 5 hits, ties best with 7 RBIs in rout of Padres

By Max Gelman / MLB.com | July 19th, 2017

DENVER -- The Rockies jumped all over the Padres in the first few innings of Colorado's 18-4 win on Wednesday at

Coors Field, largely thanks to Nolan Arenado.

After just his fourth day off on Tuesday, Arenado went 5-for-6 with three home runs that came in three straight innings. His first home run was part of a six-run fourth inning that also included homers from Charlie Blackmon and , his second came in the fifth and his third blast was a three-run shot that gave the Rockies a 17-4 lead in the sixth.

"Obviously with any game like that, you always feel pretty good," Arenado said. "It seemed like [Padres starter Clayton

Richard] got in a little bit of trouble early, and just didn't seem like Clayton. He's actually a pretty tough pitcher to face."

Arenado's five hits set a new career high, while his seven RBIs matched his previous best.

Like any player, Arenado doesn't like taking days off, but his numbers when he returns are astronomical. Overall this season, Arenado is 14-for-24 on days after not starting, with six runs scored, four home runs and 13 RBIs. This includes a

May 9 doubleheader against the Cubs, in which Arenado played both games -- going 3-for-8 with a double -- after not starting on May 7 vs. the D-backs.

"The last off-day we gave him, he did the same thing, he hit a big three-run homer," manager Bud Black said. "We'll have to look at that a little closer, but we don't wanna give him every other day off."

Arenado sat out Tuesday's 9-7 win over the Padres after taking an 0-for-5 on Monday. Though Arenado's Wednesday afternoon began less imposingly, his two RBI singles in the first two innings helped calm his nerves.

"The anxiety doesn't kick in when you have two hits already, you're already feeling pretty decent," Arenado said. "I was very happy to get a couple knocks to start the game, and they're RBIs, too."

Now with one of the best performances of his career in the rearview mirror, Arenado said he doesn't want to take another day off this season. 6

"It's not easy with the schedule, but we have more days off in the second half than we did in the first," Arenado said. "So my goal is to take no more days unless, as I told [the coaches], 'If you look at me in the face and you tell me that I need one, then I will, but until then, no more days off.'"

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Blackmon exits with cramp after 3-hit day

By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | July 19th, 2017

DENVER -- Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon left the Rockies' 18-4 victory over the Padres at Coors Field on

Wednesday in the middle of his at-bat in the sixth inning with dehydration-induced cramping.

Blackmon was 3-for-3 with a two-run homer -- his team-leading 23rd of the season -- in the fourth inning off Kevin

Quackenbush. In the sixth, he grabbed the back of his left leg after the first and third pitches from Quackenbush -- both of which he fouled off.

Head athletic trainer Keith Dugger and manager Bud Black had a lengthy discussion with Blackmon before the Rockies removed him with the count at 0-2. Pat Valaikasingled on the first pitch to finish the at-bat, plating Trevor Story.

Blackmon said he felt the tightness come and go in the hamstring, then felt cramping in his quadriceps after leaving the game.

"I was cramping up," Blackmon said. "I didn't strain anything. [My hamstring] cramped up, and my quad cramped up when

I came out. It was just body cramps. I think it was just because it was really hot."

Alexi Amarista replaced Blackmon in center field.

Blackmon's first-inning leadoff single extended his hitting streak to 14 games, which matched a career high that he has accomplished two other times -- July 5-22, 2016, and April 14-29 this season.

Blackmon is part of an offense that has scored 49 runs in its last four games.

"We've done a good job offensively stringing at-bats together, creating long innings, creating a tough time for the opposing pitchers," Blackmon said.

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Rox look to strengthen 'pen depth at Deadline

By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | July 19th, 2017

DENVER -- The Rockies' search to improve a contending club has yielded names and rumors as the July 31 non-waiver

Trade Deadline approaches. Before Wednesday afternoon's game against the Padres, general manager Jeff Bridich didn't feed any of the speculation, but laid out his approach for the Rockies.

Deadline priorities

Bridich: "We're researching bullpen pitchers that might fit us. In terms of depth, looking at the depth in a team that is challenging for the playoffs here, which is who we are, looking to increase the depth there and potential impact there is something that's potentially a natural fit for where we're at right now.

"After that, a lot of our improvements that can be made to the play of this team can and likely need to happen from within.

That's continued superlative play by certain guys, and honestly improved play by others who are getting regular playing time."

Types of relievers being sought

Bridich: "We're looking for people that can impact us positively, and if it's high-leverage situations, if you're asking if we're looking to acquire relative to last year or a Mark Melancon or someone like that at the Deadline, we did that in the wintertime. We got Greg Holland who is, if not the best closer in the league he's one of the top two in the

National League with Kenley Jansen. That's a good thing because I'm not sure that type of guy is available.

"The role is contingent, just like it is with us, on a bunch of other things. Role doesn't matter. Our evaluations of the person and the player, and how that person and player might fit on the team are far more important than a role that a player would have on another club."

An assessment of the current starting rotation -- which at times includes four rookies (, Jeff

Hoffman, and German Marquez) and a second-year man (Jon Gray)

Bridich: "I believe in our starter group -- as long as we are healthy, which currently we're not entirely. I believe that very soon the hope is that we're very healthy in terms of the starters that we have available to us. Tyler Chatwood, the hope is that this calf strain is minor and that he recovers from this. Chad Bettis [testicular cancer], we can all see what's going on

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with him now that he has started his rehabilitation process, baseball-wise. The hope and expectation is that we can all see a light at the end of the tunnel with Chad. And Tyler Anderson [left knee surgery], hopefully sometime in August."

How performance has led to trust in young pitching

Bridich: "You believe in the people because you've lived with them for X-number of years, and you've seen what they can do. To try and anticipate fully, that's probably an overstatement that we had done that. But we believed in this grouping of guys and continue to believe in the grouping of guys coming up behind these guys."

On sticking with the offensive lineup, vs. trading to reshuffle

Bridich: Are there ways this offense needs to improve? Absolutely, 100 percent. We strike out too much. We have a lot of empty at-bats in places we shouldn't have empty at-bats. We can do it. We saw certain at-bats over the last 72 hours -- the last game in New York and especially the first game with us against the Padres -- when we as a group are more selective at the plate and less panicked at the plate.

"And that goes to something that I've been saying for a few months now -- there's a difference between talented and good. This group is incredibly talented. We have an opportunity to be good. We need to be good more consistently."

Teams dangling relievers could ask for a couple of top position player prospects -- Double-A shortstop Brendan

Rodgers (Rockies' No. 1 prospect, according to MLBPipeline.com) and Triple-A first baseman Ryan McMahon

(No. 5)

Bridich: "We get connected to players that play for our organization, so I'd rather not trade anybody. But if you are going to entertain adding talent from other teams, then you have to give to get. We realize that. We've demonstrated some of that in the past with some of the trades that we've made.

"Any time you make a trade you hope that it works out for both parties. The Tampa Bay [Marquez and reliever Jake

McGee came to the Rockies, All-Star went to the Rays] trade is a good example. Both teams saw needs in areas that other teams couldn't help to satisfy, and the players that switched hands played well in both places, which is great. That's what you want."

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Parra goes back to basics to reclaim swing

By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | July 19th, 2017

DENVER -- After struggling through a left ankle injury and some bad hitting habits last year, Rockies outfielder Gerardo

Parra cleared his mind and didn't search too hard for solutions.

There is no shortage of advice for a hitter, and hitting .253 the way he did in 102 games last year will attract much of it.

But Parra, who could point to the high-ankle sprain he sustained last June as the source of a lot of the problems, decided not to overthink it. Some simple keys, with hitting coach Duane Espy and assistant hitting coach Jeff Salazar helping, have led to an improved performance.

"The only thing Espy and Salazar say is, 'Try to hit a good pitch and don't try to do too much,'" Parra said.

Parra has a .364 average, eight homers and 40 RBIs in 58 games after going 4-for-5 in Wednesday's 18-4 victory over the Padres at Coors Field. By reaching safely in his first three plate appearances, he extended a streak to 10 plate appearances in which he'd reached base, becoming the sixth player in Rockies history to accomplish the feat and the first since DJ LeMahieu did so from Aug. 14-17 of last season.

From May 22 through Wednesday, Parra has hit .521 (38-for-73). Since July 7, when he returned from a right quadriceps strain that kept him out for 28 games, Parra hit .556 (20-for-36) with 12 runs scored, two home runs, four doubles and 12

RBIs in eight games.

It has been an interesting study in hitting, and in working through a slump. Rather than fill a player's head with technical advice -- much of which is more effective at marketing how-to videos or getting parents to fork over money to private instructors than actually improving hitting -- just stay simple and let the ability shine.

"In the big leagues, you don't need to talk a lot," Parra said. "But get to the point. See the ball and hit a good pitch."

Parra's absence hurt, especially when Carlos Gonzalez, Mark Reynolds and Trevor Story were slumping and Ian

Desmond was on the disabled list with a right calf strain. Parra's presence represents a dependable at-bat.

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"This guy was really ready to turn this season around from what happened last year, and it's really good to see him playing good, solid baseball," Rockies manager Bud Black said.

Worth noting

• After completing a rehab appearance for Double-A Hartford on Tuesday, Chad Bettis will make his next rehab start on

Sunday for Triple-A Albuquerque, Black said. The goal will be four innings and 60 pitches. Bettis has made two appearances for Hartford, giving up one earned run in 4 2/3 innings.

• Tyler Chatwood was able to avoid a serious calf strain, Black said. Chatwood threw off a mound for the first time since

Saturday's injury and did some "fairly intense" sprint work Wednesday.

• In a procedural move, the Rockies recalled outfielder David Dahl (stress reaction in the sixth rib) from his Minor League rehab assignment, then optioned him to Triple-A Albuquerque. The move means the 20-day rehab window is no longer a factor and Dahl, who did not have , can work his way back to the Majors with no time element involved.

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Hoffman to face Bucs for first time in opener

By Max Gelman / MLB.com | July 19th, 2017

The Rockies and Pirates will have unfamiliar faces going against each other for Friday's series opener. Jeff Hoffman will make his first career start against the Pirates, while Trevor Williams will start against the Rockies for the first time.

Hoffman, called up in May, got off to a hot start for the Rockies but has cooled off since giving up nine runs in 3 2/3 innings on June 21. Before that outing, Hoffman had given up just one run in four of his five starts, but in four starts since

June 21, he owns a 4.39 ERA.

Williams began the season as a reliever but transitioned to the rotation in early May. In 13 starts this year, Williams is 2-3 with a 4.57 ERA. His best start came June 4 vs. the Mets, when he gave up one run in seven innings.

Pirates outfielder returned from his 80-game PED suspension Tuesday, and this will be his first full series since being activated.

Three things to know about this game

• Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen is having a resurgent season after last year's disappointment, and he has some pretty solid numbers at Coors Field. McCutchen is 31-for-103 with six home runs in 27 career games in Colorado, good for a .301 batting average. Three of his homers came in one game last year, when the Pirates beat the Rockies, 9-4, on

April 26.

• Hoffman threw his fastball 80 percent of the time in his last start -- a new career high, per Statcast. Hoffman's four- seamer averaged 94.2 mph, but this fastball-heavy approach is nothing new. His four-seam fastball rate trails only teammate Antonio Senzatela among starters with at least 750 pitches in 2017.

• The Rockies and Pirates played one series in Pittsburgh earlier this season, with the Pirates taking two of three from

June 12-14. The Pirates outscored the Rockies, 13-9, in that series.

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Nolan Arenado hits 3 homers, drives in 7 as Rockies rout Padres The Rockies are off Thursday before opening a three-game series at Coors vs. Pittsburgh

By Patrick Saunders / Denver Post | July 19th, 2017

There is a small park near Nolan Arenado‘s boyhood home in Lake Forest, Calif., where Arenado, along with his brothers and cousins, gathered to play Wiffle Ball.

They would send balls flying over trees and fences, imagining titanic homers in Game 7 of the . One- upmanship was the rule of law.

Wednesday at Coors Field, Arenado had a Wiffle Ball kind of game in a Rockies hitfest. They steamrolled San Diego 18-

4 to win their fourth consecutive game and finish off a three-game sweep of the Padres.

Arenado, the Rockies’ all-star third baseman and RBI machine, set career highs with three homers, five hits and 14 total bases. He tied a career high with seven RBIs, giving him a major league-high 80 runs driven in.

Arenado, however, laughed off the idea that Wednesday’s performance was as easy as it looked.

“Well, it’s 94 or 95 (mph) coming at you,” he said. “When 95 goes past your face, it’s like, ‘Wow, this is real.’ I just tried to hit the ball hard.”

Nevertheless, he wowed his teammates.

“It’s unbelievable, but it didn’t seem too out of the ordinary for something he can do,” said shortstop Trevor Story, who had a season-high three hits, including his first home run since July 1. “We were all just kind of like, ‘Yep. That’s Nolan.’ But obviously it’s special.”

Right fielder Charlie Blackmon, who batted 3-for-3 and hit his 23rd homer of the season before leaving the game with leg cramps during an at-bat in the sixth inning, was impressed by Arenado’s performance.

“He just murdered those balls,” Blackmon said. “I don’t want to say it’s because he had a day off or anything, but he just looked like a different player today.”

Arenado, out of the starting lineup Tuesday for just the fourth time this season, is hitting .600 (12-for-20) with four homers and 13 RBIs the game after he begins the game on the bench. 15

“I was more motivated to come play today,” he said. “I really want to play today, and I was stretching earlier than I usually do.

“But I really don’t like days off. I had an 0-for-5 day (Monday) and then I had a day off, and I wasn’t very happy about that.”

Quipped manager Bud Black: “We’ll have to look at off days a little bit closer, but we don’t want to give him every other day off.”

For the record: Arenado had an RBI single in the first; an RBI single in the second; a leadoff, solo homer in the fourth; a solo shot in the fifth; and a three-run blast in the sixth. The first homer came off Padres starter Clayton Richard, who allowed a career-high 10 earned runs on a career-high 14 hits in a mere 3⅔ innings. Arenado blasted his other two homers off reliever Kevin Quackenbush.

Arenado came to the plate in the eighth inning looking to be the 18th player in major-league history to hit four home runs in one game. He flied out to left on a 3-2 pitch from Kirby Yates but got a standing ovation when he returned to the dugout.

“Obviously, I was trying to hit a homer, which is probably why I didn’t,” he said. “That last at-bat, I couldn’t help but think about it. I thought, ‘I want to get another one.’ But (Yates) beat me, and he made a good pitch.”

On a hot July day with Coors playing like a pinball machine, Rockies starter Jon Gray played wizard for five of his six innings. He blanked the Padres until the sixth inning, when they smacked four hits off him, the big blow a three-run homer by Cory Spangenberg.

Gray broke out an excellent curveball, a pitch he used to get out of trouble in the fourth inning, when he struck out Jabari

Blash with two men on base and no outs.

“The (curveball) was something we planned on throwing coming in,” Gray said. “These guys are good fastball hitters, so the curve was something we needed to show for strikes.”

Gray was thankful he didn’t have to face the Rockies’ juggernaut offense.

“It’s awesome and cool to watch,” Gray said. “When they all start hitting like that, it’s unstoppable.” 16

All told, the Rockies cranked out a season-high 21 hits, including a 4-for-5 day by the sizzling Gerardo Parra, who boosted

his average to .364. Since his return from the disabled list, Parra is hitting .556 (20-for-36) over nine games.

Rox on a Roll

The Rockies won their fourth consecutive game Wednesday thanks to an offense that’s in high gear:

• 18 runs — Most since scoring 18 on April 27, 2012, vs. New York Mets.

• 21 hits — Most since recording 21 on Sept. 17, 2014, vs.

• 5 home runs — Most since hitting five on Aug. 3, 2016, vs. Dodgers

• 36 runs — Tied for the third-most in franchise history in a three-game series.

• 49 runs — Total scored during four-game winning streak, with 61 hits, 13 doubles, two triples and 11 home runs.

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Kiszla: For Nolan Arenado, one big hit in October would be way cooler than a three-HR game in July “We’re playing meaningful baseball games”

By Mark Kiszla / Denver Post | July 19th, 2017

OK, we can check a three-homer game off the list. With Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado, it’s not a question of if he will make something amazing happen, but when. For a ballplayer only 26 years old, it’s already a long, trophy-case- stuffing list of amazing: four Gold Gloves, three trips to the All-Star Game …

“But,” said Arenado, “I’ve got no playoff experience.”

And there’s the most compelling reason the Rockies need to do everything possible to make the playoffs this year.

Arenado wants October. He wants it real bad.

“I want to get there. I want to play in the playoffs. That’s what it’s all about,” Arenado told me Wednesday, after he slugged three towering, total-eclipse-of-the-sun home runs during three straight at-bats in three consecutive innings of

Colorado’s 18-4 trouncing of San Diego.

“Playoff baseball is where everybody gets noticed. Big Papi (David Ortiz) is famous because of October. Derek Jeter is famous because of October. I’m not saying I want to be famous, but I want be known as being a good ballplayer during

October.”

While the Rockies battle for a wild-card berth in the National League on the field, there’s also a battle being waged for talent on cellphones, and Colorado general manager Jeff Bridich is off to a slow start. The Cubs ventured to the South

Side of Chicago and picked up starting pitcher Jose Quintana in a trade. The Diamondbacks fortified the middle of their by cutting a deal to rent slugger J.D. Martinez, who had hit 16 homers in 200 at-bats for Detroit. The

Nationals put their messy bullpen in order by acquiring two relievers from a fire sale in Oakland.

It’s your move, Mr. Bridich. Let’s add some talent to the Colorado clubhouse. Show us you want the playoffs as badly as

Arenado does.

Maybe I’m naïve to think the Rockies owe anything to the 37,128 paying customers who sat at Coors Field on a summer afternoon that brought the heat more intensely than starting pitcher Jon Gray’s 95 mph fastball.

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Yes, with the Los Angeles Dodgers so far ahead in the NL West they’re barely within shouting distance, the Rockies are playing for a wild-card berth and a Game No. 163, where their first playoff appearance since 2009 could be over and done in nine scant innings. There’s no way this Colorado team is better than a 50-1 longshot to win the World Series.

So I’m down with the idea it would be foolish to give away the farm for the Rockies to acquire either an arm or a bat before the July 31 trade deadline. But this Colorado team does have a little magic that won’t last forever. The window of opportunity for the Rockies as constructed is maybe three seasons, and a midmarket team cannot afford to waste a year.

Closer Greg Holland and his 30 saves could move on down the road prior to next season for a big payday. There’s no contractual guarantee either center fielder Charlie Blackmon or second baseman DJ LaMahieu will be starring for the

Rockies beyond 2018. If Arenado keeps filling his glove with web gems while driving in buckets of runs at his current pace, some major-league franchise with deep pockets could make him an offer in the very ritzy neighborhood of a half- billion dollars after the 2019 season.

It doesn’t seem too much to ask the Rockies to make a trade for a right-hander reliever who is comfortable in high- leverage situations and can serve as a bridge between a tiring Colorado starting pitcher and the beautiful noise Holland brings in the ninth inning. Possible candidates include Pat Neshek of Philadelphia, A.J. Ramos of Miami and Addison

Reed of the New York Mets.

“We’re playing meaningful baseball games,” said Arenado, after the Rockies extended their winning streak to four games, putting the toughest stretch of their season in the rearview mirror. “That’s what it’s all about. That’s all you want. That’s all you ask for.”

Hitting three home runs in a game for the first time in his young career was awesome, so good the crowd gave Arenado a standing ovation after he flied out in the eighth inning. This is about as sweet as baseball in July can get for a player.

“But one game-winning hit in October would put it way over the top,” Arenado said.

How much bigger is the goose-bump factor for October baseball?

“One hundred percent,” Arenado said.

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Jon Gray rebounds behind a hooking curveball in Rockies rout of Padres; Charlie Blackmon escapes injury Blackmon extended a hitting streak to 14 games, tying his season high.

By Nick Groke / Denver Post | July 19th, 2017

As the heat climbed toward 97 degrees Wednesday afternoon and the air dried out like a week-old hot dog, Coors Field, as it does, turned into that weird, old launching pad of home runs and gap shots. The scoreboard ticked off 13 runs through five innings.

But they were all Rockies runs. Jon Gray faced no such difficulty shutting down the through five scoreless frames in Colorado’s 18-4 rout for a series sweep. Flashing his best curveball of the season and a fastball-slider combo to match, Gray powered through a Padres lineup held feeble.

“You can feel that warming up before the game, how dry the ball is in your hand,” Gray said at his locker after the Rockies won a fourth consecutive game and their first series sweep since June 18. “Just know that and make sure to get pitches down. Because sometimes they can get up on you. It’s good to think about before you make every pitch — not in the middle of it.”

That plan extended well into Wednesday morning, when Gray sat with veteran Ryan Hanigan and his pitching coaches to plot out a plan. San Diego’s lineup loves fastballs. The Padres might be deep in fourth place in the National

League West, but they won two of three at Coors Field in April.

So Gray plotted out a series of breaking pitches, starting with his curveball. With runners at first and third in the fourth, he caught Jabari Blash looking with the hook for a strikeout, then set up Franchy Cordero with two curves for strikes before whiffing him on a slider two at-bats later.

“Separation is good with these guys,” Gray said. “We needed to throw it for strikes.”

Gray was coming off his worst outing of the season, an eight-run, two-inning bombardment at New York last week against the Mets. Rockies manager Bud Black started Gray in his team’s first game back from the all-star break, a nod that placed the 25-year-old right-hander at the top of Colorado’s rotation.

“The fastball was located better early in the game and the slider got better as the game went on, and a good, effective curveball,” Black said. “Nice three-pitch mix. That was a big confidence boost for Jon, not only today, but moving forward.”

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Gray, who was touched up for four runs in the sixth, earned his third win this season after missing 77 days with a broken foot suffered in April, he finished with seven strikeouts on two walks and seven hits as the six innings pitched was his longest outing of the season at Coors Field. It was set up with an 80 mph curveball.

“The more and more I use it, the better it gets,” he said. “It’s a feel pitch. It can’t be thrown lazy. But whenever it’s thrown well, it’s a really good pitch. And it’s a groundball pitch. It’ll be a weapon.”

Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmonwas pulled in the middle of an at-bat in the sixth inning after two separate cramps crept into his left leg, once his quadriceps, another in his hamstring. Blackmon said he did not suffer an injury, just slight dehydration.

“I just took a swing and right as I used my hamstring, it cramped up,” he said. “It’s just a sign you’re dehydrated. It was never sore, it never hurt. Just a cramp.” Before his removal, Blackmon was all over the park with his bat, hitting 3-for-3 with a two-run homer to center field in the fourth, his third in four games. He scored three runs.

Blackmon extended a hitting streak to 14 games, tying his season high. He is 25-for-58 (.431) over that stretch. His 23rd home run is a club high and his seven-game streak of at least one extra-base is the longest for a Rockies hitter since Nolan Arenado did it in 2015.

Footnotes. The Rockies activated outfielder David Dahl (rib stress) from the 60-day disabled list and optioned him to

Triple-A, where he has been playing in a rehab stint. The move takes Colorado to a full, 40-man roster. … Right- hander Jairo Diaz threw two shutout innings in relief, his longest outing since Sept. 1, 2015. Black was determined to let

Diaz go, even sending him to the on-deck circle in the eighth. Diaz, a former catcher, has never seen a plate appearance in the majors. “I was ready,” he said laughing. “But I was a catcher, like, eight years ago.”… Right-hander Chad

Bettis (cancer) will pitch Sunday for Triple-A Albuquerque in his third rehab appearance. The plan is for four innings or about 60 pitches… The Rockies activated outfielder David Dahl (rib stress) from the 60-day disabled list and optioned him to Triple-A, where he has been playing in a rehab stint. The move takes Colorado to a full, 40-man roster.

Looking ahead

Friday: Pirates RHP Trevor Williams (3-4, 4.69) at Rockies RHP Jeff Hoffman (6-1, 4.33 ERA), 6:40 p.m., AT&T

SportsNet Saturday: Pirates RHP Chad Kuhl (3-6, 4.85) at Rockies RHP German Marquez (7-4, 4.34), 6:10 p.m., AT&T

SportsNet Sunday: Pirates RHP Ivan Nova (10-6, 3.27) at Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (9-7, 3.67), 1:10 p.m., AT&T

SportsNet 21

Gerardo Parra falls just short of club record as the outfielder’s bat stays hot in blowout of Padres Parra went 4-5 on Wednesday and became the sixth Rockies player to reach base safely in ten consecutive at-bats

By Kyle Newman / Denver Post | July 19th, 2017

As the Rockies teed off Wednesday en route to an 18-4 blowout victory over the San Diego Padres, Gerardo Parra continued his assault on the baseball as well, going 4-for-5 to improve his average to .556 (20-36) since returning from the disabled list July 7.

Parra fell just short of the club record for reaching base safely in consecutive plate appearances, having his streak snapped at 10 with a lineout to left to end the fifth inning. Only five other Rockies have ever put together such a streak of

10 at-bats or more, with Eric Young owning the mark of 12 during the team’s inaugural season.

The veteran outfielder’s recent offensive domination raises the question about what the difference is between this season and last for Parra, when he hit a career-low .253 after signing a three-year, $27.5 million contract as a free agent with

Colorado.

“He’s seeing the ball well, he’s using the whole field and he’s not trying to do too much,” Rockies manager Bud Black said.

“The swing is short, the hands are working great and he’s swinging at strikes and taking balls. It’s the approach that all hitters try to get to, and it’s happening in the moment right now for him.”

Parra’s simplified approach at the plate is making him the toughest out in the Rockies lineup right now. He is barreling pitches up, as he did with his sharply hit first-inning single to left; and he’s hitting it where they ain’t, as he did with seeing- eye groundball singles to left in the third and to right in the seventh.

“He can hit the ball out of the ballpark, he can hit the ball in the gap, he can fight a base hit the other way and he can roll a ball through the right side,” Black said. “I saw that early in Arizona, and when he went to Milwaukee, he did the same thing. It was sort of an off year for him last year, but he’s making up for it this year.”

And with his body fully healthy from the strained quadriceps that sidelined him for more than a month, Parra, hitting .364, is on pace for his best offensive season.

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“I feel healthy and the confidence is great, but what’s more important is helping the team win, because we need wins more than ever now,” Parra said. “So I’m just staying focused on playing hard, playing happy and not thinking too much.

I’m just looking for my pitch in the zone every time up.”

Reaching base

Gerardo Parra’s streak of reaching base 10 consecutive times ranks fourth in Rockies history. A look at those reaching base in 10 or more consecutive plate appearances:

Player — Season — Reached

Eric Young — 1993 — 12

Larry Walker — 1998 — 11

Todd Helton — 2000 — 11

Gerardo Parra — 2017 — 10

Todd Helton — 2001 — 10

DJ LeMahieu — 2016 — 10

Brad Hawpe — 2008 — 10

Larry Walker — 2000 — 10

Source: Elias Sports Bureau

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Nolan Arenado’s offensive eruption was a surprise to nobody The All-Star third baseman’s teammates and manager said his three homer game was well within the range of expectations.

By Jordan Freemyer / Purple Row | July 19th, 2017

DENVER — manager Bud Black managed to sum up his team’s 18-4 win over the Padres perfectly in just one sentence.

“Our third baseman had a pretty good game,” Black said.

The Rockies’ third baseman did indeed have a pretty good game. Nolan Arenado went 5-for-6 on the day with three home runs and seven RBI. It was the first three home run game and the first five hit game of his career, while the seven

RBI tied a career high he set earlier this season and brought his season total to 80, six more than anyone else in baseball.

To adequately describe the reaction to Arenado’s career day (so far) from his teammates and manager, you have to go across the pond: In England, when a soccer player shows an unexpected bit of skill, on a goal, pass or what have you, commentators and fans will note that they “didn’t know he had that in his locker.” With Nolan’s offensive eruption on

Wednesday, everybody knew he had that in his locker. It was not a matter of if he would put together a game like

Wednesday’s but a matter of when and how many.

“It didn’t seem out too of the ordinary for something he could do,” Rockies shortstop Trevor Story said.

Think about that, a guy hits three home runs — in three consecutive innings, no less — and his teammates aren’t surprised by it. Frankly, I wasn’t surprised either. A game like Wednesday’s always seemed within Arenado’s grasp. In fact, I was a little surprised he didn’t hit a fourth home run when he had a chance in the eighth inning, though he may have had an explanation for that.

“I was trying to hit a homer,” Arenado said. “That’s probably why I didn’t. The at bats before that, I was just trying to hit the ball hard, just trying to stay in front of the baseball.”

Entering Wednesday’s game, Arenado was hitless since Sunday’s 13-4 win over the Mets, as he went 0-for-5 on Monday and was given a day off on Tuesday, which left him chomping at the bit for the series finale against San Diego.

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“Whenever I have a day off I’m always ready to play.” Arenado said. “But I really wanted to play today. I was actually stretching earlier than I usually do, just fired up about being out there. I don’t like days off.”

All that early stretching must have done Arenado some good, as he came out firing on all cylinders starting with a first inning single that brought home Charlie Blackmon for the Rockies’ first run. He then repeated the feat in the second, stretching the Rockies’ lead to 4-0.

The home run binge started in the fourth, as Arenado led off the inning with a solo homer to the concourse in left field off of Padres starter Clayton Richard, giving the Rockies a 7-0 lead. He faced reliever Kevin Quackenbush in the fifth and took him deep to right-center, another solo shot that extended the lead to 13-0. The final home run came in the sixth against Quackenbush, a three-run homer down the left field line, making the score 17-4. He flew out to left in his final at bat in the eighth, finishing his 5-for-6 day.

“The last off day we gave him he did the same thing, hit a big (two-run) homer,” Black said. “We’ll have to look at days off a little bit closer, but we don’t want to give him every other day off.”

In fact, Arenado said his goal is to make Tuesday his last day on the bench this season, citing the team’s abundance of off days in the second half. If he hits anything close to like he did Wednesday it will be tough for Black to keep him out of the lineup.

Rockies starter Jon Gray, who allowed four runs on seven hits in six innings on Wednesday, summarized what Arenado brings to the Rockies on a daily basis.

“It’s amazing to watch,” Gray said. “Great teammate, when he’s on the field you feel like you have this new level, this extra boost of confidence. He does a lot of good things for the club.”

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Rockies win big as offense does unholy things to Padres Apparently three games against San Diego is exactly what the offense needed

By Adam Peterson / Purple Row | July 19th, 2017

The Colorado Rockies defeated the San Diego Padres today at Coors Field. That much is abundantly clear. The score is only incidental to that fact.

The 18-4 drubbing of the Padres was exactly what the offense needed, as they had been struggling entering this series.

As such, they ended up putting up 36 runs in the three game sweep. Every Rockies starter (except Mark Reynolds) reached base and scored. Charlie Blackmon, Nolan Arenado, Gerardo Parra, Trevor Story, and Ryan Hanigan all had multi-hit games and even Jon Gray singled in a run and later scored.

But the true star of the offense was Nolan, who stepped to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning with a chance to become only the 18th player in MLB history with four home runs in a game. He ended up lining out to left field but that doesn’t diminish the accomplishment. His three home runs in three consecutive innings represent the first time that’s been accomplished in franchise history since Andres Galarraga did so on June 25, 1995—against the San Diego Padres.

Jon Gray started the game with a leadoff walk and fans were trembling at the potential for another performance like his eight earned runs in two innings plus on Friday against the Mets. When Gray later picked off Manuel Margot and the

Rockies scored three in the bottom of the first, it was clear today would be different. Gray certainly wasn’t at his sharpest, but he still managed to strike out seven and walk just two over six innings. He allowed four runs in his final inning of work, three of which came off a Cory Spangenberg home run to make it 13-4.

Oh, and this was one of 12 games ROOT AT&T Sportsnet didn’t broadcast this season, so few Coloradans outside the ones in attendance got to see it.

Notes:

• Had the Rockies scored in the eighth inning it would have marked just the third time in franchise history they had

scored at least one run in every inning in a single game.

• Trevor Story came just a double shy of the cycle after striking out four times in last night’s game.

• Mark Reynolds was the only starter not to reach base and the only one to strike out. He struck out three times.

• Charlie Blackmon left the game mid at-bat in the sixth inning with what we now know to be leg cramps. 26

Colorado Rockies: Gerardo Parra creating offense at stunning clip

By Kevin Henry / Rox Pile | July 19th, 2017

Gerardo Parra just keeps hitting for the Colorado Rockies. In fact, he’s hitting almost as well as anyone in baseball over the course of this season.

Yes, he wasn’t supposed to be Colorado’s Opening Day starter in the minds of many, but an injury to David Dahl took care of that. Sure, he’s missed a chunk of time with an injury of his own. However, when he’s been on the field, Parra has taken care of business at the plate.

Don’t look now, but the Parra who was so vilified in the minds of Rockies fans last season, saw his average creep ever higher on Wednesday during an 18-4 matinee rout of the San Diego Padres at Coors Field. Three singles in his first three at-bats of the day made it 10 straight plate appearances where he had reached base. According to Elias, that’s only happened seven other times in franchise history.

Since coming back from a quad injury on July 7, there has only been one day in the month where Parra hasn’t had a hit.

And it hasn’t just been one hit per game. A 3-for-3 night in Tuesday’s 9-7 win over San Diego pushed his average to .516 for the month. A 4-for-5 day against San Diego on Wednesday elevated his average to .556 in July. As Thursday’s off day dawned, he was 20-for-36 at the plate with 12 RBI this month. Wow.

That comes after he logged a .571 average in five June games before he suffered his quad injury. Yes, he’s been about as hot at the plate as the weather that settled over Denver for the entire Padres homestand.

Overall, Parra has a .364 average in 184 at-bats this season. That month he missed with the quad injury is keeping him from qualifying for MLB’s batting leaders. If he did qualify, he would be second in MLB behind Justin Turner of the Los

Angeles Dodgers, who is hitting .372 heading into Thursday.

Last year, it was Parra for President … and that was during a down season for the nine-year Major League veteran. This year, he could be voted in over Emperor Palpatine in honor of the upcoming Star Wars night at Coors Field on Saturday.

There was talk as Parra neared his return to the Rockies earlier this month how important he was to the team, both on and off the field. Every day, Parra seems to be proving that theory to be true a little bit more.

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Colorado Rockies: Nolan Arenado’s big day should ramp up MVP talk

By Kevin Henry / Rox Pile | July 19th, 2017

Sorry East Coast media and people who like to say “Coors” way too often, but Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies is right back in the discussion for National League Most Valuable Player.

It’s not like Arenado was ever really out of the discussion but there are times when a player is so good, you forget just how good he really is. Such has been the case with Arenado this season. Outside of his storybook walkoff cycle hitting day against the , Nolan has been just chugging along, doing his job at the plate and in the field.

Not a lot of praise. Not a lot of national media attention. Just a lot of #NolanBeingNolan tweets floating around the Rockies

Twitter universe.

Well, Arenado grabbed hold of the nation’s attention again on Wednesday afternoon during an 18-4 shellacking of the

San Diego Padres. In the span of six innings, Arenado went 5-for-5 with three home runs and seven RBI. Those aren’t everyday numbers, even for Nolan. In fact, it marked the first time that any Rockies player had five hits and three homers in a single game. It’s only the sixth time it’s happened in over the last decade.

After getting the night off on Tuesday, Arenado returned with a vengeance against the Padres. A first-inning RBI single. A second-inning RBI single. A fourth-inning solo shot to left. A fifth-inning solo shot to right-center. A sixth-inning three-run home run to left. Padres pitchers kept daring Arenado and he kept making them pay. It was a vicious circle of life at

20th and Blake.

He had a chance to make even more history (only 17 times has a player hit four homers in a game) in the eighth inning but flied out to left. He was cheered by the Rockies faithful as he headed back to the dugout. His final line on the day? 5- for-6. Three homers. Four runs scored. Seven RBI. Fourteen total bases. Have a day, Nolan.

Arenado now holds the Major League baseball RBI lead with 80, thanks in part to the three homers that now have him sitting at 21 round-trippers this season. His big day also raised his average to .309 for the season. Yep, he’s in the MVP discussion.

After the game, Arenado told Rox Pile and other media members that the time off on Tuesday motivated him even more on Wednesday.

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“I was more motivated to come play today. Whenever I have a day off, I’m always ready to play but I really wanted to play today,” Arenado said. “I was actually stretching earlier than I usually do. I was fired up about being out there. I don’t like days off. I know they’re important. Obviously, I’m playing well after them but I just don’t like them.”

The day off came after an 0-for-5 performance on Monday. Arenado didn’t like the timing.

“I wasn’t very happy with myself after that,” he said. “Just because you’re 0-for-5 doesn’t mean you have to sit. I wasn’t happy that I took my day. I should’ve told them no. I should’ve just been tougher about it.”

By the way, Arenado told reporters after the game his goal is to have no more days off the rest of the season. That’s something to keep an eye on.

Last season, a losing record kept Arenado from gaining traction across the country despite his solid .294/.362/.570 line with 41 homers and 133 RBI. He finished fifth with those numbers in 2016. He’s never hit over .300 in a season before.

He’s knocking on that door in 2017.

We had a debate on this site just last week about Arenado compared to other third basemen in MLB. You can read it by clicking here. However, days like Wednesday reminded everyone (again) who has any baseball sense that Arenado is a special talent who keeps making history. He’s also a player who has once again inserted himself squarely into the MVP conversation … a conversation he’s really been in all season.

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The Rockies’ bats are back (in a big way)

By Casey Light / Mile High Sports | July 19th, 2017

Having scored nine or more runs (taco’s [sic] for everyone!) in six of their last nine games, it seems the Colorado Rockies’ bats are back.

During a 5-15 stretch that spanned both sides of the All-Star break (okay, only two were on the “post” side, but still), the

Colorado Rockies batted just .243 as a team and averaged 6.3 runs per game. In their 15 losses during that stretch, they scored just 41 total runs (an average of 2.73 per game).

Through five innings on Wednesday, the Rockies had pounded out 16 hits and scored 13 runs against the San Diego

Padres – tying their season high in runs, recorded just a few days prior against the Mets. They eclipsed that total with a new high for the year, winning 18-4.

Over four games against the Mets and Padres, including a three-game sweep of San Diego, the Rockies recorded 61 hits and 49 runs. They hit 13 doubles, two triples and 11 home runs in those four games.

After a night off on Tuesday, Nolan Arenado had a monster day at the plate against the Padres on Wednesday. The reigning back-to-back Sliver Slugger, home run and RBI champ was 5-for-6 with seven RBIs and four runs scored, including three home runs. He was one of three Rockies to go deep on the day.

The offense had been showing signs of breaking out in a big way, putting up a pair of double-digit lines against the White

Sox just before the All-Star break.

Gerardo Parra has been the hottest of the Rockies hitters of late. Parra, who was one of the few Rockies without an RBI on Wednesday, had at least one RBI in eight straight games after coming of the disabled list. On Tuesday he was 3-for-3 with a pair of walks and three runs scored to go with his lone RBI. He was 4-for-5 on Wednesday with two runs scored, but failed to drive anyone home.

Trevor Story, who entered the game Wednesday hitting just .227, is starting to pick up steam. He was 3-for-4 with a triple and a home run in the finale against the Padres. He is hitting .300 (10-for-30) with 10 RBIs over his last eight games.

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Charlie Blackmon continues his hot season at the plate. Over the past nine games, the All-Star centerfielder is hitting .473

(18-for-38) with two doubles, two triples and five home runs.

Naysayers will argue that these inflated numbers have come against terrible pitching teams. They’d be mostly right.

Entering Wednesday’s game, San Diego had the No. 23 ERA in baseball at 4.65. (It will be much worse on Thursday).

The Mets are even worse at 4.94 (and the Rockies dropped two of three in that series). The White Sox are more respectable (and above the Rockies) at 4.50. However, the only pitcher who picked up a win for Chicago in that series against the Rockies has since been traded to the other side of the Windy City, and is now pitching for the team hot on

Colorado’s tail for a Wild Card spot – the Cubs.

The Rockies will have some big tests over the rest of the month to see if their bats really have come alive. Up next they host the , with a team ERA of 4.12 (12th). After that it’s a trip to No. 5 St. Louis (3.88) and then on to

Washington (4.06, 9th).

For 48 hours, though, they can enjoy their biggest offensive output of the season.

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Nolan Arenado’s career day leads Rockies to sweep of Padres

By Aniello Piro / Mile High Sports | July 19th, 2017

Led by a career day from All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado, the Colorado Rockies earned their fourth victory in a row, defeating San Diego by a final score of 18-4 in the finale of a series sweep of the NL West rivals.

The sweep marks a significant step in the right direction for the Rockies who sputtered heading into the All-Star break. The series, as a whole, was a coming-out party for Colorado’s offense, with Wednesday’s victory being the icing on the cake. Just about every Rockies hitter had a great game at the plate, but Arenado was the most impressive of the bunch.

Wednesday was a career day for Arenado who continues to play at an MVP-caliber level this year.

Arenado belted three home runs Wednesday (in three consecutive innings), the first three home run game of his career, bumping his season batting average up to .309. In addition, his seven-RBI day pushed him ahead of Nelson Cruz for the most in baseball and tied a career high.

Also, his five hits marked a single-game career high, making for another historic day for the 26-year-old phenom. He became the first player in Rockies history with five hits, three home runs and 7 RBIs in a single game.

Other bright spots were Charlie Blackmon who had a trio of hits, including a home run, raising his batting average up to

.329 on the season which ranks second behind only Bryce Harper among .

Gerardo Parra had a solid game too, tallying four hits to continue along his prolonged tear since returning from the disabled list. Since rejoining the Rockies, Parra is hitting over .500.

On the defensive side, Jon Gray logged six innings, allowing four runs on seven hits; all four runs came in the sixth. While it was not Gray’s best performance, Wednesday’s start was a nice follow up to his eight-run, two-plus inning outing in New

York.

The sweep was important for Colorado, but now they will set their sights on the Pittsburgh Pirates who have the second- best record in baseball since June 10. Colorado and Pittsburgh open a three-game series on Friday.

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Nolan Arenado did something incredible… again

By Jake Shapiro / BSN Denver | July 19th, 2017

DENVER – Nolan Arenado did incredible Nolan Arenado things against the San Deigo Padres on Wednesday.

Is it even more incredible if you do incredible every day? Anyhow, Arenado went bonkers with his bat. Arenado had a career best five hits, three homers and seven RBI in his six trips to the plate.

Arenado had a shot to become player No. 18 in MLB history to hit four home runs in the bottom of the eighth but he fell shy via a shallow fly to left.

“Obviously I was trying to hit a homer,” the Colorado Rockies’ All-Star said. “That’s probably why I didn’t. When I went out for my last at-bat I couldn’t help but thinking about getting another, that’s probably why I didn’t get it.”

The game was already 18-4 so nobody could really fault Arenado for lettin’ er rip.

Kirby Yates did what no other Padres pitcher could do and got Arenado out, not only that, he was the only Friar to pitch a scoreless inning in the contest.

“Yeah,” Arenado laughed when asked if it was like playing wife ball. “But 95 and 94 coming at you, it got real. I just tried to hit the ball hard. Kirby has been tough on me this year.”

Arenado was coming off an off day on Tuesday, just his fourth not-start of the season. On the season, he’s 14-for-25 with four homers and 13 RBI coming off a day’s rest.

Today, a well rested and somewhat angry Arenado did his thing.

“I was more motivated to come play today, whenever I have a day off that happens,” he said. “I came out and stretched early, I was fired up to be out there today. I don’t like days off and I was 0-for-5 on Monday so to have a day off after that,

I just wasn’t happy with myself. I wasn’t happy that I took that day, I should’ve said no and been tougher about it.”

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Arenado drove in Charlie Blackmon on a single in the first and that hit took some of the anxiety out of his body. He’d single in Blackmon again in the second, which gave the Rockies a 4-0 lead and no pressure.

“I took first pitch almost every at-bat,” the third baseman said. “They’ve been throwing a lot of junk and I don’t blame ’em.

Today was a good day, one of the best days.”

His first homer came in the fourth, a solo shot that followed up a two-run blast from Blackmon.

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He did the same in the fifth, sending himself around the bases.

And in the sixth, he scored himself via the long ball and two of his teammates to starch the lead to 17-4.

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Arenado took back MLB’s RBI lead from Bryce Harper today as he finished with 80. In 2017 the superstar slugger is now slashing .309/.356/.584 with 21 dingers, 30 two-baggers and five triples. He entered the day with a 3.0 fWAR and finished with a 3.5 fWAR. He also entered MLB’s top ten in slugging percentage.

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As for Arenado and off days, “I don’t want to take a day off the rest of the year, that’s my goal. My goal is to take no days off.”

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Rockies erupt for 18 runs, leave Padres in ashes

By Drew Creasman / BSN Denver | July 19th, 2017

DENVER – Mount Vesuvius, Mount St. Helens, the Colorado Rockies offense.

Legendary explosions are the only thing comparable to what the Denver Nine did today with the wood. They erupted for

21 hits in an 18-4 win over the San Deigo Padres.

Nolan Arenado had a career day going 5-for-6 at the dish with a career best three home runs and seven RBI.

For the second straight game, Colorado plated three runs in the first inning. Charlie Blackmonextended his hit streak to 14 games right off the bat (get it?) with a bloop single to left and DJ LeMahieu followed with a walk and Arenado — as he so often does — delivered the first RBI of the game for the Rockies with a single up the middle. LeMahieu scored on a and apair of productive outs — a grounder to second from Mark Reynolds and a sac fly to center from Ian

Desmond — brought in Arenado for the third run.

Colorado kept it cracking in the second, getting a two-out rally that began with a plunking of Blackmon. LeMahieu pulled a single away from the dramatic shift the Padres have started to employ on him. Arenado liked what he did so much in the first in the same situation that he decided to repeat it, singling up the middle to score Blackmon and give everyone a bit of deja vu.

They kept the scoring-in-every-inning thing going in the third starting with a one-out triple to straight away center off the bat of Trevor Story. He came in on a Ryan Hanigan single that darted by a pulled-in Padres infield to make it 6-0, Rockies.

In the top of the fourth, Gray allowed singles to Wil Myers and Hector Sanchez to start the inning, giving him a first-and- third, nobody out situation. The young man who is trying to reclaim the mantle of Rockies ace found his best stuff in that moment striking out Jabari Bash looking with a nasty backup slider, getting a pop up on the infield from Cory

Spangenberger and striking out Franchy Cordero to strand the runners and keep the scoreboard clean.

Arenado piled on right after that with a solo shot in the bottom of the frame, a 431-foot line drive blast to left. After a couple of outs, Parra singled to right once again, making it the 10th consecutive time he had reached base, going back to

Monday’s game. Per Elias, there are only five other players in Rockies history who have reached base that many times in a row. It has been achieved seven times with Larry Walker and Todd Helton accomplishing the feat twice. Eric Young, DJ

LeMahieu, and Brad Hawpe round out the list. 35

Parra came in to score on a frozen rope homer off the bat of Trevor Story. It was the first home run Story has hit since

July 1 and only the second since June 18. He has been much better at the plate, especially with runners on, since the break and if he continues to show improvement could be a huge “addition” to the offense in the second half.

After Hanigan hit a ground-rule double and scored on a single from Gray to make it 10-0, Rockies, Clayton Richard was finally removed from the game for reliever Kevin Quakenbush.

The very first pitch Quakenbush threw was destroyed by Blackmon and deposited deep over the center field fence to make it 12-0.

The Rockies obligatory run of the inning for the fifth came courtesy of Arenado’s second home run of the game, an opposite field shot which is unusual for him, that soared over the high fence in right-center field.

Jon Gray was cruising with a shutout until he momentarily lost the good command in the sixth. A trio of singles from Carlos Asuaje, Sanchez, and Jabari Blash plated a run and set the stage for a three-run homer off the bat of Cory

Spangenberg. Gray, pitching with a huge lead, had clearly consigned himself to pitch in the zone but was catching too much of the plate and it cost him. He righted the ship and finished the inning.

His final line: 6 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 7K. He threw 72 of 103 pitches for strikes.

After Story drew a walk and Hanigan singled to start the sixth, the Rockies experienced quite the scare as Charlie

Blackmon had to be removed from the game with an apparent hamstring injury. He was 3-for-3 in the game with two RBI and three runs scored. He leads MLB in hits at 129.

While any long term absence of Blackmon could have a devastating effect on the Rockies, there was no short-term impact as Pat Valaika stepped into an 0-2 count and delivered an RBI single up the middle to give the Rockies their largest run total of the season (to that point) at 14.

And just when the townsfolk thought it might be over, that the fire might cease to fall from the sky, Arenado smashed his third home run (fifth hit) on a fastball off the plate inside, ripping it just inside the foul pole in left to score three more runs and give himself a seven RBI day.

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Desmond scored on a sac fly from Hanigan in the eighth to bring the astounding tally to 18 runs. They scored 36 runs over the three-game sweep of the Padres and have scored 49 runs over their last four games. This all comes on the heels of panic among some fans and pundits who wish to see the Rockies add a bat by the trade deadline.

Colorado moved to 56-41 and await the result of Arizona and LA to see if they have made up any ground in the post season races.

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FYI: Nolan Rollin’ With Rest & More

By Tracy Ringolsby / Inside the Seams| July 19th, 2017

Nolan Arenado had a career day on Wednesday. He had the first three home run game of his career, the 16th in Rockies history. He equaled a career high with seven hits as well as with seven RBI and four runs scored. He now leads the major leagues with 80 RBI.

Surprised by the single-game explosion? Don’t be.

Arenado has responded to rest. There are 12 times he has been in the starting lineup (a total of 13 games including a

May 9 doubleheader) after not starting the day before (he did pinch-hit once). Whether it’s been a day out of the lineup or an off-day in the schedule, Arenado has returned to the lineup with a blast, hitting a combined .472 in those 13 starts the day after with seven home runs and 20 RBI.

Date Opp Result AB R H DBL TRPL HR RBI

4/18/2017 @LAD W 4-3 4 2 3 1 0 2 3

5/2/2017 @SD L 6-2 4 0 2 0 0 0 1

5/9/2017 ChC W 10-4 4 1 1 0 0 0 1

5/9/2017 ChC L 8-1 4 1 2 1 0 0 0

5/16/2017 @Min W 7-3 4 0 1 0 0 0 0

5/18/2017 @Min W 5-1 3 2 1 0 0 1 1

6/6/2017 Cle W 11-3 4 1 0 0 0 0 0

6/12/2017 @Pit L 7-2 5 0 3 0 0 0 0

6/20/2017 Ari W 4-3 4 0 2 0 1 0 2

6/30/2017 @Ari W 6-3 4 1 1 0 1 0 0

7/7/2017 CWS W 12-4 5 2 3 1 0 1 5

7/14/2017 @NYM L 14-2 2 0 1 0 0 0 0

7/19/2017 SD W 18-4 6 4 5 0 0 3 7

Total .472 9-4 53 14 25 3 2 7 20

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ARENADO’S HOME RUNS came in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. The only other active player to hit a home run in three consecutive innings in a game is Manny Machado, who went deep in the first, second and third innings against the

White Sox on August 7, 2016. The only other player in Rockies history to accomplish that feat is Andres Galarraga, who homered in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings against the Padres on June 25, 1995.

THE ROCKIES 18 runs on Wednesday were two shy of the club record. It also was the most runs the Padres allowed in a game since Sept. 20, 2005 when the Rockies scored 20 runs against them.

Rockies single-game top runs scored:

Date Opp R HR

9/23/2003 Ari 20 4

9/20/2005 SD 20 4

9/18/2006 SF 20 4

6/7/1996 Atl 19 1

6/18/2000 Ari 19 4

8/8/2007 Mil 19 3

9/25/2011 Hou 19 4

9/17/1999 LA 18 6

7/18/2000 Oak 18 2

5/13/2005 Ari 18 3

7/4/2008 Fla 18 6

4/27/2012 NYM 18 4

7/19/2017 SD 18 5 AND THEN THERE are the NL West-leading Dodgers. With their 9-1 rain-

Mordecai Brown shortened victory against the White Sox on wednesday they have won 44 soncecutive games in which they had a lead, breaking the MLB record the Cubs set in 1906. That Cub team, which won 43 in a row, included eventual Hall of Famers

Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, Frank Chance and Mordecai Brown, who earned 10 of those victories and also was the manager of the team. (Elias News Bureau)

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BARTOLO COLON’S ADDITION to the Twins gives him a chance to match

Jamie Moyer| Bartolo Colon

Jamie Moyer for the all-time record of ballparks in which he has allowed a home run. Moyer gave up a home run in 43 parks. Colon has given up a home run in 42. He, however, has not given up a home run in his new home park, Target

Field, where he did debut on Tuesday and did give up four runs on eight hits (two doubles, six singles) in four innings in a loss to the Yankees.

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Nolan Arenado's day was one of the best in Rockies history

By ESPN News Services / ESPN.com | July 19th, 2017

It has been the year of the home run for just about everyone in baseball, but Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan

Arenado's power production seemed to have dipped slightly this season -- until Wednesday.

Arenado clubbed three home runs as part of a five-hit day, one of the best games by a hitter in Rockies history. It was

Arenado’s first three-home-run game. He is the first Rockies player with a five-hit, three-homer game. His 14 total bases tied the team record, matching the 14 Jeff Cirillo had in 2000 and Larry Walker had in 2004. Arenado's seven RBIs matched a career high and gave him the major league lead with 80 this season.

Arenado also passed two Rockies legends in multi-home-run games with the team. His 12 rank seventh in franchise history, one ahead of Matt Holliday and Troy Tulowitzki.

A day of rest did Arenado good. He did not play Tuesday, and he came out fresh for this game. He has played in 94 of 97 games this season after playing in an NL-leading 160 in 2016.

Arenado had a 15-game homerless drought a couple weeks ago, but he entered the day with three home runs in his past seven games. He matched that in short order Wednesday.

Arenado entered the day averaging a home run every 20.5 at-bats this season. In the previous two seasons, he averaged one every 14.7 and 15.1 at-bats. His 104 home runs since the start of 2015 rank second in the majors, trailing Nelson

Cruz’s 107.

Big games come in many ways

This isn’t the only huge game that Arenado has had in 2017. He hit for the cycle, capped with a walk-off home run, in a win over the Giants earlier this season.

Arenado is the fourth player in the past 25 years to have a three-homer game and hit for the cycle in the same season, joining Miguel Tejada (2001), Jose Reyes (2006) and Adrian Beltre (2012). The Elias Sports Bureau reports that Arenado

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is the 17th player to have a three-homer game and cycle game in the same season (baseball legend Joe DiMaggio did so in two seasons).

Coors Field is three-homer heaven

This was the 20th three-homer game in the 22-season history of Coors Field. Elias notes that that's tied with Tiger

Stadium for fourth most in a ballpark. Wrigley Field, which has been open for 103 seasons, ranks first with 41, followed by

Fenway Park (29 in 105 seasons) and Shibe Park/Connie Mack Stadium, the home of the Philadelphia Athletics and

Phillies (21 in 61).

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Nolan Arenado gets 3 HR in 5-hit outing to help Rockies sweep Padres

By Associated Press / ESPN.com | July 19th, 2017

DENVER -- To fire up Nolan Arenado , just give him a day off.

His manager mandated he sit a game, and Arenado stewed over it for a night before taking it out on the baseball.

Arenado lined three homers as part of his five-hit afternoon and tied a career-high with seven RBI, helping the Colorado

Rockies complete a three-game sweep of the San Diego Padres with an 18-4 victory Wednesday.

"I don't like days off," Arenado said. "I know they're important and, obviously, I'm playing well after them."

That's an understatement. In games after not being in the lineup this season, the All-Star third baseman is hitting .583 with four homers and 13 RBI.

"We'll have to look at that a little closer," joked manager Bud Black, whose team has scored 49 runs during its four-game win streak. "We don't want to give him every other day off."

Trevor Story and Charlie Blackmon also homered on a scorching day when the Rockies had a season-high 21 hits. Gerardo Parra ran his streak of reaching base to 10 straight plate appearances over three games before flying out in the fifth. He finished with four singles.

Arenado had a pair of RBI singles to start the game, followed by solo shots in the fourth and fifth innings, and a three-run homer in the sixth. He had a chance at a fourth homer in the eighth and lined out to left.

"I was trying to hit a homer. That's probably why I didn't," Arenado said. "The at-bats before that, I was just trying to hit the ball hard and stay on top of the baseball. They went out."

Jon Gray (3-1) kept the Padres in check until running out of steam. The right-hander allowed all four of his runs in the sixth -- his last inning of work.

Padres starter Clayton Richard (5-10) lasted just 3 2/3 innings and gave up 11 runs, 10 earned, inflating his ERA from

4.75 to 5.35. He also matched a team record by allowing 14 hits.

"I felt good today, unfortunately," Richard said. "It seemed like one of those days where it wasn't meant to be."

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This illustrated the kind of offensive afternoon it was for the Rockies: Blackmon's leg cramped up on a foul ball in the sixth.

He consulted with Black and the trainer before leaving the game. Inheriting an 0-2 count, pinch-hitter Pat Valaika promptly lined an RBI single. In all, five players had at least three hits as the Rockies scored in every inning but the eighth.

Blackmon extended his hitting streak to 14 games and Gray even contributed with an RBI single.

"They hit balls through holes. And they blooped balls in and they hit balls off walls and they hit balls out of the ballpark,"

Padres manager Andy Green said. "Literally, every conceivable type of hit they could get, they had today."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Padres: Manager Andy Green is hopeful OF Hunter Renfroe (strained neck) will come off the DL on Thursday. ... Green said RHP Jarred Cosart had a procedure to clean up his elbow and will miss the rest of the season.

Rockies: RHP Chad Bettis will start Sunday for Triple-A Albuquerque as he works his way back from testicular cancer.

The plan is for him to go four innings and throw 60 pitches. ... OF David Dahl (stress reaction in rib cage) was reinstated from the 60-day DL and optioned to Triple-A on Wednesday.

QUITE A SERIES

Parra finished the series 9 for 12. He's batting .556 since returning from a strained right quadriceps on July 7. "I feel good right now. Just continue working like I work," Parra said.

THIS & THAT

The Padres recalled outfielder Franchy Cordero from Triple-A El Paso and optioned right-hander Jose Valdez to Triple-A.

Cordero started Wednesday and went 0 for 2. ... 3B Cory Spangenberg had a three-run homer in the sixth. ... The last

Padres pitcher to allow 14 hits was Andy Ashby in 1999. ... The Rockies record of reaching base in consecutive plate appearances is 12 by Eric Young in 1993.

UP NEXT

Padres: RHP Jhoulys Chacin (8-7, 4.33 ERA) starts Thursday when the Padres open a four-game series in San

Francisco. The Giants will throw lefty Madison Bumgarner (0-3, 3.18). Rockies: After a day off, Colorado begins a three- game series against Pittsburgh. The Rockies will send RHP Jeff Hoffman (6-1, 4.33) to the mound Friday. RHP Trevor

Williams (3-4, 4.69) will pitch for the Pirates.

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