Clips for 7-12-10

MEDIA CLIPS –May 29, 2018

Rockies come back, get walk-off win in 10th

Thomas Harding / MLB.com | May 29, 2018

DENVER -- Veteran Rockies weathered a slow offensive start and some recent bullpen hiccups, knowing there would be nights like Monday -- when Chris Iannetta's bases-loaded ground-ball single in the 10th inning delivered a 6-5 victory over the Giants.

The wild Memorial Day game was delayed 55 minutes at the start by a hailstorm. But when everything had cleared, the

Rockies went to bed in first in the National League West by 1 1/2 games over the D-backs.

It was fitting that Iannetta finished it on a grounder that crawled past pitcher Hunter Strickland and trickled under the glove of second baseman Kelby Tomlinson. Iannetta has a .220 batting average, but it also was his eighth walk-off hit -- his first since May 11, 2016, when he homered in the 11th for the Mariners in a 6-5 victory over the Rays.

"Everyone's making a big deal about our offense," Iannetta said. "We don't like the way that we're playing offensively, [but] we have a collection of really good hitters, and we know that. We're going to play to our potential and above our potential at times, and there are times when you play long enough that you're going to be underneath that."

Iannetta's hit ended a parade of solid at-bats -- some by hitters who were "underneath" what the Rockies would like.

• Nolan Arenado came to the plate 2-for-14 against Strickland (2-2) and drew a walk, then took second on a deep fly to center by Trevor Story -- who had a three-run homer in the first inning.

• Carlos Gonzalez, who had lost some of his intimidation factor during his slow start, accepted an intentional walk after going 2-for-4 previously. The game came on the heels of Gonzalez going 4-for-4 with a homer in Sunday's 8-2 victory over the Reds.

• Ian Desmond, hitting .184, had two hits and two RBIs, including a key sacrifice fly. He loaded with a one-out single off

Strickland, against whom he had been 0-for-6. Andrew McCutchen nearly made a sliding catch in right field.

"Just like I've been saying, we're winning games in all different kinds of ways," Desmond said.

Desmond, because of a team-high $22 million salary this year and his struggles, has been a target of fan discontent all season. But Desmond had the solid offensive game and made a key defensive play from first base in the top of the 10th to help Bryan Shaw (2-3), who himself is a high-paid vet -- three years, $27 million -- who has struggled recently.

Shaw had been scored upon in his previous three outings, but escaped after giving up Evan Longoria and Brandon

Crawford singles to open the 10th. Desmond helped him, by fielding an Austin Jackson chopper and throwing out

Crawford at third. Shaw extracted two more grounders.

"We continued to make those same pitches I made to those first two guys ... and we got some good plays by the defense behind me," Shaw said.

Shaw's escape came after Wade Davis walked two and hit a batter with two out in the ninth but worked Longoria into a soft liner.

"The games in San Francisco a couple weeks ago were hard-fought, and when you win them, you feel good," Rockies manager Bud Black said.

Black also lauded starting pitcher Chad Bettis for battling through six innings. However, Longoria's two-run double five batters in raised Bettis' first-inning ERA to 8.10 this season, and a four-hit, two-run sixth -- which included pinch-hitter

Pablo Sandoval's go-ahead RBI single -- lifted his number in that inning to 10.79. He also has a 7.06 home ERA against

2.03 on the road.

But Bettis has a team win to feel good about while working on his pitch location.

"I wasn't as sharp as I could've been," Bettis said. "Some of those pitches could've been a little bit better located, especially in that first."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Rookie lefty Harrison Musgrave, who had pitched well but not often in tight games previously, needed just 21 pitches to finish the seventh and eighth cleanly.

The recent struggles of lefty Chris Rusin -- at least one run against in six of his last seven appearances -- led to

Musgrave's chance. Also, the Rockies couldn't go to highly effective Adam Ottavino, who went to the 10-day disabled list

Monday with a left oblique strain.

"Good poise, not fazed by being here, great heartbeat, he has some weapons," Black said. "We liked him last Spring

Training. He was very close to making our team.

"This guy is a little bit under the radar, but very effective. He's been a very solid Minor League pitcher. You look at his win- loss record, look at some of the internal numbers, you can't ignore that."

SOUND SMART

Charlie Blackmon was caught stealing in the seventh to end the Rockies' streak of 16 successful steal attempts. It's the second-longest such run in club history behind an 18-gamer (May 18-June 6, 2012).

HE SAID IT

"As long as you come out, you're making noise, we feed on that -- whether you're booing me or cheering me, I don't care, just make some sort of noise." -- Desmond, on how being a discontent target doesn't bother him

UP NEXT

Rockies lefty Kyle Freeland (4-5, 3.28 ERA) has a string of six quality starts. The increased use of the changeup to go with his fastball, slider-cutter and sinker has rounded out his plan of attack. Freeland will start Tuesday against Giants righty Jeff Samardzija (1-3, 6.23).

Ottavino goes on DL; LeMahieu set for at-bats

Thomas Harding / MLB.com | May 28, 2018

DENVER -- Right-hander Adam Ottavino -- whose .092 batting average against is second-lowest among Major League relievers -- landed on the 10-day disabled list with a left oblique strain, and righty reliever Scott Oberg was recalled from

Triple-A Albuquerque, the Rockies announced Monday.

Also, Rockies manager Bud Black announced Monday that second baseman DJ LeMahieu, who has missed 13 games with a left thumb injury, will go to Scottsdale, Ariz., for a couple of days in extended spring games, then possibly be activated. LeMahieu has a slash line of .279/.350/.457 with five home runs from the No. 1 and No. 2 batting-order positions.

Ottavino, 32, last pitched Sunday, when he recorded two outs in an 8-2 victory over the Reds. Upon learning of the strain, which is considered mild, the club decided to rest Ottavino to keep it from worsening.

In addition to holding opponents to 8-for-87, he ranks fifth in the National League among relievers with an 0.95 ERA and has 45 strikeouts (third in the Majors) among 99 batters faced.

Oberg, 28, began the year with the Rockies but was optioned on April 24 with a 6.55 ERA in 10 appearances. At

Albuquerque, Oberg posted a 1.88 ERA in 12 appearances with two saves and 13 strikeouts against two walks.

The Rockies hope for a similar comeback to the one Oberg fashioned late last season. Oberg bounced between the

Majors and Triple-A, but in September he posted a 2.03 ERA in 14 appearances.

If he is right, the Rockies could benefit from Oberg's success as a fireman. Last year, just six of 38 inherited runners (15.8 percent) scored. This year before the option, 11 of 13 (84.6 percent) scored.

Chris Iannetta’s walk-off single gives Colorado Rockies win over San Francisco Giants in 10th inning The game had the makings of an early blowout, but Chad Bettis showed some staying power

Patrick Saunders / DenverPost.com | May 29, 2018

Chris Iannetta has had more theatrical walk-off hits in his long big-league career. But as the veteran catcher well knows, a game-winning hit is something to be cherished, no matter what package it comes in.

Monday night at Coors Field, Iannetta scooted a bases-loaded, up-the-middle, walk-off single in the 10th inning off Hunter

Strickland to drive in Nolan Arenado and lead Colorado to a 6-5 win over San Francisco. It was the eighth walk-off hit of

Iannetta’s career.

“I was trying to hit something up the middle,” Iannetta said. “I was able to do that. It ended up not being as much barrel as

(I wanted), and it ended up dribbling up there instead of a line drive, but we will definitely take it.”

The last walk-off RBI of Iannetta’s career came more than two years ago, on May 11, 2016 as a member of the Seattle

Mariners. He hit a solo homer in the 11th to lift Seattle to a 6-5 win over Tampa Bay.

The Rockies’ 10th inning began with Arenado drawing a walk off Strickland, then scooting to second on Trevor Story‘s fly to deep center. An intentional walk to Carlos Gonzalez and a single by Ian Desmond filled the bases. Giants right fielder

Andrew McCutchen almost made a sliding catch on Desmond’s sinking liner, but the ball popped out of McCutchen’s glove.

The Rockies’ victory improved them to 29-25, keeping them 1 ½ games in front of Arizona for the lead in the National

League West. More important for manager Bud Black was the manner in which the Rockies beat the Giants, who lost for the first time this season when leading after seven innings.

“These are great wins. These are good wins. They’re hard-fought,” Black said. “This is an opponent that we respect. This is a team in our division that is made up of a lot of veteran players. It’s a good team. It’s well-run. And they’re hard-fought games.”

The Giants’ ninth- and 10th-inning at-bats had more drama than a courtroom scene in “Law & Order.” Rockies closer

Wade Davis issued two-out walks to Gorkys Hernandez and Andrew McCutchen and then plunked Buster Posey to fill the bases. But Davis kept his cool and jammed Brandon Belt, who broke his bat and lined out harmlessly to second baseman

Ryan McMahon.

In the 10th, Evan Longoria and Brandon Crawford opened with back-to-back singles off Colorado right-hander Bryan

Shaw, but Shaw escaped by getting three consecutive groundball outs. Desmond’s scoop of a grounder at first and throw to third to nail Longoria was the key play.

“I was prepared to throw it to third, but I wouldn’t say I was for sure going to throw it to third, because you had a little bit of a double-play situation there,” said Desmond, who went 2-for-3 and drove in two runs. “(Crawford) is fast, so as aggressive as we were being on a (possible) bunt play, it seemed the right play at the time.”

Iannetta was impressed with the veteran poise that Davis and Shaw displayed with traffic on the bases in a tight game.

“It’s just their ability to slow the game down,” Iannetta said. “It’s the ability to think when things are going crazy. When you are younger, the game speeds up on you. You are worried about not failing as opposed to doing what you need to do to succeed.”

The Rockies had multiple chances chances to tie the game, and finally did so in the eighth. Trevor Story — who slugged his 11th home run of the season and scored three times — smashed a leadoff single through the box and advanced to third on Gonzalez’s single to right. Story scored on Desmond’s sacrifice line drive to right on an 0-2 count, knotting the game at 5.

The rally erased some earlier frustration. In the sixth, Desmond reached on an error, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by catcher Posey. But Desmond, running on contact, was thrown out at the plate when McMahon grounded to Belt at first.

It was an off night for Colorado starter Chad Bettis. San Francisco broke him with two runs in the sixth to take a 5-4 lead.

The Giants rapped out four solid hits, with Longoria smacking his second RBI double of the game and Pablo Sandoval 7

delivering a run-scoring single. Bettis’ struggles in the sixth inning, and at Coors Field, continued. His ERA in the sixth inning this season is 10.79. After his five-run, 10-hit performance Monday, his home ERA sits at 7.06. His road ERA is

2.03, fourth-best in the NL.

“I wasn’t as sharp as I could have been, especially in their first inning,” Bettis said, lamenting a poorly-located changeup that Longoria raked for a two-run double. “I want to be a little bit better than that.”

The game had the makings of an early blowout, but Bettis showed some staying power.

Disaster loomed in the third, but he managed to avert complete calamity. Hernandez led off with a first-pitch homer, driving Bettis’ hanging slider into the left-field seats, tying the game 3-3. McCutchen reached on an infield hit when

Desmond couldn’t quite handle Arenado’s one-hopper from third base, then Arenado was charged with an error on

Posey’s chopper.

Bettis, however, kept his cool with two men on base and induced the dangerous Belt to ground into a double play. When

Longoria grounded out to third, the inning was over, the Giants had stranded two and Bettis breathed a sigh of relief.

Story played a central role in all four of the Rockies’ early runs. The shortstop launched a three-run homer in the first to give Colorado a 3-1 lead. Story powered Andrew Suarez’s 1-1 curveball 409 feet and into the left-field bleachers. In the third, Story reached on a fielding error by Longoria at third and came around to score on back-to-back singles by

Gonzalez and Desmond, putting the Rockies ahead 4-3.

Looking ahead

Giants RHP Jeff Samardzija (1-3, 6.23 ERA) at Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (4-5, 3.28), 6:40 p.m. Tuesday, ATTRM; 850

On paper, the Rockies have a huge edge in Tuesday night’s matchup. Freeland is on a roll, winning three of his four starts in May with a 2.05 ERA. He went 2-2 with a 3.22 ERA in four starts vs. the Giants last season, so he knows what to expect. Perhaps most important, the Denver native is taming the beast that is Coors Field. In three starts at Coors this season, the left-hander is 2-1 with a 1.40 ERA. His career 3.30 ERA at Coors ranks first in franchise history for those with 8

a minimum 100 innings pitched. Samardzija is coming off a loss at Houston, where he allowed a season-high five walks.

In 16 games (12 starts) vs. the Rockies, the right-hander is 4-5 with a 3.84 ERA. He started against the Rockies on May

17 at AT&T Park, allowing three runs on five hits over 6⅔ innings. Second baseman DJ LeMahieu could be coming back off the disabled list Tuesday, which would be good news for Colorado. LeMahieu has hit Samardzija well, batting .407 (11- for-27) with a double and four RBIs. — Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post

Wednesday: Giants LHP Derek Holland (2-6, 4.73 ERA) at Rockies RHP Jon Gray (5-6, 5.40), 6:40 p.m., ATTRM

Thursday: Off

Friday: Dodgers LHP Alex Wood (1-4, 3.75) at Rockies LHP Tyler Anderson (3-1, 4.72), 6:40 p.m., ATTRM

Kiszla vs. Saunders: Which Rockies hitter is more likely to emerge from his funk: Ian Desmond or Carlos Gonzalez?

Patrick Saunders / DenverPost.com | May 29, 2018 Which Rockies hitter is more likely to emerge from his funk: Ian Desmond or Carlos Gonzalez?

Kiz: The worst kept secret in the National League? The Rockies can’t hit. Oh, I’m not talking to you, Nolan Arenado. But

Colorado has $30 million invested this year in the bats of Ian Desmond and Carlos Gonzalez. The offensive wins above replacement (WAR) for Desmond is -0.9, while CarGo checks in at -0.1. Without going all nerdy numbers on you, that stinks. Manager Bud Black needs more production from both players. Which one is more likely to heat up with the weather?

Saunders: Kiz, you are a troublemaker, aren’t you? I’m going to have to go with CarGo. He’s 6-for-8 over his last two games, plus he launched a third-deck shot on Sunday that let the party deck crowd know that there’s more to Coors Field than beer and margaritas. Black explained to me Monday how CarGo has figured some things out mechanically with his swing. It made sense. We’ll see if it sticks.

Kiz: We know the drill. When Gonzalez chases sliders in the dirt, he either strikes out or dribbles slow-rollers to the second baseman. When he’s CarGo, home runs fly high and deep to right field. We get it. He’s a streaky hitter. A year ago, when many analysts throughout major-league baseball began to wonder if Gonzalez was washed up, he produced a

.377 batting average with six homers and 16 RBI during September. Is he capable of that kind of month again?

Saunders: No question CarGo can get that hot again, but the Rockies need more than that. They need him to become a dangerous hitter for more than a month. If he gets hot batting fourth or fifth spot in the order, and if Trevor Story‘s rise continues, it’ll take a lot of heat off of Nolan. What’s more, teams can’t pitch around Arenado if there is thunder on deck.

Will CarGo ever deliver like he did in 2010 when he hit .336 and bashed 34 homers? Nope. But he hit 40 homers in 2015, so there’s still some of that power left.

Kiz: Desmond and Gonzalez were born within a month of each other in 1985. At 32 years old, they are two more chapters in a cautionary tale now frequently told about the risks involved with sinking big money in 30-something position players.

As you have pointed out, Mr. Saunders, the Rockies’ first-place standing is unsustainable without greater contributions from a higher percentage of the 25-man roster. CarGo can still be CarGo. But that’s more a prayer than a prediction. 10

Saunders: Here’s my prediction. I can envision Gonzalez hitting 20-plus homers this season and seeing more playing time, rather than being a fourth outfielder. But if the Rockies are going to win the NL West, they can’t have all of those empty at-bats by CarGo and Desmond. Too many times this season we’ve seen strike three go by with the bat resting on

CarGo’s shoulder, or we’ve seen Desmond chop into a double play. With Story showing great potential, the Rockies can win without Desmond and Gonzalez being stars, but they can’t be easy outs.

The Morning After: Rockies’ Ian Desmond heard the cheers, but doesn’t mind the boos Rockies win first game of season when trailing after seven innings

Patrick Saunders / DenverPost.com | May 29, 2018

In the estimation of manager Bud Black, first baseman Ian Desmond had a “great game” Monday night in Colorado’s 6-5 win, 10-inning win over the Giants. Desmond batted 2-for-3, drove in two runs and made a number of smooth plays at first, including a key play in the top of the 10th when he threw out Evan Longoria trying to advance to third.

Desmond, now hitting .184, has been the target of fans’ boos at Coors Field this season. Monday night, he heard cheers.

Either is fine with Desmond.

“I appreciate any emotion the fans want to give,” he said. “You want to come out and boo me? That’s fine, cheer on the other guys. If you want to come out and cheer me that’s fine. As long as you come out and are making noise … we feed on that. Whether you are booing me or cheering me, I don’t care, just make some sort of noise.”

Five takeaways from Monday’s game:

No. 1: The Rockies got their second walk-off win of the season. The first came on April 7 vs. Atlanta.

No. 2: It was Colorado’s first non-walk, walk-off since Aug. 1, 2017. Its last three walk-off victories all came on bases- loaded walks.

No. 3: It was the first time this season the Rockies won a game when trailing after seven innings. They are now 1-24 in such games.

No. 4: Carlos Gonzalez is 6-for-8 over his last two games and recorded back-to-back multihit games for just the second time this season.

No. 5: The Giants lost their first game of the season when leading after seven innings, and also suffered their first walk- off loss of the season.

Quotable: “We know in portions of the season we are going to play to our potential or exceed our potential at times. There are times when you play long enough when you (aren’t going to hit). It’s always good to do it in the first half … because it produces headlines. So you guys will have a lot more to write about in September. You guys can have a field day with that. So we would rather do it now, because it gives you something else to write about (in September).” — catcher Chris

Iannetta, on the Rockies’ early-season offensive woes. Iannetta hit the game-winning, walk-off single in the 10th inning.

Adam Ottavino, Rockies’ dominant late-game reliever, goes on DL with sore oblique Club recalls right-hander Scott Oberg to fill spot on the 25-man roster

Patrick Saunders / DenverPost.com | May 28, 2018

Adam Ottavino has been about the closest thing to a sure thing in the majors this season, but the Rockies are going to be without their right-handed reliever for a crucial stretch of games against the National League West.

The Rockies on Monday placed Ottavino on the 10-day disabled list with a sore left oblique. The club considers the injury to be mild, but it is not taking any chances with its prized set-up man. Ottavino, 32, pitched Sunday against Cincinnati at

Coors Field, so the earliest he could return to the Rockies would be June 7, when the Rockies play at Cincinnati.

That’s not good news for Colorado. Aside from Ottavino and closer Wade Davis (18 saves in 20 chances), the Rockies bullpen has been, at times, rather shaky. Rockies relievers had a cumulative 4.66 ERA entering Monday night’s game, second worst in the NL.

To fill Ottavino’s place on the roster, the Rockies recalled right-hander Scott Oberg from Triple-A Albuquerque.

The Rockies opened a three-game series against the Giants on Monday night at Coors Field and will host the Los

Angeles Dodgers for three games beginning Friday. Colorado entered Monday night’s game 28-25 with a 1½-game lead over Arizona, a three-game lead over San Francisco and a 3 ½-game lead over L.A. The loss of Ottavino makes

Colorado’s early-season lead precarious.

Before Monday’s game, manager Bud Black said “it’s very important” that someone in the bullpen steps up.

“We need all eight relief pitchers performing at a high level,” Black said. “Is it realistic to think that all eight will do it for the next 90-plus games? Probably not. You hear me talking about needing five or six guys hitting at the same time? Well, we need five or six guys out of the bullpen pitching well, too. Because you can work around the other two that aren’t.”

The Rockies are hopeful that Ottavino’s injury will turn out to be a short-term problem, but oblique injuries are notoriously difficult to measure and timetables for a return to the mound are uncertain. Losing Ottavino for longer than 10 days would be a huge blow to the team.

Using his mix of a fastball and three varieties of his slider, Ottavino has been dominant this season, posting a 3-0 record with a 0.95 ERA over 27 appearances (28⅓ innings). He has struck out 45 batters while walking only 10. His .092 batting average against ranks second among all National League relievers.

Oberg, 28, began the season with the Rockies, but he was optioned to Triple-A on April 24 when he struggled early. He made big-league 10 appearances before his demotion, with a 6.55 ERA, five walks and 10 strikeouts. He has thrived against Triple-A hitters, posting a 1.88 ERA over 12 appearance (14⅓ innings).

Last season, Oberg allowed just 6-of-38 inherited runners to score (16 percent). Before his demotion this season, 11-of-

13 inherited runners had scored (85 percent).

“They wanted to give me a bit of a blow, but I also know I have not done as well as I would like to with inherited runners,”

Oberg said when he was sent down to Triple-A. “That’s been something I have prided myself on and done well with in the past.

“Buddy (Black) also told me I have to be more aware about runners on base and guys stealing. Those are things I’ll work on down in (Triple-A).”

Iannetta drives in winning run in 10th, Rox beat Giants 6-5

Associated Press / ESPN.com | May 29, 2018

DENVER -- Chris Iannetta got just enough of a fastball to roll it past the pitcher's bare hand, by a diving second baseman and into center.

Seeing-eye single, indeed.

Iannetta drove in the winning run with a hit up the middle in the 10th inning and the Colorado Rockies beat the San

Francisco Giants 6-5 on Monday in a game delayed 55 minutes by rain.

It was Iannetta's eighth career walk-off RBI and first since May 11, 2016, when he was with Seattle. He was doused by teammates with just about everything afterward -- bubble gum, water and Gatorade .

"We'll take it. I've hit a line drive before and the pitcher snags it," Iannetta said. "I guess it evens out, but not really."

Hunter Strickland (2-2) walked Nolan Arenado to start the inning, and Arenado went to second on Trevor Story's deep drive to center. Carlos Gonzalez was intentionally walked, bringing up a struggling Ian Desmond, who lined a single to right that popped out of Andrew McCutchen's glove. Iannetta followed with a single that Strickland tried to reach out and snare with his bare hand .

"That ball's hit anywhere else it's a double play. He placed it just right," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.

Added Strickland: "I gave it my best effort. It didn't work out."

The Giants had something brewing in the 10th when Evan Longoria and Brandon Crawford had back-to-back singles off reliever Bryan Shaw (2-3). Shaw wiggled out of the jam with three straight grounders.

In the ninth, Wade Davis found himself in a predicament. After getting two outs, the Rockies closer issued two straight walks and then hit Buster Posey. But Davis got Brandon Belt to softly line out to second and quell the threat.

Their ability to escape didn't surprise Iannetta.

"They know what they need to do to be successful. They default to that," the catcher said. "There's ice water going through their veins."

Pinch-hitter Pablo Sandoval had an RBI single in the sixth that gave the Giants a 5-4 lead. Colorado tied it in the eighth on a sacrifice fly from Desmond.

Gorkys Hernandez had a solo shot and Longoria drove in three runs with a pair of doubles for a Giants team that's now dropped 11 of their last 12 at Coors Field.

Andrew Suarez got off to a rough start, giving up a three-run homer to Story in the first. But the Giants left-hander settled down to retire his last eight batters in the no-decision.

Rockies starter Chad Bettis was done in by Longoria, who had a two-run double in the first and another double in the sixth that tied the game.

Posey was back at catcher after missing the last two games with a sore hip. He was 1 for 4 with a run scored and hit by pitch. He also threw out Charlie Blackmon trying to steal second in the seventh.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Giants: INF Joe Panik (left thumb) went 1 for 2 with a run scored in a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento on

Monday. ... The Giants are nearing a decision with OF Hunter Pence (right thumb), who's been on a rehab assignment.

"We'll see where we're at with him," Bochy said. ... The plan for RHP Mark Melancon (strained elbow flexor) is to start

"ramping him up a little bit more, at some point go back-to-back days," Bochy said. ... Bochy said postgame that LHP

Madison Bumgarner (broken left pinkie) is slated to throw Thursday in San Jose.

Rockies: 2B DJ LeMahieu (sprained left thumb) will head to extended spring training to get in some at-bats, manager Bud

Black said after the game. ... RHP Adam Ottavino was placed on the 10-day DL with a strained left oblique. ... Pinch-hitter 17

David Dahl singled in the ninth and stole second base, banging up his left shin while sliding. He stayed in after trainers checked on him.

SON RISE

Before the game, the Giants purchased the contract of right-hander Dereck Rodriguez from Triple-A Sacramento. He's the son of Hall of Fame catcher Ivan Rodriguez.

The son didn't get into the game as several members of his family arrived in town to be on hand for his major league debut. His dad was out of the country.

UP NEXT

Giants: RHP Jeff Samardzija (1-3, 6.23 ERA) is 4-5 against Colorado with a 3.84 ERA in 16 games.

Rockies: LHP Kyle Freeland (4-5, 3.28 ERA) has won three of four starts this month, with a 2.05 ERA.

Rockies place reliever Adam Ottavino on 10-day DL with oblique injury

Associated Press / ESPN.com | May 28, 2018

DENVER -- The Colorado Rockies have placed right-handed reliever Adam Ottavino on the 10-day disabled list with a strained left oblique.

Ottavino has been a big piece of Colorado's bullpen this season with a 3-0 record and 0.95 ERA. His 45 strikeouts are the third most among major league relievers.

Ottavino, 32, underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2015 and returned in July 2016.

To take his spot on the roster, the Rockies recalled right-hander Scott Oberg from Triple-A Albuquerque on Monday.

Oberg made 10 appearances earlier this season with Colorado, going 1-0 with a 6.55 ERA.

Rockies Reinforcements: It's About Team Work

Tracy Ringolsby / InsidetheSeams.com | May 29, 2018

Think about it.

The Rockies rallied from a deficit after the seventh winning to claim a win for the first time this season.

They did it even though Charlie Blackmon went a harmless 1-for-5, not driving in, nor scoring, a run.

They did it even with Nolan Arenado being pitched around, going 0-for-3, but drawing two walks.

They did it with DJ LeMahieu still on the disabled list.

They did it with Chad Bettis not only giving up five runs in six innings, but after putting the Rockies in a 2-0 deficit going into the bottom of the first, twice letting a lead slip away.

And they did it despite bullpen closer Wade Davis having to walk a ninth-inning tightrope to just force extra innings when, with two out, he walked back-to-back batters, hit another with a pitch, and then, with the bases loaded got Brandon Belt, whose .323 average against right-handers is the sixth best in the NL, to line out to second baseman Ryan McMahon.

So, how did they do it?

with a team effort, in which a hand full of players, who have not been big factors in the Rockies working their way into first place in the NL West, which they have held for a week now.

"We're winning games all kinds of ways," said first baseman Ian Desmond. "(Monday) was a total team effort. We had a little more contribution from the offense than it has been doing."

It was a night to enjoy.

Hey, the fans at Coors Field fin

ally cheered Desmond, who has struggled in the opening weeks of the season and become a target for boo birds.

The Rockies ate well on Monday night, including Desmond. He has hit 90 points higher in the last 10 games than he had in the first 52 games of the season. In back-to-back wins against the Reds on Sunday and Giants on Monday he is a combined 3-for-6 with four RBI, including a sacrifice fly that tied the score in the eighth inning Monday.

Oh, and don't overlook the top of the 10 when the first two Giants reached first, and Austin Jackson followed with a ground ball to Desmond, who instead of taking the easy out by stepping on first, threw across the infield to retire Evan Longoria, keeping the go-ahead run off third with one out.

"He is a big part of our lineup," said Trevor Story, who got the offense jump started with a three-run home run in the bottom of the first that wiped out a 2-0 lead the Giants had taken in the top of the opening inning. "That's Desi. He loves the clutch moments."

A 10-GAME DESMOND REVIVAL

Date Opponent AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG

5/18/2018 @SF W 6-1 4 1 2 1 0 1 4 0 0 0 0 0.5

5/19/2018 @SF L 9-4 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0.5

5/20/2018 @SF L 9-5 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 0.3

5/21/2018 @LAD W 2-1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.231

5/22/2018 @LAD L 5-3 4 1 2 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0.294

5/23/2018 @LAD L 3-0 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0.286

5/25/2018 Cin W 5-4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0.24

Date Opponent AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG

5/26/2018 Cin L 6-5 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0.207

5/27/2018 Cin W 8-2 3 1 1 0 0 1 2 1 1 0 0 0.219

5/28/2018 *SF W 6-5 3 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0.184

10 Games 35 6 9 1 0 3 10 4 8 3 0 0.257

*-SF and HBP also AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG

Pre May 18: 52 games 150 16 25 6 1 6 17 7 44 3 1 0.167

The game-winning hit was delivered by Chris Iannetta. After Nolan Arenado worked a walk from Hunter Strickland, against whom he is 2-for-14 in his career, Trevor Story flied out, Arenado tagging and advancing to second. Then game an intentional walk to Carlos Gonzalez, and a single from Desmond that loaded the bases.

Up stepped Iannetta, who singled up the middle, only his fourth hit this season in 29 at-bats with a runner in scoring position -- and his first in 25 at-bats dating back to a three-run home run against the Padres on April 9.

"I hit a line drive the at-bat before that the pitcher snagged (and turned into an inning-ending double play to end the eight)," said Iannetta, "so I guess it evens out."

THE BEGINNING AND END OF A CLUTCH DROUGHT

Date Opp AB H HR RBI BB SO

4/2/2018 SD 1 0 0 0 1 0

4/3/2018 SD 2 2 0 2 0 0

4/9/2018 SD 1 1 1 3 0 0

4/12/2018 Was 2 0 0 0 0 0

4/13/2018 Was 1 0 0 0 0 1

4/15/2018 Was 1 0 0 0 0 0

Date Opp AB H HR RBI BB SO

4/18/2018 Pit 1 0 0 0 0 0

4/20/2018 ChC 3 0 0 0 0 1

4/22/2018 ChC 1 0 0 0 0 0

4/24/2018 SD 1 0 0 1 0 0

4/27/2018 Mia 0 0 0 0 1 0

4/28/2018 Mia 1 0 0 0 0 1

4/30/2018 ChC 2 0 0 0 0 1

5/2/2018 ChC 2 0 0 1 1 0

5/9/2018 LAA 2 0 0 0 1 2

5/11/2018 Mil 2 0 0 0 0 1

5/20/2018 SF 3 0 0 0 0 0

5/22/2018 LAD 1 0 0 0 0 0

5/28/2018 SF 2 1 0 1 0 1

Totals 29 4 1 8 4 8

Source: Stats, Inc.

And don't overlook Carlos Gonzalez. He is starting to make his presence felt. After a 4-for-4 explosion in Sunday's win against the Reds, Gonzalez got what has become a rare opportunity on Monday -- a start against a left-handed pitcher.

He made the most of the opportunity. He went 2-for-4 with a walk, giving him back-to-back multi-hit games for only the second time this season, and seeing his average climb from .214 to .250 in the course of two games.

CARGO ON THE GO

Date Games AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO LOB AVG

3/29-4/4 20 of 20 68 8 16 2 1 3 11 3 17 30 0.235

Date Games AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO LOB AVG

4/19-4/29 9 of 9 DL DL DL DL DL DL DL DL DL DL DL

4/30-5/26 16 of 23 44 1 8 1 0 1 5 5 15 23 0.182

Sun/Mon 2 of 2 8 2 6 0 0 1 2 1 1 0 0.75

AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO PLOB AVG

Totals 120 11 30 3 1 5 18 9 33 53 0.25

As big as the offensive revival was there also was signs of promise from the bullpen.

Harrison Musgrave has been easily overlooked. He was called up in April when lefty Chris Rusin was sent to Triple-A

Albuquerque, and has had limited opportunities to pitch in the big leagues. He, however, has responded when given the opportunity, and no effort was bigger than Monday.

Musgrave came on in the seventh inning and needed only 21 pitches to retire all six batters he faced. He struck out

Andrew McCutchen, and got Buster Posey and Belt on ground balls in the seventh. And in the eighth, Longoria flied out,

Brandon Crawford lined out, and Mac williams grounded out.

MUSGRAVE: RESTED AND READY

Date Opponent IP H R ER HR BB SO #Pit

4/23/2018 SD L 13-5 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 10

5/2/2018 @ChC W 11-2 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 14

5/10/2018 Mil L 5-2 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 23

5/13/2018 Mil L 7-3 1.2 2 1 1 1 1 1 43

5/20/2018 @SF L 9-5 1.1 1 0 0 0 1 1 28

5/28/2018 SF W 6-5 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 21

INN H R ER HR BB SO #PIT

Date Opponent IP H R ER HR BB SO #Pit

ERA 1.00; BA .129 9 4 1 1 1 4 4 139

And then there was Bryan Shaw, who has had his struggles, particularly at Coors Field, after signing a three-year, free- agent deal in the off-season. He worked his way through a 10th inning that began with bakc-to-back singles by Longoria and Crawford.

Desmond gave him a lift, throwing out Longoria, heading to third on the Jackson ground ball, and Shaw got the next two batters on ground balls, and the Rockies rallied in the bottom of the 10th for the win.

COMBATING COORS

Date Opponent W L ERA IP H R ER HR BB HB SO

4/7/2018 Atl W 3-2 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

4/9/2018 SD L 7-6 0 0 0 1.1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1

4/10/2018 SD L 5-2 0 1 8.1 1 3 3 3 1 0 0 0

4/20/2018 ChC L 16-5 0 0 18 0.2 4 5 5 1 1 0 1

4/22/2018 ChC L 9-7 0 0 16.62 0.1 2 0 0 0 0 0 1

4/24/2018 SD W 8-0 0 0 13.5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3

4/25/2018 SD W 5-2 0 0 12.79 1 0 1 1 0 2 0 1

5/10/2018 Mil L 5-2 0 0 11.05 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2

5/11/2018 Mil L 11-10 0 0 9.72 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

5/12/2018 Mil W 4-0 0 0 9.35 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

5/26/2018 Cin L 6-5 0 0 9.31 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 1

5/28/2018 SF W 6-5 1 0 8.44 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0

W L ERA INN H R ER HR BB HB SO

Date Opponent W L ERA IP H R ER HR BB HB SO

Totals 1 1 8.44 10.2 16 10 10 2 4 0 10

Sources: Stats, Inc.

Rockies Relief Anchor Ottavino to DL; Oberg Recalled

Tracy Ringolsby / InsidetheSeams.com | May 29, 2018

In a season of bullpen inconsistency for the Rockies bullpen, Adam Ottavino emerged as the one consistent when it came time to get the game to closer Wade Davis.

Well, it's time for the next man up.

Ottavino is out for at least 10 days, having been placed 10-day disabled list Monday with a left oblique strain.

Ottavino is 3-0 with the one save recorded by a Rockies reliever other than Davis, who leads the NL with 18 saves. He is unscored upon in 25 of 27 outings, and allowed a .092 batting average, second among MLB relievers. He ranks fifth in the

NL and eighth in MLB among relievers with a 0.95 ERA.

He also has struck out 45 of 99 batters faced, third among MLB relievers in strikeouts, and fourth in MLB with a 45.5 strikeout percentage.

It is a major rebound from the struggles of a year when Ottavino had a 5.06 ERA, giving up 48 hits and 39 walks in 53 1/3 innings.

SHUTTING THEM DOWN

Bat Avg Allowed Team Avg. Player Team ERA

Josh Hader Mil 0.081 Jeremy Jeffress Mil 0.32

Adam Ottavino Col 0.092 Brian Duensing ChC 0.54

Edwin Diaz Sea 0.112 Collin McHugh Hou 0.79

Kyle Barraclough Mia 0.115 Dan Winkler Atl 0.84

Jeremy Jeffress Mil 0.122 Kelvin Herrera KC 0.92

Aroldis Chapman NYY 0.125 Edubray Ramos Phi 0.95

Bat Avg Allowed Team Avg. Player Team ERA

Sean Doolittle Was 0.125 Lou Trivino Oak 0.95

Dan Winkler Atl 0.125 Adam Ottavino Col 0.95

Jose Leclerc Tex 0.132 Kirby Yates SD 1

Joe Kelly Bos 0.134 Brandon Morrow ChC 1.04

Blake Treinen Oak 1.04

Source: Stats, Inc.

Oberg was a key reliever in situational work a year ago when he allowed six of 38 inherited base runners to score, a 15.8 percent rate, fourth lowest in the NL and eighth lowest in MLB.

This year, Oberg struggled to open the season, allowing eight earned runs in 11 innings, and seeing 11 of the 13 base runners he inherited to score. That prompted an option to Triple-A Albuquerque on April 24, where Oberg compiled a 1.88

ERA, allowing runs in only two of 12 appearances.

From the fourth best base runners in the NL in 2017 he has been the least successful in keeping runners from scoring in the NL in 2018 among relievers who inherited 10 or more runners.

TALE OF TWO SEASONS

Best in 2017 Team IR ISc IRS% Worst in 2018 Team IR Isc IRS%

Jorge De La Rosa Ari 33 1 3 Scott Oberg Col 13 11 84.6

Oliver Perez Was 35 5 14.3 Felipe Vazquez Pit 12 9 75

Brian Duensing ChC 33 5 15.2 JT Chargois LAD 12 6 50

Scott Oberg Col 38 6 15.8 Reyes Moronta SF 10 5 50

Oliver Drake Mil 30 5 16.7 Drew Steckenrider Mia 10 5 50

Chris Rusin Col 33 6 18.2 Junichi Tazawa Mia 10 5 50

Best in 2017 Team IR ISc IRS% Worst in 2018 Team IR Isc IRS%

Jarlin Garcia Mia 42 8 19 Cory Gearrin SF 21 10 47.6

Josh Osich SF 30 6 20 Bryan Shaw Col 13 6 46.2

Jared Hughes Mil 33 7 21.2 Peter Moylan Atl 11 5 45.5

Carlos Torres Mil 33 7 21.2 Brett Cecil StL 15 6 40

Source: Stats, Inc.

Sitting atop stagnant National League West, the time to get greedy is now for Colorado Rockies

Paul Klee / theGazette.com | May 27, 2018

DENVER — With their boys in first place, their pitching staff on a zesty pace, their sure-fire closer leading the National

League in saves, their property values rising, are Rockies fans getting greedy?

No.

They recognize the mild, mild West is there to be had. They want something they’ve never had – a division title – and know this is the time to have it. The Diamondbacks keep slithering back. The Giants have .500 written all over them. The

Dodgers return starters Clayton Kershaw and Rich Hill in June and, per usual, figure to be factors till the end.

The Rockies? They just keep on keepin’ on. They entered Saturday's game against the Reds with red flags draped up and down their lineup — and atop the division after 50 games for only the third time in club history.

Is it greedy to want more?

Friday afternoon, as the Mile High City tied a record high of 91 degrees, Ian Desmond tied his slump to his work ethic. He worked up a sweat all by his lonesome in the indoor batting cage at Coors.

Desmond is working, but it isn’t working for the Rockies. The handy thing about baseball is there’s no hiding from the truth: “You’ve got to be patient and watch every game. Then at the end of 162 we’ll talk about it,” manager Buddy Black said Friday in the home team’s dugout.

After Desmond’s first 143 games in a Rox uniform, it’s time to talk about first base. Desmond’s batting .177 with career lows in OPS and slugging percentage and the Coors Field record in whispered boos. This must be terribly frustrating for

Rox management, who must pay him $52 million over the next 2 2/3 seasons, and the manager, who must play Desmond because of it. But look at me, focusing on the bad, with the Rox in first place. Who is truly confident this unique model of winning is sustainable?

“We’ve got to swing the bats a little better,” Black said after Friday’s 5-4 win against the Reds.

It must be mentioned the Rockies are the team most traveled. Of the 29 others, not one has played more road games (32) than Colorado. They got a day off Thursday. Most guys napped. It’s a clubhouse of dreamers and believers that was 9-4 in one-run games. Wade Davis has put his foot down with 18 saves. (Ex-closer Greg Holland has zero; smart move, Jeff

Bridich.) When they outhit their opponent, the Rox are almost unbeatable — 21-3 — a testament to Black's decision- making and a pitching staff that's growing up. When the bats are good enough, the Rockies are tough to beat.

The bats aren’t good enough for the long haul.

This nine-game homestand will tell a tale. Coors Field is get-right central, a place hitters go to cure their ills. By the end of this homestand one of two things will be true: either the Rox are swinging the bats a little better, in the skipper’s words, or it’s time to go find help. If it’s more of the same at the plate, the Rockies should boldly go where they’ve never gone and put their top prospects (with the exception of infielder Brendan Rodgers) on the table in a trade for White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu.

While that kind of move would be atypical for the Rockies, it's my belief the team may be more inclined to go all-in for

2018 and 2019 since their TV rights deal with AT&T SportsNet is up after the 2020 season. The next deal would be significantly more valuable for a perennial postseason contender than an also-ran.

In normal years I wouldn’t suggest mortgaging the future for the now. This is no normal year. This year the NL West is there to be had.

Rockies walk off on Iannetta’s RBI single, end Memorial Day in style

Aniello Piro / MileHighSports.com | May 28, 2018

The Colorado Rockies defeated the San Francisco Giants in walk-off fashion, 6-5 Monday night at Coors Field.

The Rockies got out to yet another poor start, a trend that has followed the team since the start of their current nine-game homestand. A weather delay that pushed the start of the game might have affected starting pitcher Chad Bettis, who struggled out of the gate, surrendering two runs and three hits in the first inning. Giants slugger Evan Longoria ripped a 2-

RBI double on a 1-2 fastball to deep left field to score the first runs of the game and give San Francisco a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

The Rockies answered in the bottom of the first inning by scoring three runs off the bat of Trevor Story, who blasted a three-run home run to put Colorado out in front 3-2.

Bettis buckled down in the second inning but surrendered a solo home run to Gorkys Hernández in the third inning which tied the game at 3 runs apiece.

The Rockies again answered in the bottom of the third inning, as Story reached base on a throwing error committed by

Evan Longoria. Carlos Gonzalez followed that with a single. With two runners on, Ian Desmond singled on a 3-1 fastball to center field, scoring Story and Gonzalez, and putting the Rockies back on top, 4-3.

Both teams went down quietly in the fourth and fifth innings, but the Giants once again took the lead in the sixth inning.

Brandon Belt started things off with a single before Longoria whacked another double to deep center, scoring Belt and tying the game at 4-4. Pablo Sandoval drove home another run later in the inning on an RBI single to left field to put the

Giants back on top, 5-4.

The Rockies managed to get runners on base in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings but failed to bring home any runs.

The game was tied entering in the ninth inning, with the Giants loading the bases at one point; however, closer Wade

Davis was able to prevent San Fransisco from scoring a run, which sent the game to extra innings.

Relief pitcher Bryan Shaw worked a bumpy-but-clean 10th inning to set the Rockies up with an opportunity to win the ballgame via walk-off. Nolan Arenado was walked to start the inning and then advanced to second on a fly ball hit by

Story. Gonzalez then reached base and Desmond proceeded to load the bases with a single to right field, setting the table for catcher Chris Iannetta.

After the first pitch of his at-bat was called a strike, Iannetta smacked a single up the middle to bring home Arenado and claim the victory for the Rockies, ending Memorial Day on a happy note.

The Rockies and Giants will continue their series Tuesday at Coors Field, with first pitch set for 6:40 MST.

Adam Ottavino placed on DL, Scott Oberg recalled from AAA

Justin Michael / MileHighSports.com | May 28, 2018

The Colorado Rockies announced that relief pitcher Adam Ottavino has been placed on the 10-day disabled list with a left oblique strain Monday. Right-hander Scott Oberg has been recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque in his absence, but the loss of Ottavino is big for Rockies manager Bud Black.

In 27 games this season, Ottavino has recorded 28.1 innings and has an ERA of 0.95. What’s more, the veteran relief pitcher has a WHIP of just .635 and a large reason why is Ottavino has been able to consistently locate his slider which has allowed him to rack up the strikeout totals and avoid creating situations with traffic on the base path.

Through the first two months of the season, Ottavino has given up only eight hits and three runs, while striking out 45 hitters and walking 10. His consistency will certainly be missed as the Rockies enter the month of June with a 1.5 lead over Arizona in the NL West standings.

In 10 games this season, Oberg has an ERA of 6.55 and has really struggled with his location. If the Rockies are going to remain in the first place in the division, they are going to need guys like Oberg to pick up the slack out of the bullpen.

Colorado has been fortunate to get the type of production it has received from Wade Davis and Ottavino through the first third of the season, but with over 100 games remaining, these are the kind of 10-game stretches that can really impact a club’s chances at contention.

The Rockies will begin a three-game series with the San Francisco Giants Monday, before hosting the Los Angeles

Dodgers this weekend.