MEDIA CLIPS – July 31, 2017 Rox land 2-time All-Star Lucroy from Rangers By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | July 31st WASHINGTON -- Looking for an experienced catcher to help a young staff, the Rockies acquired two-time All-Star catcher Jonathan Lucroy from the Rangers for a player to be named, the teams announced on Sunday night. Lucroy, 31, had struggled offensively this year, hitting .242 with four home runs and 27 RBIs in 77 games. But offense is secondary for a Rockies staff that, at least currently, fields four rookies and a second-year man in the starting rotation, and even when all are healthy doesn't have a starter older than 28. "Getting Jonathan gives us a guy with some veteran presence behind the plate, as does Ryan Hanigan [currently backup to second-year man Tony Wolters] as our starters go into uncharted territory the next two months," Rockies manager Bud Black said. "His track record's pretty good. The guy's an All-Star. He's had success in the Major Leagues both offensively and defensively. We should feel good about this one." This is the second year Lucroy, who is in the final year of a six-year, $15.5 million contract, has been dealt near the deadline. Last year, Lucroy used his no-trade provision to nix a deal from the Brewers to the Indians before accepting a trade to the Rangers. The deal occurs on the eve of Monday's 2 p.m. MT non-waiver Trade Deadline. The Rockies on Wednesday dealt with the Phillies for righty relief pitcher Pat Neshek. Word around the Majors is the Rockies still seek a strong late-innings reliever, preferably one whose contract they control next season. The front office's aggression at the deadline went over well in the clubhouse, according to s tar third baseman Nolan Arenado, who shared Uber rides with Lucroy when the two played [along with Neshek and lefty reliever Jake McGee] on Team USA's World Baseball Classic championship team. 1 In his fifth season, the biggest deal Arenado could remember was shortstop Troy Tulowitzki going to a Blue Jays' club that two years ago was gearing for the postseason the way the Rockies are now. "It seems like the front office understands that we're for real, we're in this, and they're trying to make the moves to get better," Arenado said. "We appreciate that. "I guess it gets you a little more pumped up to come to the ballpark every day. With Neshek and Lucroy, it shows that there's a little something to this. It's a little different. The only deadline I remember is when we traded Tulo." Leadoff hitter Charlie Blackmon said, "I don't know how that's going to shake out, but he's a good player. I know adding good players to your team is always helpful. We've already seen Neshek pitch well, help us win a game." The deal sends Lucroy back to the National League, where he played with the Brewers from 2010-16, and hit .284 with 79 homers and 387 RBIs. Lucroy also established himself as one of the better pitch-framers in the game, and was a key reason for the pitching staff's success when the Brewers advanced to the National League Championship Series in 2011. Wolters, 25, is was hitting .251 through June 17 but has dropped to .248 while carrying a starter's load -- 66 games. Hanigan, 36, is hitting .259, in 24 games as Wolters' backup. With Hanigan as a classic backup, the addition of Lucroy as the everyday catcher could allow a breather for Wolters at Triple-A Albuquerque until rosters expand in September. Righty starting pitcher Jon Gray, who is trying to make the climb from talented second-year pitcher to ace-type, said he doesn't know much about Lucroy but has faith in the team's process. "From what I've seen so far, I love everything we're doing, the guys we've brought in," Gray said. "I'm not an expert on all the trade stuff, but I completely trust what they're doing." 2 Lack of offense spoils Gray’s gem in nightcap By Kyle Melnick and Thomas Harding / MLB.com | July 31st WASHINGTON -- It had been five years since Edwin Jackson received a standing ovation at Nationals Park. After starting for the Nats in 2012, Jackson moved around to five teams before rejoining Washington this year and getting called up from Triple-A on July 18. On Tuesday, Jackson squandered his first outing at Nationals Park in five years, allowing seven runs over five innings. But after finishing the seventh inning of the Nationals' 3-1 win over the Rockies on Sunday night, Jackson pumped his fist as the crowd rose to its feet and cheered. Nats faithful were celebrating Jackson's best start this year, as the right-hander permitted one run over seven innings. "That was big," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. "Jackson was sharp; very sharp. Kept the ball down, had a good slider working today and he threw some changeups. It was a really good game for him." With the loss, the Rockies -- 10-6 winners in Sunday's first game -- are half a game behind the Diamondbacks for the top National League Wild Card spot and 5 1/2 games up on the Brewers. They also announced during the game they had acquired catcher Jonathan Lucroy in a deal with the Rangers to propel a postseason run. "We won two out of three from a good club, and I think they know we're a good club, too," Rockies manager Bud Black said. For the second consecutive night, a Rockies pitcher carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning. After German Marquez accomplished the feat Saturday, Jon Gray did the same Sunday, but struggled with command as the fifth inning began. The Nationals erupted for three runs in the frame, as Anthony Rendon singled before Adam Lind and Brian Goodwin homered, giving the Nationals the lead. "A lot of fastballs. He threw them really well," Lind said of Gray. "He just left one over the plate. Having somebody get on base was good, coming up from the stretch really benefited me." Gray, meanwhile, gave up his runs -- and hits -- in the fifth, and exited after seven frames. Sunday marked the second consecutive start during which the Rockies lost after Gray put up zeros in every inning he pitched but one. Gray said his secondary pitches deserted him Sunday. "But I feel like everything was going well [in the other innings]," Gray said. "I feel like we commanded the fastballs, and the slider was key, too. Everything was fine except for that inning, getting behind." 3 MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Escaping a pickle: After Gerardo Parra singled to score Gray in the fifth inning, he got caught in a jam between first and second base. When Wilmer Difo threw to Daniel Murphy to tag out Parra near first, Murphy instead threw to catcher Matt Wieters as Charlie Blackmon sprinted home. Wieters tagged Blackmon to end the inning and hold Colorado to one run in the frame. "I was telling Michael Taylor, whenever a pitcher runs, when he scored that run, that it seemed to take something out of him for an instant," Baker said of Gray. "I was glad I was right one time." Finishing strong: Despite throwing 101 pitches through six innings, Jackson came back out for the seventh and retired the side before making his exit. The Nationals relied on their bullpen heavily during the past two games and Jackson afforded it a break before Washington begins a three-game series vs. the Marlins on Monday. "I knew today, after a tough first game, where the bullpen came in and picked up a lot of slack, it was imperative that I go out and eat innings and come out aggressive from the start," Jackson said, "and pick the bullpen up because we definitely needed it. It's one of those days where, as a starter, you want to go deep in the game anyways, but it was just do-or-die sort of. You go out and eat up innings and save the bullpen." WHAT'S NEXT Rockies: Right-hander Jeff Hoffman (6-3, 5.58) will start against the Mets on Tuesday at Coors Field at 6:40 p.m. MT as the Rockies open a six-game homestand. The last time he faced the Mets, Hoffman went six innings and gave up four runs on seven hits and a walk while earning the decision in a 13-4 victory at Citi Field on July 16. Nationals: The Nationals begin a three-game series against the Marlins at Marlins Park on Monday at 7:10 p.m. ET. Washington has a double-digit game lead over the second-place Marlins in the NL East. Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in two outings against his hometown team this season. Four of the six runs the left- hander allowed in his past two starts came in the first inning. 4 Arenado, Rockies making most of life on road By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | July 31st WASHINGTON -- Two months of rough road baseball didn't rob third baseman Nolan Arenado or the Rockies of confidence. Arenado had three hits Sunday in a doubleheader matinee that included his sixth triple of the season, and he drove in two runs to increase his Majors-leading total to 91.