Wednesday Morning Rockpile:

by Russ on Aug 27, 2008 7:38 AM MDT in Rockpile

NL West Standings

	W	L	PCT	GB	STRK
Arizona	68	64	.515	0	Lost 3
Los Angeles	65	67	.492	3	Lost 5
Colorado	63	71	.470	6	Won 4
San Francisco	58	74	.439	10	Lost 2
San Diego	50	82	.378	18	Won 2

(updated 8.27.2008 at 9:07 AM EDT)

It seems strange to look at the standings as we approach the end of August. Many of us thought the Rockies would have been over .500 at this point and well on their way to capturing an NL West title or at least in the hunt for the Wild Card. Things didn't turn out that way. But it's not exactly a stretch to say the Rockies are still in it. Both the RMN and the Denver Post see some writing on the wall for it. Given the poor state of the NL West this season, hell, it's so tempting to say it will happen.

The NL West's worst, the Padres, have just taken the first two games of a three-game series against the division-leading D'Backs. They're 7-10 against the D'Backs this season. The Rockies are 2-10 with six games remaining. Let's take a look at the Rockies's records against their remaining opponents:

Team (series left)	Record
San Diego (2 series)	6-6
San Francisco (2 1/3 series)	6-5
Houston (1 series)	2-1
Atlanta (1 series)	3-1
Los Angeles (1 series)	7-8
Arizona (2 series)	2-10

Not wildly encouraging, but the chance is there. Maybe Clint Hurdle has the solution on how to keep this going, which he gave in response to De La Rosa's outing. From the DP story:

"I just stopped watching at one point," manager Clint Hurdle admitted. "But it's a credit to him that he was able to get out it."

If he stops watching there's less of a chance that he'll do something.

Looks like the Rockies are trying to do something about their baserunning gaffes. From the RMN's Rockies Report:

Trenidad Hubbard, the Rockies' organizational baserunning and outfield instructor, is with the team in San Francisco, his first extended look at the major league club this season.

There's no time like the present to correct problems, but then there's also no time like the past in which to correct things so they don't happen in the present. If that makes any sense.

And so we wait in anticipation for Livan Hernandez's start tonight. Or we can place bets on whether Matt Holliday can reach 30-30 this season during the ensuing hours.

0 recs | Comment 21 comments |

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Livan vs. Timmy tonight

kind of a mismatch…

Second half run?

by moomacher on Aug 27, 2008 7:55 AM MDT 0 recs

no kidding....

if they can pull this one off, then I might believe this is a “team of destiny”.

Making up 6 games in a month is difficult. Making up 6 games on one team, 3 on a second one, while pitching Livan Hernandez for 20% of them might take divine intervention.

by DenverBears on Aug 27, 2008 8:06 AM MDT up 0 recs

In the plus side, we do play

each of the teams in front of us enough times to make up those games. But Its going to take something ridiculous like .800 ball to make it happen.

Second half run?

by moomacher on Aug 27, 2008 8:09 AM MDT up 0 recs

I remember

last year, in one of Lincecum’s first starts, Helton launched a home run in his first at bat after they talked about how tough Lincecum is on lefties. It was gorgeous.

by onholliday on Aug 27, 2008 9:12 AM MDT up 0 recs

It happened

on May 11, but it was in the sixth inning of the game. It was Lincecum’s second start, and he won the game, his first career victory at that. Struck out six and allowed three runs on seven hits in seven innings.

"Keep your head down, and inch toward daylight." - Blade of Tyshalle

Purple Row - Covering all your Rockies needs!

by Russ on Aug 27, 2008 9:16 AM MDT up 0 recs

Whoops, I think I misread what you wrote.

They talked about how tough Lincecum can be on lefties and then Helton hit the homer. Well, that was his only AB against Lincecum after that.

"Keep your head down, and inch toward daylight." - Blade of Tyshalle

Purple Row - Covering all your Rockies needs!

by Russ on Aug 27, 2008 9:18 AM MDT up 0 recs

Still...

As important as getting a win tonight will be, if we’re going to have a wasted start, may as well be against one of the toughest pitchers to beat right now, anyway. I mean, would you rather have Francis or Cook throw a 7 inning, 3 run performance on a night we may only score one or two runs, or have those outings against the Pads?

Aw hell, maybe we’ll just ride out the magic momentum and shell Lincecum just the same. Hopefully.

Watching the purple row from high atop the big brown monolith on California Ave

by Mondogarage on Aug 27, 2008 9:54 AM MDT up 0 recs

Updates to the network.

When we had down time on the network in the early hours of Tuesday, there were some changes. If you haven’t noticed them yet on the left sidebar, there’s a widget box for RSS feeds on the site and the SBN blogroll in also there. It seemed no one knew it was all the way at the bottom of the page.

"Keep your head down, and inch toward daylight." - Blade of Tyshalle

Purple Row - Covering all your Rockies needs!

by Russ on Aug 27, 2008 8:40 AM MDT 0 recs

It only took

130 games for the coaching staff to realize that this team needs to improve their baserunning. I thought most of us on the Row figured that out back in April.

… and Clint, it’s okay to put on a blindfold or maybe even try a drug induced coma for the rest of the season.

by 4thturn on Aug 27, 2008 10:12 AM MDT 0 recs

That time of Year

Well, last year i sat through the double header with francis K’ing 10 in the first game and Helton going yard in the second. Then it was hold on enjoy the ride. Can they do it again? Mike Evans and Sandy Clough talked with Troy Renck today ( usual 8am time) and they said the rox pretty much have to go 20-8 and the d-backs need to go 15-15 and then they would be tied at the end of the season This stands out for me because will the D-backs really play .500 ball or under .500 for the rest of the season? I really hope so, but that number just looks out of sorts. The rox seem to have a favorable scehdule coming down the stretch, so I guess again that it’s time to sit back and enjoy the ride and see where the rox go.

by ColoroxWS07 on Aug 27, 2008 11:43 AM MDT 0 recs

For what it's worth

Arizona’s about to finish getting swept by a Padres team that had lost 7 in a row prior to the series. The D’backs can totally go 15-15 or worse. Can the Rox go 20-8? Seems unlikely, but when you think that 18-10 isn’t too unlikely, then why can’t we pick up two more wins?

Watching the purple row from high atop the big brown monolith on California Ave

by Mondogarage on Aug 27, 2008 4:21 PM MDT up 0 recs

The really sad thing is

Thinking about all those games we threw away in the first half of the season – a few more W’s would come in handy about now.

by Roberbola on Aug 27, 2008 12:03 PM MDT 0 recs

They don't

Start games fast, and they didn’t start the season fast. Both are big issues that the FO doesn’t want to address.
It seems to me that Clint doesn’t understand how to motivate the team and just waits until the Players figure out what’s wrong…

by rockieprogress on Aug 27, 2008 12:49 PM MDT up 0 recs

Posted a diary on the right

Did a little research at lunch on the six games we need

by Roberbola on Aug 27, 2008 1:06 PM MDT up 0 recs

While the first half hurt bad

Not nearly as much as going 2-5 at home against the Nats and Pads a few weeks back. At home, against the two worst records in MLB, and lost both series. If we go 6-1 there, we’re only two games back.

Watching the purple row from high atop the big brown monolith on California Ave

by Mondogarage on Aug 27, 2008 4:22 PM MDT up 0 recs

We're going to lose!

And there’s no way we’re getting anywhere near .500, let alone the division lead.

We suck. We can’t handle a little success – we always end up taking one step forward, two steps back. We are playing for next year, at this point.

(Every time this year I have gotten hope, the team has slumped. So, we’re trying a little reverse karma here. Bear with me.)

Hurdle has to go. O’Dowd has to go. The Monforts have to go. Jeff Francis has to go. Matt Holliday has to go. What a bunch of bums!

by DomCasual on Aug 27, 2008 12:32 PM MDT 0 recs

bums they are

They S.T.I.N.K!!!!!!

(I am all about reverse karma right now)

by holliday5 on Aug 27, 2008 1:18 PM MDT up 0 recs

Oh yeah...

We’ve got nothin.! The D-Backs ought to get in early and pull that parade permit through downtown Phoenix (assuming Phoenix has a downtown.) now. We’ll never catch ‘em. We can’t make up this lead. No way.

by Since1993 on Aug 27, 2008 2:11 PM MDT 0 recs