Sunday Pebble Report: Cleary and Roling set to make Tourist debuts, Graham stuggles for Modesto

Colorado Springs: W 2-1

You mean you can actually get decent pitching in Colorado this time of year? Go figure. I thought that was a myth. Greg Birkins, Scott Munter and Joel Peralta combined on a gem, the scoring was mostly thanks to our fave Matt Murton (an RBI double) as well as Matt Miller (a single to score Murton) in a two run seventh.

Tulsa: L 5-6

Like parent like child, apparently, as Tulsa's mocked the score and result of the Rockies contest the last two nights. Both teams seem to be getting very good at losing crushing six to five defeats. I wish they would work on something else. At any rate, Tulsa didn't follow the pattern of using awful starting pitching to get to the final result, Chaz Roe pitched five scoreless innings for the Drillers, allowing just three hits. Xavier Cedeno did most of the damage to the team in the sixth, struggling through but allowing five runs in the process. Jeff kindel had three hits for the offense, Ryan Harvey and Daniel Mayora each had two. Chris Nelson was hitless but walked and scored twice.

Modesto: L 3-12

Charlie Blackmon continued a twelve game hit streak with two more base knocks, but the Nuts lost do to an otherwise ineffective offense, a short, troublesome outing by starter Connor Graham (four walks and two hits in two innings) and a bullpen blow-up. That's the recipe for minor league losing. Brian VanderBeek's recipe for minor league winning involves using the DNA of Buddy Bell. It's a good theory, but I've got my misgivings based on Rockies history.

Asheville: W 6-2

The big news for the Tourists this weekend that we haven't reported yet is that Kiel Roling and Delta Cleary are set to join the team. Neither appeared in the game last night, but look for their debuts soon. To make room for them, struggling players Bo Bowman and James Sims were sent back to extended spring training camp in Tucson. The Tourists now have a solid chunk of important Rockies position prospects, our top left handed pitching prospect and a bunch of quality sleepers and depth players and prospects after that. Tulsa has more "future of the franchise" type of players still, but Asheville's now a clear second place on that list, and with a continued breakout from Jordan Pacheco and another pitcher or two emerging, it could become quite the wave.

Jimmy Cesario and Pacheco flipped positions on the South Atlantic League batting leaderboard in yesterday's win. With a three hit game Cesario raised his average on the season to .418, while Pacheco's hitless day saw him drop to second place at .410. Pacheco also recorded his second throwing error of the season to complete what would be for him a rare afternoon of misfortune. Scott Robinson and David Christensen also tallied three hits in the six to two victory for the Tourists, and Dan Houston pitched four strong innings as the starter and got five more from Alan DeRatt and Michael Marbry to back him up. Marbry is another new addition to the 2009 Tourists roster although he pitched briefly with Asheville (which is near his N.C. home) upon joining the Rockies organization in 2006. He made it just in time for the start of the contest but pitched solidly in two and two thirds innings for the W.