Despite the fact that they've dropped to fourth place and below .500, the Rockies still have the best run differential in the NL West at +28, first-place Arizona (+23) is the only other team in the division with a positive run differential. In fact, the Rockies have the seventh best run differential in baseball, behind just St. Louis (+109), Cincinnati (+55) and Atlanta (+54) among NL teams and Boston (+78), Detroit (+73) and Oakland (+50) among AL teams.
Today will be the 29th day game of the season for the Rockies, they are 15-13 in afternoon games so far this season, meaning their night record stands at 22-25. More with standings splits, the Rockies are 11-12 in one-run games, while the three teams ahead of them are all at least four games over .500 in one-run contests. The Giants are 13-9 in one-run games while the Padres are 15-11 and the Diamondbacks are 16-10.
Tyler Chatwood, Jorge De La Rosa and Jhoulys Chacin have established themselves as a solid top three in the Rockies starting rotation. The pitchers have combined for a 3.40 ERA in 212 innings in 2013, with a 16-8 record among them on the season. The other four pitchers to make starts for the Rockies this season (Juan Nicasio, Jeff Francis, Jon Garland and Roy Oswalt) have combined to post a 5.65 ERA and 10-15 record in 204 innings. The Rockies top three starters in 2012, Chatwood, Chacin and Drew Pomeranz, combined to throw just 212 1/3 innings all season, compiling a 4.87 ERA and 10-20 won-loss record.
Links:
Corey Dickerson reminds Rockies manager Walt Weiss of Michael Cuddyer - Denver Post
Troy Renck has the first of two features on Corey Dickerson from the Denver Post today, as he gets the manager's assessment of the newest Rockie and outlines the role Dickerson will fill in his time with the big club.
Corey Dickerson's promotion from Triple-A to Rockies powered by bat - Denver Post
The second of the Post's features on Dickerson comes courtesy of Irv Moss, who calls Dickerson a "hitting machine" and chronicles his torrid hot streak in Colorado Springs that led to his call up to the majors.
The butterfly effect of Carlos Lee and the NL West - Baseball Nation
Grant Brisbee details how two teams' failed pursuit of Carlos Lee shaped the last eight seasons of baseball in the NL West.