To most MLB cities, this was MLB Trade Deadline day. For the Rockies, it was Thursday. The Cubs, who traded two players on their 25 man roster today at the deadline (reliever James Russell and 3B Emilio Bonifacio to Atlanta), defeated the Rockies, who traded zero players today, 3-1 this afternoon at Wrigley Field. With that, it was empirically* decided that being active at the deadline was better than sitting it out. Verily, he who hesitates is lost, fortune favors the bold, etc.
*I keep using that word. I don't think that word means what I think it means
Pedro Hernandez became starting pitcher number 14 this year for the Rockies in this one and he acquitted himself surprisingly well (albeit against a pretty anemic Chicago offense). The 25 year-old righty didn't allow a run in his first five innings of work before ceding three runs in the final inning of his outing on two infield singles, two walks, a sac fly, and a RBI groundout. In all, Hernandez threw 94 pitches in 5 2/3 frames, allowing six hits, the aforementioned three runs, and struck out two.
Matt Belisle and erstwhile starter (#13 on the depth chart) Yohan Flande combined for 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief, but the three runs Chicago scored in the sixth held up to give Hernandez the loss. The Flande relief appearance would seem to mean that Tyler Matzek will be taking Flande's place in the rotation this Saturday, as had been theorized.
The Rockies managed just five hits in this one, including a two hit day by Nolan Arenado. Arenado drove in Corey Dickerson with a RBI double in the seventh inning for Colorado's only run against Cubs starter Jake Arrieta - who improved his ERA to 2.11 on the year. Colorado opened the ninth inning with two singles, but were unable to make anything happen after that. The Rockies never saw their win probability rise above 50% and that's all I'd prefer to say about this game.
The Rockies will look to put this series behind them this weekend against the new look Detroit Tigers (though they'll miss new Tiger David Price).
Graph
Source: FanGraphs
We Salute: Arenado (.173 WPA), Justin Morneau (.136)
We Are Disappointed In: Carlos Gonzalez (-.183 WPA), DJ LeMahieu (-.168), Wilin Rosario (-.162), Charlie Culberson (-.114)
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