Well, here's the answer as to why Tulo batted eighth last night:

Manager Clint Hurdle explained that Tulowitzki was batting eighth Monday because he wanted to split up the right-handed hitters — Yorvit Torrealba and Tulowitzki — to create a tougher matchup for the Giants' left-handed relievers.

In the eighth, lefty Alex Hinshaw gave up a single to left-hitting Ian Stewart, walked Torrealba, got his only out on Q's sac bunt, and then intentionally walked Tulo before leaving the game. Jeff Baker hit a sac fly to add an insurance run when Billy Sadler entered the game. Does that make it right?

A Saturday game against the Padres may have been a good match-up to televise on Fox late last season, but not this year:

Fox nationally cancelled plans to telecast Saturday’s game so the Padres have moved it to a night game (8:05 p.m., MDT) and it will be televised by FSN Rocky Mountain.

Let's start placing bets on next season's broadcast schedules. How many times will the Rockies appear on ESPN and Fox? I'll put the over/under at one.

Happy birthday, Todd Helton! You turned 35 today, and all you got was still being on the DL. Kind of sucks, doesn't it? All right, I guess you'll get a bit more than just a continued stay on the DL for his birthday. You also received a comparison to Don Mattingly.

Also in that link:

Outfielder Ryan Spilborghs, out since July 9 with a strained left oblique muscle, will begin a rehab assignment Wednesday in Triple-A Colorado Springs. Spilborghs has been able to swing without pain. He's likely to be recalled in September when rosters expand. "Hopefully I go down there and go 5-for-5 in my first game and show I am ready," Spilborghs said with a smile. With Willy Taveras' future next season uncertain, Spilborghs should get plenty of playing time next month even if Olympian Dexter Fowler gets a likely audition.

Who hasn't missed Spilly?

Ian Stewart, who would have played college ball for USC had he not signed with the Rockies, went to a USC football practice on Monday. Seth Smith accompanied him. Now let's work on getting Seth Smith (and the other Rockies) a championship ring since the guy he backed up already has a one in another sport.

Two different focal points in the recaps from last night's game: the emerging Ian Stewart and the red-hot Brad Hawpe. Either way, it all amounts to a Rockies victory.

So, the Rockies brought in Livan Hernandez in an effort to improve their chances of catching fire. It hasn't worked yet (and won't). Tonight's opponent, the D'Backs, brought in Adam Dunn last night and will get . . . I guess the Rockies will be the first to answer that question. Dunn will bat cleanup and start in right field tonight. Livan Hernandez or Adam Dunn? Dunn or Hernandez? Who's actually going to improve their new team?

I'd like to see the infield configuration mentioned in that article:

A more complicated maneuver: Dunn to left, Jackson to first, Tracy to third and Mark Reynolds to second base to take the place of the injured Orlando Hudson.

Melvin wouldn't rule out moving Reynolds to second, but added, "At this point right now, he's playing third base."

Reynolds at second would be . . . good for a laugh?

The Rockies haven't talked with Garrett Atkins or Matt Holliday about new deals recently:

With third baseman Ian Stewart gaining traction offensively, the Rockies are expected to shop Matt Holliday and Garrett Atkins over the winter. Stewart could replace either, though he has never played a major-league inning as an outfielder.

There have been no recent contract talks with Holliday or Atkins. Holliday is signed through next season, his last before free agency. Atkins was first-time arbitration eligible a year ago.

But Stew can't replace both, so possibly trading both during the off season doesn't make much sense. The tacit message in that is that Todd Helton will still be the Rockies' first baseman.

And let's close with this:

"The three-game series is an opportunity for us to get things right," manager Clint Hurdle said Sunday after the Rockies were drubbed 16-7 by San Diego. "And if it gets away from us then, we'll know where we are at the end of those three games. It could be sobering, and it could be something to hold onto and look forward."

Can the guy ever be specific? Anyway, Iet's see if the Rockies can club the Snakes this time around.

How's that saying go? Momentum is only as good as tomorrow's starter. Well, tomorrow is today and the starter is Jeff Francis. We last saw Francis on June 28 against the Detroit Tigers for six innings. He allowed five runs on 11 hits (his third-highest total this season) and two walks. And we know it wasn't always pretty before that start:

Last season that whole momentum thing worked well with Francis, after having lost four consecutive games between April 16 and May 2. Francis only lost back-to-back games once more that season, and that wasn't until September 8 and 13.

Jorge De La Rosa came up big and Stewie continued to show he can hit lefties (and with power). But while Tulo notes that Stewie's pinch-hit homer provided the momentum the team needed to come back, the Rockies basically sat back after that and saw the Nats rout themselves in a "bizarre eighth inning." You take the win however you can, but let's see the bats appear a little stronger tonight to help what hopefully will be good momentum provided by Francis' return.

Instant replay was being tested at Citizens Bank Park last night, but couldn't be used to help determine if Shane Victorino's homer was, in fact, a homer.

Okay, a couple of notes from the overhead view of last night's game. First, records aside, the Rockies looked like a considerably better team last night, and defense was a huge part of the disparity. I mean, Stewart looking like a shortstop playing third was one thing, and Cook fielding his position like Maddux another, but our outfield also showed superior range and ability and I would say there was at least a two run swing in our favor because of it. Garrett Atkins' first inning double that got by the lead-footed Adam Dunn was nearly identical to a line drive later caught by Holliday. Taveras' range and first step were just as impressive from the top down vantage point my view level seat provided.

Second, Brad Hawpe going the opposite way for both his homerun and double were also quite pleasing to watch. Baker's shot was just a laser (And yeah, I'm happy with Jeff at second,) but Brad just sort of flicked at those pitches and yet still had enough pure power to get them  to the wall and over it. I hate to realize the implications of this statement for our team's absent elder statesman, but I really think the lineup that the Rockies used last night is probably their best available given the personnel they have in the system, even if everybody was healthy. The upgrade on defense with Stewart at third over Atkins and his power makes up for the loss of Helton's OBP. In fact, I think a closer debate would be for pushing Fowler to center over Taveras.

I don't know if I have much else to say right now. Cook was once again quietly impressive, which was nice for him to show in front of a lot of his hometown supporters. The way he worked out of the jam after the Griffey triple just crushed the hopes of the Reds fans in attendance, as they had really come alive at that point. Anyway, I hope to make it back out early tonight to get a seat, as it'll likely be a bit more crowded on Adam Dunn bobblehead night.

Yesterday's Yankees Pirates trade takes one potential Fuentes suitor off the table, and it reveals somewhat where the market for players vs prospects is at right now. The primary piece in the deal was Jose Tabata, a gifted young player who had been somewhat overhyped by the Yankees press machine his first couple of professional seasons, and therefore has seemed somewhat disappointing this year. He is not currently what would be considered an impact player along the lines of what O'Dowd is looking for, but he could become one. You would figure Fuentes and certainly Holliday are of greater value, it will be interesting to see where this takes things over the next few days.

For whatever reason, the most minute pressures of day to day living that most people seem to take with relative ease tend to get blown out of proportion for me. I'm not sure why my mind wants to make mountains of every menial molehill that crosses my path, but it's the way I operate for some reason. Seriously, something so simple as eating breakfast sometimes seems like a monumental achievement for me. The personality flaw is certainly not endearing to me, as it's made making a living more arduous than it should be and the carryover into my social life has made me one of the most reclusive people I know. Which really isn't saying much, since I'm so reclusive and don't really know a whole lot of people. 

For obvious reasons, I really don't like mentioning this aspect of my life as it's not the most flattering of traits. I bring this up because with my family in town last week, I got sort of overwhelmed with those issues and dug myself into my hermit shack for the last three days with the hopes that I could re-emerge by the time the Rockies come to town tomorrow. Happily, I think all systems are go. I finally got out and went grocery shopping yesterday and today I might even get my hair done.

Anyway, it also helps that the Rockies are once again in a Coors Field induced state of hopefulness, having gone 6-1 over the seven game stand. Fittingly, Brian Fuentes, in what could very well be his last game in Coors Field in a Rockies uniform, tied the franchise record for saves in the final game of that homestand.

What's more, however, this homestand showed a much more dangerous team than we've seen all season, with three wins in which we beat the Dodgers or Pirates better than five runs. We've had six such contests in July so far, with only ten combined in the other three months. A team pariah for the first two months in the season, Brad Hawpe's hitting .301/.400/.548 in July after ane even more sensational June. Jeff Baker really is proving himself an asset, Clint Hurdle is giving Chris Iannetta a greater majority of starts and Ian Stewart has hit safely in all five games since his most recent call-up. As Russ mentioned yesterday, Ubaldo Jimenez has been a revelation and our bullpen has been phenomenal this month.  While that bullpen's chemistry may be disrupted with a Fuentes trade, there's no doubt that we've got some legitimate quality parts in it right now. The team's issues, which early in the season seemed to numerous to count are basically down to just a couple of major concerns:

1. A recovery of Troy Tulowitzki
2. Finding a number three starter

That second one, despite Kip Wells's disaster of an outing in the fifth starter slot on Monday and the scariness of relying on Glendon Rusch to continue to walk the fine line he's been going at, or for Jorge de la Rosa to banish bad Jorge for good, really boils down to finding just one more quality starter among a pack of possibles and then as last season showed, you can sort of fudge quality with enough quantity in the other two slots.

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The latest leveraging by teams interested in Brain Fuentes to try and get the Rockies to back off their demands is to kick up rumors about interest in other directions. So you see stories of teams looking at George Sherrill instead, and saying that the Rockies are asking for too much. Meanwhile, included in that note is that the Rockies are scouting the Angels Nick Adenhart. It could just be a lot of last minute posturing by both sides. The Rockies want to be indicating that they have an Adenhart offerm other teams want to indicate that they have other options. Something's going down soon, that much is clear.

Yesterday's complete game may satiate Ubaldo Jimenez for awhile, but he's probably still starving to accomplish a shutout. The improvement he's made each month, however, is much more important. Just take a look:

As Clint Hurdle remarked, "He's growing up right before your eyes." It's unfortunate, though, that Jimenez can't grow another one of himself for Tuesday since it's a distinct possiblity that Kip Wells may, gulp, make that start against his old team, the Pirates. But if Ian Stewart brings his hot bat on the road with him, that will make things easier.

Woody Paige has no small task for Dealin' Dan: trade 10 players in order to keep Matt Holliday.One of those 10 players is Brian Fuentes, who's asking price has made teams shy away. Apparently, the Rockies are asking for Wade Hellickson from the Rays. I guess the Rockies are asking the Rays to do some surgery on Wade Davis and Jeremy Hellickson in order to combine them into one player.

Josh Fogg was hit in the face by a Joey Votto line drive during BP and received 30 stitches. He's still scheduled to start on Friday, for now.

Futures Game - CF Dexter Fowler and and RHPs Ryan Mattheus and Casey Weathers will appear in the Futures Game today. The game takes place at 12:30 ET on ESPN2.

Colorado Springs, W 6-5 in 10 innings - Down 3-5 entering the bottom of the ninth, the Sky Sox tied the game and eventually went on to win the game. Doug Bernier's RBI triple and Cory Sullivan's RBI single in the ninth tied the game. Ian Stewart led off the bottom of the 10th with a single, moved over to second on a sac bunt, stole third base, and then scored on an Adam Melhuse sac fly.

Jason Hirsh held Fresno to three runs in six innings, walked three, and struck out three. Outside of the two runs Juan Morillo allowed, the other relievers (Alberto Arias, Matt Daley, and Steven Register) kept the game in hand.

Tulsa, L 3-7 - Eric Young, Jr., Tony Blanco, and Eduardo Cornejo each had an RBI last night and combined for five of Tulsa's 10 hits. Corey Wimberly, playing center field, had two hits. Alan Johnson allowed five runs on nine hits (seven went for singles) in 6 2/3 innings, and Jarrett Grube allowed the other two.

Modesto - Suspended due to wet grounds. It will be completed today. The game only went three outs deep, with the first three Modesto Nuts going down in order.

Asheville - Postponed due to rain. Jason McGill has a piece on catcher Lars Davis.

Tri-City, L 5-8 - Four of the six pitchers Tri-City used wound up allowing at least a run. Starter Jonnathan Aristil allowed the first three runs in 3 2/3 innings, Rod Scurry and Brandon Miller allowed two runs each, and Carlos Luna allowed the last run. Bobby Paschal did not allow a run, as he came in to record the final out of the eighth inning. That came on a successful pickoff. Austin Chambliss pitched the ninth and didn't allow Everett to increase its lead.

Charlie Blackmon had another 3-for-5 night with a double, an RBI, and two runs scored. Jhaysson Agustin and Leonardo Reyes each had an RBI double. Ryan Peisel collected the first two hits of his pro career, both singles.

Casper, L 4-10 - That six-run fourth inning was a killer for Ethan Hollingsworth. Two doubles, a few singles and walks, and a two-run homer came in that inning. He allowed a total of seven runs. Alan Deratt allowed one hit and walked three batters in his 1 2/3 innings, but no runs scored. Andres Marrero was charged with three runs, but  two scored after Juan Rodriguez relieved him on the mound.

Wilin Rosario had three hits and an RBI and Kane Simmons had a hit and two RBI.

Colorado Springs, W 5-1 - Jason Hirsh picked up his second win after throwing five innings of one-run, two-hit ball, but also walked seven. Matt Daley, Juan Morillo, Steven Register, and Ryan Speier each threw a scoreless inning of relief.

Ian Stewart hit his 17th homer, a two-run shot in the ninth inning, and with three hits last night Christian Colonel raised his batting average to .356, third best in the PCL.

Tulsa, W 5-4 in 11 innings - Jeff Kindel had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the ninth with a bases-loaded situation, but he struck out (Daniel Carte failed immediately after that with a fly out). Kindel recieved a chance at redemption in the bottom of the 11th and seized it by singling in Dexter Fowler from second base. Tony Blanco went 3-for-3 with a double, a three-run homer (18), and four total RBI. Alan Johnson went six innings, allowed three runs (two earned) and walked four.

Modesto, L 2-4 - Wes Roemer carried a perfect game into the seventh for Visalia before Daniel Mayora doubled. Mike Paulk doubled in Mayora and Cole Garner singled in Paulk. Those were the only three hits the Nuts collected last night.

Keith Weiser went seven innings, allowing three runs in the sixth. He struck out five. Andy Graham allowed the other run on a homer.

Asheville - Postponed due to wet grounds.

Tri-City, W 9-6 - Tri-City hitters combined for 16 hits last night. Johnny Bowden hit his first home run, a two-run shot, as part of his 3-for-5,  three-RBI night. Bo Bowman and Patrick Rose each drove in two runs while Thomas Field and Jordan Pacheco each drove in one. Field alos walked three times. Charlie Blackmon had four singles and scored twice.

Brad McAtee struck out five over five scoreless innings. Rod Scurry allowed four runs, two scoring when Andy Groves came in and allowed three hits.

Casper - No games were scheduled for the Pioneer League last night.

Colorado Springs, W 10-6 - The Sky Sox win this without hitting a home run. It was a multi-RBI night for several players: Cory Sullivan and Ian Stewart (two hits) drove in two and Jayson Nix (three hits) drove in three. Two of Christian Colonel's hits were doubles. He, Doug Bernier, and Chris Frey each drove in a run. Bernier, Colonel, and Nix drove in four of those runs in the eight inning to break a 6-6 tie.

Valerio De Los Santos allowed five runs over 4 2/3 innings, and Steven Register allowed a run in the top of the 8th to blow the save. He picked up the win after the already-mentioned four-run eighth by the Sky Sox.

Tulsa, L 2-4 - Tony Blanco hit his 17th homer last night and Dexter Fowler had two hits, but, with men on second and third in the bottom of the ninth, Fowler grounded out on the first pitch he saw. Xavier Cedeno allowed one run (on a homer) in five innings. He also struck out five before leaving the game as a result of back spasms. Adam Bright was charged with two runs, but they scored when Ryan Mattheus took his place on the mound. Mattheus allowed one additional run.

Modesto, L 7-10 - Six of Modesto's seven runs came by way of the home run. Daniel Mayora had two, his first two of the season, Michael McKenry had a two-run shot for his ninth, and Jason Van Kooten had one in the ninth for his second. Van Kooten and Anthony Jackson each had three hits. Modesto native Jackson sat down with Brian VanderBeek for this Sunday's interview.

Esmil Rogers allowed 10 runs (five earned) in 3 2/3 innings. Daniel Mayora had two fielding errors during those innings. Brandon Durden allowed one hit and struck out five over the next 4 1/3 innings.

Asheville, W 13-6 - It was a good night for Warren Schaeffer as he went 2-for-3 with two home runs, three RBI, three runs scored, and two walks. Kevin Clark hit his 13th homer, a two-run shot (and put a big dent in the hood of his car after hitting hitting a homer during BP). Mike Mitchell and David Christensen drove in two each. Christian stole his 10th base, and Everth Cabrera his 54th.

Sheng-An Kuo allowed a grand slam in the third inning and failed to make it out of that inning. Edgmer Escalona allowed two runs over the next 4 1/3 innings, striking out five. Matt Reynolds struck out four over the final two innings.

Tri-City, W 4-1 - Parker Frazier had a no-hitter going through five innings before allowing a leadoff single to start the sixth. His line for the night: 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R/ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, 1 HBP. Ethan Katz allowed a run in the eighth, but Austin Chambliss struck out two on his way to his seventh save in the ninth.

Leonardo Reyes hit a home run in the seventh to give the Dust Devils the lead, and Thomas Field drove in two on a single the next inning. Patrick Rose scored from second earlier in the eighth on a throwing error by the pitcher on Johnny Bowden's sac bunt.

Casper, L 2-13 - Casper hitters combined for four hits. Wilin Rosario, who had one of the hits, walked twice. Marco Duarte allowed seven runs in the first two innings of the game, only two earned. Carlos Martinez and Orlando Sandoval had errors in the five-run first inning. Brandon Walker allowed two unearned runs, Andres Marrero put three across home plate, and Juan Rodriguez allowed the other run.