Ryan Spilborghs and Ian Stewart each had three hits today, Spilborghs with two doubles and a single, and Stewart with two singles and a homerun, but Rockies pitching proved a letdown in the loss to the Rangers. Starter Jason Marquis allowed six runs in five innings, including two homeruns. Three of four relievers, Manny Corpas, Juan Morillo and Jason Grilli also let scores cross the plate. Huston Street managed a scoreless inning for the second day in a row.
THE BIG QUESTION: How long can we wait for improvement with these "tweaks" to his mechanics that Jason Marquis is experimenting with this Spring? Marquis did record six groundouts to just three flies besides all the line drive ropes he was giving up, and the 6/1 K/BB ratio in five innings is also something that normally should be encouraged, but there's a big problem in all the hard contact that he seems to be permitting. Is he close to breakthrough or just breaking down?
The smaller questions: We're getting closer to decision time, and those players on the edge of a roster spot need to make every at bat, every pitch count from here on out. The only players today that this really applies to were Morillo and Stewart and perhaps Omar Quintanilla (1 for 2 with a run scored). Qre Quintanilla and Stewart any closer to securing MLB jobs? Did Morillo's shaky outing, only the second time he's allowed a run to score this Spring, push him closer to the cut pile?
Wrap Rating: Wrap'ms by Tweak'ms. Maybe they can make a strap so Jason Marquis can keep track of his previous mechanics, just in case.