Struggling rookie Nelson gets breather | ColoradoRockies.com: News
Since Chris Nelson's callup, he's batted .233/.260/.411. Jonathan Herrera: .121/.147/.121. Eric Young, Jr: .156/.206/.156. None of these lines are very inspiring. This isn't meant to start another Herrera Holy War. I suppose I'm just pointing out that 2B is still a major problem offensively for this ballclub. We're probably gonna see some more turnstile 2B play until one of them emerges as the guy who's hitting the ball, or they all tank and Herrera gets the job back based purely on his glove.
Rockies' Chacin gets a lift from his gift - The Denver Post
We've talked a lot about Jhoulys Chacin and how magnificent his 2011 campaign has been thus far. Jim Armstrong adds some more love for Chacin, who still seems to be going relatively unheralded as everyone looks at Ubaldo Jimenez to turn his season around. Every time I read something about Chacin, I have to pull up Fangraphs and be once again surprised by his 2.71 ERA and generally solid peripherals.
Did you realize that Chacin has a 61.1% GB%, 3rd in the Majors to Jake Westbrook and Charlie Morton? That's better than Derek Lowe, Tim Hudson, Fausto Carmona, Roy Halladay, Jason Marquis and a whole bunch of other noteworthy groundballers.
It should also be noted that Chacin's .217 BABIP and 81.2% LOB% are a bit disconcerting, pointing to a likely collapse later in the season, but this Venezuelan whiz is sure giving the Rockies something to hang their hats on recently.
Rockies drop series finale to Yankees - The Denver Post
Troy Renck covered the game wrap for the Denver Post, but he brought up one point that really struck me:
...the Rockies are just 2-8 when [Ty Wigginton] goes deep.
Without factoring in Sunday's 2 homers, homeboy is posting a 103 wRC+ on the road, which isn't fantastic, but given that he was brought in to provide a RHB that could hit on the road, I'd say he's not getting enough love.
Street focused amid ninth-inning dramas | ColoradoRockies.com: News
Here's another guy who catches a lot of flak despite being tied for the MLB Saves lead with 23. Yes, I know, SAVES, but in some sense, if it's his job, he's doing it well enough.
Huston Street's 3.53 ERA isn't entirely settling, and his 4.21 FIP is even more uncomfortable, but his 3.01 xFIP kind of suggests that this HR spike that's driving his ERA/FIP line up is uncharacteristic of Street, and we probably shouldn't worry about it too much.
Add in a 2.79 June ERA (1.91 FIP, 3.69 xFIP - which is probably inflated, given a 0.00 HR/FB%) and we can breathe a BIT easier in the 9th. He still makes it interesting, but we're not talking Shawn Chacon interesting or even Bad Brian Fuentes interesting. Given other pitching woes, I'll take a shaky-but-effective closer.
Smith showing he can hit lefties too | ColoradoRockies.com: News
Yeah, that 1PA off of CC Sabathia is really gonna overturn a career-long sample. But still, Seth Smith did exactly what everyone was afraid he wasn't gonna be able to do, and that's get a hit off of The Premiere Lefty.