Game Preview: Flande vs. Weiland

So Yohan Flande hasn't been terrible this year. Sure, a 4.91 ERA won't make you do back flips, but for a Rockies starter that's better than the crap we were throwing out there for half the season. He doesn't strike anybody out (4.91 K/9), but his ground ball percentage is within hailing distance of 60%, which is borderline elite. If you're a FIP believer, his 3.85 mark is pretty good. Of course, we're talking about 55 innings pitched here, so who gives a wahoo.

ANYway, not-terrible Flande is taking on a guy with six innings pitched this year and a 9 ERA. Joe Weiland is a moderately interesting prospect, who got flattened by injuries the last few years. He only threw two innings in 2013, and only a handful before getting recalled this year. It's September, the ideal time for a losing team to see what it has in these types of guys.

Kyle Parker's absence from the lineup is conspicuous. It doesn't bother me too much, since I've always been pessimistic about Parker's big league chances. But there seems to be little reason to keep him idle in the waning days of 2014. Frankly, if Cuddyer is going to move on after this year, I'd rather see him take some more AB's in a Rockies uni.

Rafael Ynoa is getting a promotion to the two-hole tonight. He has impressed in his cup of coffee. Good for Rafael.

Beyond that, it's the usual suspects (other than the fact that Tulo and Cargo are off playing on a farm upstate). The Rockies have been not-terrible in September. It'd be nice to keep that going tonight.

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<th align="left">COLORADO ROCKIES</th>
<th align="left">SAN DIEGO PADRES</th>
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<tr><td class="td-last td-name">Charlie Blackmon - CF</td><td class="td-first td-name">Yangervis Solarte - 3B</td></tr><tr><td class="td-last td-name">Rafael Ynoa - 3B</td><td class="td-first td-name">Cameron Maybin - CF</td></tr><tr><td class="td-last td-name">Justin Morneau - 1B</td><td class="td-first td-name">Jedd Gyorko - 2B</td></tr><tr><td class="td-last td-name">Michael Cuddyer - RF</td><td class="td-first td-name">Yasmani Grandal - 1B</td></tr><tr><td class="td-last td-name">Corey Dickerson - LF</td><td class="td-first td-name">Tommy Medica - LF</td></tr><tr><td class="td-last td-name">Wilin Rosario - C</td><td class="td-first td-name">Rymer Liriano - RF</td></tr><tr><td class="td-last td-name">Josh Rutledge - SS</td><td class="td-first td-name">Adam Moore - C</td></tr><tr><td class="td-last td-name">DJ LeMahieu - 2B</td><td class="td-first td-name">Alexi Amarista - SS</td></tr><tr><td class="td-last td-name">Yohan Flande - LHP</td><td class="td-first td-name">Joe Wieland - RHP</td></tr></tbody>
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