Balanced attack backs Anderson in rout | MLB.com
There were a lot of good takeways from Saturday’s win. Even the weak infield hits Tyler Anderson gave up were seen as positives. As he told MLB.com, “Last year that happened a lot, so I felt like I was getting closer to where I needed to be, because that's the kind of contact you want to see.” Another tidbit came from Ryan Hanigan, who noticed Anderson’s fastball was coming in mid-thigh, so he adjusted his target downwards so that Anderson’s pitches weren’t in the middle of the strike zone.
Saunders: Rockies coming face-to-face with Carlos Gonzalez quandary | Denver Post
Being a slow starter doesn’t do Carlos Gonzalez any favors when it comes to deciding on whether or not he should get a contract extension. Though he’s made some great plays defensively this year, he’s also racked up three errors in 2017, which already equals his entire total from the 2016 season. He has been healthy the last two seasons as well but as a rule of thumb, players tend to get injured more often as they get older ,and Gonzalez’s own history is a bit checkered in that regard.
Overall, while I do think he’d be at least a league average outfielder for the next few years, I don’t think that’s worth a $20 million per year extension either. Whatever the plan is for 2018 and beyond for Carlos Gonzalez, though, I still think a cold Gonzalez gives the Rockies a better chance of winning in 2017. When he gets hot, he can win a game single handedly, and the Rockies can use that. However, as nice as it is to have lefty bats in the lineup to help break up the slew of Rockies right handed hitters, it may be best to drop him a few slots in the order until he makes the adjustments he needs to gets hot again.
Colorado Rockies and Coors Field: Diamondbacks ‘Huffing and Puffing’ | RoxPile
Kevin Henry from the RoxPile noted that the Diamondbacks haven’t been taking batting practice at Coors Field during this homestand. It was a decision made by Diamondbacks manager Trey Lovullo to give his players more rest. According to Lovullo, the Diamondbacks have been dealing with “flu-like symptoms” since spring training, and apparently the altitude hasn’t been helping.
Managers pulling the plug on batting practice to keep their players rested has made the news wire more often in recent years. Joe Maddon, for example, didn’t require much batting practice for last year’s Chicago Cubs near the end of that season so they would be fresh for the playoffs. Still, it’s admirable that the Diamondbacks have managed a winning record despite the illness-like experiences they’ve had so far in 2017.