The Rockies are winning with pitching and strong arms, not just bats, go figure | CBS Sports
Jonah Keri’s latest curse piece won’t provide a lot of new information to Rockies fans; most of the space is dedicated to profiling how the Rockies pitching staff came to be and the success they’ve found in 2017. That being said, it’s still worth a read for a few reasons. 1) It’s fun to see all these stories gathered in one place, 2) it represents some national media attention right when it seemed like people were forgetting about the Rockies, and 3) Jonah refuses to let “the ballpark dictate the narrative, one that's both incomplete and misleading.” Would that it were that more would do the same.
Home-Field Advantage Will Be Crucial For Rockies Playoff Success | FanRag Sports
"For the Rockies, securing that top spot should be their No. 1 priority. Not because of the offensive boost, but because of the pitching advantage."
Saunders Mailbag: Does Arenado have a realistic shot at NL MVP this year? | Denver Post
Patrick Saunders reaches into the mailbag again and two prominent themes stand out: MVP debates and Carlos Gonzalez (yes, the time has come to bench CarGo, and it would probably be the most overdue benching in team history). As good as Nolan Arenado has been on both sides of the ball this season, and as gaudy of numbers Charlie Blackmon has been putting up at the plate, I don't think anyone is going to pass up Bryce Harper (.324/.422/.618) though I agree with Patrick in the Paul Goldschmidt (.322/.437/.598 with 16 stolen bases and 25 home runs) should get some more love.
Holland shaved his head and face after consecutive blown saves | Denver Post
Greg Holland has had a rough week, probably the roughest since he's been in a Rockies uniform. And while he says going reverse-Samson was not a result of his performance (“They all stink when you lose, especially when it’s your fault,” Holland said), hopefully it produces a positive effect all the same.
Chatwood notches second career save | MLB.com
While it certainly isn't where he (or I) expected him to be at this point in the season, Tyler Chatwood performed admirably out of the bullpen yesterday to seal the Rockies' win. Considering the rotation is becoming increasingly crowded, it would be nice if he could turn himself into a real Chris Devinski-type in relief.
Reynolds dealing with hand injury | MLB.com
"First baseman Mark Reynolds was not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Indians because of a left hand injury. But he was there when the Rockies needed him. Inserted in the seventh inning for defensive purposes, Reynolds displayed an underappreciated part of his game when he stretched for shortstop Trevor Story's bounced throw for the final out of a 3-2 victory over the Indians at Progressive Field."
Rockies trade rumors: August waiver trade edition | Rox Pile
Noah Yingling goes over the possibilities and opportunities for upgrades for the Rockies before the August waiver trade deadline. Fun fact I learned: the Rockies have made trades in August the last two times that they made the playoffs.
BSN Denver: Rockies Weekly Breakdown | YouTube
BSN Denver has a new--well, new to me--weekly round-up/preview that goes about 2-3 minutes and sets you up perfectly for the week ahead. While I'm generally opposed to outlets going all in on video (stop making Ken Rosenthal write articles on his Facebook wall, FOX!), the BSN crew nails the format here.
Purple Row
Rockies will wear special nickname jerseys during Players Weekend | Purple Row
On the weekend of Aug. 25-27 at the Atlanta Braves, the Rockies will be decked out in colorful jerseys with player nicknames adorned on the back. We'll have more on this later today, of course.
Rockies prospect Wes Rogers is a master thief | Purple Row
Ryan Schoppe got to interview Lancaster All-Star Wes Rogers and talk about his approach to stealing bases and who on the JetHawks is the best base swiper.
Around the NL West
Root for an Astros-Dodgers World Series | ESPN
I know what you're thinking, but Sam Miller makes an allowance if your team is still in the hunt. But even still, this is worth reading if you haven't already.
Archie Bradley says what needed to be said | AZ Snake Pit
In case you missed it, the Dodgers actually lost a game on Tuesday. After the game, team chia pet Archie Bradley, explaining his passionate outburst on the mound, said, “This is our home field... I don’t care how many games back we are, I don’t care if we’re the worst team in baseball. It has nothing to do with the standings, it has nothing to do with the playoff race. It had to do with tonight and our fans being better than theirs.”
Artisan barista/handmade soap maker/craft pickler Bradley is totally allowed to get fired up; baseball would be the better if players could get excited on the field (and would probably go a lot further than one-off promotional weekends). But let's not make this about the fans, mmmkay?
Another Padres uniform, another disappointment | Gaslamp Ball
The Padres continue to get the short end of the stick on everything. From Matt Kemp, to Player's Weekend jerseys, can't someone throw them a friggin' bone some time?
The Giants are chasing team history with their struggling hitters | McCovey Chronicles
"By one metric, they have a chance to be the worst in franchise history." Whenever the Rockies lose a game this year, I want you to take heart by peeking over to the National League side of the Bay Area, and remind yourself that there is such thing as (poetic?) justice in this world.