Rockies' offense struggling during stretch run | MLB.com
Isn't it nice that that's not the case anymore? At least for one game. The Rockies aren't unaware of their struggles at the plate, but the answer, rightly or wrongly, seems to be more or less "Such is the game, and such is life."
Of course, there's this quote that challenges the notion of whether I could love Nolan Arenado any more: "Like today, I had a man on third, and I popped up. It's unacceptable. In these kinds of games, you need runs, and we haven't been doing that."
While there is legitimacy to the hand wringing over the Rockies' less-than-explosive offensive output, the Rockies do remain in the driver's seat for the Wild Card game, so they got that going for them, which is nice, I guess.
Rockies are faltering at the plate as the offense lags behind their pitching | The Denver Post
Apparently what the offense needed was for all the beat writers to ask them about themselves. Would it work if we all asked all the pitchers why they haven't thrown a no-hitter yet?
Updated Top-10 Prospect Lists: NL West | FanGraphs Baseball
Each of the Rockies' Top 10 appear in the top 13 of our latest PuRPs list, though in a much different order. Mini spoiler: Eric Logenhagen is very high on Pedro Gonzalez.
Player Profiles
Neshek a victim of bad luck | MLB.com
In case you're wondering if Pat Neshek has had some bad luck since he's been pitching for the Rockies, it's not just you. In fact, based on the contact allowed, you'd expect him to allow a .232 batting average. Instead, he's allowed .345, sixth largest discrepancy in the majors.
The clutch gene inside Nolan Arenado | RoxPile
Nolan Arenado is a very good baseball player and Brady Vernon builds the case for just how clutch Nolan has been this season. However, [very 90's SportsCenter voice] DID YOU KNOW...that Nolan is also fourth in baseball in Win Percentage Added (which "credits or debits the player based on how much their action increased their team’s odds of winning") and is second in FanGraphs' Clutch ( which measures "how much better or worse a player does in high leverage situations than he would have done in a context neutral environment.”). So, yeah, he's been pretty good.
Story’s “lights out” defense has him closer to a Gold Glove than you think | BSN Rockies
Trevor Story has been...not good at the plate this year. After posting a .380 wOBA and 120 wRC+ in his rookie season last year, he's sitting at .302 wOBA and 66 wRC+ so far in 2017. Fortunately for him, his defense is been enough to justify keeping him on the field. To wit: in 823 defensive innings in 2016 he amassed 4 defensive runs saved (DRS) and he's already at 9 after 830 innings this season.
Rockies trade Sam Moll to Athletics | Purple Row
Colorado will receive a player to be named later or cash considerations in return. So goes yet another PuRP to another organization (this time an Honorable Mention one).
Around the NL West
Dodgers set postseason ticket prices. World Series seats would start at $166 | LA Times
If the Dodgers do play their first World Series since the days of Kirk Gibson and Orel Hershiser, the cheapest ticket would be $166. I feel many feels over this, though I'm not sure I could articulate any of them. Maybe that GIF of the puppet monkey staring into the camera flabbergasted?
Analyzing the Diamondbacks Prolonged Struggles | AZ Snake Pit
I understand if people have been frustrated by the Rockies recently. After all, once upon a time they were 21 games over .500, but they haven't really looked like that team except in small flashes. But take heart: our Wild Card rival Diamondbacks have been struggling just as much (if not moreso) than we have over that same stretch. In fact, since the Rockies came from behind to beat Arizona on June 20, the Rockies are 20-27, which includes that ugly ugly ugly 8-game losing streak.
Jered Weaver Calls It A Career | Gaslamp Ball
Congrats to Jered Weaver.
Tim Lincecum’s agent was with the Gaints in Miami | McCovey Chronicles
If it's true, the Rockies could conceivably clinch a playoff spot by battering Tim Lincecum and the Giants in AT&T Park on September 20, which would be a nice little exclamation point on the season.