Colorado Rockies searching for answers after offense hits new low in Miami | Denver Post ($)
The Rockies have a long history of struggling in Miami, and this most recent series was no different. Bud Black, without his characteristic optimism that these are just early days, stated that the team simply didn’t swing the bat well enough. However, he did highlight the Marlin’s bullpen, giving them a lot of credit for the series win. Miami has been able to hold teams to one or less runs in their last six games, so maybe the Rockies just fell victim to some seriously impressive pitching.
But it doesn’t explain the Rockies systemic problem: they’re hitting only .224 collectively. Trevor Story, who has been hot lately, said that the team had the potential to be better than what they’re showing now. He’s a prime example, with a lot of strikeouts, but also a lot of potential. The Rockies are still above .500, which is a good indicator that this team, who is struggling so much offensively, can still win. The Rockies need to find their stride, and as we get farther and farther away from “early days” of the 2018 season, it’s getting somewhat urgent.
Rockies’ slump gets even deeper with 3-0 loss to the Marlins | Denver Post ($)
It’s no big secret that the Rockies, offense has been struggling in the early part of the 2018 season. Sunday’s game against the Marlins was the perfect example, with the Rox only managing four hits with 14 strikeouts. In the three-game series, the Rockies had only two runs and hit 15-for-90. They left way too many runners on base, only hitting 2 for 17 with runners in scoring position. Chad Bettis pitched a pretty good game, but not well enough to make up for an offense that could not produce. Next up for the Rockies are the Cubs, with Kyle Freeland starting the series off in tonight’s game. The lefty played well against the Padres in his last start, so hopefully the Rockies’ offense can be more productive.
Rusin throws off mound, could return this week | MLB.com
Chris Rusin went on the DL last Monday after suffering a muscle strain. He’s been working it out, though, and is hoping to be ready to return pretty soon. And we’re excited to see him back, as Rusin has proven himself to be a reliable pitcher for the Rockies. DJ LeMahieu is still on the DL, as is Carlos Gonzalez, but the team is optimistic about their recovery and return.
Colorado Rockies: A baseball record that isn’t good | Rox Pile
The Colorado Rockies are fourth worst in all of baseball with strikeouts. This is obviously bad news, but the Rockies are not alone with their high strikeout rate. So far in the 2018 season, there have been more strikeouts than hits in all of baseball. The Rockies are definitely struggling more than most, though, and we can only hope they can start to warm up. However, what we really need to see from the Rockies is an improvement from the players who are not stars. We need Ian Desmond to produce, as well as Chris Iannetta, Pat Valaika, and Ryan McMahon, as well as others. If the team can finally figure this issue out, they will likely be unstoppable.
Colorado Rockies: Recapping an ugly season in Miami | Rox Pile
Sunday’s loss to the Miami Marlins was an ugly one for us Rockies fans. The Rockies won only one game, 1-0, and managed only two runs over the whole series. The Rockies are 15-14, which actually seems pretty impressive given how bad they looked over the past three games. Their strikeouts doubled their hits, and even our usual reliable hitters (Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon, and David Dahl) weren’t able to provide the team with any real kind of offense. Part of the issues stem from injuries, with DJ LeMahieu and Carlos Gonzalez both on the DL. This led to an uninspired lineup, with Ian Desmond batting second. Plus, from the fifth batter in the lineup through the ninth, the Rockies were only able to hit .057. However, it’s not time to give up on the Rockies. The pitching is looking better and better, and the injuries are nothing too severe, so we can hope to see LeMahieu and Gonzalez back soon. We’re not giving up hope, yet!