Colorado Rockies: 5 interesting numbers from July | Rox Pile
Something happened to the Rockies in July, and it was wonderful. They went 17-6, starting the month six games behind and ending just a half game back from the Diamondbacks. Their .738 winning percentage was the second highest in franchise history. Pitching was a huge win for the Rockies in the month of July. Collectively, they put up and ERA of 3.16, best in franchise history. The young pitchers gave us an impressive performance, holding hitters to low averages and throwing well when it counted. Tyler Anderson had several dominant performances where he made it deep into the game. Bats were also hot for the Rockies. All told, they hit .278, leading the NL. They also played much better at home than at the start of the season. They went 12-2 at Coors Field, a much needed improvement. They won all of their series in July, splitting only one. Given that their schedule was incredibly tough, this is an extremely impressive feat. July was hot for the Rockies, and let’s hope August brings the same kind of heat.
NL West: Moving forward post-Trade Deadline | Rockies.com
The Trade Deadline is past, so we are now into the final stretch of the season. As it currently stands, the NL West is a tight division: it’s anyone’s game. Steve Gilbert at MLB.com breaks down what each team has done and what it could mean for the rest of the season. First, we look at the Diamondbacks, who acquired a third-baseman and a several relievers. They made some smart trades, clearly aiming for another postseason appearance. Much like the Rockies, the D’Backs are in a position to capitalize on their players before contracts are up. Now is the time to go big. The Dodgers got a hot commodity in Manny Machado, along with a second-baseman and a pitcher. If they can all stay healthy, they might stand a chance. The Giants didn’t do much of anything, leaving their veteran team to it to try and get the job done. The Padres made some moves that will help them build and prepare for a future. And the Rockies got reliever Seunghwan Oh. The bullpen has continued to be a problem, but hopefully this addition can help.
The bullpen has been a focus of the Rockies all season long. With the record spending on pitchers in the offseason, hopes were extremely high. However, the focus turned negative, as the bullpen continued to give lackluster performances. But now we’re entering into the final third of the season, and we’ve passed the Trade Deadline, but the bullpen remains an issue. While they have seen some improvements, and there is undoubtedly a lot of talent, the bullpen’s ERA is .533, a number that could make it hard to get to the postseason. The Rockies still have a tough road ahead of them, and they need to be able to count on the bullpen in close games. Adam Ottavino and Seunghwan Oh are bright spots for the Rockies, and it’s time for the rest of the group to get with the program and get ready to get to another Rocktober.