Colorado Rockies game no. 4 thread: Julio Urías vs Austin Gomber

Although the Rockies have dropped two in a row after their Opening Day victory, there is something to be encouraged about: the offense has been able to hang with the dreaded Los Angeles Dodgers. After Friday’s 11-6 loss, the Rockies lost yesterday in a back-and-forth match ending with a final score of 6-5. Strikeouts were down, with only six from the Dodgers’ pitching staff the entire game. Seven of the Rockies’ starting nine managed a hit last night, including Josh Fuentes slugging his first home run of the season. Fuentes was scheduled to start again today, but was a late scratch due to wrist discomfort.

The goal for today’s game is to walk away from the opening series at .500, and leading the way is new lefty Austin Gomber. Gomber, acquired as the headliner in the Nolan Arenado trade, is looking to capitalize on the opportunity of an impressive spring. Utilizing a low spin fastball, a wicked curveball and solid slider, he struck out 19 while only walking two across 19 ²⁄₃ innings of spring training work. Gomber looks to prove a fly-ball pitcher can survive at Coors Field with the right pitch mix when focusing on strikeouts and avoiding getting barrelled up.

On the bump for the Dodgers is the lefty Julio Urías, who recorded the 2 ¹⁄₃ scoreless save to clinch Los Angeles’ World Series victory in 2020. Urías works a mid-velocity fastball with a high spin rate as his primary pitch, combined with an arsenal of solid breaking pitches. He wasn’t much of a strikeout pitcher in 2020, with a K% of only 29, instead focusing on inducing soft ground-ball contact. However, he has generated swing-and-misses frequently in past seasons, so the Rockies will want to bring a disciplined approach to the plate today.

First Pitch: 1:10 PM MDT

TV: AT&T Sports Net Rocky Mountain; MLB.tv

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM; KNRV 1150 (Spanish)

Lineups: