Tonight, for the first time this season, the Rockies and Cubs will face each other. The three-game series at Coors Field comes with both clubs approaching how to run their organizations in very different styles.
The Cubs traded 11 players in the month of July, including Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Javier Báez, in order to transform their farm system from being in the bottom third of the league to close to the top third. The Cubs did this after going 34-26 in winning the NL Central in 2020 and having a record of 51-56 going into Tuesday night’s game.
The Rockies, on the other hand, finished 2020 in fourth place in the NL West with a 26-34 record and remain in fourth place in 2021 with a 46-60 mark this season. The Rockies front office went the opposite approach, trading one player in Mychal Givens, but deciding to hold onto veterans and players who will become free agents at the end of the season like Trevor Story, Jon Gray, and Daniel Bard. While the offseason could bring more moves for the Rockies, only time will tell which team is headed towards a future with more wins.
In the meantime, Kyle Freeland (1-6, 4.52 ERA) will try to deliver another quality start, like he has done three times in his last four starts. The Rockies have been shut out in two of those starts and totaled just four runs over those four games.
If the Rockies are going to get more offensive production, it will have to come against RHP Zach Davies (6-7, 4.39 ERA). In seven starts in his career against the Rockies, Davies is 4-2 with a 3.38 ERA.
First Pitch: 6:40 P.M. MDT
TV: AT&T Sports Net Rocky Mountain; MLB.tv
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM; KNRV 1150 (Spanish)
Lineups:
Here is tonight's #Cubs starting lineup in Colorado. pic.twitter.com/x3743WHzHi
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) August 3, 2021
Tonight's lineup against the Cubs!
— AT&T SportsNet™ | RM (@ATTSportsNetRM) August 3, 2021
Coverage begins at 6pm!@Rockies | #Rockies | @SouthwestAir pic.twitter.com/AUca6y0mRX