This Week in Purple: We’re Not Giant Slayers

The weekend is a great time to kick back and reflect. This Week in Purple is the place to catch up on the news from our team at Purple Row. You’ll find links to Rockpiles and other content below as well as a platform for community discussion in the comments.

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The Rockies finally had their first off day in 17 games on Monday, but unfortunately things went pretty downhill after that. They were swept by the Giants by a score of 21-12 over three games, and fell to the Padres 9-6 last night. They have fallen to a season-worst 13 games below .500 after their fifth-straight loss — their second 5+ game losing streak of the season. They have also lost 14 of their last 15 against NL West opponents, being outscored 106-56 in those games. It didn’t help that the pitching staff allowed five home runs (three by Austin Gomber, two by Peter Lambert) for the first time since June 11, 2021 against the Cincinnati Reds.

With that in mind, it was a pitching-heavy week at Purple Row this past week. See what our writers have to say about the state of the Rockies’ staff below!

To Read

• Kenneth Weber kicked off the week with a Rockpile about Chase Anderson, who was claimed by the Rockies on May 12. So far in five games with the Rockies, he has yet to record a decision but has also posted a 2.67 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. The Rox rotation has hit hard times (more on that later), but so far Anderson seems to be a good stopper, at least for the time being.

• Renee Dechert kept up the pitching theme on Tuesday but shifted her focus to the bullpen. Specifically, she highlighted Jake Bird. Bird has had a bit of a breakout year as a workhorse in the ‘pen, and he’s been very good. He has pitched a bullpen-leading 41 ¹⁄₃ innings with a 3.05 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. Brent Suter has the next-highest usage with 35 ²⁄₃ innings out of the bullpen. Renee spoke with Bird about his season, including how he has used the piano to help hone his pitching.

• Now that it’s officially June, it’s time to start thinking about the 2023 Trade Deadline on August 1. Ahead of that deadline, Skyler Timmins evaluated the stock of some of the bullpen assets — namely veterans Brad Hand, Brent Suter and Pierce Johnson — if the Rockies want to be sellers (or, frankly, do anything at the deadline).

• Continuing with the pitching theme, Evan Lang took a dive into the rotation on Thursday. It has been a strength for the past few years but in 2023, it seems to be their Achilles heel. And this is mostly because they have been absolutely decimated with injuries and don’t have the depth to compensate for those losses. Outside of Kyle Freeland and Austin Gomber, no Rockies starter has recorded more than one quality start. That’s... not great. What does that mean for now, and what could it mean going forward?

• Joelle Milholm bucked the trend on Friday by writing about the Rockies most-recent series against the Giants where they were swept and outscored 21-12. The Rox usually struggle against the Giants historically, but this time was different. Joelle explains why, and what the Giants series overall means for the Rockies’ success (or lack thereof) every year.

To Listen

• Affected by Altitude: A Couple of Rule Breakers — This week, Skyler and Evan discuss the Kris Bryant dilemma, the resurgence of Ryan McMahon, the kids playing and playing well, and name their Player of the Month for May.

• Every Rockie Ever Podcast: Michael Cuddyer — In this episode, Skyler and Dustin look back on the Rockies’ career of one of their personal favorites, Michael Cuddyer. Joining the Rockies after 11 years with the Minnesota Twins, Cuddyer left a strong impression in a Rockies uniform. In his brief three years, his reputation as a great person and quality ball player was quite apparent in his feats on and off the field despite injuries that popped up. Cuddy truly is our Buddy.

Weekend Discussion Topic

Who is the Rockies’ most formidable foe? Is it the Giants, or perhaps a different team? Sound off below!