At least Jeff Francis fits right-in.  With Rockies fans looking for some kind of relief for their beleaguered starting pitching corps, the one-time 17-game winner pitched batting practice to the LAAo’A on Saturday, allowing eight runs on 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings, leaving the Colorado bullpen to cover 5 2/3 and burying the offense early.  Day-by-day Rockies’ hitters look up a large deficits as they waste their lives away on defense, standing around while their opponents perfect their swings on succulent meat served-up by Colorado starters.  Francis’ hits to outs ration was an even 1.0 as the Angels assembled an 8-2 lead after four, leaving four relievers to mop-up the remains in the 90 degree heat Saturday afternoon at Coors Field.  LAAo’A headed-out for a night on the town in Lodo with an 11-5 victory, having moved within three games of American League West Division rival Texas, which lost in San Francisco 5-2.

Marco Scutaro, Tyler Colvin (2), Carlos Gonzalez and Chris Nelson hit solo home-runs for the Rockies, four against LAAo’A starter Dan Haren, who had little urgency to be fine, taking the mound in the first with a 2-run lead, in the second with 3, the third with 4, and fourth and fifth with 6.  Meanwhile with base-runner traffic in scoring position, Colorado hitters went 1-7.

Rockies fans did get an opportunity to witness a future superstar early in his career, as Angels outfielder Mike Trout knocked three hits against Rockies pitching for a second night.  Trout is 6 for 8 in the series and recorded 3 RBI.  Fellow outfielder Torii Hunter, who torched Colorado on Friday, also had three hits for LAAo’A.  Albert Pujols had the Angels’ only extra base hit, a two-run homer off Guillermo Moscoso in the sixth.  Moscoso has inherited the unenviable task of Rockies’ long-man, as Josh Roenicke’s good work has moved him back in Colorado’s bullpen rotation and Esmil Rogers pitched himself off the team. Moscoso is sure to get plenty of work.

Colorado hopes to salvage one of the three-game set with LAAo’A Sunday afternoon, sending Christian Friedrich out against Ervin Santana for a 1:10 pm start.  Much cooler temperatures, in the 70s, are expected today in Denver, a spectacular Colorado day anticipated in Lodo, ripe for a wave or two in-between Coors Lights.

Francis Hoping Offense Awakens
The Amazing Esmil DFA’d as Left-Hander Returns

When Jeff Francis last took the mound at Coors Field it was September, 2010 and the Colorado Rockies were wrapping-up an 83-79 season, finishing third in the NL West, nine games behind the eventual World Series champion San Francisco Giants.  Colorado hopes Francis can help them pick-up its game. Since finishing the first 54 on a 72 win pace, the Rockies have dropped the last three, now tracking toward only 68 wins.  The 2010 win total will be a tall-order for the team, which has managed only three runs the three losses to Arizona and the Angels.

Esmil Rogers was designated for assignment to make room for Francis after blowing-up again in last night’s loss to the LAAo’A.  Rogers had retired the first two Angels’ batters in the ninth of another lost cause, then failed to record the final out as LAAo’A plated three runs.  The Amazing Esmil was a popular player, especially with his teammates, but circumstances at last converged to make his demise inevitable.  Rogers is an enormous talent, and like anyone is wished success, but he was wildly inconsistent, looking unhittable against one batter, then getting strafed by the next.  Rockies fans hope if he catches on it happens in the American League.

Rockies hitters need to get themselves untracked against a difficult opponent in right-hander Dan Haren (3-6, 3.52).  The Colorado offense, which had been blazing away for a week, has since been silenced by Ian Kennedy, Wade Miley, and CJ Wilson.  Remember all those hitting streaks?  Dex has hit in his last two.

The teams will work on one of the warmest days of the season yet, with game-time temperatures in the 90′s and winds out of the south/southwest at 10 to 12 MPH.  Albert Pujols will be back at first base for the Angels, while Jason Giambi fills-in for Todd Helton there for Colorado.  The lineups:

IN GAME CHAT