Joe Saunders held the Colorado Rockies to 2 runs on 3 hits and struck-out 9 in seven innings, earning the win as the Arizona Diamondbacks took their fifth straight, sending Colorado to the eighth loss in its last 10 games, 6-2 at Chase Field in Phoenix Arizona. Edwar Cabrera, making his second major league start, registered the loss, also his second, allowing 2 runs in 3 1/3 innings of work. Cabrera walked four and struck-out four, and delivered 81 pitches, 45 for strikes. The left-hander escaped a bases-loaded situation in the second, and stranded Aaron Hill on third in the third. Chris Young led-off with a walk against Cabrera in the fourth, stole second, and scored on a double to left off the bat of Stephen Drew. Josh Roenicke came on in relief and surrendered a ground-rule double to to Willie Bloomquist that plated Drew.
The Diamondbacks added two off Roenicke in the fifth, when Justin Upton walked and Young homered, and pushed the lead to 6-2 in the seventh as Rex Brothers gave-up a double to Jason Kubel and intentionally walked Upton, who stole second and scored behind Kubel on a line-single off the bat of catcher Miguel Montero. The Rockies’ only runs came on solo shots by 1st baseman Michael Cuddyer in consecutive at-bats in the fourth and sixth. Takashi Saito cut-down Colorado in-order in the eighth and David Hernandez posted a perfect ninth to finish-off the Rockies.
The loss means Colorado will have dropped each of four three game series since the All Star Break. The Rockies hope to salvage the final game of the set with the D’backs tomorrow evening at 7:40 pm MDT, when they send left-hander Jeff Francis (2-2, 5.24) to the hill to face right-hander Trevor Cahill (8-8, 3.77).
As of late, we seem to be good for one win tomorrow.
This chemestry experiment still keeps me somewhat interested. Rutledge is a pleasent surprise as well as Colvin. I’m just interested in seeing several prospects for the rest of the year. Cabrera looks like a hurried rush for innings and I kinda feel sorry for him.
I’d like to be more angry, but when your front office and staff remain, it seems useless. I’m just glad we have an offense that can put up runs (not tonight and not with our coaching staff) and need to just rebuild our rotation.
I’m outta words but I’m always a fan. Just a really, really, really, sucky year.
Yeah, Timo, it’s just hard to get worked up about this anymore. I’m kind of astonished at exactly how bad things are with the pitching. And it’s now clear to me that the 4-man rotation/pitch count thing has just made things worse. O’Dowd has a point: it’s a well-known fact that pitchers are worse the 3rd time through the order, and worse still the 4th time through. So there’s a case to be made for switching pitchers. But that means having competent relievers to suck up those innings. O’Dowd has pursued a weird and pointless path here, shuttling guys like Edwar Cabrera, Carlos Torres, Alex White, Tyler Chatwood, Mike Ekstrom (about to go back down I’m guessing) up and down. These are either not major league pitchers, or not ready, or both. San Diego went the more traditional route, bringing in replacement level veterans — the Kevin Millwoods of baseball — as stopgaps, and at least they’re playing competitive baseball now. If he believes in guys like Cabrera/White/Chatwood, then they need to stay in the minors and build some consistency in use and performance. I gotta say it: it’s almost as if we’re now playing for the # 1 draft pick, actually putting guys in spots where we’re virtually certain they won’t succeed.
# 1 draft pick race: Houston just traded Wandy Rodriguez to Clint Hurdle and the Pirates. Smart deal for them since it clears salary, and they’re getting close to a lock for the worst record. What can we answer with? More Edwar Cabrera starts?
Troy Renck (who I don’t always agree with) had a ‘right on’ analysis today at the DP concerning the quick hook of Cabrera. What was the purpose of Tracy pulling the kid in the bottom of the 4th? Let him try to work himself out of his own jam. It could have been an excellent opportunity for a teaching moment, but as it usually is the case with this organization and management staff, they’ve made the wrong choice. I hate to say it, but I see a very long period of futility with this team if the same clowns are still in charge. I think the players are beginning to get beaten down.
I did what I have never done before watching a game on tv; after the HR by Chris Young I switched channels. I just knew we didn’t have pitching at all and even the back end of the bullpen is fading due to overuse.
I’m getting frustrated with the announcers talking up the opposing pitchers like last night about Saunders. I was waiting for someone to say it is the Rockies batters making Saunders look great. Saunders threw strikes only half of the time or worse, but we kept swinging at balls a foot out of the zone.
I’m resigned to the fact that we are really that bad. That includes DOD as I watch other sellers move their players and we aren’t.
Jared is right in another thread, that we have been repeating ourselves until we lose interest. Talking among ourselves doesn’t do a thing and I like Jaredean’s suggestion that we need to do something a bit more “public” to let the management know how we feel as fans of the Rockies. Something like an open letter to the Montforts in the DP (if they allow that) or send private letters direct to DOD and the Montforts if we know their mail address. One thing I know I want to include in the letter is that Dick and Charlie need to hire Kelli McGregor’s replacement. Rockies have been in a freefall since his passing and he has not been replaced.
Call me crazy if you wish, but how about this idea? Write a letter to Mark Cuban and beg him to make an offer that the Montforts cannot refuse to buy the Rockies. He certainly will make the umpires do their jobs better. And be not afraid to make trades and sign free agent pitchers. Need an overhaul similar to Miami Marlins last winter.
How has that overhaul of the Marlins worked out for them?
So say we figured-out some way to get our position to Monfort. Say we found somebody influential who could gain audience and present it. Just for grins let’s say that person is Governor Hickenlooper. What is it we really want? I think it should be fairly easy to reach consensus (ha ha), so let me suggest the following:
What we really want is
1. To contend for the World Series during the 2015, 16, and 17 seasons.
These are the last three seasons of Cargo’s contract, when he and Tulo will be 30, 31, and 32 years old, the “prime” of their careers. This should be the PRIMARY objective until 2015. All else secondary. This means in three seasons the Rockies must become as good as the Rangers, Angels, Tigers, and Yankees are today.
2. To develop an organization capable of sustaining the excellence beyond 2017. Starting in 2015, when we are finally contending, this becomes the Primary objective.
Can we agree on this? And if we can, the next question to ask is “is the current leadership capable of getting us where we need to be by 2015?”
How about it?
Jeem, I do not want to get too technical on here, however what you have outlined above includes two certainly worthwhile goals. The problem however is that those are just goals that somehow fall short with regard to the specifics and details of an actual plan to achieve them.
Finally if you are suggesting that the 2013 and 2014 seasons will resemble the 2011 and 2012 seasons, just not sure that my heart can take that much punishment to reach that magic 2015 baseball rainbow – I am not a Cubs fan after all.
Your last question about the current leadership getting us to 2015 is fairly obvious and in most respects it is not even debatable on any logical level.
If you accept those goals then you move on to how to achieve them. I’d assume everyone agrees you need to move-on from O’Dowd, but you never know with this group.
Then you look at goal 1 and realize that DRASTIC measures are required to achieve it, right? Itemize the measures. Take the lineup as an example. We seem to be pretty pleased with the outfield, but in the infield I’d say you need to obtain above replacement level players to man 3rd, 2nd and catcher, and depending on how you regard Cuddyer, 1st. So to get more specific say you determine you need a player the caliber of David Wright for 3rd base. Identify which options are out there, then assess what it will take to get them. Etc. Work your way through the team and develop your to-do list.
I’d like to hear people comment on that. But once you accept that first goal, you realize this dicking around with BS like “is Charlie Blackmon going to develop” is insane. You’re talking about getting out there in the market and making some noise. Results aside, like the Marlins. And you may need a payroll in the 150+ million range to get there.
Certainly the BIB knows this too, so you can pretty much assume he’s been down this route with Monfort and it was a no go. Well, there’s your problem. But look, you’ve got two of the best players in baseball and what are you planning to do with them?
If we want to make an appeal to Monfort we need to pull our thoughts and suggestions together in a tangible way.
Jeem,
You don’t need a 150 million payroll to obtain the above goals. Just look at the STL Cardinals. They’ve won 2 WS in the recent past and are always in contention with a payroll in the mid 90 million. What it takes is an astute GM who can make the right deals and address team needs and a good scouting and player development system to keep the MLB team supplied with good talent. Unfortunately for the Rox they come up lacking in all three areas.
Not denied, but you only have two years to get there. The principle is boldness, not necessarily what number it takes to get there.
Then again, if you’re presenting to Monfort, then maybe one of your objectives has to be to show him how to do at 90 million.
On the plus side when Tulo comes back this team will go on a ten game winning streak and thus play themselves out of any serious contention for the #1 draft pick next summer.
BTW did anyone else notice that the Dodgers just got a bunch better (Hanley Ramirez)and that the Giants are very likely to do something similar as well. Not to mention that the Diamondbacks are loaded with stud minor league starting pitchers. The Rockies are indeed headed in one direction while the competition is headed in another!
I think this move is great for both teams. A cash poor team going nowhere gets rid of a productive but overpaid player. A cash flush team in contention gets a productive but overpaid player.
Meanwhile the clueless Rockies sit and sit and sit on players they don’t need and fail to make moves for players they could really use.
Someone asked the other day for more baseball analysis and less criticism of the ownership and management. Really, they go hand in hand. Every analysis points to these guys running the team are idiots.
Orange,
Things can change quickly with a new GM. Just look at what the Dbacks did last year when they hired a GM that knew what he was doing. In 2010 they lost 100+ games. In came Towers and they win the division in 2011. It can happen, it just takes owners with the cojones to make it happen.
The Marlins have the right idea. Hanley Ramirez has been just a league average hitter the last couple seasons, and he’s a below average fielder. He’s also owed 16 million a year over the next 2 years and the Dodgers are paying it all. So it makes sense as a pure salary dump alone, but they also get Eovaldi, who is 22 and already is well ahead of our own pitching prospects like Alex White. You gotta know when to fold ‘em and live to fight another day… As for the Dodgers: let’s just hope they keep acquiring overpriced fading veterans and dealing young talent.
Ramirez will only show flashes of his former potential; all those flashes will come in games against the Rockies, against whom he’ll hit .427, while only hitting .262 overall.
Yep and Dempster when acquired by the Dodgers will somehow weaken that starting rotation?
Jeem,
“is the current leadership capable of getting us where we need to be by 2015?”
You’re kidding, right? Current leadership couldn’t manage their way out of a wet paper bag, or find their a** with both hands and a flashlight.
I agree with your idea about the future, but is there anyone out there, available & willing to come to Denver? Ryne Sandberg maybe? Anybody have any suggestions? Where’s Lou Brown when you need him?
Because my family is in town, I am going to one more game this year. I think I’ll wear my old Giants gear in protest.
HA! Just making sure…
Is Billy Martin still dead?
Just me but if I am the Monforts looking for some direction here, I would look at what the Dbacks and Orioles have recently done:
1. Hired new smart and experienced GMs – check
2. Hired tough hard nosed managers – check
3. Demanded results from their farm system – check
Not perfect but that’s a pretty good list to get started with.
Is Jim Tracy actually alive?
That was supposed to go after the Billy Martin comment.I guess that’s what I get for being sarcastic.
I got it Gary. Great comeback! Maybe the best ever.
Gotta disagree a bit with Agbayani. Good and great pitchers get better as the game goes along. If you don’t get to the top ones early forget about it. Even when some of them give up 2, 3 or 4 runs in the first innings they figure it out and they get tough.
Our pitchers aren’t given that opportunity. And now not only are the starters screwing up so is the bullpen. When you overuse them they eventually will screw up. Starters are suppose to give you innings except here.
It use to be we would have a chance to get a good veteran pitcher to come here. He would understand that yeah his ERA would be a run higher but if he kept the team in the game the Rockies would score runs. Now the starter knows that he won’t be given a chance to stay in the game unless he keeps his pitch count down. What we need are pitchers who can throw 100+ pitchers per start and keep us in the game.
Frankly whoever said it on another post may be right. This whole thing may just be a panic move by DoD to save his job