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Freeland gets nod in series finale vs. Reds By John Fay / Special to MLB.com | May 21st, 2017 Rookie left-hander Kyle Freeland and veteran right-hander Bronson Arroyo meet up in the finale of the three-game series

between the Reds and Rockies in a 1:10 (ET) p.m. game at Great American Ball Park.

Freeland has gone at least six innings in his last five starts and has six quality starts in eight outings. But he's battled a bit

of wildness lately, walking four in each of his last two starts. Overall, he's walked 22 and struck out 29 in 46 innings.

"He's got great action in the hitting area," Rockies manager Bud Black said. "Everything is going down. The changeup is

going down. The slider doesn't have great depth, but it's going down. The life on his ball in the strike zone makes it very

difficult for a hitter to get out, so therefore, he gets a lot of ground balls."

Arroyo is coming off a rough outing in which he allowed five runs on eight hits over five innings in a 9-5 loss to the Cubs in

Chicago.

The Reds had won his previous five starts before that outing.

Arroyo is 5-4 with a 5.00 ERA in 15 games (13 starts) against the Rockies. Coors Field has been rough on him. He's 2-3

with a 7.27 ERA at Coors, and he's 3-1 with 3.19 ERA against the Rockies when he's pitching at his home park.

Three Things to Know

• The Reds and Rockies meet again July 3-7 for a four-game series in Denver.

• Billy Hamilton entered Saturday hitting .367/.383/.506 against the Rockies with nine steals in nine tries. Part of it is going

against Rockies leadoff man Charlie Blackmon.

MEDIA CLIPS –May 21, 2017

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"He's a great leadoff hitter," Hamilton said. "I always want to try to out-do him."

• Carlos Gonzalez is 9-for-17 with two doubles against Arroyo. Oddly, Gonzalez has no RBIs off Arroyo.

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Rockies squander big lead vs. Reds By Jeremy Vernon and John Fay / MLB.com | May 21st, 2017

CINCINNATI -- In a seesaw battle Saturday, the Reds held off the first-place Rockies for a 12-8 win at Great American

Ball Park.

Cincinnati jumped to an early lead before the Rockies scored six times in the fifth and took an 8-3 lead. Not to be

deterred, the Reds responded by scoring nine unanswered runs over the next three innings to snap their season-high

seven-game losing streak.

Trailing by a run entering the fifth, the Rockies quickly tied things up after an RBI groundout by DJ LeMahieu, and took

the lead on an Ian Desmond two-out single four batters later, chasing Reds starter Tim Adleman from the game after

just 4 2/3 innings. Reds starters have pitched 22 2/3 innings over their last six games.

Colorado tacked on four more runs in the frame, taking a commanding 8-3 lead into the bottom of the fifth. But unlike the

night before, Cincinnati was able to respond after a big inning by the Rockies.

They got one run back on a solo homer from Eugenio Suarez in the bottom of the fifth. That was it for Colorado rookie

right-hander Antonio Senzatela, who went five innings and allowed four runs on five hits.

"He didn't quite locate his pitches like we've seen him," Rockies manager Bud Black said. "Velocity was fine, but just a

little out of whack on the command. But hung in there with their guy. Outlasted their guy. We got the six-spot for him. After

he gave up the home run, he turned it up a notch and got the last two outs.

"He was not at the top of his game, but nevertheless, a learning experience for him."

The Reds put together a six-run inning of their own in the sixth against Colorado relievers Chad Qualls and Mike Dunn.

Upon scratching across three runs to cut the deficit to 8-7, Scott Schebler provided the exclamation point with a three-run

homer to right field for a 10-8 lead.

"It's a big moment," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "There are so many moments that are in that game that the optimal

thing doesn't happen. When it does, it's a sensational feeling. Talk about re-invigorating a ballclub. That inning and that

three-run homer in and of itself brought our group back to life, especially after being down by so much."

The Reds did it against a bullpen that had converted 20 of 22 saves and had a 2.04 road ERA.

"Today was a rare occurrence," Black said. "This hasn't happened. It's one of these days where they strung together hits.

They found some holes. "It's baseball. A baseball game was played. They hit some homers in the sixth inning themselves

and crawled back into the game with their bats."

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The Reds tacked on two more runs in the seventh, and left the ball in the hands of reliever Asher Wojciechowski to

close out the game and spell a tired bullpen. Less than 24 hours after getting called up from Triple-A Louisville for his

team debut, the right-hander tossed 3 2/3 innings of one-hit ball to help stave off a Colorado comeback and earn his first

Major League win.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Welcome back: Devin Mesoraco led off the bottom of the sixth inning by crushing a 1-1 pitch into the stands in left field

to make it an 8-5 game, jump-starting the Reds' rally. The solo shot gave Mesoraco his second RBI of the day in his first

time back in the lineup after missing four games with a sore left hamstring.

"In that situation, I'm just trying to get on base," Mesoraco said. "We're down a couple of runs. Your first goal is to get on

base. It was a sinker kind of over the plate. I put a good swing on it. It worked out."

Helping his own cause: Two batters after Alexi Amarista's double, Colorado starter Antonio Senzatela stepped to the

plate and slapped the first pitch he saw from Cincinnati reliever Drew Storen up the middle for a two-run single. The hit

extended Colorado's lead to 7-3.

QUOTABLE

"It was kind of a crazy back-and-forth game. It's just fun to be a part of." -- Schebler, on the 12-8 victory.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW

In the top of the fifth inning, the Rockies' Nolan Arenado attempted to go from first to third on a one-out single to center

by Mark Reynolds. Arenado slid in before Billy Hamilton's throw reached Suarez at third and the third-base umpire

called him safe, but it looked like Arenado may have slid over the bag and been tagged out on the foot by Suarez. After a

replay review, the call was overturned and Arenado was ruled out.

WHAT'S NEXT

Rockies: Left-hander Kyle Freeland (4-2, 3.13 ERA) gets the ball for the final game of the three-game series at 11:10

a.m. MT Sunday. Freeland is suited for Great American Ball Park: His ground-ball rate in 66.2 percent, third in MLB.

Reds: Righty Bronson Arroyo (3-3, 6.31 ERA) will take the mound for Cincinnati in the final game of the series at 1:10

p.m. ET. In his last start, Arroyo gave up five runs across five innings as the Reds fell to the Cubs, 9-5.

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Story nearing return to Rockies’ lineup By John Fay / Special to MLB.com | May 20th, 2017

CINCINNATI -- Rockies manager Bud Black isn't saying when shortstop Trevor Story is going to be activated.

But that didn't stop him from giving hints.

Story, on the 10-day disabled list with a strained left shoulder, played the first game of his rehab assignment for Triple-A

Albuquerque Friday night. He went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs.

"Opposite-field home run," Black said. "Opposite-field, hard-hit single. Drew a walk. Looked good in the field. Running

well. He had a really good game."

So any idea when he'll be activated?

"We have an idea," Black said. "Yeah, we do. Can't tell you specifically that idea as far as days or hours, but we have a

plan in place. He getting closer."

Some mentioned the City of Brotherly Love.

"Story loves the Liberty Bell," Black said. "He loves Ben Franklin. He might not love it all four days. But he loves it."

The Rockies go from Cincinnati to Philadelphia for a four-game series that begins Monday.

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Bullpen has rare stumble in loss By John Fay / Special to MLB.com | May 20th, 2017

CINCINNATI -- You know how good the Rockies' bullpen has been all year? It was that bad Saturday in a 12-8 loss to the

Reds.

Chad Qualls, Mike Dunn and Scott Oberg all were hit hard as the bullpen surrendered an 8-4 lead. The trio combined to

pitch three innings and allowed eight runs on seven hits, including two home runs.

The Rockies had converted 20 of 22 saves coming in and they were 23-0 when leading after six innings.

It appeared as though Colorado had put this one away with six runs in the fifth.

"When you put up a big number like that, you want to keep the lead obviously," Rockies manager Bud Black said. "Today

was a rare occurrence. This hasn't happened. It's one of these days where they strung together hits. They found some

holes.

"It's baseball. A baseball game was played. They hit some homers in the sixth inning themselves and crawled back into

the game with their bats."

Qualls, the right-handed veteran, started the sixth. He gave up a home run to Devin Mesoraco to start the

inning. Scooter Gennett followed with a single. Billy Hamilton lined out on a fine play by center fielder Charlie

Blackmon.

After Qualls walked Zack Cozart, Black brought in lefty Mike Dunn to face Joey Votto. Votto walked. Adam

Duvall singled to get in a run. Eugenio Suarez got another run in with sacrifice fly.

It was still an 8-7 game, but Scott Schebler hit a rocket out to right to make it 10-8.

Oberg gave up two more in the seventh.

Before Saturday's meltdown, Rockies relievers had a 2.04 ERA on the road over 70 2/3 innings. They had only walked 22

and struck out 74.

"We shot ourselves in the foot with a couple of walks," Black said. "You can't do that."

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Rockies’ “bridge relievers,” collapse in 12-8 loss to Reds The Rockies and Reds play the rubber game of the series Sunday afternoon By Patrick Saunders / The Denver Post | @psaundersdp | May 20th, 2017

CINCINNATI — Solid starting pitching linking directly to the sturdy back of the bullpen has been a big part of the Rockies’

success this season.

But that formula disappeared Saturday when starter Antonio Senzatela stumbled and Colorado’s bridge relievers were

torched for eight runs as Cincinnati rallied for a wild 12-8 victory at Great American Ball Park.

“It’s one of those days where they strung some hits together and we shot ourselves in the foot with a couple of walks,”

manager Bud Black said. “You can’t do that.”

The chaotic affair ended the Reds’ seven-game losing streak, while the Rockies lost for just the seventh time on the road

this season.

The Reds’ six-run sixth inning was disastrous for Colorado relievers Chad Qualls and Mike Dunn, both of whom were

charged with three runs. The Reds slugged Qualls first, with Devin Mesoraco leading off with a home run, trimming

Colorado’s lead to 8-5. Another hit and a walk got Qualls the hook after just one-third of an inning, his ERA climbing to

5.19.

Dunn, so good early in the season, didn’t fare any better and was charged with the loss and the blown save. The left-

hander could only put his hands on his thighs as Scott Schebler’s three-run homer rocketed to deep right-center to put

Cincinnati ahead 10-8. Dunn gave up just one earned run in April, but since returning from the disabled list May 3 from a

midback strain, he has given up six runs, hiking his ERA to 4.85

Right-hander Scott Oberg (5.50 ERA) also failed to muffle the Reds’ bats, giving up two runs on two hits in the seventh.

Colorado’s offense remained in high gear, pounding out 11 hits. And for the second consecutive game, the Rockies

cranked out a big inning to take control, though it didn’t last very long.

“When you put up a big number like that, you want to keep the lead, obviously. But today was a rare occurrence,” Black

said.

Colorado sent 12 men to the plate and scored six runs in the fifth to forge an 8-3 lead. Alexi Amarista lucked into a two-

run double when left fielder Adam Duvall lost the ball in the sun, and Senzatela ripped a two-run single up the middle for

the first two RBIs of his career.

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On the mound, however, Senzatela wasn’t sharp and was forced to play traffic cop from the very first inning. He had a few

fender-benders, but he pitched just well enough to keep the Rockies in the game. The rookie right-hander pitched five

innings, giving up four runs on five hits, including a solo homer by Eugenio Suarez in the fifth.

Black said Senzatela “learned another lesson today,” to which Senzatela responded: “I have to have better fastball

command early in the game.”

Senzatela’s biggest pitch came in the fourth inning. With men on first and third, he coaxed Joey Votto into an inning-

ending double play.

Cincinnati scored a run off Senzatela in the second on Suarez’s walk, a fielding error by Amarista at shortstop and a

single by Mesoraco to drive in Suarez.

The Reds scored two more in the third to take a short-lived 3-2 lead, sending seven men to the plate and getting a

sacrifice fly by Schebler and a run-scoring single by Jose Peraza. It would have been worse, but Senzatela struck out

Mesoraco to end the inning.

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Saunders: Rockies’ bullpen has changed spirit, mood of entire team Greg Holland is 18-for-18 in save opportunities with a 1.02 ERA By Patrick Saunders / The Denver Post | @psaundersdp | May 20th, 2017

CINCINNATI — Entering Saturday’s game here at drizzly Great American Ball Park, the Rockies were 23-0 when leading

after six innings.

Call those morale victories. Not moral victories, morale victories; the kind of victories that lift a team up and keep its spirits

high over the long season.

“It’s kind of a new feeling, that’s for sure,” Nolan Arenado said. “It’s been great. This is what good teams do, and I think we

are a good team. Our bullpen has done just an unbelievable job and they have been picking us up. Like I said, it’s been

great.”

New closer Greg Holland — baseball’s best free-agent acquisition of the offseason, by the way — is 18-for-18 in save

opportunities with a 1.02 ERA. Where Rockies fielders used to often cringe at the thought of who might be coming through

the revolving bullpen door, now they get pumped up when Holland, Mike Dunn or Adam Ottavino jog to the mound.

As a whole, the Rockies are 20-for-22 in save opportunities, and both times the Rockies blew a save, they ended up

winning the game. At Coors Field, the Rockies are 9-for-9 in save chances.

Last year? The Rockies blew 28 saves, third-most in the National League with a save percentage of 56.9 percent that was

the second worst.

The Giants blew 30 save chances and lost nine games in which they led entering the ninth inning, both major-league

highs. That led manager Bruce Bochy to say: “I think more and more we’re realizing how important a closer is. They

stabilize your season. Because when you lose games late, it’s a blow. It’s a shot to the chin. And you take enough of ’em,

it can wear your team out.”

Clubhouse chemistry and a team’s mood is impossible to measure or quantify, but the Rockies’ clubhouse is a far

different place this year. The funereal, postgame gloominess has been replaced by big smiles and hip hop and Latin jams,

depending on who’s picking the tunes. A lot of those good feelings are created, and preserved, by Holland and Co.

“We feel like all we have to do is get the lead,” second baseman DJ LeMahieu said. “If we do that, we’re in good shape.

Offensively, there isn’t that constant pressure every inning to put more and more on the board.”

LeMahieu knows that Holland won’t be perfect this season and he knows there will be gut-punch losses. He also thinks

the Rockies can survive those, as long as they don’t come on a regular basis, as was the case in past seasons.

“Those guys are taking care of the business,” he said. “And another part of this is, if we get the lead and hold it, that

means we don’t have to face a closer like (the Dodgers’) Kenley Jansen. We can even pile on runs later.”

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Last year, Colorado’s bullpen posted a 5.10 ERA, the sixth-highest in franchise history and the highest since 2004 (5.53).

Through 43 games this season, the ERA is 3.87. Toss out struggling right-hander Jordan Lyles‘ 8.53 ERA and it drops to

3.17, which would rank third in the NL.

Strikeouts, a reliever’s best friend, are up, too. Colorado’s bullpen is averaging 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings, seventh in

the NL. Last season, the bullpen averaged just 8.2 Ks per nine, the second-lowest in franchise history.

Simply put, a better bullpen has transformed the Rockies from wannabe contenders into the real deal.

“It’s a good feeling for the whole team, and the psyche of the team is important,” first-year manager Bud Black said.

“When you close out games that you have played well early and expect to win, it sends a surge of confidence through the

whole team. The bullpen is critical in that regard.”

Spotlight on: Jeremy Hellickson, RHP, Phillies

What’s up: Philadelphia’s starting pitching has resembled the Rockies’ from days gone by — ineffective and unable to

pitch deep into games. In fact, Phillies starters had pitched six or more innings just six times during the team’s 4-15 slide

beginning April 27. That’s why Hellickson’s six strong innings against the Pirates on Friday night was so welcome. He

allowed just two hits and two runs in six innings, but then trouble struck when he tweaked his lower back during an at-bat

in the seven inning. He was lined up to face the Rockies this week, but now that start is in doubt.

Background: After a solid 2016 season — 32 starts, 3.71 ERA — Hellickson accepted the Phillies’ $17.2 million qualifying

offer. He responded with excellent early-season performances, posting a 1.80 ERA through his first five starts. But up until

Friday night’s strong start, May had been a difficult month for the right-hander. In one game against the Cubs and two

against the Nationals, he had a 7.90 ERA in 13 ⅔ innings.

Saunders’ take: Hellickson could be prime trade bait this summer, according to the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo, who

recently wrote: “Phillies personnel have made it known they’ll listen on Hellickson in trade talks. Philadelphia re-signed

Hellickson with the idea of using him to acquire more prospects before the trading deadline.” Hellickson was the subject of

hot rumors at last summer’s trade deadline but the Phillies couldn’t swing a deal. He’ll be a free agent after this season

and it’s doubtful he’ll sign a long-term deal with Philadelphia. He’s not a star pitcher worth trading valuable prospects for,

but his consistency could make him a valuable rental for a contender looking for depth during the final two months of the

season.

Three up, three down

UP

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1. Rangers: Ten consecutive wins is longest hot streak since an 11-game run in 2010, but Astros still rule AL West by 6 ½

games.

2. Astros: Houston has a problem. Ace Dallas Keuchel, 7-0 with a 1.84 ERA, is headed to the DL with a pinched nerve in

his neck.

3. Rockies: Just the second time in franchise history they’ve been in first place through 43 games. The first time was in

1995.

DOWN

1. Marlins: Opened season 10-8 but have gone 4-19 since and sunk into the NL East basement.

2. Reds: Loss to Rockies on Friday night was their seventh straight, and starters have a 5.69 ERA, the worst in baseball.

3. Padres: Veteran Jared Weaver booed off the mound as San Diego fell to 15-29, its worst 44-game start in the Petco

Park era.

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Kiszla: Are the Rockies legit World Series contenders? Believe it. Now they need to act like it. The rest of baseball is waiting for the Rockies to get blown away in the annual June swoon By Mark Kiszla / The Denver Post | May 20th, 2017 Nolan Arenado said it first. And he said it best.

“The time to win is now,” Arenado declared, way back in February.

It’s May. The Rockies are in first place of the National League West. That’s not a misprint. Or a dream.

These Rockies are for real. And the time to win is now.

During 25 seasons of major-league baseball, Colorado has never had a better chance to win the World Series. And, yes,

that includes Rocktober, the magical mystery tour of 2007 that had entire families fist-bumping at Coors Field and

complete strangers dancing in the streets of Denver.

But know what? This Colorado team of Arenado and Greg Holland and Antonio Senzatela is better than the Rocktober

squad of Matt Holliday and Jeff Francis and Todd Helton. The time to win the first division title in club history, and make a

run at a championship, is now. In 2017.

Twenty-five years is long enough to be patient. Am I right, Colorado? We’re done with trusting the process. It’s time to

seize a golden opportunity.

What do the Rockies have going for them? A lot of good stuff, sustainable all summer long. Holland, a closer coming off

Tommy John surgery, is throwing like Mariano Rivera in his prime, and Colorado must exploit what’s shaping up as a

career year for Holland. Charlie Blackmon might be the best leadoff hitter in baseball. Arenado can beat you with his glove

or bat. Kyle Freeland and Senzatela are rookies who don’t pitch scared at Coors Field, and provide strong arms

behind Jon Gray, the staff ace due back soon from the disabled list.

It’s impossible to find five teams in the National League playing better than the Rockies. While the West won’t be a

cakewalk, the struggling Cubs have given all challengers reason to believe Chicago’s return to the World Series is far

from a foregone conclusion.

The rest of baseball is waiting for the Rockies to get blown away in the annual June swoon. They might fold, having put

such a heavy load on such young starting pitchers. But I wouldn’t bet on it, and neither would San Francisco manager

Bruce Bochy, who is convinced Colorado’s talent has staying power.

OK, I know what’s coming. Even-tempered baseball analysts will crunch the numbers, condescendingly pat me on the

head and declare baseball to be the ultimate act of patience, so expecting big things for the Rockies in 2017 is naive.

Well, forgive me for dreaming. And let me soberly add: Dreams have a short shelf life in baseball.

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Yes, Colorado might have cracked open its window of opportunity a little ahead of schedule, but the window of opportunity

almost never stays pried open very long for a midmarket franchise.

Kansas City had not won a postseason game in 29 years before overcoming a four-run deficit to beat Oakland 9-8 in 12

innings as a wild card in 2014. That little miracle was the catalyst to consecutive World Series appearances by the Royals,

who won it all in 2015. It was amazing, inspiring and offered a blueprint for the Rockies. But the magic quickly

disappeared in K.C., and the Royals have slipped back to mediocrity. It’s inevitable for a franchise with limited resources.

For a change, the hard call for the Rockies should not be whether to sell off outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, whose name has

been whispered in trade scuttlebutt so many times in recent years he now responds to every rumor with a shrug and a

smile. What general manager Jeff Bridich must decide is whether Colorado’s status as playoff contender merits a move to

upgrade the roster. The most obvious need is a veteran starting pitcher to eat innings in the absence of Chad Bettis,

preoccupied with the very serious business of beating cancer.

While the trade deadline is more than two months away, it’s not too early to formulate a strategy. Should the Rockies even

consider a rent-a-pitcher, such as Tampa Bay right-hander Alex Cobb? At the other end of the spectrum, would jumping in

a discussion about Pittsburgh ace Gerrit Cole be too frightening because of the harm it could do to Colorado’s farm

system?

I believe the Rockies are for real.

But will the Rockies feel the urgency to win now, and get real serious about adding talent in trade?

I won’t believe it until I see it.

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Rockies’ Jordan Lyles still struggling, but manager Bud Black sees talent Lyles allowed four runs Friday night in Colorado’s 12-6 victory over Cincinnati By Patrick Saunders / The Denver Post | @psaundersdp | May 20th, 2017

CINCINNATI — Former Rockies manager Walt Weiss used to praise the raw talent of former starter-turned-

reliever Jordan Lyles.

Current manager Bud Black likes Lyle’s fastball velocity and sharp breaking stuff too. But clearly, something isn’t working.

Lyles allowed four runs Friday night in Colorado’s 12-6 victory over Cincinnati. He has been scored on in seven of his 12

appearances.That adds up to team-high 8.53 ERA that includes five home runs, the most among Rockies relievers.

Saturday, Black was asked what’s going wrong with Lyles, who signed a one-year, $3.175 million contract in December to

avoid arbitration.

“In general, when a pitcher is getting hit hard, it’s about (bad) location,” Black said. “He’s got the weapons. His fastball has

velocity and movement, and he has a tight slider, and a good curveball.

“But for Jordan, it’s about transitioning from a starter into a reliever. He’s a guy who came in with a starter’s mix of pitches

… and sometimes it gets a little convoluted as to what a pitcher’s trying to do.”

Philadelphia story. Starting shortstop Trevor Story, currently rehabbing at Triple-A Albuquerque as he returns from a

strained left shoulder, likely will rejoin the Rockies in Philadelphia this week for a four-game series that begins Monday.

Black didn’t say exactly when Trevor Story is going to be activated, but he dropped several hints.

When a reporter mentioned the City of Brotherly Love, Black said: “Story loves the Liberty Bell. He loves Ben Franklin. He

might not love it all four days. But he loves it.”

Story played the first game of his rehab assignment Friday night, going 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs.

“Opposite-field home run,” Black said. “Opposite-field, hard-hit single. Drew a walk. Looked good in the field. Running

well. He had a really good game.”

Golden Nolan. Despite a 12-8 loss to the Reds on Saturday, third baseman Nolan Arenado made yet another Gold Glove

play, drawing applause from appreciative Cincinnati fans.

Arenado snared Devin Mesoraco’s sizzling grounder along the third-base line, righted himself, and then gunned the ball

from his knees to cut down Mesoraco at first.

“Defensively, he’s been unbelievable,” Black said. “Seeing him firsthand, every day, this is a special player on both sides.

I’ve said this many times: This is the best defensive third baseman that I have seen.”

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Carlos Gonzalez: Anatomy of a slump and why Rockies’ slugger thinks he’ll bust out of it Gonzalez, 31, is in the final year of a seven-year, $80 million contract

By Patrick Saunders / The Denver Post | @psaundersdp | May 20th, 2017

CINCINNATI — Carlos Gonzalez sat at his locker, flashing his bright CarGo smile.

It seemed a bit out of place considering the topic at hand: a hitting slump that began with a 2-for-17 start and remained in

place deep into May.

Gonzalez, however, refuses to dwell on his ugly numbers.

“When you are going bad, it’s easy to get negative, but I just don’t let myself go there,” the three-time all-star right fielder

said. “You have to remind yourself that you can do damage at any time. And every time you come to the plate, you have

to think, ‘I’m one step closer to getting hot.’ ”

But when the Rockies arrived at Great American Ball Park Friday for a weekend series against the Reds, Gonzalez wasn’t

even lukewarm. He was hitting .210 with a .279 on-base percentage and just two home runs in 138 at-bats. Though he’s

hit mostly from the third or fourth spot until getting dropped to fifth in recent games, he had just 11 RBIs to show for it.

That’s what happens when you hit .182 with runners in scoring position.

But the Rockies, ever mindful of Gonzalez’s ability to break out at any moment, are keeping the faith.

“When you have been good for as long as CarGo, you have to believe that after game No. 162, he’s going to be hitting

.290-something, with 30 homers and 90 RBIs,” assistant hitting coach Jeff Salazar said. “So CarGo can truthfully tell

himself, ‘I’m hitting .180 right now, so there is a good chance I’m about to hit .340 for the next stretch.’

“That takes a lot of confidence, trust in yourself and trust in the organization. And trust from the organization, too.”

When Gonzalez’s swing is on, it’s one of the prettiest in baseball, drawing comparisons to Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr.

But when it’s not, Gonzalez flails at breaking pitches and frequently hits weak grounders to second base.

Gonzalez’s strikeouts, contrary to conventional wisdom, don’t rise substantially when he’s in a slump. His strikeout rate is

25.4 percent this season, compared to 24.2 percent for his career. He is, after all, a slugger. Perhaps his whiffs are just

more noticeable when they aren’t offset by second-deck moon shots.

It’s also a misnomer that Gonzalez always starts in a funk. This is Gonzalez’s eighth season with Colorado and he’s had

really three poor Aprils: 2011 when he hit .228 with one homer; 2015, with a .200 average and two homers; and this

season, .216 with two homers.

But in 2012 (.303 average, four homers) and 2013 (.306, five homers), he came out of the gate slugging. Gonzalez’s ebbs

and flows are more about being in sync at the plate than about the calendar.

16

Gonzalez’s swing is all about timing, and when his timing gets a few ticks off, he gets out of whack.

“With CarGo, the leg kick is his timing mechanism,” manager Bud Black said. “When he’s off, he’s going to be out way out

front on breaking balls and behind on the fastball.

“But I see that gap narrowing, where he’s becoming on time for both pitches. You’ll know he’s back when he’s on top of

fastballs and his hands are sitting back enough to handle the off-speed pitch.”

That’s why Black was encouraged to see Gonzalez rip a double down the right-field line Tuesday night in Colorado’s 7-3

victory at Minnesota.

“CarGo hit a low breaking ball,” Black said. “He was out in front of it, but he stayed back enough to be able to drive it.”

A 95 mph fastball takes about four-tenths of a second to travel the 60 feet, 6 inches from the pitcher’s mound to home

plate. At the big-league level, pitch recognition is paramount, and right now, Gonzalez’s is still off.

“With CarGos swing — with the leg kick, the timing — there is a lot that can go wrong,” Salazar said. “When your body

moves the wrong way at the wrong time, it can make any pitch look desirable. So it’s easy to find yourself chasing pitches

or becoming vulnerable to other pitches.”

That leads to bad habits and the slump deepens.

“That’s when you start to tinker with it and start questioning, and then it becomes a mental thing,” Salazar continued.

“That’s when guys will switch batting gloves or do something to break the routine.”

Gonzalez is, unquestionably, a streaky hitter.

“When you’re going good, it’s easy because you don’t think about anything, not even executing,” Gonzalez said. “You’re

just having fun. You’re going 3-for-4 and hitting homers and doubles and making diving plays and it’s so easy, because

you are clean up here.”

He pointed to his head when he said “up here,” knowing that his battle to produce is as much mental and emotional as it is

physical.

“There is a lot of psychology in baseball,” said veteran first baseman Mark Reynolds, who’s off to a terrific start, batting

.319 with 12 homers and a 1.007 OPS (on-base percentage, plus slugging). “I’ve been through a lot of slumps before, so I

know you have to be able to take a deep breath and know you will come out of it. If you are zero for your last 10 but you

get a hit, then you’re 1-for-1. That’s the way you have to look at it.”

Gonzalez, 31, is in the final year of a seven-year, $80 million contract. He’s the team’s highest-paid player, collecting a

$20 million salary, plus $428,571 as the final installment of a $3 million bonus. He’s playing for a new contract and

chances are he won’t be back with the Rockies in 2018.

But those who know Gonzalez don’t think the pressure of a contract year has gotten to him.

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“I have seen guys in a similar situation and I would expect bad body language or attitude in this situation,” Salazar said.

“I’m not getting that from CarGo. It’s been a pleasure to see the leader he’s been, his work ethic and the way he’s

communicated through this.

“He knows himself better than anybody else, so if he thinks he’s about to starting hitting, then I might as well get on the

train right now because I believe him.”

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Cincinnati Reds walk past Colorado Rockies to win 12-8 No silver lining for Rockies pitchers after multiple poor performances

By Richard Bergstrom / Purple Row | May 20th, 2017

Colorado Rockies’ starters and relievers combined to give up twelve hits, three home runs and eight walks. All that traffic

overwhelmed the Rockies, who watched what was once a five-run lead crumble into a 12-8 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.

The game started out promising enough. The Rockies scored in the top of the first thanks to a double by DJ LeMahieu,

who scored on Mark Reynolds’s two out single. That lead didn’t hold up for long, however, as Antonio Senzatela dealt

with traffic on the bases all night. The first batter of the game he faced, noted speedster Billy Hamilton, reached on a

rare-for-him leadoff walk. Later on, he walked Hamilton a second time, which is generally not a good thing to do, but

Hamilton failed to score each time. The other Reds’ players fared better. The Reds tied the game in the second on

a Devin Mesoraco single, then they went ahead 3-1 in the third. The Rockies got a run back in the top of the fourth

thanks to an Alexi Amarista double.

Then, things got weird. It started out innocently enough when Charlie Blackmon walked to start the top of the fifth. When

Blackmon stole second base, the throw from Mesoraco went out to center field, letting Blackmon advance to third. A

groundball from LeMahieu drove him in, bringing up Nolan Arenado with one out and the score tied 3-3. Arenado drew a

walk, then tried to advance to third base on a single by Mark Reynolds. Initially, he slid into the base safely. However,

while sliding, Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez stepped on Nolan’s hand. Understandably either in shock or pain or

both, Arenado pulled his hand off the bag while Suarez still had the tag applied. Arenado was called out after a replay

review.

With the rally somewhat killed, leaving Reynolds at first base with two outs, it seemed the top of the fifth was over with.

The Rockies then sent eight more batters to the plate for six hits, an intentional walk and a hit by pitch. During the

sequence, Senzatela got his first major league RBIs, driving in two with a base hit. When Arenado came up for the second

time in the fifth inning, the Rockies had scored six runs, going up 8-3 in the process. If you’re a Rockies fan, that was the

high point of the game. Perhaps as a sign of more weird things to come, Arenado flied out, accomplishing the rare feat of

being the second and third out of the same inning.

Senzatela gave up a home run to Suarez in the fifth inning, bringing the score back to 8-4 after five innings of play. He left

the game having given up five runs on five hits, four walks and a hit batter against five strikeouts.

Chad Qualls came on in the sixth to relieve Senzatela and for the first time in a long time, the bullpen faltered. Qualls

managed to get Hamilton out, which is a good thing. Yet, he gave up a solo home run, a single and a walk with the heart

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of the Reds order coming up. Those are bad things. The Rockies brought Mike Dunn in with the score 8-5 in favor of the

Rockies to get through the one out, first and third jam.

Dunn failed. He walked Joey Votto, the Rockies sixth walk allowed, to load the bases. Adam Duvall singled,

scoring Scooter Gennett, to bring the score to 8-6. Suarez followed that with a sacrifice fly, making it 8-7 Rockies. Then

Scott Schebler hit a three run home run off Dunn, giving the Reds an 10-8 lead.

The Reds bumped it up to 12-8 in the eighth. Scott Oberg came on to relieve and allowed two hits and two walks (one

intentional) in his first inning of work. He remained on the hill, allowing another hit before retiring the side thanks to a great

diving play by Arenado. The Rockies pitchers finished the game without accomplishing a single clean inning.

Pat Valaika got a pinch hit single with two outs in the ninth, the Rockies first baserunner since that six-run fifth inning. And

as it turned out, he also was the last Rockies’ baserunner of the game, as Amarista grounded out to end it.

As quirky as Saturday’s game was, the series is merely tied at a game apiece. The Rockies can win the series by

defeating the Reds tomorrow at 11:10 MT. Kyle Freeland takes the mound for the Rockies, facing off against the

Reds’ Bronson Arroyo.

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Colorado Rockies Prospects: James Farris and Julian Fernandez excellent in relief Nunez heating up, Story excellent in rehab

By Hayden Ringer / Purple Row | May 20th, 2017

Three of the four full-season affiliates were involved in one-run affairs last night, with Hartford and Asheville notching wins

and Lancaster falling short.

The Yard Goats trailed the Akron RubberDucks 7-5 through the top of the 7th inning but scored three runs between the

7th and 8th innings to pull off the comeback win. James Farris, the pitcher acquired from the Cubs in the Eddie

Butler trade, struck out the side in the top of the 9th to seal the victory. Farris now has an ERA of 1.15 and is striking out

12.64 batters per nine innings while walking just 1.15 per nine. Farris doesn’t light up the radar gun, but has always put up

excellent numbers in his minor league career, with a career strikeout rate of 10.9 per nine innings and a career walk rate

of 2.5 per nine.

More good news for the Goats (and the Rockies) is that Dom Nunez might be breaking out of his season-long slump. He

now has multiple hits in back-to-back games for the first time all season. While his batting average sits just over .200 (at

.213), his on-base percentage is an excellent .351. The Rockies are clearly big believers in Nunez, as they promoted him

to Double-A despite coming off a rough 2016 season in High-A.

The Asheville Tourists scored five runs in the top of the first inning but were unable to do much damage after that, while

their opponent, the Greenville Drive, managed to equalize the score at five by the 7th inning. Fortunately, a Vince

Fernandez triple and a wild pitch with Colton Welker at the plate put the Tourists back up, 6-5. Flamethrower Julian

Fernandez (who tops out at 102 MPH) struck out the side in the 8th, and J.D. Hammer (who has the best name among

Rockies prospects, honestly; ed’s note: Not as long as someone named “Hamlet” is around) struck out two more in the 9th

to get the save.

Fernandez is a name to watch, primarily because of his rare fastball velocity. After walking 20 hitters in 23 innings last

year, Fernandez has walked only 7 in 18 innings this season. If he can harness control of his rocket-speed fastball, he

could be a dominant reliever in the major leagues.

The best news in Albuquerque's 5-0 shutout of Colorado Springs is that Trevor Story, on rehab assignment, appears to

be healthy. He had 2 hits, including a home run, along with a walk. The opposing pitcher, Josh Hader, is a talented

prospect in the Brewers’ organization, making it somewhat more impressive that Story didn’t strike out. A healthy,

effective Story will go a long way to leading the Rockies to a playoff spot come October.

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Game Recaps:

Triple-A: Albuequerque Isotopes 5, Colorado Springs Sky Sox 0

Trevor Story (Rehab assignment): 2-for-3, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB

Jordan Patterson (No. 13 PuRP): 0-for-4, K

Austin House: 1 IP, 2 K

Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats 8, Akron RubberDucks 7

Dom Nunez (No. 14 PuRP): 2-for-4 ,2 R, RBI

Dillon Thomas (Connor’s “My Dude”): 1-for-4, R

James Farris: 1 IP, 3 K, Save

High-A: Inland Empire 66ers 1, Lancaster JetHawks 0

Garrett Hampson (No. 22 PuRP): 0-for-4

Sam Hilliard: 0-for-4

Brian Mundell (PuRP HM): 1-for-4

Low-A: Asheville Tourists 6, Greenville Drive 5

Colton Welker (No. 19 PuRP): 1-for-4, R, 2B, RBI

Jose Gomez (No. 30 PuRP): 1-for-4, R

Vince Fernandez: 1-for-3, 2 R, 3B

Julian Fernandez: 1 IP, 3 K

Saturday probables:

Triple-A: Matt Flemer

Double-A: Parker French

High-A: Peter Lambert (No. 11 PuRP)

Low-A: Alejandro Requena

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Colorado Rockies: Why the 2017 season feels different so far By Ben Macaluso / RoxPile | May 20th, 2017

Don’t feel bad whatsoever. It is completely reasonable to be skeptical about the Colorado Rockies. This story has

been told many times before. The Rockies do well in April and May and then the whole city of Denver counts

down to Broncos season. Save the count down for New Year’s Eve this time. These aren’t your parent’s team.

These Rockies are different primarily for one thing. Winning on the road.

The Rockies have never had a problem at Coors. Last year’s team though was 33-48 on the road with a winning

percentage of .407. The last time the 2016 Rockies were in first place was on May 5. That team held on to first place for

six days. This year the Rox have their best start in franchise history and have been in first place for 33 days.

Maybe the most striking numbers though is their road record. They are 13-10 at home but a tremendous 14-6 record out

on the road. This is virtually unheard of for this franchise. Last year they had a 12-11 mark on the road at this point last

season.

The team ERA on the road this season, while a small sample size, is at 3.15 compared to 4.37. Baseball Reference has a

stat called Pythagorean W-L. It is an estimate of what a team’s winning percentage should be based on the runs the team

scores and the runs the team allows. The Rockies 2017 Pythagorean W-L is 23-20. Their actual record is 27-16.

This is a good indicator that they are exceeding expectations by showing their skill in close games that could go either

way. The Rockies are 9-0 in one-run games this season. Last year the team was 12-20 in that scenario. A lot has to do

with having a true closer in Greg Holland who has 18 saves this season. The most a pitcher had last year was Jake

McGee with 15. Now McGee is back and healthy and a role more suitable for his skill set. There is not a sense that

relievers are in roles they shouldn’t be but are out of necessity.

A good microcosm of this season was in the last game of the series against Minnesota. The Rockies lost that game 2-0.

While no loss is a good one, there were silver linings. The Rockies who have a terrible time winning in interleague play, let

alone interleague play on the road, were going for the sweep of the first place Twins. They were in it the game entire way

because the bullpen kept it close on the road.

This team is giving themselves a chance and they have the expectation of winning when they are leading in the ninth. The

bats are starting to come alive and the team now has a positive run differential (211 scored -192 allowed.) Imagine when

Trevor Story and Carlos Gonzalez get back to their full potential. The Rockies are worth watching because they are

winning when you can’t watch them at Coors Field.

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The 2016 team laid the foundation. Now the 2017 team is making LoDo feel alive. Maybe a better count down so far this

season is when the Rockies are coming back to Denver because this team is making the league pay attention.

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Colorado Rockies: Complete list of 2017 MLB draft picks By Kevin Henry / RoxPile | May 20th, 2017 Are you enjoying Ian Desmond playing for the Colorado Rockies this season? Are you glad they signed him to a

long-term contract back in December? If so, then you won’t mind that the Rockies don’t have a first-round pick in

this year’s Major League Baseball draft.

For years, there has been intrigue surrounding who the Rockies might take in the first round of the draft. And for good

reason, as the Rockies have done well in the draft in recent years.

Last year, with the fourth overall pick, Colorado selected Riley Pint, who is showing flashes of brilliance in Class A

Asheville. The same can be said for Brendan Rodgers, who was taken with the third overall pick in 2015 and is currently

hitting close to .400 for Class A (Advanced) Lancaster. The eighth overall pick in the 2014 draft (Kyle Freeland) and the

third overall pick in the 2013 draft (Jon Gray) started the season as members of the Colorado rotation.

This year, however, the Rockies have just three picks in the draft’s first 100 selections. Colorado’s first-round pick was

surrendered to the Texas Rangers, which received a compensatory draft pick after Desmond turned down a Texas

qualifying offer and was signed by the Rockies in the offseason.

Colorado’s first selection in the 2017 MLB Draft (set for June 12-14) will come in the second round and be the 48thoverall

pick. After that, the Rockies will pick 70th as part of the Competitive Balance Round B selections. Their third-round pick will

be the 86th selection overall and they are scheduled to select from Rounds 4 through 40 every 30 picks thereafter (barring

a trade).

As a comparison, last season the San Diego Padres had the 48th overall pick and selected outfielder Buddy Reed from

the University of Florida. He was hitting .222 for Class A Fort Wayne (Ind.) heading into Thursday’s action.

The 70th overall pick in the 2016 MLB draft was right-hander Connor Jones out of the University of Virginia. St. Louis

selected him and he’s currently with their Class A team in Palm Beach, Fla.

Last year’s 86th pick was Alex Call, an outfielder out of Ball State University. Picked by the Chicago White Sox, he’s

currently playing in Class A ball for the Winston-Salem (N.C.) Dash.

While the Rockies may not be able to land a top talent like Freeland, Gray, Rodgers or Pint, there will be plenty of talent

available in the later rounds.

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Big Inning, bullpen bite Rockies in loss to Reds By MHS Staff / Mile High Sports | May 20th, 2017

Rockies rookie Antonio Senzatela wasn’t at his best on Saturday in Cincinnati, but he left the game with a four-run lead

and a chance to pick up what would have been a National League leading seventh win on the young season. Instead, the

Rockies will try and take the final game of a three-game series with the Reds on Sunday, hoping to escape with a series

win after the bullpen could not hold Senzatela’s lead.

For the second consecutive night, the Rockies produced a big inning on offense. On Friday, an eight-run sixth inning

propelled Colorado to victory. On Saturday, a six-run fifth looked like it would do the same. Senzatela departed the game

after five innings with an 8-4 lead after allowing five hits and four walks, striking out five. Unfortunately, Chad

Qualls and Mike Dunn gave all of those runs back, combining to allow six runs on four hits and two walks between them in

the bottom of the sixth. Scott Oberg couldn’t stop the bleeding in the seventh, allowing another two runs to push the score

to 12-8 in favor of Cincinnati. The Rockies could not answer.

Asher Wojciechowski was stellar for the Reds, pitching 3.2 innings of one-hit relief to earn the win. Charlie

Blackmon, Mark Reynolds and Alexi Amarista each had a pair of hits and a run scored for Colorado in the loss. Senzatela

had a hit and two RBIs, but it was all for naught. Scott Schebler had a three-run home run for the Reds off Dunn and

drove in four on the afternoon.

Colorado and Cincinnati play the rubber match of the series on Sunday at Great American Ballpark. Kyle Freeland is on

the mound for the Rockies, looking for his fifth win. The rookie is 4-2 with a 3.13 ERA in eight starts this year.

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Rockies blow 5-run lead, lose game two against Cincinnati Associated Press | May 20th, 2017

CINCINNATI (AP) - Scott Schebler's homer completed Cincinnati's comeback from a five-run deficit on Saturday, and the

Reds ended a seven-game losing streak - their longest in a year - with a 12-8 victory over the Colorado Rockies.

Cincinnati's losing streak was its longest since it dropped 11 straight last May.

Colorado rookie Antonio Senzatela was in line for an NL-leading seventh win before the Rockies' bullpen let the big lead

slip away. Senzatela had a bases-loaded single during a six-run fifth inning that put the Rockies ahead 8-3.

Devon Mesoraco hit a solo homer to start the Reds' sixth against Chad Qualls, who faced only four batters. Schebler's

three-run shot off Mike Dunn (2-1) finished a six-run rally.

Asher Wojciechowski (WOE'-joe-howski), who was called up before the game to help the Reds' overworked bullpen, gave

up one hit in 3 2/3 innings for his first major league win.