I’ve got tickets to the first few games of this series, and waited until late to buy them figuring there would be plenty available even with the Cubs juggernaut rolling in to town. But the Rockies decided to be kind of good a few weeks back, even surfacing for a few gasps of air at the .500 mark earlier this month and looking in contention for a wild card spot. Since then they have gone 2-10, including getting swept by the Phillies. They are coming off a series win against the Nats however, just to remind everyone that pretty much anything can happen at Coors field.
Team Leaders
Cubs
- OBP: Anthony Rizzo (.394)
- ISO: Rizzo (.273)
- HR: Kris Bryant (30)
- R+RBI: Bryant (174)
- wRC+: Rizzo (151)
- BSR: Bryant (3.5)
- SP K/9: Jake Arrieta (8.90)
- SP BB/9: Kyle Hendricks (2.22)
- SP FIP: Arrieta (3.33)
- RP K/9: Aroldis Chapman (13.97)
- RP BB/9: Chapman (0.93)
- RP FIP: Chapman (0.35)
- WAR: Bryant (5.9)
Rockies
- OBP: DJ LeMahieu (.415)
- ISO: Trevor Story (.296)
- HR: Nolan Arenado (30)
- R+RBI: Arenado (185)
- wRC+: LeMahieu (128)
- BSR: Story (2.8)
- SP K/9: Lord Jon Gray (9.38)
- SP BB/9: Tyler Anderson (2.15)
- SP FIP: Anderson (3.57)
- RP K/9: Boone Logan (10.31)
- RP BB/9: Adam Ottavino (1.80)
- RP FIP: Ottavino (1.68)
- WAR: Arenado (3.8)
Pitching matchups
K/9, BB/9, ERA, FIP, projected ERA listed for each starter.
Friday: Kyle Hendricks, RHP (7.97, 2.25, 2.19, 3.39, 3.60) vs Tyler Anderson, LHP (7.48, 2.15, 3.42, 3.57, 4.66), 7:40 PM CT
Hendricks followed up his complete game on Aug 1 with sixteen strikeouts over fourteen innings in the two following starts. The gravy train just keeps on rolling, hopefully it doesn’t hit a speed bump at Coors.
Anderson posted a 1.98 ERA with the Rockies AA affiliate in 2014, then didn’t pitch in 2015. I’m guessing TJS, but that would require some actual research (dying laughing). He’s been pretty great by Rockies standards in his rookie season, and a big part of why is his low walk rate.
Saturday: Mike Montgomery, LHP (8.45, 2.94, 2.43, 3.33, 4.34) vs TBA, 7:10 PM CT
Montgomery is filling in for the maybe-injured John Lackey. It’s nice of the Cubs to have a turn back the clock night to 2003, where every game I went to was a Shawn Estes start.
I think this would normally be de La Rosa’s spot, I’m not sure why the Rockies have him pushed back to Sunday on their site.
Sunday: Jason Hammel, RHP (7.57, 2.81, 2.75, 4.08, 4.03) vs Jorge De La Rosa, RHP (6.71, 4.32, 5.29, 5.18, 4.57), 3:10 PM CT
Hammel has a 20+ inning scoreless streak going on, but if a streak like that is going to be snapped anywhere, it’s here.
de la Rosa has had a decent amount of success with the Rockies, surprising considering his career 10.4% walk rate. When batters do swing he gets a decent number of ground balls, but it’s not like he’s a target of the Infield Worm Defense League. In his best years he posted a 20+% strikeout rate but following injury issues in 2011-2012 his numbers have dipped.
Comments
Anderson had a stress fracture in his elbow in 2013 which acted up again in 2015, preventing him from pitching the whole year. http://blogs.denverpost.com/rockies/2015/02/25/tyler-anderson-rockies-prospect-still-throwing-spring-training/19393/
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Only a math nerd can refer to a fraction of a three game series as a “few games”.
SKQuote Reply
wut?
JonKneeVQuote Reply
There’s talk of Rob Zastryzny getting called up.
Was he taken in the Bryant draft or the Schwarber draft?
SKQuote Reply
SK,
Bryant.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
So Spencer Patton back to Iowa then I assume. He probably wasn’t available today or tomorrow anyway.
dmick89Quote Reply
Kris Bryant fWAR
2015: 6.5
2016: 6.3 (~125 fewer PA)
dmick89Quote Reply
I miss that 2003 team. They weren’t really a great team, but that almost made it more exciting for me.
EdwinQuote Reply
Edwin,
I went to Miller park for a few games (suck it SK) and saw Estes twice, Juan Cruz once (dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
Edwin,
I miss when Prior and Wood had bright futures ahead of them.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Edwin,
The final five weeks of that season were awesome.
SKQuote Reply
berselius,
Juan Cruz was one of the better prospects in the game for awhile.
dmick89Quote Reply
The Cubs 3rd order record is only 49 games over .500 so they’re really not all that good. It’s not like it’s 50 or anything.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
This was before I cared about those kinds of things. I wanted a prior or wood start, dammit (dying laughing).
berseliusQuote Reply
Time to start wondering what the Cubs could get for Rizzo.
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
I’d have been happy to see Zambrano also. Not so much for Clement or Estes.
dmick89Quote Reply
berselius,
They could probably get a 7th or 8th inning reliever.
dmick89Quote Reply
Z became my favorite Cubs player in 2003. Even more than Sosa.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
I liked Clement. He had strange facial hair.
EdwinQuote Reply
Kenny Holtzman completes no hitter
Two things:
1. Beckert very nearly fucked up that play. That was like the worst pickup of a WAG I’ve ever seen. I’m sure he was nervous, but I remember him being really slick normally.
2. Santo
https://youtu.be/G6yjInZ88YA
SKQuote Reply
Wife is in labor today. Wish me luck, gents.
Myles HandleyQuote Reply
SK,
The catcher is wearing a cap? Wow, how times have changed.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Myles Handley,
Myles Handley,
Good luck. If you’d like, you can name the child after me.
EdwinQuote Reply
Myles Handley,
Good luck!!
SKQuote Reply
Don’t tell me what to do.
Also, good luck.
berseliusQuote Reply
Myles Handley,
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Good luck, Myles!
dmick89Quote Reply
My Grandpa was named Edwin, but he always went by his middle name so your name must suck.
dmick89Quote Reply
It is unwise to ask dubious characters such as ourselves for any old luck, when the luck you really want is ridiculously good.
I wish you 2016 Texas Rangers Luck on 2016 Chicago Cubs Talent. May you be lucky and good.
ceruleanQuote Reply
I liked Clement too. I actually saw a few Cubs games he started. One of them was in spring training so he only pitched a few innings. He just wasn’t one of the Cubs pitchers in that rotation I would have wanted to see if I had a choice. He was pretty good for the Cubs though.
dmick89Quote Reply
cerulean,
San Francisco Giants luck. No team has been as lucky as they have the last 6 or so years. They almost pulled it off again this year and still might.
dmick89Quote Reply
If he dyed it a neon green, it would have confirmed my suspicion that he had a tennis ball for a chin.
ceruleanQuote Reply
The 2003 Cubs would have won the World Series if it hadn’t been for He Who Must Not Be Named.
(Rhymes with ‘Malex Shongalez’)
umbraQuote Reply
I’m pretty sure I remember some people cutting up tennis balls and taping them to their chins as an homage. Maybe it was just cardboard.
We need more stuff like that this year. Last year had the hands on helmet. The closest we’ve come this year has been potato chips for Hammel.
umbraQuote Reply
Myles Handley,
May your first child be a masculine one.
Rice in limboQuote Reply
Unknown. But at minimum they probably would have won the NLCS.
Of course, Cubes could have blown it in the 9th of game 6 as well. Borowski was no Aroldis Chapman.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Lackey and Rondon are both going to the DL.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
https://twitter.com/CarrieMuskat/status/766680973228531713
I’d hate to see what a setback looks like, then.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
So these reporters just repeat what they’ve been told. They apparently don’t have the capacity to think anything for themselves. Obviously they Rondon had a setback. Clear as day that he had one.
dmick89Quote Reply
It could be worse. They could be sports columnists. Who do try to think for themselves, almost always with tragic results.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Nice to see the return of Fangraphs’ Cubs-worship pieces…
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/kris-bryant-might-be-the-best-all-around-player-in-the-nl/
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
In defense of non-thinking, we’re in relatively unchartered territory re: Cubs’ massive divisional lead here. Implausible but not impossible that the Cubs want to give more time to both players to make sure they’re right. Wouldn’t necessarily require a huge flare-up injury-wise in both parties. Cubs can afford to be ultra cautious for a week or two.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Fixed.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Myles wasn’t really clear if it was his wife or his dog going into labor, and knowing how close the OV community is to their dogs…
Regardless of species, obviously.
BVSQuote Reply
Looks like a rain delay tonight.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
https://twitter.com/ESPNChiCubs/status/766766726998470656
Whoa. I know Heyward’s been struggling, but I’d think his defensive services would be more useful in a spacious outfield.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
One of the unthinking reporters reports that Heyward is getting the whole weekend off because of COL LHP starters today and Sunday.
SKQuote Reply
SK,
Maddon said that influenced his decision, as well.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Glad this game was delayed, I got lost as fuck leaving the hotel (dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
Have the Cubs done an mri on Rondon? 2 weeks off didn’t do shit for him before. Hopefully it does this time, but this isn’t good for him.
dmick89Quote Reply
Any word on start time?
dmick89Quote Reply
Anything happen today? I was on the road and did not read every word.
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
DL for Lackey and Rondon (supposedly precautionary), re-called Zastryzny and Felix Pena
dmick89Quote Reply
And Donald Trump said he’d win 95% of the black vote in 2020. I think he’s being pessimistic.
dmick89Quote Reply
I read that as Felix Pie (dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
dmick89,
Nope.
https://twitter.com/Rockies/status/766806610572259329
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Dear Rockies, Siri is not forecasting the weather. That’s the Weather Channel info shown in the Apple Weather app.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
I am pretty sure they are talking about the lady that lives in Macintosh iPhones. They are amazing devices connected by invisible pneumatic tubes.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Start time: 9:50.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Russell James Handley
Born 7:17 pm 8/19/16
Myles HandleyQuote Reply
Fowler!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Myles Handley,
Congrats. Really like the name.
dmick89Quote Reply
I hate Coors Field so much.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
This is going to be ugly.
dmick89Quote Reply
Congrats!
berseliusQuote Reply
Regarding Rondon, I was at the game yesterday and Rondon warmed up before the game right in front of me. He looked real smooth and comfortable and was throwing gas. After he was done, he and the guy catching him gave each other a fist bump. I was surprised to hear he was put on DL. He looked good.
MuckerQuote Reply
Rizzo!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Funny baserunning by Hendricks.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Bryant!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Russell!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Bonus mojo for Myles’s son with that one
berseliusQuote Reply
Terrible baserunning by Contreras.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I hate this bullpen.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Ugh.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Extra innings always make me nervous. What’s this by the way? markgrotesports.com
KevinQuote Reply
At least now I know what to say when someone asks what the weirdest game I’ve seen in person is.
berseliusQuote Reply
I blame my son for this.
Myles HandleyQuote Reply
I’m glad I didn’t stay up for this one.
dmick89Quote Reply
Myles Handley,
congratulations!
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
That was a weird game to watch on DVR. Never thought it would end. Kick in the teeth finish too.
Congrats to Myles and also to Russell’s mom!!!!!
SKQuote Reply
I think Papelbon is worth taking a risk on at this point. At the very least he’s better than Joe Smith.
dmick89Quote Reply
Sometimes I think maybe I’m better than Joe Smith. It gives me hope.
EdwinQuote Reply
Throwing a Maddux is awesome:
http://m.athletics.mlb.com/news/article/196616412/as-rhp-kendall-graveman-shuts-out-white-sox/
EdwinQuote Reply
Edwin,
I’d bet good money on a random person being better than Joe Smith.
dmick89Quote Reply
One nice thing about that game was how punch drunk JD and Len got late. They sounded a bit high and I know there’s some weed stores near Coors — they couldn’t stop giggling during one promo and couldn’t finish it.
Len couldn’t wait for Rob Z to get out of his inning so he could say “Nobody Beats the ‘Stryz”
SKQuote Reply
game thread up: http://obstructedview.net/cubs-rockies-game-thread-8-20-16/
dmick89Quote Reply