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Marquez, Rox open set vs. Padres By Danny Knobler / Special to MLB.com | July 16th, 2017 A pair of young pitchers who got extended time off over the All-Star break return to the mound when the Rockies and

Padres open a three-game series Monday night at Coors Field. Rockies right-hander German Marquez will make his first

start since his July 7 win over the White Sox, while Padres right-hander Luis Perdomo hasn't pitched since a July 5 win

over the Indians.

The 22-year-old Marquez has already thrown 86 1/3 innings this season, including 10 at Triple-A Albuquerque before he

joined the Rockies rotation April 25. He's 6-4 with a 4.36 ERA for the Rockies.

Perdomo, 24, has been in the Padres' rotation all season. He's 4-4 with a 4.54 ERA, including wins in each of his past

three starts.

Three things to know about this game

• Perdomo will be starting at Coors Field for the first time, although he pitched in Colorado twice last season coming out of

the bullpen. One of those appearances was akin to a start, as Perdomo replaced Andrew Cashner when Cashner was

injured on the first batter of the game. Perdomo gave up four runs (three earned) in 5 2/3 innings, in a game the Padres

came back to win against the Rockies' bullpen.

• Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado has two home runs in 10 career at-bats against Perdomo.

• The Rockies are 5-4 against the Padres this season, although San Diego won two of three on its first visit to Coors Field.

MEDIA CLIPS – July 17, 2017

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Rox pick up steam, rack up hits in finale win By Chris Bumbaca and Danny Knobler / MLB.com | July 16th, 2017

NEW YORK -- The inability to sweep opponents has stunted the Mets' momentum all season, and the Rockies took

advantage of that 2017 truism.

After being outscored 23-5 over the first two games of the series, the Rockies responded with their own offensive outburst

in a 13-4 win to prevent the home team from securing a sweep out of the All-Star break.

The offense came early and often for the Rockies, with four runs off Mets starter Steven Matz in the first inning. In

his first game back from the disabled list, Ian Desmond made it 2-0 with a two-out, two-run single through the right side.

Two batters later, Trevor Story doubled down the left-field line to make it 4-0 before the Mets even came to bat. Nolan

Arenado's three-run home run in the second inning upped the lead to 7-0, and Matz faced just one more batter after that

for the shortest and worst outing of his career.

DJ LeMahieu laced four hits and scored three runs, while Charlie Blackmon and Gerardo Parra each added two-run

homers in the seventh and eighth, respectively, with Blackmon's ruled an inside-the-parker, his second of the season.

"Big hit [from Desmond], for sure, and I think it did set the tone," Rockies manager Bud Black said. "And we just kept

going. We're capable of that. I thought our at-bats were really sound."

Rockies starter Jeff Hoffman earned the win in a homecoming of sorts. Hoffman, a native of Latham, N.Y., allowed four

runs over six innings. Lucas Duda drilled a solo shot off the Shea Bridge in the fourth and Asdrubal Cabrera hit a two-

run homer the next inning to provide the bulk of the Mets' offense against Hoffman.

"There was actually more jitters this time than I've ever had," Hoffman said. "It's nice to be back in my home state and

hear familiar voices cheering for me. My dad's voice carries. I've heard that voice for a long time, telling me how to play

the game."

The Mets are now 5-11 on Sundays and just 2-7 when attempting a series sweep this season.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Arenado's blast KOs Matz: Matz entered with a 7-3 record and a 1.99 ERA in 11 career starts during the day, but the

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Rockies quickly disregarded those numbers. Already cushioned with a 4-0 lead, Colorado's offense went back to work in

the second. A Blackmon double and a LeMahieu single brought up Arenado, who parked one 419 feet to left-center. Matz

lasted one more batter, allowing a single to Mark Reynolds, before receiving the hook. The average exit velocity of those

final four hits was 96.8 mph, according to Statcast™.

"It all happened so quick, to be honest," Matz said. "The balls were just over the heart of the plate and they were able to

get their barrels to it."

Blackmon's dive keeps Mets at bay: The Mets' offense was by no means dormant against Hoffman, and in the

sixth, Jay Bruce and T.J. Rivera laced back-to-back singles with the Mets trailing, 9-3. Duda flied out to center,

bringing Jose Reyes to the dish. Reyes lined one to the left-center-field gap and Blackmon came flying in, sliding feet first

and making the catch to reduce the play to a sac fly rather than an extra-base hit. Blackmon covered 76 feet to reach the

ball, according to Statcast™, and had a catch probability of 52 percent. Hoffman retired the next hitter, Rene Rivera, on a

popout to right to end the inning and preserve a substantial lead.

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

• With Matz unable to record an out in the second, it marked the briefest outing from a Mets starter since Sean

Gilmartin recorded just two outs on Sept. 24, 2016.

• Sunday's game was just the third time since 2008 the Rockies have scored 13 or more runs on the road. They also did it

in 2011 in Houston (a 19-3 win) and in '16 in San Francisco (a 17-7 win). In that same span, they've scored 13 or more 19

times at Coors Field.

• Both Blackmon and T.J. Rivera extended their hitting streaks to 11, which is tied for the longest active streak in the

Majors.

INSIDE THE PARK?

Blackmon got credit for his second inside-the-park home run of the season, even though it appeared that his seventh-

inning fly ball cleared the wall in center field. Replays appeared to show that the ball hit above the orange home-run line,

but umpires ruled the ball in play and Blackmon circled the bases, unaware that the ball actually hit above the line. Mets

center fielder Curtis Granderson, who was close enough to see the ball hit above the line, didn't pursue it after it

bounced past him. Because Blackmon scored, there was no need to review the play, although Blackmon said he would

have preferred to have it scored as a regular home run.

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"It's not hard to believe [the umpires] missed it," Granderson said. "But, I mean, I'm not going to run after a ball I know was

over the fence, you know? Whether I run after it, get it, throw it in there, they're going to check the replay, and it's going to

show just like what all you guys, I'm sure, saw -- it went over the fence."

Blackmon is the only Rockies player with an inside-the-park home run this season, with his first one coming April 21

against the Giants at Coors Field. The Rockies have had 17 inside-the-park home runs in franchise history. Blackmon

and Brandon Barnes (2014) are the only players with two in the same season, and Blackmon is the only player in the

Major Leagues with two this season.

"As Gerardo Parra said, he hit two home runs on the same play," Black said. "And that is hard to do."

WHAT'S NEXT

Rockies: Right-hander German Marquez makes his first start since July 7 when the Rockies open a three-game series

with the Padres Monday night at Coors Field. Right-hander Luis Perdomo starts for San Diego, with first pitch set for 6:40

p.m. MT.

Mets: After taking two of three against the Rockies, the Mets will stay home and look to rebound against the Cardinals in

the opener of a four-game set Monday. Right-hander Zack Wheeler (3-6, 4.86 ERA) will start opposite the

Cardinals' Adam Wainwright (10-5, 5.20 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET.

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Rockies ready for challenges of home stretch Colorado's young staff up to task for Coors Field slate By Tracy Ringolsby / MLB.com | @TracyRingolsby | 11:35 AM ET

For the better part of the past month, a dream-like season for the Rockies has had nightmarish moments. Oh, they are still

off to their best start ever. They still are in control of a National League Wild Card bid.

But the time has come for Colorado to quiet the skeptics and show that it belongs in the discussions of postseason

possibilities.

The Rockies open a three-game series against the Padres at Coors Field on Monday night coming off a 13-4

victory against the Mets at Citi Field on Sunday, a feel-good moment tempered by the fact it was only their fifth victory in

their past 20 games. It's a stretch that saw the Rox slip from first place in the NL West to their current third-place position,

11 1/2 games back of the Dodgers. But they're only a game behind the D-backs and 5 1/2 games up on the Cubs in the

bid for the second NL Wild Card spot.

There is no panic in the clubhouse, but there is a definite sense of urgency. And there is a growing confidence.

Yes, Tyler Chatwood, the most experienced member of the rotation, went on the disabled list on Sunday with a strained

right calf. That puts the Rockies back in a position to have four rookies in their rotation, which isn't all bad, considering

who those four rookies are.

Antonio Senzatela, who will return to the rotation after making a start for Triple-A Albuquerque last Thursday, will be

rejoining Kyle Freeland, Jeff Hoffman and German Marquez, which happens to be the first quartet of rookie teammates

to each have five or more wins at the All-Star break in Major League history.

The four pitchers have no fear of Coors Field. Veteran starters may be intimidated. Marginal journeyman may panic. The

Rockies' rookies, however, are embracing what they believe is their home field advantage.

They like pitching in Colorado, and they should. Each has a winning record at Coors Field, fashioning a combined 17-9

record, and the Rockies are 19-10 in the 29 games the four have started in the mile-high ballpark.

In their most recent game at Coors Field, the Rockies topped the White Sox on July 9 as Freeland, a Denver native born

39 days after the club's first game in 1993, carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning. He is "only" 5-4 in Colorado (hey,

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Senzatela is 7-2), but he has a strong 3.23 ERA. But then, Freeland grew up in altitude. Heck, Thomas Jefferson High

School, his alma mater, is just a 12-mile drive down I-25 from Coors Field. He doesn't know any better.

Freeland helps set a tone that has the Rockies' young arms welcoming the idea that 37 of their final 67 games come at

Coors Field, and only 22 of their final 67 games are against teams with a winning record, which includes seven games

each in September against the Dodgers and D-backs.

It's not like the rookie starters have road fright. They are a combined 16-12 on the road, and all four of them have a

winning record. The past 20 games have been a challenge, but the team has a 27-23 road mark.

That may not seem overwhelming, but in their previous 24 years of existence, the Rockies have had a winning record on

the road only once. That was in 2009, the last year they advanced to the postseason. That season, Colorado finished one

game above .500 (41-40) away from home.

The Rockies were the NL Wild Card winners that year, just like the two other times they advanced to the postseason --

1995 and 2007. And if they do hold on, they figure to get a playoff spot again this year. The Dodgers got hot right about

the time Colorado cooled off, and there's no indication of Los Angeles slowing down.

In winning 29 of their past 33 games, the Dodgers' pitching staff has a 2.99 ERA with a .218 opponents' batting average.

They have that 1-2 punch of ace Clayton Kershaw, who is 7-0 with a 2.01 ERA in starting seven of those 33 games, and

closer Kenley Jansen, who has converted all 14 of his save opportunities in that stretch.

It's an emphatic statement Los Angeles is making; Colorado and Arizona aren't fooling themselves.

But they don't have to. There are those two NL Wild Card spots, which would require a team to play an extra game to get

to the World Series, but those teams still have a legitimate chance to be champions.

Twelve Wild Card clubs have advanced to the World Series in the past 20 years, including five that won a championship --

the Marlins in 1997 and 2003, the Angels in '02, the Red Sox in '04 and the Cardinals in '11.

Will there be a lucky 13th team this season? The Rockies would like to think so.

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Rox hoping breakout bats have 'waterfall' effect Colorado racks up season-high 13 runs vs. Mets By Danny Knobler / Special to MLB.com | July 16th, 2017 NEW YORK -- Bud Black said it was all about the pitching.

Pitch well, and the Rockies could reverse the funk that began in late June and led to 15 losses in 20 games. Pitch well,

and the Rockies could turn their surprising first half into something even better in the months to come.

"For me, the state of the team depends on the rotation," the Rockies manager said Sunday morning. "And the bullpen,

too."

Black is not wrong, but scoring 13 runs sure helped the state of the Rockies as they left Citi Field late Sunday afternoon.

Scoring 13 runs made the flight home more pleasant, and it brightened the outlook for the days ahead.

"When we get hot, watch out," said pitcher Jeff Hoffman, who rode all the runs to a 13-4 win over the Mets in his first

Major League start in his home state. "Look at this offense, the lineups we can put out there. I'm hoping this opens a

waterfall."

The Rockies scored four times before Hoffman even took the mound in the bottom of the first, and Nolan Arenado's

three-run home run made it 7-0 in the second. By the time Gerardo Parra finished the scoring with a two-run home run in

the eighth, the Rockies had their highest run total of the season and the third-most runs they have scored in a road game

since 2008.

It helped to have Ian Desmond back from the disabled list, and it was Desmond whose two-out single drove home the

first two Rockies runs. It helped to have four hits each from DJ LeMahieu and Mark Reynolds, too.

It helped that Charlie Blackmon hit an inside-the-park home run in the seventh inning, even though it really should

have been counted as a regular home run because it cleared the orange line on the center-field fence. (The umpires didn't

see that.)

"As Gerardo Parra said, he hit two home runs on the same play," Black said. "And that is hard to do."

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Consistent offense has been a little hard to come by for the Rockies, especially away from Coors Field. Before Sunday,

they ranked 27th in the Major Leagues in team OPS in road games. Before Sunday, the Rockies had been held to three

runs or fewer in 12 of their past 15 games away from home.

So the four first-inning runs were a big deal, especially after the Rockies had suffered lopsided losses to the Mets on

Friday and Saturday. But as Black was quick to point out, Hoffman's three scoreless innings to begin the game were big,

too.

In the first two games of the series, Rockies starters combined to pitch 2 1/3 innings while allowing 12 runs.

Hoffman admitted to some nerves. While he wasn't a Mets fan growing up in Latham, N.Y. -- he followed the Red Sox --

he had been looking forward to this game. He estimated that 30-40 family members and friends made the two-hour drive

to watch him.

Hoffman also admitted he heard one voice louder than the others.

"My dad's voice carries," Hoffman said. "I've heard that voice for a long time, telling me how to play the game."

Black's voice has been an important one in his first season as manager, and his was the voice focused on the team's

young pitching staff.

"Our attitude's fine," Black said. "We knew we have to pitch better. So much of the team's success this season has been

built around pitching. We have got to have some solid starts."

They got exactly that from Hoffman, who made sure the game never got close even as he ended up allowing four runs in

six innings. The 24-year-old rookie right-hander improved to 6-1 on the season.

It's nice when your team scores runs, especially when four of them come before you throw your first pitch.

"That was awesome," Hoffman said. "The offense has kind of struggled a little, but we knew this could happen."

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Thirteen runs won't happen every day. But the state of the Rockies in the second half will depend in part on similar

outbursts happening a little more often.

And on the pitching.

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Desmond: 'Felt good to contribute' in return Outfielder delivers two-run single in first at-bat after returning from DL By Danny Knobler / Special to MLB.com | July 16th, 2017

NEW YORK -- The Rockies placed Tyler Chatwood on the 10-day disabled list and activated Ian Desmond in a

transaction that has implications for both their rotation and their lineup. Chatwood has a strained right calf, an injury he

suffered while warming up for his Saturday start against the Mets. He started the game anyway, but he left after throwing

just 19 pitches and allowing four runs.

"Calf strains are tricky," Rockies manager Bud Black said Sunday. "It didn't look like a couple-days' strain. It's a legitimate

strain, and we felt he wasn't going to be able to pitch for the next 10 days."

Chatwood's injury means rookie left-hander Kyle Freeland will remain in the rotation, although it's still not certain when

he'll make his next start. The Rockies have hoped to give Freeland a midseason breather while controlling his innings.

Desmond, who just recovered from a right calf strain of his own, was in the Rockies' lineup Sunday in the 13-4 win over

the Mets at Citi Field. He went 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBIs before exiting for pinch-runner Raimel Tapia in the sixth.

Black said he pulled Desmond simply because of the length of the game and the score at the time -- it was 9-3 -- and not

because of any problem with his calf.

"It felt good to contribute," said Desmond, whose first-inning single drove in the Rockies' first two runs.

Desmond had been out since July 2, and Black welcomed him back.

"He's a complete player," Black said. "When Dezzy is playing his game, it's centered around some pump in his bat, and

he can use his legs, too. His game is an all-around game that helps the team win."

Desmond was playing primarily left field before he got hurt, but Black said he plans to use him there and at first base. For

now, Black ruled out using Desmond at shortstop, despite Trevor Story's struggles at the plate.

Black had Desmond in left field Sunday against Mets left-hander Steven Matz, with Mark Reynolds playing first

base, Gerardo Parra in right field and Carlos Gonzalez out of the starting lineup for an intended day off. Reynolds had

four of the Rockies' 18 hits, Parra went 2-for-4 with a home run and Gonzalez struck out in a pinch-hit appearance in the

seventh inning.

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Reynolds' four-hit effort

As for the rotation, the Rockies will start rookies German Marquez and Antonio Senzatela Monday and Tuesday,

respectively, against the Padres at Coors Field, with Jon Gray going Wednesday. Chatwood's spot would come after that,

but Thursday is an off-day.

The Rockies could start Jeff Hoffman, Marquez and Senzatela on normal rest next weekend against the Pirates, but it's

also possible Freeland could be inserted to give the three other youngsters an extra day.

Chatwood said he hopes to return once his 10-day DL stint is up. He said he doesn't believe his calf strain is as serious as

the one that sidelined Desmond for two weeks.

Chatwood is 6-11 with a 4.74 ERA in 19 starts this season.

Worth noting

• The Rockies have shown interest in Tigers outfielder J.D. Martinez, according to MLB.com's Jon Paul Morosi. Martinez

was 18-for-36 with six home runs against left-handed pitching entering play Sunday, and Morosi points out that the

number of left-handed starters in the National League West would make him especially valuable.

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Charlie Blackmon hits inside-the-park homer as Rockies blast Mets Colorado entered the game having lost 15 of its last 20 games By Patrick Saunders / Denver Post | July 16th, 2017

NEW YORK — The Rockies needed a victory. Even a drama-filled, white-knuckle win would have been just fine with

them.

What they got instead was a most welcome 13-4 cruiser over the New York Mets at Citi Field on Sunday afternoon. The

Rockies set season highs for runs, hits (18) and extra-base hit (10). The smorgasbord included a two-run, inside-the-park

homer by Charlie Blackmon in the seventh inning.

The Rockies maintained their 5½-game lead over the Chicago Cubs for the second wild-card playoff berth in the National

League, and they’re just one game behind slumping Arizona for the top wild-card slot. The Diamondbacks lost their fifth

consecutive game Sunday, falling 7-1 at Atlanta.

Rookie right-hander Jeff Hoffman, who pitched a mostly solid six innings to improve to 6-1, received a big boost from the

Rockies’ four-run first inning off Mets lefty Steven Matz.

“When we get hot, watch out,” Hoffman said. “Look at this offense, the lineups we can put out there. I’m hoping this opens

a waterfall.”

The offense had been more of a trickle over the last three-plus weeks as the Rockies lost 15-of-20 games entering

Sunday. They had been outscored 131-79 during that

stretch, hitting just .243, including a .258 average with runners in scoring position.

But the drought ended with a first-inning downpour. DJ LeMahieu, who tied his career high with four hits, singled to start

things. Then came a two-run single by Ian Desmond, who was fresh off the disabled list, and a two-run double by Trevor

Story.

“That was a big hit from Ian, for sure, and I think it did set the tone,” manager Bud Black said. “And we just kept going.

We’re capable of that. I thought our at-bats were really sound today.”

Before the game, Black made it clear that he thought the Rockies’ offense would eventually come around. His concern, as

usual, was with pitching.

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“For me, the state of the team depends on the rotation,” Black said. “And the bullpen too.”

But the manager was certainly pleased to see the offense come back to life.

Colorado knocked Matz out of the game with a three-run second to take a 7-0 lead. A double by Blackmon and a single

by LeMahieu set the table for Nolan Arenado’s three-run homer to right. Arenado’s homer was his 18th of the season, and

he leads the Rockies with 73 RBIs.

Gerardo Parra, sizzling since coming off the DL on July 7, hit a two-run homer in the eighth.

The crazy play of the game came courtesy of Blackmon. With Story on base, Blackmon launched a screaming line drive

that barely cleared the orange line atop the left-center wall. The ball caromed back onto the field and Blackmon kept

running. The umpires incorrectly ruled the ball in play, but Mets center fielder Curtis Granderson was aware it was a home

run. So he jogged after the ball and lobbed it back to the infield.

“I’m not going to run after a ball I know is over the fence,” Granderson said.

Blackmon, waved home by third-base coach Stu Cole, had his second inside-the-parker of the season.

“I didn’t think it was going to go out,” Blackmon said. “When I saw it bouncing around, I just assumed it hit the wall.”

The Rockies got a big kick out of Blackmon’s 21st homer of the season.

“Parra told me, ‘Charlie was only guy that ever hit two home runs in one at-bat,’ ” Black said with a laugh.

Blackmon’s first inside-the-parker happened April 21 against San Francisco at Coors Field. The only other Rockies player

with two-or-more inside-the-park home runs in one season was Brandon Barnes in 2014. He also had two. In fact, the last

major-leaguer with two or more in a season was Barnes that year.

The offensive fireworks were big, but Hoffman’s performance was vital. After a two-inning start by Jon Gray on Friday and

a start of less than one inning from the injured Tyler Chatwood on Saturday, Colorado was in dire need of quality innings.

Hoffman delivered.

He blanked the Mets for three innings before Lucas Duda ripped a solo homer to right with two outs in the fourth. Asdrubal

Cabrera added a two-run homer in the fifth. But thanks to a big lead, Hoffman was never in trouble.

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Rockies’ Jeff Hoffman settles nerves, delivers in front of home-state crowd The Rockies were in dire need of a strong start and Hoffman delivered By Patrick Saunders / Denver Post | July 16th, 2017

NEW YORK — Nearly 40 friends and family members came to Citi Field to watch the Rockies’ Jeff Hoffman pitch Sunday

against the Mets. The rookie right-hander was very much aware of the fan club that traveled three hours from Latham,

N.Y., to see him pitch.

“I actually had more jitters this time than I’ve ever had,” Hoffman said, adding that he could hear “familiar voices cheering

for me.”

One voice, in particular, stood out. It belonged to Jeff Hoffman Sr.

“My dad’s voice carries,” Hoffman said with a laugh. “I’ve been hearing that voice for a long time, telling me how to play

the game. When I’m on deck, I can hear that voice above everybody else’s. That guy’s voice carries forever.”

Hoffman did his father and fan club proud.

The Rockies were in dire need of a strong start and Hoffman delivered, pitching six innings, allowing four runs on seven

hits and walking only one in Colorado’s 13-4 victory. He improved to 6-1 overall, and is 4-0 with a 2.45 ERA on the road.

“Overall, Jeff did just fine,” manager Bud Black said. “Every game is a learning experience. And now he’s come back and

pitched in front of family and friends. So he can check that box. He’s done that.”

Hoffman blanked the Mets for three innings before Lucas Duda ripped a solo homer to right with two outs in the fourth.

Asdrubal Cabrera added a two-run homer in the fifth. But thanks to a big lead provided by the Rockies, Hoffman was

never in any real trouble.

“He pitched a lot with his fastball,” Black said. “They connected with a couple of mislocated fastballs, but overall he did a

good job.”

Desmond update. Before the game, right-handed starter Tyler Chatwood was placed on the 10-day disabled list (strained

calf) and Ian Desmond was activated off the DL.

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Desmond, returning from a strained calf that landed him on the DL on July 3, made a start in left field and went 2-for-3,

driving in two runs with a first-inning single to jump-start Colorado’s offense.

“It felt good to contribute,” Desmond said. “I felt good, but I was fighting my brain a little bit because you just don’t know

how it’s going to go. I was 100 percent when (the injury) happened, so coming off it, you never know what might happen.”

Desmond was replaced by pinch-runner Raimel Tapia in the sixth after drawing a walk, but that was just for precautionary

reasons.

“He’s fine,” Black said of Desmond. “He’d been out there for a couple of hours and I felt fine with where we were with the

game. So we took him out. But he’s fine. He’ll continue to get more confidence in the calf, as will we.”

Rotation in motion. Chatwood said his right calf muscle isn’t as sore as he expected it to be and hopes he can play

catch Monday. Still, he will miss at least two starts while on the DL. He injured the calf during warm-ups Saturday night

and tried to pitch through it. He lasted only 19 pitches before he left the game with the Rockies trailing 3-0.

“After the fact, it would have been nice to know that he felt something (during warm-ups),” Black said. “At that point we

could have made a decision, one way or another, to pull him back right then. … But what makes professional athletes at

this level is their extreme competitiveness and desire to play.”

Chatwood’s injury puts rookie left-hander Kyle Freeland back in the rotation.

“Calf strains are tricky,” Black said. “This doesn’t look like a couple days’ strain. It’s a legitimate strain, and we felt he

wasn’t going to be able to pitch for the next 10 days.”

The Rockies aren’t saying when Freeland will make his next start. He pitched three innings of relief Saturday after

Chatwood’s injury. The Rockies were hoping to give Freeland a midseason breather while controlling his innings.

The Rockies will start German Marquez against San Diego on Monday, the opener of a six-game homestand. Antonio

Senzatela is scheduled to pitch Tuesday, followed by Jon Gray on Wednesday. Thursday is a day off, so the Rockies

could skip Chatwood’s usual spot in the rotation and pitch Freeland at a later date.

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Rockies bats come alive for 18 hits in 13-4 win over Mets Rockies and Mets final score and highlights. By Eric Garcia McKinley / Rox Pile | July 16th, 2017

Roles reversed today. The Rockies hit the Mets with a barrage of offense. The Mets’ starting pitcher wasn’t able to record

an out in the second inning. And the Rockies ultimately avoided the sweep with a 13-4 to wrap up the quick, three-game

road trip.

The Rockies hit around in the first inning against Steven Matz, plating four runs in the process. All the runs came with two

outs. DJ LeMahieu singled in between a Charlie Blackmon strike out and a Nolan Arenado pop out. LeMahieu finished

with four hits on the day, including two doubles. With one on and one out, Mark Reynolds, who also had four hits,

doubled for his first to put runners on second and third. Ian Desmond brought them both home with a single. Gerardo

Parra singled on a bunt to put two runners on again, and this time Trevor Story brought both of them home to make it a

4-0 game. Jeff Hoffman struck out to end the inning after the Mets intentionally walked Ryan Hanigan.

The Rockies’ bats stayed hot in the second. It started with three vintage hits—each batter playing to type. Blackmon led

off with a double to right field, and LeMahieu made it runners at the corners with an opposite filed single. Arenado brought

both of them home, along with himself, with a home run to center field.

That made it 7-0 Rockies. Reynolds ran Matz from the game after knocking a single.

The fourth inning saw even more runs for the Rockies. LeMahieu led off with a double to right-center field, and Reynolds

brought him home with a single. Desmond pushed LeMahieu to third base with a double, and Parra brought him home

with a sacrifice fly. That made it 9-0.

Jeff Hoffman got in to and out of some trouble in the third inning. René Rivera and Wilmer Flores hit back-to-back singles

to put two on with nobody out. But Hoffman got Curtis Granderson to fly out for the first out, and he impressively struck

out Asdrúbal Cabrera and Michael Conforto to end the inning. After the second strikeout, he let out a bellow heading

back to the dugout. Hoffman isn’t afraid to show emotion on the mound.

Hoffman had a good but not great day. He allowed a couple of no-doubt home runs. The first was a solo shot from Lucas

Duda in the fourth inning. In the fifth, Cabrera hit a long one out to right field with a runner on. The Mets added another

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against Hoffman in the sixth inning. Once again, they started off with back-to-back singles. Two consecutive sacrifice flies

led to a run, making it 9-4, but that was all the Mets got. Hoffman had a little help from Charlie in center field:

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In all, Hoffman gave up seven hits and four runs in six innings of work. He walked just one batter, but he only struck out

three. Add to that the two home runs he gave up, and that’s where we get “good not great.” Sixty of the 91 pitches he

threw were strikes.

The Rockies got a couple runs back in the seventh. With a runner on Blackmon hit what was ruled an inside the park

home run to left-center field. The ball clearly was out of the park, but there was no reason to review the play because

Charlie rounded the bases anyway. That made the score 11-4.

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Parra knocked a two-run homer of his own in the eighth to make it 13-4. Which is how it ended. Scott Oberg, Mike Dunn,

and Zac Rosscup wrapped up the win for the Rockies with three scoreless innings.

The Rockies are headed back to Denver for a six-game home stand against the Padres and the Pirates. The Padres

series kicks off at 6:40 MT. Luis Perdomo will start for the Padres, and the Rockies respond with Germán Márquez.

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For starters, the Rockies need to go get a starter

By Casey Light / Mile High Sports | July 16th, 2017

Seven outs. That’s all the Rockies’ two veteran starters, Jon Gray and Tyler Chatwood, managed to get this weekend.

A pair of pitchers with 22 wins between them in 2016 retired just seven New York Mets, while at the same time allowing a

combined 12 earned runs.

In a recent poll on the Mile High Sports Twitter account, a whopping 40 percent of fans said that the Rockies’ offense was

the biggest concern at the All-Star break. While there’s no denying that the offense has been uninspiring recently, there’s

no amount of offense that can cover for a starting rotation whose senior-most pitchers combine to give up 12 runs while

earning just seven outs in two starts.

For as bad as the bullpen has been (the No. 22 bullpen ERA in baseball) and as shaky as the offense has looked of late

(averaging just 3.95 runs per game over a 5-15 stretch heading into Sunday), the starting rotation has to be Colorado’s

biggest concern. Bad starting pitching puts a huge strain on the bullpen and puts the offense on the defensive. If the

Rockies are going to stay in the playoff hunt, they have to make a move for a starting pitcher.

At present, their rotation is crumbling faster than an Antarctic ice shelf.

Gray looked solid in his first two outings back from the disabled list, but his command was completely absent Friday night

in the first game out of the All-Star break. Gray has the stuff to be a No. 1 starter and perennial 15-game winner. But he’s

still yet to win 15 games in his career. At 12-13 through parts of three seasons in the big leagues, the 23-year-old still

needs time to master his arsenal. Asking him to shoulder the entire load of a playoff run isn’t fair, or realistic.

In 2016 and through the early parts of 2017, the Rockies accepted Chatwood’s Jekyll and Hyde road vs. home splits. But

lately the road Chatwood has been just as monstrous, punctuated by Saturday’s hideous (albeit injury hampered) start in

Queens. Chatwood may be battling a physical injury, but he looks equally flustered mentally at this point in the season.

Expecting him to miraculously become a reliable No. 2 (or 3, or even 4 or 5) at this point seems like a stretch.

Meanwhile, the fearsome foursome of Rockies rookies isn’t nearly as scary as it was a month ago.

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Antonio Senzatela, at one point the NL wins leader, was first relegated to the bullpen and has since been sent to the

minor leagues. The beneficiary of the second-best run support in baseball, he may still factor into the second-half plan but

shouldn’t be counted on to be the force he was in April and May.

German Marquez, who won four consecutive games in the month of May, has won only two since and has a 5.94 ERA

over his last three starts. The 22-year-old has been streaky so far in his big league career, but he’s also been sneaky

good. If he puts together another three or four solid starts in a row, it’ll be hard to hide him in the rotation much longer.

Kyle Freeland, who nearly tossed a no-hitter in the final game before the break and pitched three innings of practically

perfect relief on Saturday, seems to have rebounded from a rough three-game stretch that almost saw him sent to the

minors. However, he likely lost his next turn in the rotation having to mop up Chatwood’s mess.

Jeff Hoffman was lights out in his first five starts for Colorado, but has shown some minor cracks in his five starts since.

He still boasts a 6-1 record after a solid outing on Sunday (minus a pair of home runs) to salvage the final game of the

Mets series, but, like Senzatela and Freeland, the Rockies can’t count on him to remain completely dominant as hitters

see more and more of him.

As the league has built a bigger book on the young Rockies starters, their success has been in decline. That’s to be

expected. And it’s why the Rockies can’t rely solely on those young arms to carry them to the playoffs.

Yes, Chad Bettis will unquestionably provide an emotional boost when he returns (probably in mid-August) from his battle

with cancer. But can he provide a similar boost on the field after having his body battered by cancer treatment? That’s

asking a lot.

As the Rockies rotation continues to regress, other competitors in the National League are gobbling up trade options.

Their closest challenger in the Wild Card, the Chicago Cubs, made a move last week to bolster a starting rotation that

already features a Cy Young winner and a pair of three-time World Series champions. The Washington Nationals, leaders

in the NL East, on Sunday grabbed two available bullpen arms from Oakland.

The longer the Rockies wait to make a move, the steeper the price and the fewer the options will be.

The Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Nationals all boast an imposing 1-2 punch at the top of their rotation. The Rockies, at

present, have a 0.5.

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As we’ve seen in 2007, ’09 and the years since and in between, there’s no guarantee of sustained success in Colorado.

The Rockies have a chance to make the playoffs this season and need to capitalize.

Colorado needs to bolster the bullpen. There’s no denying that. They could use some help behind the plate, as Brian Reiff

pointed out (paywall) over the weekend. They need big bats like Carlos Gonzalez and Trevor Story to come around. But

none of that will matter if they don’t do something to solidify the starting rotation.

22

Rockies score season-high 13 runs to salvage series finale vs. Mets

By MHS Staff / Mile High Sports | July 16th, 2017

The Colorado Rockies did a little bit of everything to earn a 13-4 victory Sunday and salvage the final game of a three-

game series with the Mets at Citi Field. The bats woke up, and did so early. The starting pitcher went deep into the game,

relatively speaking. And the bullpen held a lead, allowing just one meager hit over three innings.

Colorado jumped out to a 7-0 lead after two and put up crooked numbers in five different innings en route to a season-

high 13 runs in the game. Ian Desmond and Trevor Story each had a pair of RBIs in the first inning, and Nolan

Arenado hit a three-run home run in the second to spot Jeff Hoffman a healthy lead. DJ LeMahieu, who had four hits on

the day, scored his third run of the game in the fourth inning on a Mark Reynolds single. Gerardo Parra drove in Reynolds,

who also had four hits in the game, with a sac fly later in the inning. Charlie Blackmon hit an inside-the-park home

run (that cleared the center field fence but wasn’t ruled a home run) to score Story in the sixth. Parra again drove in

Reynolds in the eighth, this time with a two-run home run to cap the scoring.

After Colorado’s starters failed to get out of the third and first innings, respectively, in the first two games of the series,

Bud Black finally got some mileage out of a starter. Hoffman (6-1, 4.33) scattered seven hits over six innings, but did allow

a pair of home runs. He struck out three and walked one. Scott Oberg pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning, striking out

one. Mike Dunn duplicated that effort in the eighth. Zac Rosscup allowed an infield single in the ninth to close things out.

The victory runs Colorado’s record to 53-41, still holding the second National League Wild Card spot. The Rockies return

home to start a six-game home stand on Monday. They’ll open with three against the Padres before a day off on

Thursday, followed by a weekend series with the Pirates. German Marquez (6-4, 4.36) will have the ball for Colorado in

the opener against San Diego. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. MDT.

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Game of Runs: Rockies hack and slash Mets to move closer to throne

By Drew Creasman / BSN Denver | July 16th, 2017

Every time it seems like the Rockies’ offense is dead and buried in the snows beyond The Wall, they seem to rise like

White Walkers and unleash their fury in grand magnitude laying waste to all who stand in their way. Like House Stark,

they’ve taken some horrifying losses, they don’t have the power they once did, and every small victory seems to come

with another setback that requires even more scratching and clawing just to stay alive.

And yet … they may also be as strong right now as they have ever been, even if that is obscured by their scars. Sunday

healed a couple, a badly-needed 13-4 win over the New York Mets at CitiField.

Baseball can often feel like the Game of Thrones: You win or you die. But much like in that series, pretty much anything

could happen in any given episode … or game. It’s a series of individual events, loosely tied together by trends that can

take a sometimes agonizingly long time to reveal their full and true nature.

Is DJ LeMahieu a good offensive player? Can the Rockies truly compete with rookie and sophomore pitchers? Those are

essentially the “Who is Jon Snow’s mother?” of these Colorado Rockies. There are many different theories and varying

levels of attachment to them and everyone has been watching for years waiting for the other shoe to drop one way or the

other.

Well, LeMahieu began a gorgeous afternoon in the first with a one-out single to right field, the play hit that should probably

be renamed after him. But with Charlie Blackmon striking out before that single and Nolan Arenado popping up after it, it

would be left to several players who have been the subject of ire for the fans and the press to get the job done. Mark

Reynolds smashed a double to left but LeMahieu couldn’t score, meaning the Rockies would need another two-out hit.

They got three of them.

Ian Desmond hit a “LeMahieu” to right field to score a pair and he moved to third on a bunt single by Gerardo Parra that

included a wild throw. Parra appeared to injure his shoulder colliding with first baseman Lucas Duda but stayed in the

game. The much-maligned Trevor Story then stepped to the plate and delivered a big blow in the form of a double down

the left-field line, scoring Desmond and Parra to make it 4-0 before Colorado had taken the field on defense.

And they weren’t done with their onslaught against Matz of the Mets. In the second, Blackmon pulled a double down the

right-field line and LeMahieu … well, you can guess what LeMahieu did for the second time in as many at-bats. With the

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table setters aboard, Arenado let out a mighty swing of his sword, launching one over the center field fence to put the

Rockies up 7-0.

Colorado scored twice more before the Mets would get on the board. LeMahieu fire the opening salvo, this time hitting a

double into the right-center field gap. He moved up on a single from Reynolds and they both scored when Desmond

turned on an inside fastball and pulled a double down the line, making it 9-0, Rockies.

The Mets began to crawl back into the game a bit in the bottom of the frame, finally getting to Jeff Hoffman with a solo

home run off the bat of Lucas Duda. They plated another pair in the fifth on a two-run shot from Asdrubal Cabrera and got

one final run in the sixth on a sac fly from Jose Reyes.

With the game tighter at 9-4, Colorado answered back with a two-run, inside-the-park home run off the top of the center

field fence from Blackmon. It was his 19th homer of the season, scoring Story, who had singled for his second hit in the

game. Blackmon became only the second player in Rockies history (Brandon Barnes, 2014) to hit two inside-the-park

homers in one season.

A two-run home run from Parra in the eighth gave the Rockies their 13th run, their largest run total of the season. This is

the third game in the last six that the Rockies have scored double-digit runs. This was only the third time since 2008 that

Colorado has scored 13 or more runs in a road game.

LeMahieu went 4-for-5 to raise his season batting average to .316 and scored three runs. Parra is up to .337 and

Arenado’s three RBI put him back in first place in all of MLB. Reynolds joined LeMahieu in the four-hit-day club. With a

two-hit day, Blackmon retook the MLB lead in that category.

No one game should ease the mind of those concerned about the offense, but this is also the third time in the last six

games that they have scored at least 10 runs.

Jeff Hoffman did his part on the mound, throwing six solid innings, giving up four runs on seven hits but wisely staying in

the strike zone after being staked to a big early lead. He walked just one batter and struck out three. While nothing to get

overly excited about, it was still a start the Rockies desperately needed as they got a combined seven outs from their

starters in the two games prior to this one.

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Colorado improved to 53-41 and with the Arizona Diamondbacks’ fifth loss in a row today, are now just one game back of

the Wild Card crown. There is still a Narrow Sea between the Rockies and the Los Angeles Dodgers who sit on the Iron

Throne. But some wise maneuvering could see them stay alive just long enough to sweep in and steal the ultimate prize

when you least expect it. No one knows how this will end. But we do know that House Rox is unbowed, unbent, and

unbroken.

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FYI: Rockies Have Rare Road Romp & More

By Tracy Ringolsby / Inside the Seams | July 16th, 2017

The Rockies scored 13 runs against the Mets and did it in New York. … The D-Backs are in a funk. … The Dodgers are

on a rampage. … The Nationals know they have to be better at finishing games. ,,, And the A’s are starting over.

The Rockies 13-4 victory against the Mets on Sunday marked the 112th time in franchise history that they have scored 13

or more runs in a game, but only the 20th time on the road.

They got off to a quick start thanks to the return of Ian Desmond, who came off the disabled list and singled home two

runs in the first, and also scored in that four-run rally. He also doubled in the fourth, setting up a Gerardo Parra sacrifice

fly and then walked in the sixth at which time he was replaced as a precautionary move.

Rockies games on the road in which they scored 13 or more runs:

Date Opp R

9/25/2011 Hou 19

5/5/2016 SF 17

8/12/1995 Atl 16

8/10/2001 Cin 16

8/3/2003 Pit 16

4/5/1997 Mon 15

9/24/2008 SF 15

5/4/1993 ChC 14

6/6/1996 Hou 14

8/12/2000 Mon 14

8/9/2001 ChC 14

10/7/2001 SD 14

8/6/2005 Ari 14

6/14/2006 Was 14

6/17/1994 LA 13

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5/5/1999 ChC 13

7/18/2006 Pit 13

4/13/2008 Ari 13

8/16/2008 Was 13

7/16/2017 NYM 13

THE DIAMONDBACKS are in 3-10 slump that has left them just a game ahead of the Rockies in the race for the No. 1 NL

wild-card spot. Since winning back-to-back games against the Rockies July 1-2, they have lost eight of nine. They were

swept in three games by the Dodgers, lost two of three to the Reds, and opened the post-All-Star portion of their schedule

by being swept in a three-game visit to Atlanta. Five of the eight losses have been by one run. Now they head to

Cincinnati for three and then return home to host the NL East leading Nationals and the Braves for three games each.

They have 37 of their final 70 games on the road.

The offense has been slugging. Paul Goldschmidt is the only player with at least 10 at-bats hitting above .300 during the

streak, and six regulars are hitting below .200.

Player G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI AVG

Paul Goldschmidt 9 36 3 11 1 0 2 5 .306

Daniel Descalso 6 17 2 5 1 0 1 5 .294

Jeff Mathis 4 11 0 3 1 0 0 1 .273

Brandon Drury 8 24 3 6 2 0 0 1 .250

David Peralta 7 26 2 6 1 0 0 2 .231

Chris Owings 9 36 3 8 0 0 0 1 .222

A.J. Pollock 9 27 2 5 1 0 1 1 .185

Jake Lamb 9 29 2 5 1 0 2 2 .172

Ketel Marte 8 19 2 3 0 0 1 1 .158

Chris Iannetta 5 13 2 2 1 0 0 0 .154

Gregor Blanco 7 14 0 2 1 0 0 0 .143

Chris Herrmann 8 18 2 2 1 0 0 0 .111

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THEN THERE ARE the Dodgers. They have taken charge in the NL West, opening a 10 1/2-game lead on the second

place D-Backs and 11 1/2 on the Rockies. They have won 29 of their last 33 games. They have five of the last nine by

one run. And their next 18 games included only three against a team with a winning record — the Twins at Dodger

Stadium July 24-26.

Clayton Kershaw

The pitching staff has compiled a 2.99 ERA and allowed a .218 batting average in the 33 games, and it’s not surprise that

Clayton Kershaw has led the way. He has won all seven of his starts, compiling a 2.01 ERA. And Kenley Jensen is 14-for-

14 in saves.

Dodgers pitchers in the last 33 games:

Player W L Sv ERA AVG

Clayton Kershaw 7 0 0 2.01 .170

Alex Wood 5 0 0 1.40 .152

Rich Hill 4 2 0 3.15 .197

Josh Fields 3 0 0 6.23 .219

Kenta Maeda 3 1 1 2.81 .237

Pedro Baez 2 1 0 2.84 .333

Luis Avilan 1 0 0 5.79 .350

Kenley Jansen 1 0 14 0.53 .103

Brandon McCarthy 1 0 0 3.60 .255

Hyun-Jin Ryu 1 0 0 4.58 .321

Ross Stripling 1 0 0 9.00 .378

Grant Dayton 0 0 0 2.84 .105

Chris Hatcher 0 0 0 6.43 .241

Brandon Morrow 0 0 0 3.72 .256

Josh Ravin 0 0 0 0.00 .143

Sergio Romo 0 0 0 5.06 .238

Brock Stewart 0 0 1 0.00 .088

Sean Dolittle

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THE NATIONALS have the second best record in the NL (55-36), but they don’t have much relief, which is why the

Nationals were willing to expand their payroll by roughly $4.8 million for the remainder of this year to add left Sean Dolittle

(lefties are 0-for-23 against him this season) and right-hander Ryan Madson (2.40 ERA). Both pithers are under control for

next year — Madson at $7.7 million and Dolittle at $4.38 million.

Blake Treiner

The price in terms of layers wasn’t excessive. The A’s add reliever Blake Treiner and two low-level minor leagues —

infielder Sheldon Neuse, who is at the Single-A level, and lefty Jesus Luzardo, who is pitching in the Rookie Level Gulf

Coast League.

But then the Nationals have never been to the World Series since their inception as the Expos in 1969, and while they

have advanced to the post-season in three of the last five years they were eliminated in the best-of-five Division Series

each time.

Despite their success this year the Expos bullpen ranks last in the majors in ERA (5.30), 10th in the NL in save

percentage (61.1) and eighth in the NL in saves (22).

NL bullpens:

Team ERA Team SV% Team Sv

Dodgers 2.95 Rockies 78.9 Rockies 30

Cubs 3.33 Dodgers 75.0 Brewers 30

D-Backs 3.58 Padres 70.6 Dodgers 27

Pirates 3.82 Reds 70.4 Cardinals 26

Brewers 4.01 Cardinals 70.3 Padres 24

Reds 4.07 Brewers 69.8 D-Backs 23

Cardinals 4.10 Cubs 67.7 Braves 23

Marlins 4.11 Giants 66.7 Nationals 22

Giants 4.16 D-Backs 65.7 Cubs 21

Padres 4.41 Nationals 61.1 Giants 20

Braves 4.42 Mets 59.4 Reds 19

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Rockies 4.43 Pirates 58.1 Mets 19

Phillies 4.51 Braves 57.5 Pirates 18

Mets 4.97 Marlins 53.1 Marlins 17

Nationals 5.30 Phillies 44.0 Phillies 11

AND THEN THERE ARE the A’s, who are in a full-fledged rebuilding plan that could lead to more trades in the two weeks

remaining before the trading deadline. With the trade of Dolittle and recent deal that sent StephenVogt to the Brewers,

none of the 20 players who appeared in the 2014 post-season remain.They are on pace for their third consecutive last

place finish in the AL West, and have the worst record in the AL since the start of the 2015 season. They rank 13th in

team ERA and 14th in runs scored.

The AL stat standings:

Team W L Pct Team ERA Team Runs

Astros 231 184 .557 Indians 3.77 Red Sox 2063

Rangers 228 186 .551 Astros 3.84 Blue Jays 2024

Blue Jays 224 190 .541 Blue Jays 3.96 Astros 1992

Red Sox 222 193 .535 Rays 4.00 Rangers 1966

Indians 222 189 .540 Royals 4.02 Yankees 1929

Royals 220 193 .533 Yankees 4.06 Indians 1870

Yankees 217 195 .527 Red Sox 4.08 Mariners 1863

Orioles 212 202 .512 Angels 4.13 Tigers 1861

Mariners 207 209 .498 White Sox 4.15 Orioles 1860

Angels 204 214 .488 Mariners 4.17 Twins 1830

Tigers 200 211 .487 Rangers 4.29 Royals 1764

Bay Rays 197 219 .474 Orioles 4.36 Angels 1759

White Sox 192 221 .465 Athletics 4.40 Bay Rays 1752

Twins 188 226 .454 Tigers 4.53 Athletics 1739

Athletics 178 237 .429 Twins 4.64 White Sox 1710

31

On Deck: Padres at Rockies

By Tracy Ringolsby / Inside the Seams | July 16th, 2017

The Rockies and Padres open a three-game series at Coors Field on Monday. Rockies have split their last 10 games, and

are holding the second wild-card spot in the NL, just a game back of the D-Backs, who are the NL wild-card leader. The

two teams played at Coors Field in April, the Rockies winning two of three. The two teams have split six games in San

Diego.

Padres (40-51) have the fourth worst record in the big leagues, but are in fourth place in NL West, six games ahead of the

last-place Giants. They have, however, won eight of their last 12 games. They have lost five of nine games against the

Rockies, including two of three back in April i their previous visit to Colorado.

Probable Starting Pitcher Matchups

Monday

German Marquez

German Marquez (6-4, 4.36) for the Rockies vs. Luis Perdomo (4-4, 4.54) for the Padres. Marquez is 2-2 with 4.36 ERA

in his last six starts. He is coming off a win against the White Sox the weekend before the All-Star Break. He lost his only

career starts against the Padres, allowing six runs in five innings at Petco Park on June 2. Perdomo is 4-2 with a 4.09

ERA in his last six starts, and 0-2 with a 5.82 ERA in three career starts against the Rockies. Two struggling Rockies have

had success against him — Carlos Gonzalez (5-for-10) and Trevor Story (4-7).

Marquez lifetime against players currently on the Padres roster:

Name AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BA OBP

Wil Myers 4 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000

Clayton Richard 4 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000

Allen Cordoba 3 2 1 0 0 1 .667 .667

Austin Hedges 2 1 0 0 1 2 .500 .500

Total 13 3 1 0 1 4 .231 .231 Perdomo lifetime against players currently on the Rockies roster:

32

Name AB H 2B 3B HR RBI OBP BA

Tyler Chatwood 3 2 0 1 0 2 .667 .667

Trevor Story 7 4 1 0 0 1 .571 .571

Carlos Gonzalez 10 5 1 0 1 3 .500 .545

Alexi Amarista 2 1 0 0 0 1 .500 .500

DJ LeMahieu 10 4 1 0 0 0 .400 .400

Mark Reynolds 9 3 0 0 0 0 .333 .400

Nolan Arenado 10 3 1 0 2 4 .300 .417

Charlie Blackmon 10 3 0 0 1 2 .300 .364

Jon Gray 5 1 0 0 0 0 .200 .200

Gerardo Parra 5 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000

Tony Wolters 4 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000

Kyle Freeland 2 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000

Ryan Hanigan 2 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000

Total 79 26 4 1 4 14 .329 .369

Tuesday

Antonio Senzatela (9-3, 4.63) for the Rockies against Dinelson Lamet (3-3,

Antonio Senzatela

5.93) for the Padres. Senzatela is 2-0 with a 2.77 ERA against the Padres this year. He will be making his first start since

June 22. He made three relief appearances and then started for Triple-A Albuqeruqe last Thursday, working 3 1/3 innings,

allowing one run. Lamet opened the season at Triple-A El Paso and was 3-2 wtih a 3.23 ERA. He is 2-3 with a 6.50 ERA

his last seven starts for the Padres.

Senzatela lifetime against current members of the Padres:

Name AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BA OBP

Austin Hedges 6 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000

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Manuel Margot 6 2 0 0 1 1 .333 .333

Wil Myers 5 3 1 1 0 2 .600 .500

Erick Aybar 5 2 0 0 1 1 .400 .400

Cory Spangenberg 3 1 0 0 0 0 .333 .333

Jabari Blash 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 1.000

Craig Stammen 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000

Total 26 8 1 1 2 4 .308 .321 Lamet has never faced any current members of the Rockies.

Wednesday

Jon Gray (2-1, 6.23) for the Rockies against Clayton Richard (5-9, 4.75) for the

Jon Gray

Padres. Gray’s ERA is skewed by his last start, in which he allowed eight runs in two-plus innings of work against the

Mets on Friday. He made three starts in April and then went on the disabled list with a stress fracture in his left foot. He

won his first two starts after being activated, allowing two earned runs in each. Richard is 1-3 with a 5.44 ERA his last

seven starts. He erned a June 2 victory against the Rockies despite giving up 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Gray lifetime against current members of the Padres:

Name AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BA OBP

Wil Myers 15 6 2 0 1 5 .4 .412

Erick Aybar 2 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .333

Luis Perdomo 2 1 0 0 0 0 .500 .500

Cory Spangenberg 2 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000

Brad Hand 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000

Hector Sanchez 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000

Total 23 7 2 0 1 5 .304 .346 Richard lifetime against current members of the Rockies:

Name AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BA OBP

Carlos Gonzalez 35 8 0 0 0 4 .229 .270

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Gerardo Parra 16 5 1 0 0 0 .313 .389

Mark Reynolds 8 2 0 1 0 0 .250 .538

Nolan Arenado 9 4 1 1 0 2 .444 .444

DJ LeMahieu 6 1 1 0 0 1 .167 .375

Charlie Blackmon 7 2 0 0 0 0 .286 .375

Ryan Hanigan 6 2 1 0 0 0 .333 .429

Tony Wolters 4 2 0 0 0 0 .500 .500

German Marquez 2 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000

Trevor Story 3 1 0 0 0 0 .333 .333

Jeff Hoffman 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000

Pat Valaika 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000

Total 98 27 4 2 0 8 .276 .360

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Desmond returns from DL, sparks Rockies to 13-4 rout of Mets

By Associated Press / ESPN.com | July 16th, 2017

NEW YORK -- Nobody tried to stop Charlie Blackmon as he went tearing around the bases. Not even the New York Mets.

A hustling Blackmon was credited with an inside-the-park home run -- even though his shot actually went over the fence --

and the Colorado Rockies romped to a 13-4 victory Sunday that prevented a three-game sweep.

"That was a big one," manager Bud Black said .

Ian Desmond provided an instant spark in his return from the disabled list, and Nolan Arenado hit a three-run homer as

Colorado routed Steven Matz and the Mets. Gerardo Parra also went deep to help the slumping Rockies win for only the

sixth time in 21 games.

With a runner aboard in the seventh inning, Blackmon launched a drive that barely cleared the orange line atop the left-

center wall and caromed back onto the grass. Umpires ruled the ball in play, but center fielder Curtis Granderson was well

aware it was a home run. So he took his time picking up the ball, and leisurely tossed it toward the infield.

"I'm not going to run after a ball I know is over the fence," Granderson said.

Blackmon wasn't so sure. Waved home by third base coach Stu Cole, the two-time All-Star raced around the basepaths

and scored uncontested.

"I didn't think it was going to go out," Blackmon said. "When I saw it bouncing around, I just assumed it hit the wall."

With no replay review necessary, Blackmon wound up with his second inside-the-park homer of the season. He said

Parra told him he was "the only guy that ever hit two home runs in one at-bat."

DJ LeMahieu and Mark Reynolds each had four of Colorado's 18 hits to back rookie Jeff Hoffman (6-1), handed a huge

early lead while pitching with family and friends in the stands.

Hoffman grew up about 160 miles north of Citi Field in Latham, New York, just shy of a three-hour drive away.

"It felt great," he said. "It's crazy whenever I come to the East Coast because a lot of my family doesn't get to see me, so it

gets crowded real quick."

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Colorado set season highs for runs, hits and extra-base hits (10). Despite their recent slide, the Rockies hold a 5 1/2-

game lead for the second NL wild card.

"We just needed a win," Hoffman said. "Get us back to Denver with a good taste in our mouth."

After outscoring Colorado 23-5 in the first two games of the series, the Mets had a chance to make up some significant

ground on the Rockies by completing a three-game sweep. Matz, however, quickly squandered the opportunity with the

worst of his 35 major league starts.

The left-hander gave up a two-run single to Desmond with two outs in the first inning and a two-run double to Trevor

Story. Colorado then opened the second with four straight hits to chase Matz (2-3), including Arenado's homer that made

it 7-0.

"I was leaving balls right over the middle of the plate," said Matz, who allowed nine hits. "It's frustrating, but I've got to

flush it."

Lucas Duda and Asdrubal Cabrera homered for New York, which fell 9 1/2 games behind the Rockies in the wild-card

hunt. Time is running out on the Mets to make a playoff push before the July 31 trade deadline, when several veterans

with expiring contracts could be shipped to contenders.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rockies: RHP Tyler Chatwood was placed on the 10-day DL with a right calf strain. RHP Antonio Senzatela will be

recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque to start Tuesday against San Diego. ... The versatile Desmond was activated before

the game and started in left field. He went 2 for 3 with a walk before being lifted for a pinch runner with Colorado leading

9-3 in the sixth. Desmond had been sidelined since July 3 with a strained right calf. ... Parra, who had three RBI, was

shaken up after beating out a bunt single in the first but stayed in the game.

Mets: LF Yoenis Cespedes sat out with a sore left hip but is expected back in the lineup Monday night. ... RF Jay Bruce is

probably due for a day off this week, manager Terry Collins said.

ROAD SHOW

Hoffman allowed four runs in six innings, improving to 4-0 with a 2.45 ERA in five starts away from home this season. He

estimated about 30 or 40 friends and family members were on hand, including his parents, brother and fiancee. But he

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only left one ticket himself. "I let them fend for themselves because especially in a city like this, it can get expensive,"

Hoffman said.

FRESH ARM

After the game, the Mets recalled reliever Hansel Robles from Triple-A Las Vegas and optioned fellow right-hander Chase

Bradford to their top farm club.

UP NEXT

Rockies: Rookie RHP German Marquez (6-4, 4.36 ERA) starts against RHP Luis Perdomo (4-4, 4.54) and the Padres

when Colorado begins a six-game homestand Monday night. Marquez gave up six runs and eight hits in five innings of an

8-5 loss at San Diego on June 2.

Mets: RHP Zack Wheeler (3-6, 4.86 ERA) faces RHP Adam Wainwright (10-5, 5.20) and the visiting Cardinals in the

opener of a four-game series Monday night. Wheeler pitched well but lost at St. Louis in his most recent start July 8.

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