1

Arenado flirts with cycle as Rockies take series

By Bill Ladson and Thomas Harding / MLB.com | August 28th, 2016

WASHINGTON -- Nolan Arenado proved to be too much for the Nationals. He drove in three runs and was a double

short of the cycle as he helped the Rockies defeat the Nats, 5-3, at Nationals Park on Sunday afternoon. The Rox have

been tough on postseason contenders, going 8-4 against the Nationals and Cubs this season.

"It's still frustrating, knowing that we beat the best team, and then we lose to teams that aren't really in the race," said

Arenado, whose Rockies won two of three in Washington after being swept in Milwaukee. "We've got to find a way to put

it all together. But it feels good. I'm going home happy."

It was Arenado who gave Colorado the first run of the game in the first inning. With right-hander Lucas Giolito on the

mound bidding for his first career victory, Arenado singled to left field, scoring Charlie Blackmon.

The Nationals would tie the game in the bottom of the frame, when Trea Turnerswung at a 2-1 pitch from Rockies right-

hander Chad Bettis and hit the ball into the left-field stands.

But Colorado retook the lead in the third inning, when Arenado hit a two-run homer -- his 35th of the season -- and David

Dahl went back-to-back with his fifth of the year. Bettis (11-7) -- who walked a career-high seven at Milwaukee while

losing his last start -- took advantage of the situation and pitched seven innings, allowing two runs on five hits and striking

out six batters.

MEDIA CLIPS – August 29, 2016

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"It was fun today," Bettis said. "Everything was working."

The Nationals made it interesting the ninth, when Bryce Harper homered off Boone Logan to make it a two-run game.

But right-hander Adam Ottavino blanked the Nats the rest of the way and picked up his second save of the season.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Keeping cool: The Nationals' big chance came in the fifth, with the Rockies up, 4-1. Singles by Danny Espinosa and

Turner, with a Giolito sacrifice bunt between, put runners at the corners, but Bettis induced a double-play grounder

fromBen Revere. The only man to reach after Turner was Wilson Ramos, who hit his 20th homer of the season to open

the seventh.

"The double play he got in the fifth was big," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "That was a game-changer."

Ouch … but a run: The Rockies padded the lead in the eighth on a play that was unusual by any measure, and painful

for home-plate umpire Mike Muchlinski. Daniel Descalso doubled with one out, and he scored from second with two

down to give Colorado a 5-2 lead when Nats righty Koda Glover's pitch hit Muchlinski in the left shoulder and bounced to

the backstop. Ramos, the catcher, checked briefly on Muchlinski, but the ricochet was so odd that he might not have

retrieved the ball in time to retire Descalso anyway.

"I've seen guys score from second on wild pitches, but I don't know if I've ever seen one hit the umpire. … But it got him

good," Weiss said. "You don't like for the umpire to have to wear one like that. It ended up being a pretty big run for us at

the time."

on WP

Said Glover, "Me and Ramos got crossed up. I thought he put down a different pitch. It's on me. I screwed the umpire up.

Honestly, I don't know how that run is able to score. At most, I thought he would be told to go to third. That's just baseball.

Ramos was checking on [the umpire]. He was more worried about him and I was, too. It's just one of those crazy things

that baseball pulls out."

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Giolito is decent: Giolito threw five innings, the most he has pitched in the big leagues thus far. He had only one poor

inning, when he allowed the two home runs in the third. Giolito ended up losing his first game of his big league career.

"It's that one bad inning that does you in," manager Dusty Baker said. "Today, he had Arenado, 0-2, he was trying to get a

ball in a place where he didn't get it in. It was right down the middle. The next batter, Dahl, came up and deposited the ball

into left-center field. That was that one bad inning. He threw the ball better than he had been, but his pitch count got high

in a hurry."

Giolito said he has to be better at getting ahead of hitters and finishing them off with the pitch he wants to throw.

"The way I was pitching in Triple-A recently, I wouldn't say it was an improvement," Giolito said. "I have been pitching a lot

better. I figured some things out. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to execute on a few pitches today. That lost the game for

us."

QUOTABLE

"Well, I wanted it. It's funny because of all the things, we went 1-2-3 in the ninth inning. It feels like we never go 1-2-3,

ever. It's kind of a weird thing, but it's all good." -- Arenado, on being on deck when the Rockies' ninth ended and not

having a chance at the cycle

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

The most surprising event of the game was Harper's ninth-inning leadoff homer against Logan, who had dominated

Washington. The homer was just the second hit off Logan, who struck out five of the 14 Nats batters he faced this season.

Ottavino replaced Logan and fanned two of the three men he faced.

Harper's solo big fly

Bryce Harper connects on a solo shot to right-center field to cut the Nationals' deficit to 5-3 in the bottom of the 9th

Arenado leads the Majors with 32 RBIs this month, and he is one shy of Andres Galarraga's club record for August (33,

1996).

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WHAT'S NEXT

Rockies: Righty Jon Gray, who owns the club rookie record for strikeouts with 142 and fanned 10 against the Brewers in

his last start, will open a series against the Dodgers on Monday at 6:40 p.m. MT.

Nationals: The Nationals travel to Philadelphia to play a three-game series against the Phillies. In the first game, which

starts at 7:05 p.m. ET on Monday, right-handerTanner Roark will get the nod for Washington. In his last start against the

Orioles, Roark was off from the start, hit hard for five runs (four earned) on seven hits over five innings to take the loss.

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Bettis' head where it should be in sharp start

After walking seven in Milwaukee, Rockies righty tweaks mechanics

WASHINGTON -- The problem was with Rockies right-hander Chad Bettis' head.

Now, don't get ideas about Bettis' psyche. His career-high seven-walk performance in a loss Monday at Milwaukee wasn't

"all in his head." Rather, it was due to head positioning. At any rate, Bettis' head was in the right place Sunday afternoon,

when he threw seven effective innings with six strikeouts in a 5-3 victory over the Nationals.

"A lot of times, it's just one little thing," said Bettis, who last went seven innings on April 10. "Going from Milwaukee to

here, the one thing I wanted to focus on was making sure my head was in the plate, and going from there."

In plain English, if Bettis could keep his head pushing toward the plate throughout his delivery, rather than leaning to the

side, he could spot all his pitches. Bettis pitched off his usually solid fastball and slider, and he employed a curve that has

increasingly become a part of his arsenal. And as Sunday's game progressed, his changeup was stellar.

"I have a lot of faith in Chad because of the way he works, the way he competes," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "He

put it all together today."

Bettis held the Nats to five hits, though two were inning-opening home runs; Trea Turner hit one in the first and Wilson

Ramos did it in the fifth. They increased his homers-against total to 20, which is barely outside the 10 most in the National

League. But Bettis realizes solo homers don't beat him, and he wins more often attacking hitters despite the risk.

Bettis also made pitches that mattered. His fastball induced a double-play grounder from speedy Ben Revere with two on

to end the fifth.

"Our whole thought process right there was to give it a fastball," Bettis said. "We knew he could run well, but we have

great infielders."

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After the Ramos homer cut his lead to 4-2, Bettis teased Ryan Zimmerman, Danny Espinosa and Chris Heisey into

flailing at third-strike pitches that bounced.

"He's got four or five pitches, and he does a good job at mixing it up," Turner said. And [catcher Tony] Wolters calls a

good game as well, and they were on the same page. He kept us off balance, and it's tough when you've got to look for

multiple pitches in the zone, not just around the plate."

Called up last May, Bettis finished the season as the Rockies' best pitcher and, according to staff and veteran players,

emerged as a uniting force for a young staff. Bettis saw his improvement after the Milwaukee start as a product of united

co-workers who examined Bettis' head positioning.

"As a group, we watch each other's bullpens, especially when someone doesn't look right," Bettis said. "You could go to

another guy and say, 'What have you got for me? What did you see?' It's a tight-knit group and it needs to stay that way.

"There has been talk about it, collectively, and I picked people's brain, from [Jon] Gray to [Tyler] Chatwood to 'Andy' [Tyler

Anderson], and now [Jeff] Hoffman is with us. Some of the stuff that they say clicks.”

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Umpire Muchlinski hit by WP, stays in game

Descalso scores from second base on Glover's errant fastball

By Alex Putterman / MLB.com | August 28th, 2016

WASHINGTON -- When a Koda Glover fastball hit home-plate umpire Mike Muchlinski's shoulder in the seventh inning

Sunday, Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos' first instinct was to turn around and see if Muchlinski was all right.

But as Ramos checked on the umpire, the ball ricocheted to the backstop, allowing Rockies baserunner Daniel

Descalso to score from second base. The run extended Colorado's lead in an eventual 5-3 win over the Nationals.

"Initially, I knew it was a very hard-thrown baseball, and I heard the impact, and it was very hard and loud," Ramos said

through an interpreter. "My initial reaction was to catch the umpire and see if he was all right. When I picked up my

eyesight, I looked for the ball, and I looked in the wrong direction."

Muchlinski, in his third year as a full-time MLB ump, remained in the game after kneeling on the ground for several

minutes. The Nationals' public relations department said after the game that he was not seriously hurt.

Glover took blame for the wild pitch, which gave the Rockies a 5-2 lead, saying it was a result of a miscommunication

between him and Ramos. Glover said that he, like Ramos, was at first just concerned that Muchlinski was OK, and he

thought the ball should have been called dead after it hit the umpire.

"Honestly, I don't know how that run's able to score," Glover said. "At most, I thought he'd be told to go to third."

Nationals manager Dusty Baker said the umpires told him the ball was not dead after hitting the ump. Baker said he had

never seen a play like that, a sentiment echoed by Glover and Rockies manager Walt Weiss.

"I've seen guys score from second on wild pitches, but I don't know if I've ever seen one hit the umpire. ... But it got him

good," Weiss said. "You don't like for the umpire to have to wear one like that. It ended up being a pretty big run for us at

the time."

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After the wild pitch, Glover struck out batter Ryan Raburn to end the inning. Though the Rockies ended up winning by

two runs, Descalso's score looked at the time to be a valuable insurance run.

Baker said the incident taught him what to do if an umpire gets hurt.

"I guess in that sense, you've got to go get the ball and then come back to see how he is," Baker said.

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Chatwood expects to make rehab start

Rockies right-hander went on DL with back spasms on Aug. 16

By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | August 28th, 2016

WASHINGTON -- Rockies right-hander Tyler Chatwood will start Monday for Double-A Hartford on a five-inning/75-pitch

Minor League rehab assignment as he completes his recovery from his second bout with back spasms. He expects to

make the following start for Colorado.

Chatwood (10-8, 3.75 ERA in 22 starts) first went to the 15-day disabled list after a June 18 start, and he returned for 12

starts before going back to the DL on Aug. 16. He believes he is fully recovered this time.

"This is the first time I haven't really had back pain in a while, so I've just got to keep that going," Chatwood said Sunday.

Chatwood was 4-5 with a 4.81 ERA in the dozen starts between injuries, but when the pain was at its worst, he was

limited to arm-side fastballs -- inside to right-handed batters, outside to lefties -- because he couldn't achieve the

necessary extension to throw a credible changeup or breaking balls to the other side.

"Breaking balls, you have to get out there and get extended," Chatwood said. "I've been able to do that in my two sides,

so I feel good going out there, confident I'm going to be able to do that."

Chatwood is 6-1 with a 1.82 ERA in 10 road starts, but the injury has pushed Chatwood below the threshold of innings to

be listed among the qualifying leaders. According to STATS Inc., the Rangers' Cole Hamels leads the Majors with a 1.91

road ERA.

Multiplicity: Charlie Blackmon's two-homer game Saturday was his fifth with multiple jacks, and Nolan Arenado had

already accomplished the feat. The last team to have two players with five multi-homer games was the 2010 Nationals --

Adam Dunn and Ryan Zimmerman.

Blackmon crushes two home runs

That's a long run: Rockies relief pitcher Adam Ottavino's 37-game streak without a run -- which ended in the ninth

inning of Colorado's 9-4, 11-inning victory over Washington -- was tied for the fourth-longest streak in the Majors since

earned runs became an official National League stat in 1912. The American League adopted it in '13.

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The record was Orioles left-hander Zach Britton's 43-game stretch this season from May 5-Aug. 22. Next were 38-game

streaks from the Blue Jays' Brett Cecil (June 24, 2015-April 4, 2016) and Craig Kimbrel when he was with the Braves

(June 14-Sept. 8, 2011).

Ottavino is tied with left-hander Mike Myers, who went 37 scoreless from Sept. 21, 1999, with the Brewers, to June 29,

2000 with the Rockies. Myers' streak included a May 24, 2000, game with Colorado when he didn't face a batter.

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Marquez faces Smith in Triple-A duel

By Mike Rosenbaum / MLB.com | August 28th, 2016

Here's a look at top prospects to watch in Monday's Minor League action:

Hitter to watch: Rowdy Tellez (Blue Jays' No. 9), New Hampshire vs. Trenton (6:35 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)

Tellez homered for the second time in three games on Sunday, giving him 19 home runs in 116 games. The 21-year-old

first baseman has impressed in his first taste of the Double-A level by hitting .298 with 48 extra-base hits and 73 RBIs.

Pitcher to watch: Luis Castillo (Marlins' No. 5), Jacksonville at Pensacola (7:30 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)

Castillo was sharp in his debut for Double-A Jacksonville on Aug. 23, when he allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits

with four strikeouts over six innings against Chattanooga. A 23-year-old right-hander who can hit triple digits with his

fastball, Castillo has jumped on the prospect radar this year in his first campaign as a full-time starter. Before advancing to

the Southern League, he had posted a 2.07 ERA and 0.96 WHIP with a 91-18 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 117 2/3 innings

(23 appearances/21 starts) for Class A Advanced Jupiter.

Duel of the day: Nate Smith (Angels' No. 5) vs. German Marquez (Rockies' No. 7), Salt Lake vs. Albuquerque (9:05

p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)

Smith, 25, turned in arguably the best performance of his season in his last start as he fired seven innings of one-hit ball

with four strikeouts and no walks in a win over Triple-A El Paso. It also marked his second straight quality start for the left-

hander.

Marquez is set to make his fourth start since moving up to Albuquerque from Double-A Hartford, where, at the time of his

promotion, he was pacing all qualified hurlers in the Eastern League with a 2.85 ERA and 126 strikeouts. With the

Isotopes, the 21-year-old right-hander has pitched to a 4.50 ERA, compiling 19 strikeouts and six walks in 18 innings.

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Monday's top prospect probables

Shawn Morimando (Indians' No. 13), Columbus at Durham (Triple-A)

Nick Pivetta (Phillies' No. 18), Lehigh Valley at Buffalo (Triple-A)

Matt Koch (D-backs' No. 20) vs. Chris Stratton (Giants' No. 26), Reno at Sacramento (Triple-A)

Brady Rodgers (Astros' No. 23), Fresno at Tacoma (Triple-A)

Taylor Clarke (D-backs' No. 6), Mobile vs. Montgomery (Double-A)

Spencer Adams (White Sox No. 3), Birmingham at Tennessee (Double-A)

Ariel Jurado (Rangers' No. 8), Frisco at Midland (Double-A)

Nick Kingham (Pirates' No. 11), Altoona vs. Binghamton (Double-A)

Chance Adams (Yankees' No. 14), Trenton at New Hampshire (Double-A)

Jason Garcia (Orioles' No. 16), Bowie vs. Harrisburg (Double-A)

Ricardo Pinto (Phillies' No. 16), Reading vs. Portland (Double-A)

Chase De Jong (Dodgers' No. 17), Tulsa at Springfield (Double-A)

Rob Kaminsky (Indians' No. 19), Akron at Erie (Double-A)

Andrew Moore (Mariners' No. 10) vs. Brandon Woodruff (Brewers' No. 25), Jackson at Biloxi (Double-A)

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Jeff Brigham (Marlins' No. 20), Jupiter at Bradenton (Class A Advanced)

Sandy Baez (Tigers' No. 16), West Michigan at Fort Wayne (Class A)

Miguel Diaz (Brewers' No. 20), Wisconsin at Quad Cities (Class A)

Nick Wells (Mariners' No. 25), Clinton vs. Cedar Rapids (Class A)

Dakota Chalmers (A's No. 9), Vermont vs. Tri-City (Class A Short Season)

Aaron Civale (Indians' No. 18), Mahoning Valley at Williamsport (Class A Short Season)

Ian Kahaloa (Reds' No. 23), Billings at Great Falls (Rookie)

Guadalupe Chavez (Astros' No. 24), Greeneville vs. Elizabethton (Rookie)

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Gray follows 10-K performance in battle of rookies

By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | August 28th, 2016

The National League West-leading Dodgers will arrive at Coors Field on Monday to test the theory that the Rockies rise to

the level of the better opponent.

After winning two of three in Washington over the weekend, the Rockies -- with rookie right-hander Jon Gray (8-6, 4.61

ERA) starting after fanning 10 in six innings his last outing -- are a combined 13-11 against the Nationals, Cubs and

Dodgers, the three division leaders.

However, Colorado is 5-7 against Los Angeles, which will start righty Kenta Maeda (13-7, 3.37 ERA) on Monday. The

teams' series at Dodger Stadium is tied three games apiece, but the Dodgers are 4-2 at Coors Field.

Three things to know about this game

• Gray seems to have learned part of the secret of pitching at Coors. He has a 5.11 ERA in 61 2/3 innings, but he has

managed a 5-1 record in 12 starts, meaning he can roll with the good outings and finds a way to be competitive when runs

are plentiful.

• Maeda, a rookie, has been a key to the Dodgers' surge to the top of the NL West. He is 5-0 with a 3.74 ERA in his past

six starts. In two starts at Coors Field, he is 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA, 13 strikeouts and one walk.

"Kenta is good at Coors Field because he keeps the ball down, he executes his pitches, and regardless of what team or

ballpark he plays in, Kenta doesn't concern himself with that," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "I think that

sometimes, pitchers worry about pitching in Coors Field, but I think Kenta is not worried about that. Mentally, he accepts

that challenge."

• Rockies rookie outfielder David Dahl homered against the Nats on Sunday in his second at-bat, and he has hit safely in

29 of his first 32 Major League games. Dahl homered off Maeda on Aug. 4, in a 4-2 Dodgers victory.

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Rockies beat Nationals 5-3, taking another series from a first-place team

By NICK KOSMIDER | August 28, 2016 at 10:16 pm

WASHINGTON — As they won another series against a first-place team Sunday, with a blend of power, strong starting

pitching and serviceable relief work, the Rockies were left to wonder what could have been.

Colorado’s 5-3 victory gave the Rockies their second straight series win over the Washington Nationals. It came on the

heels over recent such triumphs over the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles, all teams currently

on track to play postseason baseball in October.

But the goodwill those wins have created, and the ground in the standings they’ve helped make up, have too routinely

been followed by veritable flops against teams further down the major-league totem pole than the Rockies. See:

perplexing sweeps at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers.

But why?

“It’s the million-dollar question,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said before Sunday’s game.

Nolan Arenado, who hit his 35th home run of the season and finished a double short of a cycle, has been left scratching

his head, too.

“It’s kind of weird the way we’re playing,” said Arenado, who tied a career high with four hits Saturday and increased his

MLB-leading RBI total to 111. “When we face the best teams, we take it to another notch of competitiveness and stuff like

that. When we play bad teams, it feels like we get complacent. We’ve got to change that. It’s a weird thing.”

The Rockies’ latest victory over a division leader came with a familiar formula, and it began with starter Chad Bettis, who

bounced back from a rough start in Milwaukee by keeping the Nationals off balance during seven strong innings. The

right-hander gave up a leadoff home run to Trea Turner and then surrendered only three harmless singles before a solo

home run by Wilson Ramos to lead off the seventh.

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That homer could have been a gut punch. Instead, it only emboldened Bettis, who buckled down to strike out the next

three hitters and put a stamp on his best start in at least a month. He finished with six strikeouts and walked only one after

walking a career-high seven in his last start. It also was the first time he finished seven innings since April 10 against the

San Diego Padres.

“I really liked his changeup today,” Weiss said of Bettis, who also coaxed Ben Revere into a double play to get out of a

jam in the fifth. “I’ve always felt his changeup is a real good weapon, and he used it well today.”

The Rockies backed Bettis with all the offense he needed in the third inning. Arenado, who tied a career high with four

hits, followed a Carlos Gonzalez single with a line-drive home run to left field off Nationals starter Lucas Giolito, who was

making his fifth career start. Arenado’s 35th home run of the season tied him for the NL lead with Kris Bryant of the

Chicago Cubs.

David Dahl followed Arenado’s homer with a solo shot of his own off Giolito, marking the 10th time this season the

Rockies hit back-to-back home runs.

The Rockies added a wacky insurance run in the eighth inning when Daniel Descalso, after hitting his second double off

the game, scored from second on reliever Koda Glover’s wild pitch. The pitch hit home-plate umpire Mike Muchlinkski in

the left shoulder and caromed toward the first-base dugout, giving Descalso time to scamper all the away from second.

The Nationals cut the lead to 5-3 on Bryce Harper’s home run off Boone Logan in the ninth inning. But Adam Ottavino,

who had his streak of 37 games without surrendering a run snapped Saturday, struck out Anthony Rendon and Wilson

Ramos and got Ryan Zimmerman to fly out to end the game.

“It’s fun to watch him,” Bettis said of Ottavino. “He’s got great stuff, and today was just a small glimpse of what he can

do.”

Arenado was left standing on deck in the ninth inning, missing a chance to complete an unlikely cycle. After an RBI single

in the first and the home run in the third, he hit a fly ball to right field in the fifth that Harper appeared to lose in the sun as

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Arenado coasted to third base. Harper was originally charged with an error, but the the play was later changed to credit

Arenado with a triple.

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Rockies hope Gerardo Parra slowly finding rhythm at the plate, first base

Tyler Chatwood to make rehab start

By NICK KOSMIDER | UPDATED: August 28, 2016 at 11:20 pm

WASHINGTON — Lost in the power show that was the Rockies’ third inning Sunday, when Nolan Arenado and David

Dahl hit back-to-back home runs, was a quiet, 90-foot stroll by Gerardo Parra.

Yes, Parra drew another walk in the series finale against the Washington Nationals, his third in two games. It’s a notable

statistic because entering Saturday, Parra had only four walks in 312 plate appearances during what has been a rough

first season in Colorado.

But Parra’s recent ability to get on base during this atom-size sample — he also singled Sunday — comes at a key time.

He made his third start at first base, where Rockies manager Walt Weiss said the veteran has impressed during his short

stint at the position.

“He looks comfortable to me,” Weiss said. “You watch for things. The awareness, the body language. He just looks

comfortable over there. That’s kind of who he is. He loves playing. He’s been able to take that over there to first base. He

hasn’t changed the way he approaches the game, which is a good thing. It helps him keep things simple over there and

not get overwhelmed.”

The Rockies have started five different players at first base since Mark Reynolds went on the disabled list Aug. 12 with a

broken hamate bone in his left hand. Production at the position has hard to come by since Reynolds’ injury, leaving Weiss

hopeful that Parra’s three walks at Nationals Park mean he’s slowly beginning to find his way.

“It’s usually a good sign when guys are working counts and having deeper at-bats, drawing walks,” Weiss said. “It usually

tells you that the pitch recognition is getting better. So hopefully it’s a good sign for (Parra).”

Arenado on a tear. The slump that plagued Arenado for much of the past couple of months certainly appears to be a thing

of the past.

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After collecting four hits Sunday, Arenado is hitting .552 (16-for-29) with five home runs and 13 RBIs over his last seven

games. The 32 runs ha has driven in since Aug. 1 are the most by a Rockies player during the month of August since

Andres Galarraga drove in 33 in 1996.

Also, Arenado’s 4-for-4 performance in the win over the Nationals raised his batting average to .291. His career high for a

season is .287 (twice). Arenado could also challenge his career marks for home runs (42) and RBIs (130) that he

established last season. He has 35 home runs and 111 RBIs with 32 games remaining.

Chatwood to make rehab start. Right-hander Tyler Chatwood, on the 15-day disabled list with a midback strain, will make

a rehab start with Double-A Hartford at Richmond on Monday.

Chatwood said he will be on a restriction of 75 pitches or five innings. He went on the disabled list Aug. 16, two days after

his back spasms flared up during a loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. Chatwood was previously on the DL in the middle of

June after back issues forced him out of a start against the Miami Marlins.

“This is the first time I haven’t really had back pain in a while, so I feel good,” Chatwood said. “I’ve just got to keep it that

way.”

Looking Ahead…

Sunday: Rockies RHP Chad Bettis (10-7, 5.29 ERA) at Nationals RHP Lucas Giolito (0-0, 6.55), 11:35 a.m., ROOT

Bettis had his last start against the Nationals, on Aug. 16, cut short because of a rain delay, having surrendered two runs

in three innings. The right-hander had control issues in his last start against the Milwaukee Brewers on

Tuesday, when he issued a season-high seven walks — four more than in any previous outing. Giolito, the 16th overall

pick of the 2012 draft, made his debut June 28 against the New York Mets and was cruising toward a memorable

outcome. He gave up only one hit and no runs in four innings, but then the rain came. A lengthy delay forced him out of

the game and prevented him from winning his first start. Giloito’s other two starts haven’t been as sharp. The rookie gave

up six runs in a combined seven innings in those starts.

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Monday: Dodgers RHP Kenta Maeda (13-7, 3.37) at Rockies RHP Jon Gray (8-6, 4.61), 6:40 p.m., ROOT

Tuesday: Dodgers LHP Rich Hill (10-3, 2.09) at Rockies LHP Tyler Anderson (4-5, 3.69), 6:40 p.m., ROOT

Wednesday: Dodgers RHP Ross Stripling (3-5, 4.13) or RHP Bud Norris (6-10, 4.64) at Rockies RHP Jeff Hoffman (0-2,

8.10), 1:10 p.m.

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Rockies defeat Nationals 5-3

By Eric Garcia McKinley - Aug 28, 2016, 2:31p / Purple Row

A 5-3 win gave the Rockies a series victory the Nationals in Washington, DC.

The Rockies defeated the Nationals 5-3 today and took the series on the road.

Chad Bettis allowed a solo home run in his first and seventh innings of work, but nothing else. In his seven innings, he

allowed five hits, struck out six, and walked one. The only two runs he allowed were from those two solo homers.

The Rockies began their scoring early. In the first, Nolan Arenado singled in a run in the to give the Rockies a one-run

lead. The game was tied up at one after the aforementioned solo home run Bettis allowed. Then, in the third, Arenado hit

a two-run dinger to give the Rockies a 3-1 lead. It was his 35th home run of the season. The next batter, David Dahl, hit a

solo home run, his fifth of the year, to make it 4-1 after three innings. Both homers were off of top prospect Lucas Giolito.

The Rockies chased Giolito after five innings, during which he allowed five hits, four runs, and he walked and struck out

two.

Bettis got into a bit of trouble in the fifth inning. An Espinosa and Trea Turner single put runners on the corners in the

bottom of the fifth with one out. Bettis helped himself out by getting a grounder to second base, but it was off the bat of

speedy Ben Revere. But the Rockies were still able to turn the double play, which ended the inning without any damage.

In the sixth, lefty specialist Oliver Pérez allowed a single and a double to lefties Daniel Descalso and Gerardo Parra. They

weren’t able to add any insurance runs though. Tony Wolters grounded out weakly, Chad Bettis grounded out meekly,

and Charlie Blackmon grounded out.

The Rockies added a run in the eighth in odd fashion. Daniel Descalso doubled, and with Wolters at the plate, pitcher

Koda Glover and catcher Wilson Ramos got crossed up. Glover threw a fastball, whereas Ramos was expecting

something breaking. The fastball sailed past Ramos and hit the home plate umpire in the shoulder head-on. He was

clearly hurt, but the ball was also clearly in play. Descalso took off and kept running until he scored. It made it 5-2.

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Bryce Harper hit a solo home run off of Boone Logan in the ninth inning, making it 5-3. Weiss replaced him with Adam

Ottavino, who closed out the game and secured the victory.

The Rockies return to Coors Field tomorrow to face the Dodgers in the team’s final series of August. Jon Gray starts

against Kenta Maeda, starting at 6:40 MT.

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Colorado Rockies prospects: Trey Killian dominates Greenville

By Connor Farrell - Aug 29, 2016, 8:12a / Purple Row

The 22-year-old Killian continues his excellent second half with 10 strikeout performance for Tourists

Trey Killian's second half has gone from interesting to notable after a 10 strikeout outing against the Greenville Drive on

Sunday night. It's Killian's second 10 K night in the last two months, the first coming on July 16, and it ups his K/9 to an

above average 8.5. The right handed pitcher isn't a dazzling prospect in the Rockies system, but his numbers are tough to

ignore the last two months.

His future role may be in the bullpen or as trade fodder if he continues to improve his strikeout numbers through the

system. But, Killian making noise at all after being selected in the 9th round of last year's draft is a good sign of the

Rockies improvement in development of pitchers. According to his pre-draft scouting report, Killian sits at around 92-94

with a strong cutter and a very strong change up.

The Tourists improved to 64-67 with the win and enter the final week of the season eight and a half games back of the

final playoff spot in the SAL, and thus eliminated from contention.

Other news and notes from the affiliates are below:

Triple-A: El Paso Chihuahuas 9, Albuquerque Isotopes 4

Kyle Freeland (No. 9 PuRP): 6 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 3 K, 1 BB

Raimel Tapia (No. 4 PuRP): 3-for-5, RBI

Tom Murphy (No. 15 PuRP): 1-for-4, RBI

Jordan Patterson (No. 16 PuRP): 1-for-4, R

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Class-A Advanced: Modesto Nuts 3, Lancaster JetHawks 2 (11)

Parker French: 7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 K

Dom Nunez (No. 14 PuRP): 0-for-2, 2 BB

Josh Fuentes: 1-for-4, 2 RBI

Class-A: Asheville Tourists 5, Greenville Drive 1

Trey Killian: 6 IP, 10 K, 1 H, 1 R

Ben Bowden (No. 27 PuRP): IP, K

Max George: 2-for-3, HR

Brendan Rodgers (No. 3 PuRP): 0-for-4, RBI

Class-A Short: Hillsboro Hops 11, Boise Hawks 8

Robert Tyler (No. 19 PuRP): IP, 5 BB, 3 R, 2 K

Jacob Bosiokovic: 2-for-5, 3B, R

Garrett Hampson: 0-for-2, 3 BB, RBI

Rookie: Orem Owls 9, Grand Junction Rockies 3

Colton Welker: 2-for-4

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Tyler Bugner: 3-for-4, RBI

Jonathan Piron: 2-for-3, 2 RBI

Monday Probables:

Triple-A Albuquerque: German Marquez (1-0, 4.50 ERA) vs. Salt Lake

Double-A Hartford: TBD vs. Richmond

Class-A Advanced Modesto: OFF

Class-A Asheville: OFF

Class-A Short Season Boise: Antonio Santos (5-4, 4.17 ERA)

Rookie Grand Junction: Ty Culbreth (2-4, 4.70 ERA)

DSL Rockies: TBD vs. DSL Mariners

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Matt Flemer dominates as Albuquerque Isotopes hang on to defeat El Paso Chihuahuas

By Chris Jackson on Aug 28, 2016, 10:00a / Purple Row

Big hits from Tauchman and Murphy and another amazing catch by Tapia spur Albuquerque to a crucial victory

The Albuquerque Isotopes’ playoff chances were on life support Saturday night.

Matt Flemer found a heartbeat.

The Isotopes’ starting pitcher gave up a solo home run in the first inning and then retired 20 in a row as Albuquerque

defeated the El Paso Chihuahuas 5-4 to even their series at two wins apiece.

“This is a blast, man, you saw at the end of the game where (Brian) Schlitter is picking up (Raimel) Tapia and carrying him

off the field,” Flemer said. “This group is having so much fun.”

El Paso (70-64) is still 4.5 games ahead of Albuquerque (65-68), with nine games remaining for the Chihuahuas and 10

games left for the Isotopes.

“It’s exciting to have games like this,” manager Glenallen Hill said. “That team over there, that’s a great team. You see

how they fight and fight. I’m glad we came out on the winning side.”

Flemer (6-3) was simply ferocious on the mound. He allowed just two hits, the other a leadoff single to Manuel Margot in

the first inning that was erased when Margot tried and failed to stretch it into a double.

“That was obviously just a good game plan,” Flemer said. “Christian Bergman showed the other night how to attack these

guys, just to stick with it until they made an adjustment.”

Flemer never walked a batter and struck out five, throwing 58 of 81 pitches for strikes.

“He was very impressive,” Hill said. “I think I alluded it to it a couple (starts) ago, he’s been our most consistent pitcher in

terms of executing pitches.

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“It couldn’t happen to a, it’s a cliche but, a better guy. This kid has worked hard and he’s stayed focused for so long. He’s

stayed within himself and kept it simple. He gets outs. He got outs against the best hitting team in the league.”

For much of that dominant run, though, the Isotopes simply could not get him any run support. Leadoff doubles by Tapia

in the first and Tom Murphy in the second were squandered. Finally in the third, Tapia doubled again and scored two

batters later on Brandon Barnes’ single through the left side.

The game remained tied 1-1 until the sixth, when Mike Tauchman picked an opportune time to hit his first home run of the

season, a leadoff shot that landed on the berm above right field.

“A tight game like that, leading off the inning I was trying to get a quality at-bat,” Tauchman said. “I had a chance to have

an impact at-bat my last time and I didn’t have the quality at-bat I wanted to have. I was trying to get on base, get

something going.”

Tauchman was sprinting past second when the ball landed.

“I knew I hit it well, but it’s pretty deep out there and there wasn’t much wind tonight, so I wanted at the very least to end

up on second or third,” he said.

Tauchman had gone 893 at-bats without a home run. Hill pointed out some crazy numbers with that.

“His last home run was April 27, 2015 and today is August 27, 2016, 18 months and his (jersey) number is 18,” Hill said

with a laugh. “I’m just saying!”

Albuquerque got some insurance runs in the eighth, including an RBI double by Murphy, an RBI single by pinch hitter

Chris Nelson and a sacrifice fly by Tapia.

The Isotopes would need all of them as the Chihuahuas tried to rally in the ninth. Jose Rondon hit a leadoff single, Carlos

Asuaje followed with an RBI triple to center and Manuel Margot beat out an infield single to drive in Asuaje. Austin Hedges

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followed with a two-out RBI single, bringing El Paso within one run. Hector Sanchez hit a drive to left-center but Tapia

dove and made a spectacular sliding catch to end the game.

“The ball that he almost caught (Asuaje’s triple) where it looked like he was injured, and then he bounced back,” Hill said.

“He was focused on the game and just wanted to make the play. That’s why he made that play. He wanted to make that

play. That was pretty incredible the way he made that catch.”

Murphy finished the game 3-for-4 to continue his insane hot streak. Tapia and Jordan Patterson each went 2-for-4.

One spot of bad news was in the eighth when Alex Castellanos was hit by a pitch on the right elbow. He was forced to

leave the game in obvious pain. There was no update available on his condition after the game, Hill said.

The Isotopes and Chihuahuas will finish their series, and Albuquerque’s regular-season home schedule, on Sunday at

6:05 p.m.

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Colorado Rockies: 6 Things to Know as the Homestand Begins

By Kevin Henry – August 29, 2016 / Rox Pile

After the Colorado Rockies wrapped up their six-game road trip with a 5-3 win over the Washington Nationals on Sunday

afternoon, it was time to take a look at some interesting statistics and notes. Plenty has happened since the Rockies left

town last Sunday. Let’s investigate some things you should know before Monday’s nine-game homestand opener against

the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The struggle is real

Since having a 54-53 record on Aug. 3, the Rockies have dropped 15 of the past 23 games, posting a 5.76 ERA, allowing

130 earned runs in 203 innings.

On the road over that stretch, Colorado is 3-8. On the mound, the Rockies have posted a 5.81 ERA (60 earned runs in 93

innings) away from home since August 10. The starters are 1-6 with a 6.04 ERA (37 earned runs in 55.1 innings), while

relievers are 2-2 with a 5.56 ERA (23 earned runs in 37.2 innings).

The struggle is real, Part 2

It’s a pretty simple equation: When the Rockies do well on the mound, they do well in the standings. There has been only

one month this season when Colorado pitchers has a cumulative ERA below 4.00. Yep, it was July, when the Rockies

turned their season around and boosted themselves into the Wild Card discussion.

Take a look below at Colorado’s pitching by month this season…

April 11-12 5.50

May 13-15 4.82

June 13-14 5.17

July 15-12 3.76

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August 10-15 5.50

Welcome to the show

Infielder-outfielder Stephen Cardullo made his Major League debut Friday at Washington. He is one of eight Rockies to

debut this season. In addition to Cardullo, the list of newcomers includes pitchers Tyler Anderson, Matt Carasiti, Carlos

Estevez and Jeff Hoffman, catcher Tony Wolters, shortstop Trevor Story and outfielder David Dahl.

The world is upside down

Colorado is the only team in MLB with a positive run differential (+12) and a losing record (62-68).

Nolan being Nolan

Despite Colorado’s recent struggles, Nolan Arenado has been heating up as August winds to a close.

Arenado became the first Colorado player since Matt Holliday (2006-07) to have consecutive seasons with 30 or more

home runs and 100 or more RBI. Also, according to the Elias, Nolan Arenado is the first National Player to reach 100 RBI

first in consecutive seasons (2015-2016) since Carlos Lee in 2007 and 2008.

He also left Washington on Sunday in fine fashion, going 4-for-4 at the plate and blasting his 35th home run of the

season.

Bring Washington back

Don’t blame DJ LeMahieu if he’s disappointed that the Rockies and Nationals won’t square off again until 2017. Take a

look at what the All-Star second baseman has done this season against Washington pitching, as well as how he’s fared

against the Nationals in his career.

This year

LeMahieu .571 average (12-for-21), 1 homer, 3 RBI

Career

LeMahieu .384 (33-for-86), 3 homers, 12 RBI

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Colorado Rockies: 4 Takes from Sunday’s Win in Washington

By Nolan Lees – August 28, 2016 / Rox Pile

The Washington Nationals are almost certainly going to win the National League East. One thing they will not win,

however? The season series with the Colorado Rockies, after a 5-3 Colorado win Sunday. Here are the four biggest story

lines from the game Sunday.

1) Nolan and David go back-to-back for the Colorado Rockies:

After giving up a lone run in the first inning, Nationals starter Lucas Giolito looked like he was settling in. He set down the

side in order in the second before getting the first two hitters in the third as well. However, the young Giolito got a first-

hand glimpse at how hard it can be to close out an inning against hitters as good as the ones in the middle of Colorado’s

lineup.

Carlos Gonzalez worked the count full before ripping a hit back up the middle. Then, after getting ahead of Nolan Arenado

0-2, Giolito attempted to throw a fastball past him for strike three, and Arenado hit a low line drive just over the left field

wall for his 35th home run of the year.

Arenado had barely returned to the dugout when David Dahl sent the first pitch of his at-bat over the wall in left-center

field. In fact, the home runs came so close together that the Rockies TV broadcast was unable to show Dahl’s swing live

because they were still replaying Arenado’s blast.

As fast as Arenado’s home run left the yard, Dahl’s might have been even more impressive. It was not a bad pitch from

Giolito, but the Rockies young outfielder went with the outside location and drove it roughly 400 feet to the opposite field.

That’s a remarkably impressive piece of hitting, particularly from a guy with all of 32 big league games under his belt.

Sunday was the first time that Arenado and Dahl have hit back-to-back home runs, but there’s a good chance it won’t be

the last time.

2) Not bad, Chad:

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Sunday’s game didn’t start well for Chad Bettis, as Nationals lead-off hitter Trea Turner hit a no-doubt home run on Bettis’

4th pitch of the afternoon. But after that ominous beginning, Bettis settled in and pitched quite effectively.

Bettis went went seven full innings, his longest start since April 10th, and allowed just two runs, both on solo homers. He

was also very efficient, throwing just 106 pitches. For contrast, Bettis threw 111 pitches in his previous start, which was a

full two innings shorter. Perhaps more importantly, the Rockies are now 8-2 in the last ten games started by the right-

hander.

Bettis’ lack of truly explosive “stuff” makes him more of a mid-rotation type of guy than a true ace. But you don’t have to be

an ace to be a valuable member of a MLB rotation, and Bettis now has a team-leading 11 wins to prove it.

3) Bryce Harper and the pressure of expectations:

2015 was Harper’s breakout season, a monster campaign that saw him hit .330 with 42 home runs and win the National

League’s MVP award. Because Harper is still so young, and because he was one of the more hyped prospects baseball

has ever seen, many people saw 2015 not as a career year, but the new baseline for the incredibly talented outfielder.

That is, of course, completely insane. Expecting a 23-year old to consistently post numbers that roughly match the peak of

Willie Mays‘ career is kind of asking for a lot. Asking him to do it in a largely underwhelming lineup is asking for even

more.

Despite cranking his 23rd home run of the year Sunday, Harper has looked stressed by the weight that comes from an

expected franchise leader. That stress has manifested itself in ways that are statistically obvious (a .175 average with

RISP and two outs, for instance), but also in less tangible ways (like Harper’s meltdown and subsequent ejection on

Saturday).

Harper is a great player, and even in this, a “down season”, he’s one of the game’s best outfielders. While he may never

hit .330 again, he’s also certainly better than the .250-ish hitter we’ve seen this season.

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This is all just educated speculation here; it’s possible that Harper isn’t feeling the pressure of carrying his team to the

playoffs or living up to his spectacular MVP campaign last season. But watching him play this season, it certainly can’t be

ruled out either.

4) The last (home)stand:

Let’s be brutally honest here for a second: the Rockies probably aren’t playing postseason baseball this year. However,

they aren’t eliminated from contention yet, and at just seven games back of the second wild card spot, crazier things have

happened.

Colorado is back home tomorrow night for the start of a nine-game homestand, all against NL West opponents. The

Rockies host the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers; whichever of those two teams doesn’t win the West

will likely be a primary Wild Card contender. There’s also a three-game set with Arizona, which will (hopefully) give them a

shot to string some wins together.

Again, it’s a long shot for Colorado at this point. But it’ll be September in just a few days, and the Rockies are still playing

meaningful baseball games. That alone is a huge step in the right direction for this franchise.

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Colorado Rockies: Los Angeles Dodgers Series Preview

By Tyler Bellis – August 28, 2016

As the month of August winds down, we look ahead to the Colorado Rockies next opponent, the LA Dodgers, and the

importance of this series. This series comes at a good time for the Rockies as they have played much better at home and

seem to be playing up against their competition when a division leader comes onto the schedule. The Rockies are 32-31

at home this year, and they have recently taken series from both the Cubs and the Nationals twice.

Here is what the Colorado Rockies need to do to continue the trend of beating division leaders.

1. Take pressure off Hoffman and score runs early.

Jeff Hoffman’s ERA really does not reflect how well he has pitched in his first two games. He has 10 innings pitched and a

8.10 ERA. Getting your first win in the big leagues is one of the hardest things a pitcher can do, so why not make it easy

on the guy and put up five-plus runs in the first.

If the Rockies can strike early against Ross Stripling and give Hoffman some breathing room, pitch count depending, I can

see Hoffman pitching six or seven strong innings.

2. Have Jon Gray return to form.

Gray has not won a game since the Rockies beat the Dodgers on August 2. His last start against the Brewers proved to

be a good one, but the team could not finish off Milwaukee. This is the time of the year to really prove to the front office

that you are our ace and that come next season, we want you on the mound opening day.

3. The offense needs to score enough to make our bullpen irrelevant.

It has been a rough go for the Rockies bullpen the second half of this season, making our run support more and more

important as the season winds down. This series is also a good opportunity for the offense to show what you can do and

what you bring to the team before the roster expands and we see minor league stars added to the big league roster.

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4. Keep in mind that not only will this help our wildcard resume, but can help to spoil the Dodgers chance to win

the NL West.

Nothing makes a Rockies fan smile more than to see the failure of the Dodgers, and this could be a good opportunity to

watch them drop out of first with a series sweep at Coors. However, the unfortunate part of that is if the Dodgers do fall

from first, the Giants are the ones who would take their spot. Pick your poison at that point.

This series poses many great opportunities for the Rockies. They can take another series against a division leading ball

club. They can tighten the gap between them and the second Wild Card team. And finally our 25-man roster can show off

their talents before the dugout gets a little crowded come September 1st.

I expect another dominant outing out of Jon Gray, an early exit for the recently DL returned Rich Hill of the Dodgers, and

Jeff Hoffman getting his first big league win on Sunday.

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Arenado’s 4 hit, 3 RBI day helps Bettis best Nats 5-3

By Drew Creasman on August 28, 2016 / BSN Denver

The Colorado Rockies conundrum continues.

Beating the Washington Nationals 5-3 in the rubber match this Sunday afternoon, the Rockies have managed another

series win against a division leader after being swept in three by the Milwaukee Brewers … who do not lead their division.

Showcasing how good they can be at their best (again) the Rockies played a complete game of baseball highlighted by

timely offense and good pitching.

The game started for the Rockies, as it so often does, with Charlie Blackmon and DJ LeMahieu getting on base.

Blackmon singled and LeMahieu walked before Carlos Gonzalez hit a deep fly to center field that was caught but still

moved the runner to third. Blackmon came in to score the game’s first run on a soft single into left field from Nolan

Arenado, showing the kind of adjustment to fit the situation that has so eluded the Rockies during their recent losing

streak.

Nationals rookie starter Lucas Giolito was a strike away from escaping any damage in the third when he went to the high

fastball one too many times against Arenado who deposited the pitch into the flower beds atop the left field wall, putting

the Rockies up 3-1.

On the very next pitch, before anyone had a chance to catch their breath from the previous play, David Dahl smashed an

opposite field home run to give the Rockies a 4-1 lead. It was already Dahl’s fifth home run of the season and of his MLB

career and also meant he has hit safely in 29 of the 32 games he has played at this level.

The Rockies held the three-run lead until the bottom of the seventh when Wilson Ramos took Chad Bettis deep to center

field for his 20th home run of the season.

It was the second of two, and only two, runs scored on Bettis by the Nationals, the first also coming on a solo home run

that led off the game from Trea Turner.

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Chad Bettis’ final line: 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. Two mistakes.

The Rockies got that run back in an odd fashion in the top of the eighth when, after doubling, Daniel Descalso scored on a

two-base wild pitch. It appeared to be a cross up between Ramos and relief pitcher Koda Glover and the ball struck the

home plate umpire, ricocheting off the net and allowing Descalso to score all the way from second.

Jordan Lyles was called upon to record one out and Boone Logan was asked again to get the Nationals tough lefties. He

got Clint Robinson to fly out to right and retired Daniel Murphy on a grounder to LeMahieu. But Logan came out in the

ninth to get the toughest lefty of them all, Bryce Harper, and the young phenom crushed his 23rd home run of the season

to make it 5-3.

Adam Ottavino then came on for the three-out save and he recorded it with relative ease a day after blowing one. It was

his second save of the year, coming with two eye-popping strikeouts.

By the Numbers

32 – Nolan Arenado’s three RBI in this game give him 32 in the month of August which leads all of MLB. It’s also the most

by a Rockie in August since Todd Helton had 32 RBI in 2000.

35 – Nolan Arenado hit his 35th home run, tying Kris Bryant for the NL lead.

29 – David Dahl has hit safely in 29 of 32 MLB games. He has gotten on base in 30 of 32.

4 – Arenado had a four-hit day. He seems to be completely out of his recent funk.

110 – Nolan Arenado leads all of Major League Baseball with 110 RBI.

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Lasting Impact

This looked like a loss on paper for the Rockies so coming out on top can only make them feel good. Who knows? Maybe

the fact that the schedule continues to be difficult will only help the Rockies who seem to be able to rise to occasions like

they did today but fail against far less talented competition.

What’s Next

The Rockies return home to Coors Field to face the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kenta Maeda will take on Jon Gray in the first

game. First pitch at 6:40 MST.

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Jake McGee is returning to “outstanding” form

By Jake Shapiro - August 29, 2016 / BSN Denver

DENVER – Jake McGee has had an interesting year. Once the Colorado Rockies closer and arguably the club’s biggest

offseason acquisition, has never really been healthy.

While he was playing for the Tampa Bay Rays he was a dominant left-handed reliever. Collecting 319 strikeouts in 259.2

innings across six years in the AL East, McGee ranked right with Andrew Miller, Zach Britton and Dellin Betances for

the title of the division’s best reliever.

Now, however, he’s struggled mightily compared to his past self in his first year in the NL West. In 38.2 innings he has

gathered 34 strikeouts while being taxed for a 5.12 ERA with a 1-3 record. His WHIP went from sick at 1.017 with the

Rays, to sickening, with a 1.526 this season.

The problem with McGee isn’t a mystery. It has to do with his velocity, which has been down about three mph on his

fastball year. But that has begun to change.

“I feel almost better than before when I was healthy,” McGee told BSN Denver. “From the standpoint of trusting my knee,

feeling strong and my velocity is where it needs to be. Now I’m getting a little more extension, a little more life on the ball

than I was even before I got hurt. So that’s helped me out all out, I’ve pretty much gone back to all fastballs.”

Indeed, this chart from BrooksBaseball.net backs up what McGee told us. His fastball usage has increased in August to a

point that has not been seen yet in his Rockies career.

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“Especially because the velocity was a little lower (I had less room for error),” McGee said. “My entire career I’ve relied on

location of my fastball with velocity and movement on it. I feel like I have better movement now, everything is going in the

right direction… and I wish this was the beginning of the season.”

While McGee’s August ERA isn’t anything to write home about at 4.15, his WHIP at 1.38 is the best he’s had in any month

aside from May where it was 1.33. His bottom line hasn’t been too good, either, with three runs charged to him in his last

four outings but he’s right.

“Yeah, my strikeouts have been going up a lot,” McGee explained. “I’ve been able to strikeout guys, I have my high

fastball back, locating low and I’ve been getting more strikeouts. Ever since the All-Star break I’ve been just getting

stronger, so it’s been pretty encouraging.”

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The chart above shows McGee’s fastball, like he said, at it’s best velocity of the season. The only time it was higher in any

month than August were the three appearances he made in June before he got injured so you can write that off.

Perhaps the best sign that McGee is on the cusp of a resurgence are his strikeout and walk rates.

McGee’s key is no secret, it’s his fastball. He needs his velocity to thrive, and it’s all about to come together for him.

“He was outstanding,” current Cubs Manager and former Tampa Bay Rays Manager Joe Maddon said. “He was that one

guy down there that was good on anybody. I don’t care who the hitter was, the elevated velocity… they knew he wasn’t

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throwing anything but a fastball. Whenever he wanted to throw a slider and changeups and curveballs, DON’T. You’re out

there for three or four hitters maybe, go do what you do well. And he did. He’d come out of the bullpen, he’d walk in with

those very square shoulders, he’d walk in, he’d be chewing gum and he was fun! He always fun, I always liked that about

Jake too, really good guy. And he was outstanding not just good when I had him in Tampa Bay. And I’m glad to hear he’s

getting better because he’s a really good fella.”

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DJ LeMahieu takes NL lead in batting average

By Drew Creasman - August 28, 2016 / BSN Denver

As part of a five-run 11th inning in the Colorado Rockies defeat of the Washington Nationals yesterday afternoon, second

baseman DJ LeMahieu recorded his third hit of the game and trotted down to first base for a close-up glimpse at the man

he just passed for the top batting average in the National League.

The knock brought LeMahieu’s average up to .347, one-one hundredths of a percentage point higher than the Nationals

first baseman Daniel Murphy who sits at .346 after recorded a pair of base hits himself in the game.

The pair seem destined to do-si-do around each other for the rest of the season. If LeMahieu does finish with the highest

number — thereby winning the prestigious “batting title” — he will be the 10th Colorado Rockie to accomplish that feat

since the club became a team in 1993.

The Rockies and Nationals square off in the rubber match of the series this morning/afternoon starting at 11:35 MST.

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Arenado homers among 4 hits to power Rockies past

By BENJAMIN STANDIG - Aug. 28, 2016 5:53 PM EDT / Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — If the Colorado Rockies faced contenders like the Washington Nationals more often, they might

also be in the playoff race.

Nolan Arenado went 4 for 4, including his 35th home run and a triple, and drove in three runs as the Rockies beat the

Nationals 5-3 on Sunday.

Arenado and David Dahl hit back-to-back home runs in the third inning off Nationals rookie Lucas Giolito.

Colorado took two of three from Washington and won the season series 4-2.

Since August 12, the Rockies have won three of five series with the victories coming over the NL East-leading Nationals

and the Chicago Cubs, owners of the best record in the majors. Yet those gains were offset by three game sweeps by

Philadelphia and Milwaukee.

"It's weird the way we're playing," Arenado said. "When we face the good teams, the best teams, we take it to another

notch. ... When play bad teams, it feels like we get kind of complacent. We have to change that. Every game counts now

for us."

Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Wilson Ramos went deep for Washington.

Giolito (0-1) allowed four runs and six hits in five innings. Washington has dropped six of eight.

Chad Bettis (11-7) allowed two runs, both on solo homers, and five hits with six strikeouts over seven innings in his

longest start since April 10.

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The right-hander induced Ben Revere into an inning-ending double play with two runners on in the fifth to preserve a 4-1

lead.

"He used his entire pitch mix well, but especially his changeup," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said of his starter. "The

double play he got in the fifth was big. That was a game-changer."

Adam Ottavino recorded the final three outs for his second save after Harper homered off Boone Logan leading off the

ninth.

The Nationals officially recalled Giolito from Triple-A Syracuse before the start of Sunday's game and sent infielder Wilmer

Difo to Double-A Harrisburg. Washington's top prospect allowed three of the first four batters to reach as Arenado's RBI

single put Colorado up 1-0.

"They definitely jumped on the fastball, and when I wasn't able to locate it, they kind of made me pay," Giolito said.

Turner immediately tied it in the bottom of the first with a leadoff homer.

In third, Arenado's liner cleared the fence in left for a two-run blast and Dahl followed with a drive for a 4-1 lead. All three

runs in the third came with two outs.

"It's that one bad inning that does you in," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said of Giolito's outing. "That was the one bad

inning."

Arenado's fifth-inning triple was initially scored a three-base error on Harper misjudged a fly ball hit to sunny right field.

The third baseman now has 32 RBIs in August. In his last seven games, he is batting .552 (16 for 29) with five homers

and 13 RBIs. Arenado also two, four-hit games in that stretch.

Harper went 1 for 4 a day after he was ejected in the 10th inning of Washington's 9-4 loss for arguing a called third strike.

46

WILD ONE

Washington reliever Koda Glover's wild pitch landed flush on the left shoulder of home plate umpire Mike Muchlinksi in the

eighth. As Nationals catcher Ramos simultaneously searched for the ball and checked on the crumpled umpire, Daniel

Descalso scored from second base for a 5-2 lead. Muchlinksi remained in the game.

AUGUST HEAT

Arenado's 32 RBIs in August is one shy of the franchise record set by Andres Galarraga in 1996.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rockies: RHP Tyler Chatwood (10-8, 3.75), on the disabled list with a mid-back strain since Aug. 16, will have a rehab

start Monday for Double-A Hartford at Richmond. Chatwood is expected to go five innings or about 75 pitches.

Nationals: RHP Joe Ross (right shoulder inflammation) allowed one run on three hits in one inning Sunday in his first

rehab appearance with Triple-A Syracuse.

UP NEXT

Rockies: Colorado returns home to begin a three-game series against the Dodgers. RHP Jon Gray (8-6, 4.61 gets the

nod for the Rockies.

Nationals: RHP Tanner Roark (13-7, 2.99 ERA) faces Phillies rookie Jake Thompson (1-3, 9.78) in the first of 22 straight

games for Washington against NL East opponents.