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Rockies stage rally but drop opener to D-backs By Ben Weinrib and Steve Gilbert / MLB.com | @SteveGilbertMLB | June 24th 2016 DENVER -- Nick Ahmed hit a go-ahead single in the ninth and the D-backs held off the Rockies, 7-6, at Coors Field on

Thursday for their sixth win in seven games.

Arizona mounted a two-out rally in the ninth against Rockies closer Carlos Estevez, who was saddled with his fourth loss

of the season. Jake Lamb singled to right field and Chris Herrmann singled on a ball that deflected off Estevez's glove

before Ahmed got his first hit in his last 15 plate appearances.

"I don't get to hit right there if the other two guys don't get on base," Ahmed said. "I was just looking to get a good pitch to

hit, and he threw me a fastball right there, and I hit it back up the middle. The guy throws really hard, and you can't exactly

look [for an offspeed pitch] on a guy who throws upper 90s, touches 100. I was just looking for a fastball."

This was the first time Estevez has faltered since he took over as the team's closer following Jake McGee's knee injury.

He had made five straight scoreless appearances, only allowing two hits over that stretch.

"I like our chances in that situation," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "Carlos is throwing the heck out of the ball, and

they got the barrel to a couple really good fastballs. They did a good job right there."

The Rockies tied the score in the eighth inning after five scoreless innings. Ryan Raburn and Mark Reynolds led off the

inning with singles, Nick Hundley drove in a run on a groundout to second, and Charlie Blackmon and DJ

LeMahieu each hit RBI singles. But D-backs closer Brad Ziegler, who earned the win, got out of the jam after blowing his

first save of the season.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Good effort for Greinke: This season, at the Majors' most hitter-friendly park, Zack Greinke has allowed five earned

MEDIA CLIPS – June 24, 2016

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runs in 12 2/3 innings. That's a good deal better than the seven runs on nine hits he allowed in four innings against the

Rockies on Opening Day at Chase Field. He also did some damage with his bat and legs, collecting a single, drawing a

walk, scoring two runs and stealing a base.

"They are all big-time big league hitters, and they all have big numbers in this ballpark," D-backs manager Chip Hale said

of the Rockies' lineup. "He battled and gave us a chance to win. Shoot, I think even his at-bats were huge for us." More >

Late rally cut short: Colorado tied the score in eighth inning on a one-out safety squeeze by LeMahieu, but they couldn't

manage anything afterward against Ziegler with the heart of the order up. Nolan Arenado walked to load the bases,

but Carlos Gonzalez and Trevor Story struck out.

"Those guys have been driving in runs for years, and they're good at it," Weiss said. "Once in a while, a pitch will get you."

Streak over: Ziegler saw his club-record streak of 43 saves come to an end. The streak, which started on May 29, 2015,

was the longest active streak in the Majors and the seventh longest in Major League history. Former Dodger Eric Gagne

holds the all-time record of 84, which he set from 2002-04.

"I am pretty impressed with how long that streak was,' Greinke said. "No matter who you are, that's pretty amazing. Today

was a borderline impossible one to do. He's done a great job."

CarGo leaves with injury: Gonzalez's bases-loaded strikeout in the eighth stung even more when he dropped his bat

after the swing, sustaining a sprain in his right wrist. He was replaced by Brandon Barnes in the field and Estevez in the

batting order, although that spot would not come up again. He is considered day to day.

"He just tweaked his wrist a little bit," Weiss said. "We'll check him out tomorrow."

Butler saves the bench: Butler looked like he wouldn't last long after allowing six runs between the third and fourth

innings, but his effort through the fifth saved the Rockies' bench. With Butler able to hit in the bottom of the fourth -- he

sacrificed two runners over -- he saved the Rockies from having to burn a pinch-hitter along with saving the bullpen from

eating up another inning.

"[Pitching coach Steve Foster] comes up to me and is like, 'Hey, can you get us one more? Your spot is coming up. You

have to handle the bat and get us through one more.'" Butler said. "I said, 'I got this,' I got the job done, and I gave the

team a chance to play ball, and they did a great job fighting back the rest of the game."

UPON FURTHER REVIEW

The Rockies challenged a call in the seventh that had Phil Gosselin safe at second base after dropping a hit into center

field. The umpires overturned the call, ruling that Gosselin failed to maintain contact with the bag as Story tagged him.

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CarGo day to day with sprained wrist By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | June 24th 2016

DENVER -- Right fielder Carlos Gonzalez sprained his right wrist swinging in the eighth inning of the Rockies' 7-6 loss to

the D-backs on Thursday night, but striking out with the bases loaded hurt him more than the injury.

The Rockies had scored three times in the inning to tie the score at 6, but D-backs reliever Brad Ziegler fanned Gonzalez

and Trevor Story, and Nick Ahmed would give the D-backs the victory with a two-out RBI single in the top of the ninth.

Gonzalez's status is best classified as day to day, and he hopes his next outing is more productive than this one, in which

he went 1-for-5. He bounced to the mound with two on in the fifth before fanning on his biggest chance.

"I just had a bad day offensively," said Gonzalez, who is hitting .310 with 15 home runs and 38 RBIs and receiving All-Star

consideration, with 780,290 votes -- seventh-most among National League outfielders -- as of the most recent update. "I

had so many opportunities in front of me. I didn't get the job done. It's just one of those games. It's a bad day overall."

Gonzalez is 0-for-5 with four walks against Ziegler, who pitches him low, usually away, and often carefully (four walks, one

intentional). With the count 1-2, Ziegler delivered a 76-mph changeup that Gonzalez thought he could put in play, until the

pitch's movement beat him.

"That last pitch was just running away," said Gonzalez, who was replaced in the field by Brandon Barnes in a double-

switch in the top of the ninth. "I saw it on the [outside] corner, and the more I tried to keep my swing closed, the more the

ball was just going away from me."

What hurt Gonzalez more was the first pitch, a sinker that didn't sink.

"I knew he had that sinker," he said. "But that ball didn't do much. It stayed flat. Usually, when you see his ball down, it's

going to go more down. But that ball stayed up. I took it and said, 'Wow.'"

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Butler gives up 2 HRs but helps save bench By Ben Weinrib / MLB.com | June 24th 2016

DENVER -- Eddie Butler's line wasn't ideal in Thursday's 7-6 loss to the D-backs; the six runs he gave up is the second

most he's allowed in any start this season. However, his ability to work his way through five innings proved crucial.

After Butler surrendered two runs in the top of the fourth -- after four scored in the third -- he was due to bat fourth in the

bottom of the inning. Manager Walt Weiss decided to stick with him, saving a pinch-hitter from being burned early and

staying out of the bullpen for one more inning. The decision paid off, as Butler successfully sacrificed over two runners

before throwing a scoreless fifth inning, his final frame. Saving the pinch-hitter also allowed Daniel Descalso to get a hit

off the bench and score the tying run in the eighth.

"It's critical," Weiss said. "I really didn't want to go to the bullpen any earlier than that. That fifth inning, throwing up a zero

right there, kept the game intact and gave us a chance. If we have to go any earlier than that, it would have gotten

interesting." Butler ran into trouble early, allowing two-run homers to Socrates Brito and Jake Lamb in the third inning.

This is the third time in four appearances that he has allowed multiple homers.

"He's a two-seam guy, and when two-seam guys get the ball elevated, they run into some trouble," Weiss said. "Eddie's

bread and butter is that two-seamer diving into the bottom of the zone and guys hitting the top of the ball, and that's when

he's at his best."

Butler has been throwing slightly more pitches in the zone this season than before, which has helped cut his walk rate

from 11.4 percent last season to 5.4 percent in 2016, but the results on batted balls haven't been ideal, as he hasn't been

able to keep the ball down. Going into the game, Butler's ground ball rate was down to a career-low 43.7 percent, while a

career-high 19.1 percent of fly balls have gone for home runs, which is 12th-worst in baseball among pitchers with at least

40 innings.

"I've been able to keep the ball in the zone, been throwing off-speed pitches for strikes," he said. "That's something that

worked early for us today, but in the third and fourth inning, I started bouncing my curveball two feet in front of the plate,

throwing my slider out of the zone. It's just a combination of things that hurt me later. When I can get all those things

working together well, you get the quick innings like the first two and the last one. It's just a matter of being consistent."

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Gray expects to make next start, vs. Toronto By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | June 24th 2016

DENVER -- Rookie right-hander Jon Gray expects to make his next start, on Monday against the Blue Jays, as long as

he takes it easy during his between-starts throwing program.

Arm fatigue -- no pain, just weakness, he said -- created severe control and command issues during Wednesday's start

against the Yankees, and he was removed after four-plus innings. Strength testing on Thursday confirmed the original

diagnosis of arm fatigue. No MRI was performed.

So Gray will reduce Friday's throwing session from 40 pitches to around 25 and play catch from between 90 and 100 feet,

as opposed to 120 to 150 feet.

"In the throwing program, I'm going to take it easy, really focus on my delivery," Gray said. "As long as I get the fastball

back in the zone, I think I'll be fine." In 2014, Gray learned the hard way that less is more. He felt similar fatigue at the end

of the season at Double-A Tulsa, where he went 10-5 with a 3.91 ERA in 24 starts.

"I saw my [velocity] drop and thought I needed to throw more, and I ended up making it worse," said Gray, who was shut

down before the Texas League playoffs. "I ended up making it worse. Taking it easier seems to be the right way to go."

Gray's ability to run a fastball at 98 mph often can pull him through periods when his command isn't the best. But

Wednesday was different. After not walking more than three in any game, he had three walks by the second inning --

when he gave up Chase Headley's grand slam -- and finished his outing with five free passes.

"I didn't feel any kind of pain or tightness or anything; everything felt loose and good," he said. "I just didn't have the

strength, and it didn't come out the same. I don't care so much about the velocity drop, but it messed with my command

and my release points -- I'd throw a fastball in the dirt, then the next one was up. I was like, 'Oh, my gosh.'"

Gray's pitched 155 total innings between the Minors and Majors last year. The Rockies called him up in August but limited

him to 40 2/3 innings and never let him go past six in any of his nine starts. The team will be cognizant of his innings total

and will guard against too big an increase, but he has plenty in the bank. He sustained an abdominal injury during Spring

Training, which reduced his innings in the beginning. Thus far he has pitched 78 -- 8 2/3 in a two-start Minor League

rehab assignment and 69 1/3 with the big league club.

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Arenado eager to taste Rockies' home cooking By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | June 23rd 2016

DENVER -- The Rockies' history of dominating at home is simply that as far as third baseman Nolan Arenado is

concerned. He'd like to experience it.

"It's got to be a good feeling, but I don't know it," said Arenado, who entered the final week of National League All-Star

voting trailing the Cubs' Kris Bryant -- the NL's leading vote-getter -- by roughly 500,000 votes for the honor of starting at

third base. "You've got to ask teams like the Giants. They take care of business at home most of the time. But we're

playing good ball, and if we can play the way we did in the last homestand, it would be really nice."

In the first two of Arenado's three seasons in the Majors, the Rockies went 45-36 at Coors Field -- good, but nowhere near

the 52 home victories they recorded in 2010, their last winning season. They won 51 at home in 2007 and 2009, their last

two playoff seasons. Last year they dropped to 36-45 at Coors.

Arenado and the Rockies started slowly at home this season. They went 5-1 their last time at Coors but entered

Thursday's opener of a seven-game homestand with a 15-16 record here.

"I don't know if specifically the time is now, but we need to take care of games at home," Arenado said, who did his part

on Thursday by getting the Rockies on the board with an RBI double off Arizona's Zack Greinke. "There's always an

urgency to get going. This is in the division. It's a big series for us, a weekend series. It's a big deal, can put us in a better

position."

Reyes officially departs: The Rockies made the departure of shortstop Jose Reyes official on Thursday by requesting

waivers for the purpose of granting his unconditional release. They had designated him for assignment on June 15. They

could not work a trade, and he was not claimed by another club.

Reyes is in the fifth year of a six-year, $106 million contract, with roughly $41.8 million remaining, including a $4 million

buyout for the 2018 season. He hit .259 in 47 games for the Rockies in 2015 but was suspended through May 31 of this

season for his involvement in an alleged domestic-violence incident in October 2015 and has not played in 2016.

Injury updates: Right-hander Tyler Chatwood (mid-back strain) and left-hander Chris Rusin (inflammation in left

shoulder) played light catch on Thursday, but more about their recoveries will not be known until they increase the

intensity level.

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Anderson opposes fellow rookie Bradley By Ben Weinrib / MLB.com | June 23rd 2016

Rookie pitchers Tyler Anderson and Archie Bradley, both first-round Draft picks in 2011, will face off on Friday night at

Coors Field after finding success earlier in the season in hitter-friendly Minor League parks.

Colorado's Anderson, who produced a 2.35 ERA across three Minor League levels, has been excellent, holding

opponents to three earned runs over 12 innings. Despite his youth, manager Walt Weiss hasn't limited Anderson's

workload, and has been impressed by how well he's held his command and velocity through two starts.

"It's not a hard number or anything like that," Weiss said. "We do keep in mind that he's been away for a while. He's had a

pretty unique [right oblique] injury. We don't lose sight of these things. Again, in a situation like that, you've got to trust

your eyes, trust your gut, but we don't lose sight of what he's been through."

Bradley, who recorded a 1.99 ERA in seven starts at Triple-A Reno, has been solid since joining the D-backs' rotation

after two spot starts. He has a 3.69 ERA over his last five starts, including a stellar outing his last time through the

rotation, allowing no earned runs on three hits through six innings.

Three things you should know about this game

• Bradley made a spot start on May 9 in Colorado, allowing four runs on seven hits over six innings. Rockies shortstop

Trevor Story hit a pair of RBI doubles off him.

• Prior to allowing a run against the Yankees on June 22, Rockies reliever Boone Logan had not allowed an earned run in

his previous 15 2/3 innings, a string of 23 appearances dating back to April 14. That was the longest current scoreless

streak in Major League Baseball.

• D-backs catcher Chris Herrmann, who is hitting .318 in his last eight games, will likely start on Friday as manager Chip

Hale tries to give Welington Castillo a couple of days off during this series.

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Anderson opposes fellow rookie Bradley By Patrick Saunders / The Denver Post | June 24th 2016

Carlos Gonzalez’ bad night ended with a bad swing and a sore right wrist.

The Rockies’ left fielder went 1-for-5 and struck out with the bases loaded in the eighth inning of Colorado’s 7-6 loss to

Arizona Thursday at Coors field.

“I sprained it a little bit, and it’s sore,” said Gonzalez, who was pulled for a double switch in the ninth. “We will see how it

feels tomorrow, but I don’t think it’s anything major.”

Gonzalez went 1-for-5, and failed to deliver with runners in scoring position in the first, fifth and the eighth. For the season,

he’s batting .270 with runners in scoring position and is now 0-for-5 with four strikeouts with the bases loaded.

“I just had a bad day,” he said. “I had so many opportunities in front of me and I just didn’t get the job done. It was just a

bad day overall, offensively.”

Gonzalez chased a changeup from Diamondbacks reliever Brad Ziegler for strike three in the eighth, and that’s when he

slightly injured his wrist.

“I had the bases loaded and the one pitch I should have swung at was the first one, and I took it,” Gonzalez said. “His

angle, it’s a little tough. Then he came back three straight times with changeups. … When you’re against a guy like

(Ziegler), who doesn’t overpower you, you just try to put the ball in play.

“I didn’t. I just took a bad swing on a bad pitch and I hurt myself a bit. It’s just part of the game.”

Dr. Tom Noonan, the Rockies’ medical director, checked out Gonzalez after the game and didn’t find a major injury to the

wrist.

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Diamondbacks’ ninth-inning rally beats Rockies at Coors Field Arizona’s winning run in ninth erases Colorado rally in eighth By Patrick Saunders / The Denver Post | June 23rd 2016

Ask around the clubhouse, and many players continue to proclaim that the Rockies’ best baseball is ahead of them.

In truth, the Rockies are just treading water.

They wasted a furious eighth-inning rally Thursday night at

Coors Field, losing a 7-6 heartbreaker to the Arizona Diamondbacks, who scored the winning run against closer Carlos

Estevez in the ninth. While Arizona won for the ninth time in 12 games, the Rockies are 5-5 over their last 10.

Estevez electrified what was left of a crowd of 36,558 by striking out Yasmany Tomas and Paul Goldschmidt to begin the

ninth. He got Goldschmidt with a 101 mph fastball. But three consecutive two-out singles put the Diamondbacks on top,

with Nick Ahmed driving home Jake Lamb for the go-ahead run.

“We came back. We were down by a lot. We tied the game. I just wanted to get that inning clean,” Estevez said. “I got

two outs and then (they got) grounders. They went through holes, so … that’s baseball.”

Manager Walt Weiss certainly has not lost any faith in Estevez.

“I liked our chances there with the way Carlos has been throwing the ball,” Weiss said. “They got the barrel to a couple of

really good pitches; some good fastballs.”

Thursday marked the second consecutive game the Rockies lost in their opponent’s last at-bat. The Yankees beat

Colorado 9-8 Wednesday afternoon in New York on a walk-off homer by Starlin Castro on the second pitch he saw from

Jason Motte.

Colorado’s almost-winning rally began innocently enough with back-to-back singles by Ryan Raburn and Mark Reynolds

off reliever Daniel Hudson. Nick Hundley’s groundout to second scored Rayburn, and then pitch-hitter Daniel Descalso

and Charlie Blackmon laced singles, cutting Arizona’s lead to 6-5 and chasing Hudson.

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DJ LeMahieu, Colorado’s do-everything second baseman, tied the game with a perfect bunt single on a safety squeeze to

score Descalso. The Rockies had a chance to win the game right there, but Brad Ziegler struck out Carlos Gonzalez and

Trevor Story with the bases loaded.

Gonzalez tweaked his wrist chasing the changeup Ziegler threw to strike him out.

“I sprained it a little bit, and it’s sore,” said Gonzalez, who was pulled for a double switch in the ninth. “We will see how it

feels tomorrow, but I don’t think it’s anything major.”

Gonzalez went 1-for-5 and failed to deliver with men in scoring position in the fifth and the eighth.

“I just had a bad day,” he said. “I had so many opportunities in front of me and I just didn’t get the job done. It was just a

bad day overall all.”

The Rockies entered the game needing either a strong performance from starter Eddie Butler, or a major offensive

explosion against Arizona ace Zack Greinke.

They got neither.

Lately, Greinke has been smothering teams like the Greinke who went 19-3 with a 1.66 ERA for the Los Angeles Dodgers

last season. He entered the evening with a 7-0 record and a 1.90 ERA over his previous seven starts.

Not that the Rockies noticed. They hung three runs on Greinke in the first two innings on an RBI double by Nolan Arenado

and a run-scoring single by Story in the first, and a leadoff homer by Reynolds in the second.

But from that point on, Greinke adjusted and allowed no runs and only three hits over the next 4⅔ innings.

“He really used his slider well tonight, and his fastball command is elite, maybe the best in the game,” Weiss said. “Those

are the two weapons he used to get through it.”

Butler, meanwhile, has to count as one of the biggest disappointments of the first half of the season. Though he flashes

potent stuff, he continues to get lit up, particularly at Coors Field, where his ERA is 9.71.

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“In innings three and four, I kind of got under (my sinker) and it wasn’t as tight as I wanted,” Butler said. “The ball got up in

the zone, so that’s a recipe for disaster.”

Before the game, Weiss said Butler must pitch down in the zone in order to be successful. Once again, Butler failed to

execute the game plan, and as a result, he was charged with six runs on 11 hits in five innings.

The right-hander dispatched Arizona quickly in the first two innings, yielding only a swinging-bunt single to Goldschmidt.

But all of that good came undone in a hurry in the third when the Diamondbacks raked Butler for four runs on six hits. He

left the meatballs over the plate and the Diamondbacks ate ’em up, with left-handers Lamb and Socrates Brito belting two-

run homers. Lamb’s home run snapped a streak of seven consecutive strikeouts.

“Eddie’s a two-seam guy, and when two-seam guys get the ball elevated, they run into some trouble,” Weiss said, though

he added that it was critical that Butler was able to get through five innings to save bullpen arms.

Arizona extended its lead to 6-3 in the fourth on RBI singles by Tomas and Goldschmidt. Goldschmidt went 3-for-5 and

has reached base in 45 consecutive games against Colorado. Only Mike Piazza — from July 1, 1995, to Sept. 13, 1999

— has a longer streak against the Rockies.

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Rockies pitcher Jon Gray on track for next start but needs better fastball Jose Reyes could rejoin New York Mets Saturday By Patrick Saunders / The Denver Post | June 23rd 2016

Jon Gray’s dynamic fastball sets up everything else. When it’s not working right, he becomes an average pitcher.

So it’s critical that the Rockies right-hander regains the strength in his shoulder. He’s confident his arm will recover —

quickly — and that he will be back in form for his next scheduled start, which comes Monday against Toronto and former

Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki.

“I passed all the strength tests. My shoulder’s just a little bit fatigued, but I think I will be back out there,” Gray said

Thursday, a day after he was pulled after pitching just four innings in Colorado’s 9-8 loss to the Yankees in New York.

Gray, 4-3 with a 4.80 ERA in 12 starts, throws his fastball almost 58 percent of the time and it averages 95.2 mph,

according to Fangraphs. During his four innings against the Yankees, his fastball velocity ranged from 91 to 97 mph, yet

his command was lacking and he walked six batters.

“There’s no pain. The only thing I really felt was a lack of strength, and that kind of messed up my timing,” Gray said.

Said manager Walt Weiss: “He didn’t look quite right. His fastball command really wasn’t there from the beginning. … He

didn’t look like himself.”

Gray is scheduled to throw his normal side session Friday. But he plans to cut back the number of pitches he throws, from

40 to 25.

“I think maybe I was throwing a little bit too much the last week, so we are going to give it a bit of a rest,” Gray said. “I will

throw the side tomorrow, but it’s maybe going to be less pitches … and it will mostly be fastballs.”

Weiss in confident Gray will bounce back.

“He’ll most likely make his next start,” Weiss said. “He doesn’t have any pain or anything like that. He will go his typical

four days between starts and we’ll see what that looks like. But I think there is a pretty good chance he makes his next

start.”

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Reyes update. Jose Reyes may rejoin the New York Mets as soon as Saturday. Thursday, the Rockies requested

waivers to grant the veteran shortstop his unconditional release, making him a free agent after 48 hours. The

announcement was mostly procedural, because Reyes was designated for assignment last week.

According to a report from Newsday, the Mets have interest in signing Reyes, 33, possibly as soon as this weekend. He

will be available to any team for the prorated portion of the major-league minimum salary, which comes out to

about $277,000 for the rest of the season.

Reyes is still owed about $41 million through 2017 and the Rockies are still on the hook for that.

Reyes served a 51-game suspension from Major League Baseball for his domestic violence arrest Oct. 31 The criminal

charges against him were dropped after his wife, Katherine, refused to cooperate with investigators.

Diamondbacks RHP Archie Bradley (3-3, 4.83 ERA) at Rockies LHP Tyler Anderson (0-1, 2.25), 6:40 p.m. Friday, ROOT;

850 AM

Injuries to Tyler Chatwood, Chris Rusin and most recently Jon Gray have left the Rockies’ rotation reeling. Thank

goodness for Anderson, who has been impressive in his first two major-league starts. He doesn’t have a victory yet, but

he pitched well enough to have two. In his last start, the rookie held the Miami Marlins to four hits and struck out four in

5⅔ innings before being pulled after 102 pitches. He was charged with two runs, but both came after he left the

mound. Bradley has been a disappointment, but he was excellent in his last start, allowing the Philadelphia Phillies just

one earned run over six innings. Bradley beat the Rockies at Coors Field on May 9, pitching six innings and allowing four

runs on seven hits in the Diamondbacks’ 10-5 victory.

Saturday: Diamondbacks RHP Shelby Miller (2-6, 6.36 ERA) at Rockies LHP Jorge De La Rosa (4-4, 7.17), 2:10 p.m.,

ROOT

Sunday: Diamondbacks LHP Patrick Corbin (4-6, 4.63) at Rockies RHP Chad Bettis (6-5, 5.44), 2:10 p.m., ROOT

Monday: Blue Jays RHP Marco Estrada (5-3, 2.70) at Rockies RHP Jon Gray (4-3, 4.80), 6:40 p.m., ROOT

14

Jon Gray says “shoulder’s just a little bit fatigued,” plans to make next scheduled start By Patrick Saunders / The Denver Post | June 23rd 2016

The Rockies got some positive news about their starting rotation.

Right-hander Jon Gray, who was pulled from his last start because of should fatigue, said Thursday that he plans to make

his next scheduled start. That would be Monday, when the Toronto Blue Jays and Troy Tulowitzki come to Coors Field.

“I passed all the strength tests. My shoulder’s just a little bit fatigued, but I think I will be back out there,” said Gray, who

was pulled after pitching four innings Wednesday in the Rockies’ 9-8 loss to the Yankees in New York.

“He’ll most likely make his next start,” manager Walt Weiss said. “He doesn’t have any pain or anything like that. He will

go his typical four days between starts and we’ll see what that looks like. But I think there is a pretty good chance he

makes his next start.”

Gray, 4-3 with a 4.80 ERA in 12 starts, is scheduled to throw his normal side session on Friday. However, he plans to cut

back on the number of pitches he throws from 40 to 25.

“I think maybe I was throwing a little bit too much the last week, so we are going to give it a bit of a rest,” Gray said. “I will

throw the side tomorrow, but it’s maybe going to be less pitches … and it will mostly be fastballs.”

In the Rockies’ 9-8 loss to the Yankees on Wednesday, Gray served up a grand slam to Chase Headley in the second

inning, but he gave up just three hits in his four innings. But his fastball command was off and he walked six.

“The only thing I felt was a lack of strength in my arm and that kind of messed up my timing,” Gray said.

If Gray’s side session does not go well, there’s a chance Gray could be scratched from Monday’s start.

“I guess it’s possible, but there are no signs of that right now,” Weiss said. “But that’s true with all of our pitchers. We

monitor them from day to day.”

15

Rockies still can’t have nice things, lose to Arizona 7-6 By Isaac Marks / Purple Row | @IsaacSMarks | June 23rd 2016

The Rockies gave up two leads, one in the ninth, as Colorado lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks, 7-6. Starter Eddie

Butler was ineffective at best, going only five innings and allowing six runs on 11 hits, two walks, and four strikeouts. His

fastball was flat and, after the first two innings, was not fooling any of the Diamondbacks’ hitters. It leaves you to wonder

how much longer the Rockies are going to continue with Butler in the starting rotation.

The Rockies got off to an early lead in the bottom of the first. Charlie Blackmon led off with a double, Nolan

Arenado had a great at-bat that ended with a double to right-center. Arenado scored on Trevor Story's single and the

Rockies finished the first inning up 2-0.

The scoring continued in the second inning with Mark Reynolds hitting his seventh home run of the season. Reynolds,

who has hit three home runs over the last four games, is starting to show the power the Rockies expected out of him

when they signed him this offseason.

Sadly, that lead wouldn’t last long. Butler gave up a leadoff single to his counterpart Greinke and a home run to the next

batter, Socrates Brito, on a 3-2 slider after climbing back from 3-0. He retired the next two batters, but gave up a 3-2

single to Paul Goldschmidt, a certified Paul Bunyan club member and notorious baseball killer. Butler’s next fastball

caught the fat part of Jake Lamb’s bat and ended up in the water beyond center field. The Rockies suddenly found

themselves down 4-3.

The Diamondbacks added two more in the fourth inning off RBI singles from Yasmany Tomas and Paul Goldschmidt to

increase their lead to three runs.

In the fifth, things didn’t look good again for the Rockies. The Diamondbacks had first and third with zero outs and Zack

Greinke attempted to bunt home the run. Reynolds made a fantastic play to get the ball to catcher Nick Hundley and

start a rundown with the runner on third, ending in an out. Butler induced a double play to end the inning and escape

unscathed.

The Rockies continually failed to get anything going through the next three innings, despite multiple runners on

base. Gonzalez Germen and Justin Miller came in and stemmed the tide, keeping the Rockies close enough to make a

run.

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The Rockies got their chance in the eighth. Ryan Raburn and Reynolds led off the inning with back-to-back singles and

Raburn scored on a Hundley groundout to make it 6-4. Pinch-hitter Daniel Descalso had yet another hit, putting runners

on the corners for Blackmon. Blackmon and DJ LeMahieu provided the all-important hits with runners in scoring position,

dropping back-to-back RBI singles to tie the game, 6-6. Arenado walked to load the bases, but Arizona’s Brad

Ziegler got Carlos Gonzalez to strike out on a sinker away for the second out. Ziegler put down Story on a slider away to

end the inning.

Again, the Rockies just couldn’t hold on. After striking out Tomas and Goldschmidt, closerCarlos Estevez gave up three

consecutive singles and Arizona regained the lead, 7-6, in the top of the ninth. The Rockies went down in order in the

bottom of the ninth to end it. Ziegler, who blew his first save since late 2014, also got the win and pitched the ninth inning.

The Rockies will face Archie Bradley Friday at 6:40 p.m. MT. Tyler Anderson will take the mound for Colorado.

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Rockies second baseman DJ LeMahieu is hitting the ball harder than ever By Eric Garcia McKinley / Purple Row | @garcia_mckinley | June 23rd 2016

DJ LeMahieu last season had a career-best year at the plate to complement his excellent defense. He hit .301/.358/.388

for the season. The figures aren’t eye-popping, especially the low slugging percentage, but they combined with his

defense to result in a solid two-win season. One of the changes in LeMahieu’s game that might explain his success was

that he didn’t pull the ball as much. His pull rate went down, and most of his batted balls went either up the middle or to

the opposite field. While correlation is not causation, the link between his batted ball outcomes and a healthy batting

average and on-base percentage does count for something.

So far this season, LeMahieu has been even better. Specifically, he’s hitting for more power. It’s not home run power; he’s

only hit four and isn’t likely to hit very many more. Instead, his slugging percentage and his isolated power (ISO, which is

slugging percentage minus batting average) have gone up quite a bit. LeMahieu has almost matched the number of

doubles he hit last year, 18 this year to 21 in 2015, and he’s already hit the same number of triples (five).

SEASON G PA AVG OBP SLG ISO BABIP

2016 66 278 0.318 0.382 0.483 0.165 0.353

2015 150 620 0.301 0.358 0.388 0.087 0.362

Perhaps the most significant part of the chart is LeMahieu’s BABIP. As we know, a high BABIP can indicate that player is

getting a bit lucky with his balls in play. Each player should be measured against himself. For his career, LeMahieu has a

BABIP of .342, a product of having good contact skills and playing half of his home games at Coors Field, which has yet

to meet a ball in play it didn't want to turn into a hit. This season, LeMahieu's BABIP is .353, which is not anomalously

high. In fact, it was higher last year. One way a player’s BABIP might decline without it indicating improvement at the plate

is by putting fewer balls in play. That’s not the case for LeMahieu either. His strikeout rate so far in 2016 has declined five

percentage points from 17.3 percent last year to 12.2 percent this year, and he makes contact over 90 percent of the time.

His progress at the plate cannot be ascribed to luck.

Spraying the ball around the field also doesn’t help explain LeMahieu’s advances, even though it was a pretty good

explanation for his step forward in 2015. In fact, according to FanGraphs, LeMahieu is pulling the ball more this year than

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he did last year. He’s doing so 24.2 percent of the time in 2016 against 21.2 percent of the time in 2015. He’s hitting the

ball up the middle at the same rate, but he’s going the opposite way less frequently.

The truly significant change is coming in how hard he’s hitting the ball. According to Baseball Info Solutions, which

classifies each ball in play either as soft, medium, or hard, LeMahieu has elevated his hard hit percentage almost ten

percentage points. In 2015, his hard hit rate was 26.6 percent; it’s 35.7 percent so far in 2016. His career hard hit rate is

28 percent. Notably, the rate at which he’s hitting balls classified as "soft" has stayed the same, about 12 percent. He’s

turning "medium" balls in play into "hard" ones.

These classifications are subject to the individual counting them, which means they are subject to change depending on

the observer; however, Statcast data tells the same story. In 2015, LeMahieu’s average batted ball velocity was 90.6 mph.

So far this year, it’s 93.7 mph. This measured change supports the one identified by Baseball Info Solutions.

My inclination is to conclude by saying that while LeMahieu was an All-Star in 2015 and probably won’t be in 2016, he’s

having a better year in 2016. That I made the same argument about Charlie Blackmon in the middle of 2015, and he

ended up having essentially the same year as he did in 2014, cautions against that. For now, it’s sufficient to say that

LeMahieu is demonstrating tendencies that support his improvement at the plate. He’s hitting the ball harder, which might

be leading to more extra base hits, which in turn lead to better a slugging percentage and ISO. And that all amounts to a

better hitter.

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Colorado Rockies prospect Ryan McMahon showing encouraging signs By Adam Peterson / Purple Row | @playerTBNL | June 23rd 2016

After spending the last month treading water in the Eastern League standings, Hartford took a dive in the divisional race.

One win in eight games last week leaves the Rockies' Double-A affiliate 10.5 games behind the Reading Fightin' Phils,

who swept the Yard Goats last week.

As the first half of the season comes to a close out in Modesto, the Yard Goats received yet another California League All-

Star pitcher. Jerry Vasto was closing games for the Nuts by the time of his call up and will join Connecticut native Matt

Carasiti in the back end of the bullpen.

News and Notes, June 15 - June 28

Date H/A Opponent Result

Date H/A Opponent Time (MT)

June 15 v Reading (in PA) L 4-5

June 23 v Richmond (in NH) 11:35 am

June 16 v Reading (in PA) L 3-5

June 24

OFF DAY 11:05 am

June 17 @ Altoona W 3-2

June 25 v Erie (Game 1) 2:00 pm

June 18 @ Altoona L 3-11

June 25 v Erie (Game 2) TBD

June 19 @ Altoona L 2-3

June 26 v Erie 11:35 am

June 20 @ OFF DAY

June 27 @ New Hampshire 5;05 pm

June 21 v Richmond (in NH) L 3-11

June 28 @ New Hampshire 5:05 pm

June 22 v Richmond (in NH) W 7-6

June 29 @ New Hampshire 5:05 pm

Following in Sam Howard’s footsteps, Jerry Vasto joined Hartford last week and had a solid debut. Vasto, who is making a

strong case for being an actual existing human being, had a 36:7 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 26 innings for the Rockies’

High-A affiliate. He gave up just four runs and 17 hits in his time in Modesto. He’s made two appearances for the Yard

Goats so far, allowing two hits and striking out two in two innings of work.

After noting last week that David Dahl (no. 2 PuRP) hadn’t collected an extra base hit in over two weeks, he went ahead

and knocked out two home runs last week and, just for good measure, tacked on three doubles as well. Just as

impressively, he managed nine walks and only four strikeouts over the last week. With his OPS back over .900

(.284/.377/.528 overall), it seems the mini-slump may be behind Dahl.

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Raimel Tapia (No. 6 PuRP) spent the month of May bringing up his batting average, buoyed by a healthy BABIP. The hit

tool was never really in question for Tapia, just whether or not he'd be able to make enough contact and control the strike

zone enough to succeed at higher levels of competition. Over the past week he's displayed a lot more patience, drawing

five walks in the past three games alone. Hopefully this represents a step forward in his development. Mucho swagger,

papi.

Kyle Freeland (No. 8 PuRP) got back on track after giving up 12 runs in his past two starts, allowing two earned runs over

seven innings against Altoona on June 19. Freeland's strikeout rate has been lackluster all season and currently sits at a

paltry 5.2 per nine innings. This wasn't so much of a problem earlier in the season because he was limiting baserunners.

Unfortunately, he has allowed at least one walk in every start since April 23 and has given up 29 hits in 26 June innings.

Antonio Senzatela (no. 9 PuRP) was removed from his start against Reading on June 15 but there is no official word on

his status since then.

Sam Howard (HM PuRP) endured his shortest outing since getting promoted to Double-A, allowing eight runs (three

earned) on 11 hits in just 3⅔ innings. Howard was undone by errors in the third inning. With two outs and a runner on

third, Pat Valaika overthrew the bag at first, allowing the run to score and the inning to continue. Two two-run home runs

later, the Yard Goats were down 5-1 without Howard having given up an earned run. He's accumulated fewer strikeouts

so far against Eastern League hitters, who are a year and a half older than their California League counterparts.

German Marquez had a very strange outing on June 18. Though he allowed ten hits over seven innings of work, he

allowed only one run, no walks on seven strikeouts. His ERA now sits at 2.73 as he continues building consensus that he

is the number one guy in this Yard Goats starting roation.

Spotlight On: 3B Ryan McMahon

The future is bright for Ryan McMahon - Purple Row Fanpost

The 2016 campaign isn’t going quite like we thought it would for Ryan McMahon. He’s hitting .211/.315/.330 in 218 at bats

for Hartford so far this season, splitting his time between the hot and cold corners of the diamond. Based on the stats we

have, it’s difficult to pinpoint the source of McMahon’s struggles. His walk rate (12.4%) and strikeout rate (29.1%) are both

higher than they have been in his professional career, but not by much. Also, his .301 BABIP is well below his previous

career-worst mark of .360 for Asheville in 2014, but his ISO is pretty low, too.

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Michael James, who has gotten to see quite a bit of McMahon in person this season, still sees the talent that made Ryan

the no. 5 PuRP on the offseason list even if the source of his struggles is hard to pinpoint. There is still half the season for

him to turn 2016 into a successful season, but I wouldn’t be surprised to find Ryan McMahon back in Hartford next year.

Dunkin Donuts Park Update

Countdown to Opening Day: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It's all quiet on the eastern front. There have been no major updates on the construction progress for the Yard Goats new

stadium, and it was revealed that, with the developer off the job, the building itself is not currently insured against

disaster like wind or fire damage. While this shouldn't be all that surprising (while a building is under construction, typically

the developer takes on the risk by insuring the building until "turning over the keys" to the owner) it highlights another

sticky aspect to this boondoggle.

Looking Ahead

The Yard Goats get to play some home games this week—130 miles away from Hartford. Kind of like when you had

friends over when you were house sitting for your Aunt Carrol in tenth grade, the Yard Goats will host the Richmond

Flying Squirrels for a three-game set at the home of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in Manchester, New Hampshire.

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Tyler Anderson Finally Kicks Injury Bug, Focuses on Future By Kevin Henry / Rox Pile | @Rox_Coverage | June 24th 2016

Tyler Anderson is expected to make his third start of the season on Friday night when the Colorado Rockies continue their

series against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field.

Anderson, Colorado’s first-round pick in 2011 out of the University of Oregon, made his MLB debut against the San Diego

Padres on June 12 after waiting longer than expected to take the mound at Coors Field. He’s battled a number of injuries

in his short career, including elbow pain from a stress fracture that caused him to miss the entire 2015 season.

Anderson said that the string of injuries he endured made him even more eager to help the Rockies.

“In terms of pitching, it didn’t me change much,” Anderson said of the injuries. “Not that I wasn’t hungry before, but it really

gave me that sense of urgency and you want to play and play now. Seeing the struggles we went through made me want

to be there even more.”

Now that’s he finally arrived in the Colorado clubhouse, Anderson is making the most of it, sporting a 2.25 ERA and 0.92

WHIP while looking for his first career win. He’s thrown 90-plus pitches in each of his first two starts and has a 10-to-1

strikeout-to-walk ratio in 12 innings.

“It’s been a blast. It’s been fun. We’ve been playing pretty good baseball so it’s fun to be a part of that,” Anderson

smiled.RE FROM ROX PILE

Anderson’s much-anticipated debut came in Denver … and it brought along a few extra things that Anderson had to focus

on besides just making his first start.

“I would say there were a little less distractions in Miami (for his second start) because I didn’t have huge family there,

which is a great distraction,” Anderson said. “It was a wonderful time and I was glad they were there (for the first start). In

Miami, it was a chance to get more settled into my routine. I’m starting to get more into my routine, which is nice.”

Colorado catcher Tony Wolters has liked what he’s seen from Anderson so far.

“I think he works really hard. When you come into this team, there are a lot of people you can look to and learn from. He’s

a competitor. He wants to win. That’s all we ask for on the team,” Wolters said. “Now he just has to go learn all of these

guys and how they hit. I believe he’ll learn them quickly.

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“I’m very impressed with his work ethic and the way he goes about his business. He’s a professional.”

Anderson said he hasn’t felt the pressure to perform at a certain level, before he was called up as well as now that he’s

with the Rockies.

“As long as you don’t pay attention and read too much stuff, you don’t notice any pressure,” Anderson explained. “You

don’t feel it. It’s not like your teammates are saying, ‘Oh, you need to get to the big leagues.’ Be where your feet are. If

you can do that, you can avoid pressure.”

Finally healthy, Tyler Anderson is just enjoying the moment and working to get better in his craft.

“It’s great. It’s like getting the gorilla off your back,” Anderson said of being injury-free. “You can just go play, have fun,

and not worry about that. That’s really the ultimate goal.”

And what plans does he have to keep improving?

“Just keep pitching,” he said. “It’s been a while so the more that you do it, hopefully the better you get at it. Keep pitching,

work on executing, and throwing strikes.”

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Colorado Rockies Drop Series Opener to Arizona By James Keating / Rox Pile | @TheJamesKeating | June 23rd 2016

After a 2-4 road trip, the Colorado Rockies returned to Coors Field only to lose the series opener to Arizona late, 7-6.

Eddie Butler (2-4, 6.26 ERA) started on the hill for the home squad. Since June 3, Rockies starters have posted an

impressive 3.52 ERA (102.1 IP, 40 ER) with 12 quality starts. Tonight was not one of those quality starts as Butler faced

more traffic than I-25 at 5:10 in the evening.

It took 106 pitches for Butler to work five full innings while giving up six earned runs on 11 hits, including two long balls.

It’s pretty hard to win games with that kind of pitching effort.

To be fair to Eddie, D-Backs ace Zach Greinke faced almost just as much traffic on the night … although Greinke was

able to salvage a horrible start into a quality start. Greinke’s ability to grind out an off night into a winning effort is a lesson

Butler needs desperately to try and emulate.

In his career, Butler has not faired well against the National League West. in 13 career starts vs. NL West opponents,

Butler is 4-6 with a 5.10 ERA while walking 34 and striking out only 35. Coming into tonight’s game, Butler had a home

ERA of 9.37.

Despite a poor pitching effort and a loss, there are a few silver linings to take from the game. Charlie

Blackmon continued to be a force of nature. This season against Arizona, Chuck Nazty is hitting .343, and collected two

more hits against Colorado’s NL West rival. Since April 29, Charlie is hitting .312 and making a push for another All-Star

nod.

Colorado’s offense showed a lot of resilience as they scored three runs in the eighth inning to tie the game at six, only be

let down again by pitching. Carlos Estevez came in the top of the ninth and was electric, hitting 100 MPH multiple times,

but was grinded down by a 12 pitch at-bat to Paul Goldschmidt and then gave up three consecutive two-out singles to

lose the lead. Nick Ahmed, hitting .208 on the season, had the game-winning single, slapping the first pitch from Estevez

into center to plate Jake Lamb with what would be the winning run.

Although they scored three times in the eighth, Colorado should have arguably gotten more runs in that frame as they had

the bases loaded with one out but then Carlos Gonzalez and Trevor Story both struck out swinging.

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Rockies win by losing after placing Jose Reyes on waivers By Casey Light / Mile High Sports | June 23rd 2016

The Colorado Rockies have until mid-day tomorrow to hope someone picks up Jose Reyes. They were unable to find a

trade partner for the embattled shortstop in the eight days since designating him for assignment and requested

waivers Thursday, according to ESPN.

If no team claims him, their only remaining choice will be to release him and hope they can at least cut some losses on

the remaining $40-plus million dollars in salary he’s owed by another club picking him up as a free agent at prorated

portion of the veteran minimum.

It’s a harsh reality for Colorado and represents a golden opportunity for another team desperate for a proven MLB

shortstop, not to mention for Reyes to have a second life after the domestic violence incident that cost him 51 games

already this season. More than his financial loss, which will be small in the grand scheme of things, Reyes has lost the

chance to do the one thing he’s done professionally since 1999.

There are some MLB executives who say he may be hard pressed to find a job even after his release. Reyes began his

MLB career with the Mets, with whom he’s reportedly desperate to reunite and may have interest in signing him. They are

one of the few teams that has shown any public interest.

The Rockies come out on top for taking the high road in this whole fiasco by refusing to employ someone who doesn’t

uphold the standards of the organization, but they certainly won’t be considered “winners” in the situation. Sadly, Reyes

and the Mets will be the only winners when all is said and done.

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Rockies Request Release Waivers On Jose Reyes By Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors | June 23rd 2016 The Rockies announced today that they have requested release waivers on Jose Reyes, whom the team had previously

designated for assignment last week. Reyes will have 48 hours to clear waivers, after which he’ll become a free agent and

have the ability to sign with any club for the pro-rated portion of the league minimum. Technically, a team could claim

Reyes off release waivers, though considering the $38.14MM remaining on his contract through the end of the 2017

season, he’s a virtual lock to clear and seek new employment on the open market.

There was some talk of the Rockies potentially trying to trade Reyes, but any efforts toward that end unsurprisingly came

up empty. Colorado has had ample time to attempt to trade Reyes since he was arrested last Halloween and faced

charges of domestic abuse from his wife (said charges were dropped in April), but the team has yet to find a taker. It

seems likely that some team will ultimately take a shot at signing Reyes to what would be a minimal commitment,

however, if only due to his track record as a well-above-average player on the field. Recent reports have indicated that

the Mets are “warming up” to the idea of a reunion with Reyes, who is said to very much hope to return to Queens.

Whether Reyes proves to be any kind of on-field upgrade remains to be seen. Though he does have a long track record of

production, as noted above, he was one of the game’s worst offensive players last season following his trade to Colorado.

Despite the fact that Coors Field is notorious for inflating offense, Reyes posted just a .259/.291/.368 line in 208 plate

appearances as a member of the Rockies. Overall, his combined .274/.310/.378 slash was considerably below average

for a player that split his season between two of the game’s most favorable parks for offense.

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Colorado Rockies waive Jose Reyes in order to release him By ESPN.com News Services | June 23rd 2016

Apparently unable to find a trade for Jose Reyes, the Colorado Rockies have requested waivers on the shortstop for the

purpose of granting his unconditional release.

If he goes unclaimed, Reyes will become a free agent in 48 hours.

Jose Reyes is on his way out of Colorado after the Rockies decided to waive him. AP Photo/Matt York

Reyes did not participate in spring training and was suspended through May 31 after being charged with domestic

violence for an altercation with his wife in Hawaii last October. Prosecutors dropped the charge ahead of a scheduled

April 4 trial, saying Reyes' wife was not cooperating.

Reyes signed a $106 million, six-year contract with Miami ahead of the 2012 season. He is still owed about $39 million in

the remainder of his deal.

A four-time All-Star, Reyes enjoyed his greatest success with the New York Mets, but the team has said it's highly unlikely

they would bring him back.

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Ahmed's RBI single in ninth lifts D'backs past Rockies 7-6 By Associated Press / ESPN.com | June 23rd 2016 DENVER -- Although one notable streak came to an end, the Arizona Diamondbacks still managed to pull out a win.

Nick Ahmed had a two-out RBI single in the ninth inning and the Diamondbacks recovered after blowing a late lead to

beat the Colorado Rockies7-6 on Thursday night.

Down 6-3, the Rockies rallied to tie it on D.J. LeMahieu's RBI bunt single in the eighth. Daniel Hudson was charged with

three runs, but Brad Ziegler (2-2) allowed LeMahieu's single, ending his streak of 43 consecutive successful save

attempts dating back to May 29, 2015, a club record and the seventh longest ever.

"It was fun while it lasted, for sure," Zeigler said. "It would feel a lot worse if we got beat."

Arizona starter Zack Greinke was in line for his eighth win in eight starts but took a no decision.

The Diamondbacks regained the lead in the top of the ninth off reliever Carlos Estevez (1-4). With two outs, Jake

Lamb and Chris Herrmann each singled, and then Ahmed lined a single up the middle to score the decisive run.

"I just wanted to get that inning clean," Estevez said. "I got two outs and then just grounders. They went through holes."

Rockies manager Walt Weiss said he liked the Rockies' chances with hard-throwing Estevez on the mound but "they got

the barrel to a couple of really good pitches, some good fastballs."

Ahmed said Paul Goldschmidt, who worked a 12-pitch at-bat against Estevez before striking out, paved the way for the

winning hit.

"Goldy saw a bunch of pitches from him that inning, so I got a good look just to scout him right there," Ahmed said. "I

knew he was trying to get ahead with his heater and threw hard so I was just getting ready for a fastball."

Socrates Brito and Lamb each homered and Goldschmidt had an RBI single among his three base hits for the

Diamondbacks, who have won nine of 12.

Nolan Arenado had a run-scoring double and Mark Reynolds homered for the Rockies, who took a 3-0 lead against

Greinke but could not hold it.

Greinke singled to start a four-run third inning. Brito followed with his second homer of the season, working the count full

before driving Butler's offering over the fence in straightaway center. Lamb connected for his 15th homer of the season

after Goldschmidt singled to put the Diamondbacks in front 4-3.

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In the fourth, Greinke drew a leadoff walk, stole second -- his first stolen base of the year and just the fifth of his career --

and then scored on Yasmany Tomas' single. Goldschmidt added an RBI single.

Greinke allowed seven hits and three runs in 5 2/3 innings.

Eddie Butler went five innings and allowed six runs on 11 hits for Colorado.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Diamondbacks: SS Chris Owings took live batting practice at the team's spring training facility in another step toward

returning from the 15-day disabled list. He went on the DL with plantar fasciitis in his left foot on June 11. Manager Chip

Hale said Owings could return at some point during the Diamondbacks' upcoming homestand that begins later this month.

Rockies: RHP Jon Gray says he plans to make his next start despite coming out of his last outing Wednesday against

the New York Yankees in the fifth inning because of arm fatigue. Gray was slated to throw a light bullpen session on

Friday, reducing his normal complement of pitches to 25 from 40. ... RF Carlos Gonzalez twisted his wrist while striking

out in the eighth inning and came out of the game in the ninth. "He just tweaked his wrist a little bit. We'll check him out

(Friday)," Weiss said.

UP NEXT

Diamondbacks: RHP Archie Bradley (3-3), who allowed an unearned run in beating Philadelphia last time out, is set to

make his third career start against the Rockies. He's 1-0 with a 6.14 ERA against Colorado in his two previous starts.

Rockies: LHP Tyler Anderson (0-1) will make his third career start and second at Coors Field since getting a no decision

in his big league debut June 12 against San Diego.

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Eddie Butler to seek out advice from Rusin, Bergman, etc By Drew Creasman / BSN Denver | June 24th 2016 DENVER — I was busy making excuses and Eddie Butler was busy looking for solutions.

No matter the nature of the “put up or shut up” mentality that often accompanies professional sports, we often forget that

to make it to this level, these guys often have to develop some kind of routine. Every athlete I’ve ever met has described

themselves as “a creature of habit” when given the chance. But for Butler, developing a routine and regular habits at the

MLB level has been a constant struggle through no fault of his own.

He has been bounced from the bullpen to the rotation to the bullpen and back again. Most recently, he sat for 10 days

between throwing pitches in an actual game (he was throwing side bullpen sessions) but rather than see this obstacle as

one he cannot overcome, he is beginning to embrace the new normal. “Hey look, whatever they want me to do,” Butler

told BSN Denver. “Whatever keeps me here is what I have to do, and if this is my role, I’m going to find a way to make it

work.”

Recognizing that this problem is not uniquely his own, Butler — under some counsel from catcher Nick Hundley — has

decided the next step is to seek out advice from players like Chris Rusin and Christian Bergman who have both switched

back and forth between starting and long relief.

While he admitted that at times this situation has been “stressful” for him, he reiterated that he does not need a defined

role, just a roster spot, and that means doing whatever it takes. Also, Rusin and Bergman have shown that this in-

between shifting can be a role. And a vital one at that.

Butler listed all kinds of advantages of coming out of the ‘pen including not having to “save pitches” for later in games and

has told BSN on more than one occasion that he has no qualms if he ultimately ends up as a reliever. This new wrinkle in

his approach shows how willing he is to embrace whatever role he is given and that has not been lost on the Rockies.

“He’s been asked to do a lot,” said manager Walt Weiss, “and he’s battled for us.”

And he will continue to for as long as he is given the chance. “I was really happy they let me go back out for the fifth [in

the game last night]they let me go out there and fight for the team.”

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Butler struggles in Colorado Rockies second consecutive heartbreaker By Drew Creasman / BSN Denver | June 24th 2016 DENVER — Eddie Butler just wasn’t good enough, and Zack Greinke was just good enough, in the second straight

heartbreaking loss for the Colorado Rockies.

The Rockies drew first blood in the first inning on a pair of doubles from Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado and a

single from Trevor Story. They landed another punch in the second on an opposite-field home run from Mark Reynolds,

his seventh of the season, and the Rockies lead 3-0 early.

But Arizona took the lead right back in the top of the third with a pair of two-run home runs. The first was a 443-foot blast

off the bat of Socrates Brito and the second was Jake Lamb’s 15th of the year to nearly the same spot. The

Diamondbacks added two more the following frame on singles from Yasmani Tomas and Paul Goldschmidt after Butler

walked his counterpart, Greinke. And very quickly, it was 6-3.

The Rockies had a chance to get back in the game in the bottom of the fifth, getting the first two batters (LeMahieu and

Arenado) on base with nobody out. But Carlos Gonzalez grounded weakly into a force out at third, Story popped up to

shallow right, and Ryan Raburn struck out looking to quickly end the threat.

Butler was told before and during the game that he would need to gut through and get innings no matter the results and

he went back out for the fifth and put up a zero which turned out to be important not just in preserving the bullpen but also

keeping his team in the game. “He bent but he didn’t break,” said Weiss post-game. “He left some balls up to some left-

handed hitters, but he could have gotten derailed there and he didn’t.”

The Rockies did get back in the game in the bottom of the eighth, tying the game with a singles parade involving Raburn,

Reynolds, Blackmon, LeMahieu and Daniel Descalso in a pinch-hit role. Descalso continues to deliver big for the Rockies

in 2016.

Somehow, the inning still ended up a disappointment. After an Arenado walk, the Rockies had the bases loaded with only

one out and all of the momentum, having tied the game and with the heart of the order due up. Gonzalez and Story struck

out swinging back-to-back — CarGo appearing to tweak his wrist or hand in the process. It was announced after the game

that Gonzalez has suffered a right wrist sprain. He is listed as day-to-day and will be reevaluated in the morning.

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On whether or not the Rockies need to take a more considered, contact style approach in those situations, Weiss says,

“Those guys have been driving in runs for years and they are good at it. Every once in a while, the pitcher gets you.”

Carlos Estevez came on in the ninth and looked to be in control striking out the first two hitters, including getting

Goldschmidt at the end of an 11-pitch at-bat. “I threw every pitch that I had. In and out, up and down. And he fouled them

all off. I just went fastball, went with my strength, to get him.”

But then three seeing eye singles, one of which went off of Estevez’ glove another which “beat the shift” plated the

Diamonbacks a run and gave them a ninth-inning lead.

“That’s not Carlos Estevez’ loss, that’s my loss,” Butler said after the game. “If I get a Quality Start tonight, we win.”

Lasting Impact

It would be easy to overreact to this start from Butler but it is worth noting that he has been on a remarkably odd schedule

lately. He hadn’t pitched in 10 days and was unsure of his role (starter or closer) coming into this last week. He admitted

to BSN Denver that the circumstances have been “stressful” but also insisted on his own culpability, saying he intends to

seek out some advice from others on the team who have switched back and forth between the rotation and relief.

We will have more on this very soon.

What’s Next

Game 2 will be the third MLB start for Tyler Anderson and his second at Coors Field. Arizona hands the ball to their own

promising young guy in Archie Bradley. First pitch is at 6:40 MST.

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Colorado Rockies Jon Gray will make next start, to throw less in between By Drew Creasman / BSN Denver | June 23rd 2016 DENVER — There was concern for the Colorado Rockies after rookie starter Jon Gray had to be removed from

yesterday’s game in New York against the Yankees. Manager Walt Weiss cited fatigue after the game and Gray echoed

those sentiments when speaking to reporters before Thursday evening’s game with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Gray said he intends to address the problem by “taking it easy,” throwing fewer pitches in long-toss between games and

making sure he is fully rested for the days he starts. He was quick to be dismissive that there might be some kind of more

serious injury at work. He is scheduled to make his next start.

The Rockies need to be careful with Gray early in his career and it appears that is exactly what they are doing. Of course,

there is a balance to be had, as has been seen in the cases of Stephen Strasburg in Washington or Matt Harvey in New

York.

In the long term, it is worth keeping an eye on Gray’s stamina. He has experienced fatigue a few times before in his minor

league career near the ends of seasons. Going forward, if he wants to be an ace — and be an ace for a long time — he

will need to build his physique and get in the proverbial best shape of his life.

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Carlos Estevez took Rockies Closer role with abundant mental toughness By Drew Creasman / BSN Denver | June 23rd 2016 DENVER – For Carlos Estevez, becoming the Colorado Rockies Closer has been a long-time goal, but not one he

expected to achieve in the first two months of his MLB career.

He told BSN Denver that it has been a “blessing” to be where he is now, and even notes that his opportunity only arose

after injuries to other bullpen pieces, most notably the 15-day DL-stint Jake McGee is currently on, leaving a hole at the

backend. Well, not for very long. Injuries may have opened the door, but someone had to walk through it.

Just prior to McGee’s injury and Estevez’s subsequent promotion, the rookie flamethrower proved his worth in a dominant

outing against the big bad Los Angeles Dodgers lineup. He struck out the side, on the road, against the heart of the order

one day after he had suffered a loss, giving up a walk-off home run to Trayce Thompson.

“I went out saying ‘OK, what happened, happened.’ I wanted the ball. I wanted to get out there again and prove that [the

previous day’s struggles]were gone. That’s done. I just wanted to get out there and get my team three outs. That’s all I

wanted,” Estevez said.

This mentality is exactly what gave the Rockies brass confidence that Estevez – despite his lack of MLB experience –

could step into the vital Closer role without missing a beat. A short memory is a requirement for any baseball player,

double for late-inning relievers, and Estevez has developed a persona that allows him to do things like striking out the side

while throwing fastballs for 20 of 21 pitches in the inning.

“I threw a change-up to Adrian Gonzalez with one ball and two strikes,” Estevez corrected me when I thought he threw 21

consecutive fastballs. But the point still stood that he showed the utmost confidence in the ‘ole number one.

“I saw they were swinging through the fastball,” he says. “I mean, here at this level, you just gotta get outs. Not work on

your pitches, you gotta get outs. So they were missing the fastball and I just kept throwing it.”

It wasn’t a perfect inning, however, as Thompson grounded a seeing-eye single on Estevez’s hardest-thrown pitch of the

inning, a fastball that touched 100 mph. But in his response to that, Estevez showed again why he just makes so much

sense in a late inning role. He doesn’t dwell. I’m not sure he even has that emotion anywhere in his body.

“OK, he got a single, that’s fine. Next time I’ll get him. I’ll try my best 100 percent to get him, but I didn’t care about the

single; ‘let me get the last out,’ that was my thinking right there.”

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Now, getting the last out is his entire job description and he is relishing it.

Since that game in LA, and being named the closer the following series against San Diego, Estevez has pitched seven

innings over seven games without allowing a run. During that stretch, he has struck out eight batters while walking only

two and has surrendered just four hits.

Talking with Estevez is an exercise in fun. He is engaging, funny, and full of positive vibes that he spreads indiscriminately

across the clubhouse. But the second he steps on the mound, he becomes a different person. The “Wild Thing” persona

is a little misleading — his command is about average — and mostly the result of him sharing a birth name with Charlie

Sheen. But having a moniker just allows him to sink into his mound mentally even deeper, allowing one of the nicest kids

in baseball to momentarily become a killer.

A year ago, no one was certain that Estevez would even be put on the 40-man roster. The organization took a leap of faith

and issued a clear challenge by adding him to the roster and Estevez responded by rewarding that faith immediately. He

is emblematic of a new era of Rockies development and represents everything Jeff Bridich preaches when he talks about

how to be a successful pitcher in Denver; he has a great fastball but more importantly, he has the mentality and the

character to allow him to go from an afterthought to a Major League closer in just a few months.