Colorado Rockies: Braves Cruise to Easy Win Concern Growing
Just 12 games into the 2019 campaign and the Colorado Rockies are in danger of digging themselves a hole that will derail the season.
The power outage that plagued the Colorado Rockies at the end of the 2018 season has taken on new life to open the 2019 season. It was mostly offensive punch that was lacking, particularly in the NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers but the plague looks to have spread to the pitching staff as the Rockies are giving up runs in bunches.
Before the mercy of a snowstorm, Colorado dropped the opener with the Atlanta Braves 7-1. German Marquez lasted just five innings, surrendering seven hits, five earned runs (including 2 HR) and just two strikeouts. This on the heels of a sub par outing for Kyle Freeland who was following a bad performance by Jon Gray and Chad Bettis. Tyler Anderson? Struggling.
So, now all five of Colorado’s starters are struggling and the offense is reluctant to produce runs. The Rox stranded 7 against Atlanta and were just 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Nobody mustered more than one hit
It’s a serious departure from expectations that Colorado Rockies fans and brass had for this team coming into the 2019 season.
The question all of this begs is whether the Rockies are a team in need of some adjustment to realize their potential or if they are just a bad team. Either seems possible at this point and as we pointed out recently it’s not too early in the season to be concerned.
Leadoff hitter Yonathan Daza stranded five on Tuesday, going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. This is the guy that was playing for Charlie Blackmon who has had his own troubles driving in runs. It is a mess for Colorado, offensively. If not for David Dahl, Trevor Story and Nolan Arenado, Colorado would be hitting at a historically poor clip.
Is there good news? Any light at the end of the tunnel? It’s really hard to see at the moment for the Rockies, there’s a definite uneasiness that’s been cast on the team and they are in danger of falling into that place where they are viewed as a failed experiment. When that happens, teams tend to get trade happy, shedding contracted money for the next attempt.
They aren’t there yet but they aren’t far. If their woes are a matter of will, things need to change right away, if they are a matter of talent, well, there’s questions raised by that the Colorado Rockies have never been able to answer.