Tonight at 7:10, the Mets begin a four-game series with the Rockies at Citi Field.
The Rockies come into this series with a 46-73 record, leaving them with the second worst record in baseball. Despite a roster that includes Carlos Gonzalez, Todd Helton, and Troy Tulowitzki, they have been awful all year. However, the offense hasn’t been the cause of their struggles. It’s been the pitching.
The Rockies have a 5.41 staff ERA, last in baseball by more than half a run. Part of this has been the team messing around with the starting rotation. Jim Tracy implemented a system earlier this year where pitchers would be on a 75-pitch limit, but would start every four days, as opposed to five. This has thrown off their starters (who weren’t very good anyway). Rockies starters have a combined 6.22 ERA this year, last in the majors.
On offense, the overall numbers look very good for the Rockies. However, when you look deeper, you discover that it is clearly a product of their home ballpark.
The offense has only two real threats currently in their lineup: Dexter Fowler and Carlos Gonzalez. Fowler is having a breakout year for Colorado, hitting .302 with 12 home runs and a .387 on-base percentage, all career-highs. Gonzales has been one of the best hitters in baseball this year, hitting .320 with 20 home runs and a .389 OBP. However, both have struggled on the road. Gonzalez has a .242/.312/.414 batting line on the road. Fowler’s is only slightly better: .266/.317/.403. I think you get the point: the Rockies can’t hit on the road.
Even though the Mets themselves are a mediocre third place team, this series should be very easy for them when you consider how bad the opposing pitching staff is and how the Rockies have failed to hit outside of Coors Field this season. But didn’t we say the same thing about the Astros and Cubs?
Pitching Matchups
Game 1- Tonight 7:10
R.A. Dickey (168.1 IP, 133 ERA+, 4.61 K/BB)
vs.
Alex White (69 IP, 82 ERA+, 1.36 K/BB)
Game 2- Tuesday 7:10
Chris Young (74 IP, 86 ERA+, 1.92 K/BB)
vs.
Jhoulys Chacin (24.2 IP, 65 ERA+, 1.47 K/BB)
Game 3- Wednesday 7:10
Matt Harvey (30 IP, 129 ERA+, 2.62 K/BB
vs.
Jeff Francis (72.2 IP, 78 ERA+, 2.73 K/BB)
Game 4- Thursday 1:10
Johan Santana (117 IP, 79 ERA+, 2.85 K/BB)
vs.
Tyler Chatwood (31.1 IP, 87 ERA+, 1.42 K/BB)
Team Comparison
Notes
- Carlos Gonzalez has cooled down recently. He is hitting .286 since July 1 with three home runs.
- Another one of Colorado’s big power threats has been 23 year-old catcher Wilin Rosario. Rosario has 19 home runs this season. Unlike other Rockies hitters, Rosario is actually hitting much better on the road than he is at Coors Field.
- Michael Cuddyer, who was having a decent season, was placed on the DL Saturday with an oblique injury. He could be out for the season.
- Todd Helton will also miss this series. He is currently on the 60-day Dl and hasn’t played since August 5.
- Let’s go Mets!
8 comments
darknova306
8/20/2012-4:53pm at 4:53 pm (UTC -4)
This looks like it should be an easy 3 wins for the Mets, if not a sweep. Of course that means they’ll be lucky to walk away winning more than 1 game. Typical Mets.
srt
8/20/2012-5:34pm at 5:34 pm (UTC -4)
Still don’t understand the 6 man rotation and Johan pitching. Oh well….
Oh…a Dickey and Harvey start this series. Looking forward to those.
If our offense can show up, maybe we’ll actually win a series.
Stickguy
8/20/2012-5:52pm at 5:52 pm (UTC -4)
screw it nova. This is the sweep series. These guys, depleted, on the road, are terrible. pile it on!
Oh, and if you can get any living, breathing BB professional BB player for him, since young away.
and the 6 man rotation is just silly, but I can see giving Santana at least 1 more start if he is medically cleared and feeling OK. But I think it will be just 1 more, then when they need his spot again it will be September, so you see Mchugh and Mejia making some starts the last month.
Hazmet
8/20/2012-9:18pm at 9:18 pm (UTC -4)
no….sleep….till.. Duda………
I hope the Beastie Boys don’t sue me.
darknova306
8/20/2012-10:50pm at 10:50 pm (UTC -4)
Hell, they might be lucky to win 1 in this series the way this craptacular offense is going…
Hazmet
8/20/2012-9:16pm at 9:16 pm (UTC -4)
Random question since I’m to lazy to research:
We had the speedy Fowler on third just now and the batter swung and missed and Thole had to chase down the short drop and run a little to tag him out, so, if Fowler raced down from third and scored before Josh applied the tag would that have been a run since he scored before the out was completed? Or, is it just the third out? I’d think it’s a run, I think???
Hazmet
8/20/2012-9:17pm at 9:17 pm (UTC -4)
*applied the tag on the batter…
Stick
8/20/2012-10:33pm at 10:33 pm (UTC -4)
no run.