U-turn required
The Rockies find themselves further out of the NL West race than at any point last season because of a terrible April. The numbers over the past 11 games, in which they went 2-9:
Rockies Opp.
Runs per game 3.8 5.7
Batting average .254 .289
Blown saves 4 2
Looking Ahead
TODAY: Dodgers at Rockies, 7:05 p.m., FSN
Jeff Francis (0-2, 5.01 ERA) provides a snapshot of the team’s difficult start. Despite flashes of excellence, he has struggled, leaving him with a career 2-7 mark in April. He has a winning record in every other month. Francis has shown improvement in his last three outings, working seven innings in each appearance. He limited the Dodgers to two runs last week and is 4-1 lifetime against Los Angeles. The Rockies have almost exclusively made Brad Penny an all-star and Cy Young candidate over the past four seasons. He’s 10-1 against them, including a 4-0 mark at Coors Field. Garrett Atkins homered off the right-hander in their most recent meeting.
