By default, the Rockies are following through with their offseason plan to split playing time between Miguel Olivo and Chris Iannetta. Olivo has been essentially Ubaldo Jimenez’s designated catcher, but Iannetta started Saturday night in Phoenix with Jimenez on the mound. It was Iannetta’s 10th start in the last 20 games, the fallout from Olivo’s disappearing act at the plate. Olivo was hitting .325 with 10 homers and 42 RBIs at the all-star break but has hit .135 (10-for-74) since then with only two homers and eight RBIs.
Close encounters.
Saturday’s game was tied in the middle innings. Nothing out of the ordinary there. All of the teams’ first four meetings at Chase Field were decided by one run, with the Diamondbacks winning three.
Cliff divers.
How fast have the Rockies fallen? A win July 11 at Coors Field would have tied them with the Padres for the NL West lead. They lost that day and going into Saturday had fallen nine games further behind the Padres.
