They weren’t exactly humming a Willie Nelson song as they boarded their charter, but have no doubt, the Rockies are excited to be on the road again.
Two reasons: pitching and defense.
No, the Rockies haven’t hit much, but they have been special with their arms and gloves.
“That’s why our record is what it is,” shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said. “We’ve played defense with the best of them, I’ll tell you that.”
Tulowitzki says this year’s team is starting to remind him of the 2007 team that went to the World Series.
“The more you play close games, the more you learn how to win them,” Tulowitzki said. “It’s exactly what happened in ’07. We won close games because we got solid outings from our starters and our bullpen, and we played good defense. I kind of get that feeling right now.”
The Rockies left for their six- game road trip to Arizona and San Francisco with a 17-9 record, leaving them well ahead of the pack in the NL West.
“We’re sitting pretty right now, but we haven’t played anywhere near what we can,” Tulowitzki said. “That’s a nice thing.
“If you were sitting here playing great baseball, it’s almost like, ‘OK, this isn’t going to last the whole year.’ To be where we are and not hitting, let’s just say we can play better.”
Jimenez update.
“No, not at all.” That was Ubaldo Jimenez’s answer when asked after his latest shaky outing whether a health issue was the underlying factor in his slow start. Jimenez is 0-2 with a 7.20 ERA after four innings against the Pirates on Sunday.
Rockies manager Jim Tracy, on Jimenez’s health: “We’ve had that conversation to the point of ad nauseam. I don’t personally feel like that’s an issue. If it were, he wouldn’t be pitching. We’re not getting any type of answers from him that suggest he’s dealing with any kind of pain or discomfort. Nothing of the sort.”
Footnotes.
Coincidence or not? The Rockies’ .989 fielding percentage in April was the exact same they compiled in 2007. . . . Ty Wigginton remains a candidate to land on the 15-day disabled list. He’ll take light batting practice today in Arizona if he’s feeling no pain from the oblique strain that sidelined him for the Pittsburgh series. . . . The Rockies finished April second in the league in fewest walks allowed with 75.
Jim Armstrong, The Denver Post
