Coming off Thursday’s series-clinching victory over the Mets, now is the time for the Rockies to fry some fish.
Miami rolls into town for a three-game series starting Friday night, and considering the cellar-dwelling Marlins (29-46) are tied for the Colorado (37-38) needs to take advantage of the opportunity by — at the very least — winning the series and climbing back above .500 for the first time since June 8.
And after seeing one of baseball’s best arms in Jacob deGrom this week against New York, the clicking Colorado offense — which has an N.L.-best.283 team average in the month of June — faces a trio of Marlins starters all with losing records and with ERAs north of 4.00.
Plus, considering how poorly the Rockies have played within the normally friendly confines of Coors Field this season with a 14-20 record there (tied for second-worst home mark in the N.L.), Colorado simply can’t afford to lose the momentum it gained by ripping off three straight wins over the Mets.
There’s also good news for the Rockies’ starting trio of Jon Gray (Friday), Tyler Anderson (Saturday) and German Marquez (Sunday) seeing as the Marlins have grounded into 65 double plays this season, the second most in the N.L.
So even with inevitable traffic, if the Colorado hurlers can pitch down in the zone and let its Gold Glove defense work — and seriously cut back on walks, as the team leads the majors — that will enable starters to go further, take pressure off the still-coming around bullpen and, perhaps, lead to a season-shifting sweep of the Marlins.
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Whatap on tap?
- Miami Marlins, 6:40 p.m. Friday, ATTRM
- Miami Marlins, 1:10 p.m. Saturday, ATTRM
- Miami Marlins, 1:10 p.m. Sunday, ATTRM
- At San Francisco Giants, 8:15 p.m. Tuesday, ATTRM
TV/RADIO: Here’s what sports are airing today
Scores, Stats and Standings
Must-Read
MLB’s attendance is down in 2018, but struggling Rockies remain immune to the trend within Coors Field
During two different April road trips, Rockies veteran outfielderCarlos Gonzalezwas already noticing the roots of a troubling trend across major league baseball this season, where attendance is down 5.9 percent from 2017 and those numbers haven’t risen annually for six years now. Read more…
Kiszla vs. Saunders: Should the Rockies give up on 2018 and start playing for next year?
What’s so confounding about this team is that now that the lineup has become dangerous, the bullpen has become a combustible mess. Read more…
Bryan Shaw insists his troubles are fixable and Rockies manager Bud Black agrees
Bryan Shaw has become the high-profile poster boy for the Rockies’ June gloom. Read more…
Quick Hits
+ Rockies podcast:Secrets from the Coors Field groundskeeper
+Yency Almonte makes flashy major league debut with critical relief appearance in Rockies’ win over Mets
+Effective starting pitching, tone-setting homer by Nolan Arenado and bullpen combine for Rockies’ series-clinching win over Mets
+Call them fools, call them true believers — an ugly June hasn’t made Rockies’ clubhouse lose faith just yet
+Rockies farm update: Antonio Senzatela scheduled for Saturday start in Triple-A, Garrett Hampson keeps impressing and more
+Bud Black ejected for first time this season following fourth inning of series opener against Mets at Coors Field
+Nolan Arenado leads all third basemen in National League All-Star voting update
+Saunders: Rockies’ season has reached a critical juncture
+Over two decades later, former Rockies’ ace Pedro Astacio vividly recalls his first standing ovation at Coors Field
+Rockies’ Trevor Story is playing like an all-star, though fans outside Colorado and Texas might not know it
+For Rockies broadcaster Taylor McGregor, her late father figures into all aspects of her life
+Former National League umpire Dutch Rennert dies at 88
+Troy Tulowitzki hopes to play this season for Blue Jays
+Rockies Record Tracker:See how Colorado has fared against each opponentthis season.
+Want to chat about the Rockies?
By The Numbers
27,623
That’s the average per-game attendance in MLB in 2018, a figure that has declined 5.9 percent compared to 2017. But people are still turning out to see the Rockies, despite their poor record at Coors Field. Read more…
Parting Shot
NASCAR driver Martin Truex Jr. throws out first pitch at Rockies game
Denver-based Furniture Row Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. was at Coors Field Wednesday to throw out the first pitch before the Rockies game against The Metropolitans of New York. Read more…
Get in Touch
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