LOS ANGELES — The halfway point of the season finds the Rockies in a hard place.
Entering Friday night’s game against the Dodgers, they were 39-42, in fourth place in the National league West and eight games behind division-leading Arizona. Their June record defines swoon: 9-16.
Those of us not employed by owner Dick Monfort believe the club has reached a crisis point. They must start winning now, and winning a lot, if the club’s postseason aspirations are to come off life support.
The Rockies, naturally, see it differently. They speak of “urgency” and “frustration,” but seriously believe they have the talent to turn their season around.
“If we don’t win, no one’s going to be happy,” all-star third baseman Nolan Arenado said Friday, a day after his caused a ruckus among Rockies fans. “Thatap what itap all about. I try to lead by example. If I’m going to lead this team, I’m going to lead with them. I won’t do it through the media. That wouldn’t be my type of way. My type of way would be to talk with them individually. I’m trying to go about my business and help this team win.”
In The Athletic article, Arenado said the Rockies’ front office was in an awkward place, given the team’s poor record as July nears.
“They probably don’t know how to approach it right now,” he said. “Only we know how to approach it, and thatap winning ballgames. Hopefully we can put the pressure on (the front office) to go get guys. The more we win, the more they’re going to have to make a move.”
Friday, Arenado stressed that he was not pointing any fingers.
“I’m not sending a message to the front office,” he said. “The more you win, and (when) you’re in it at the break, usually most teams make moves. Last year, we were in at the (trade deadline) and we made moves with (reliever Pat) Neshek and (catcher) Jonathan Lucroy. Thatap what you do.”
General manager Jeff Bridich appeared to take Arenado’s comments in stride.
“I personally did not take it, at the time, that he was speaking to me or (owner) Dick Monfort,” Bridich said Friday. “That really hasn’t been part of our relationship, where conversations have been going on through the media.”
But Bridich agreed that the team has failed to meet expectations.
“I think a lot of what (Arenado) said is true,” Bridich said. “I think everybody is frustrated and I’m not sure anybody in this industry, that I have met, enjoys losing.”
Arenado has made it clear that he thinks the Rockies need help to get back in the hunt to win the first National League West title in franchise history.
Bridich, when asked if the Rockies were in a buy or sell mode right now, answered: “We are in a focus-on-playing-better-baseball-today mode. This team has not played as well as we had hoped. Nobody is going to feel sorry for us and nobody is going to come to our rescue. We have to do it ourselves. We have a talented group, but I’m repeating a lot of what Nolan said. It’s on us to fix it. There is no magic pill or there’s no magic lifeline.”
Shortstop Trevor Story, who’s putting together an all-star worthy season, is also frustrated.
“We have not played up to our expectations — of winning the NL West,” he said. “We still have those expectations. We have had some OK stretches, but certainly more bad stretches than good. We have to start putting things together.”
Does he feel a sense of urgency?
“Yeah, it’s getting late in the season, quick,” Story said. “It sneaks up on you quick. We are certainly not where we want to be, but we are not out of reach of our goals.”
At the halfway point of the magical 2007 season that ended with “Rocktober,” the club stood exactly as it does now: 39-42, fourth place in the NL West and eight games out of the division lead. The Rockies finished 90-73 that season, but needed an 11-game winning streak and a string of 14 wins in 15 games just to qualify for Game 163.
Miracles don’t strike twice. It’s now-or-never time for the 2018 Rockies.
Looking ahead
Rockies RHP German Marquez (5-8, 5.53 ERA) at Dodgers RHP Kenta Maeda (4-4, 3.84), 5:15 p.m. Saturday; FOX, 850 AM
Rockies manager Bud Black aptly describes Marquez’s season as a roller coaster. Split personality also fits. The 23-year-old right-hander, who throws a plus fastball and an excellent curve, has a 7.93 home ERA compared to a 3.07 road mark. He’s served up 14 homers, with nine coming at Coors Field. He needs to pitch better for the Rockies to get back in the National League West hunt, because they are 1-4 in his five starts this month. Colorado is not getting Maeda at a good time. He’s hot, fresh off a game in which he tossed seven shutout innings and allowed just three hits and a walk with nine strikeouts in a victory against the Cubs. When Maeda is on, he has hit-and-miss stuff, as he showed against the Cubs when he produced 19 swinging strikes on just 84 pitches. He’s struck out 80 batters in just 68 innings this season. The Rockies have just a .218 batting average against him, though Charlie Blackmon has fared well, batting .308 (4-for-13) with a double and two homers. — Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post
Sunday: Rockies RHP Chad Bettis (5-1, 5.07) at Dodgers RHP Ross Stripling (6-2, 1.98), 2:10 p.m., ATTRM
Monday: Giants LHP Madison Bumgarner (2-1, 2.51) at Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (7-6, 3.29), 6:40 p.m., ATTRM
Tuesday: Giants RHP Mark Stratton (8-5, 4.55) at Rockies RHP Jon Gray (7-7, 5.77), 6:10 p.m, ATTRM
