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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2011 13:37:30 GMT -5
[shadow=red,left,300]Colorado Rockies (40-42) @ Miami Marlins (51-31)[/shadow]
COL: Rick Carson (4-5, 4.23 ERA) MIA: Kyle Lohse (9-2, 2.82 ERA)
This week's premiere match-up features two teams on two very different paths. The Rockies, once the standard of excellence of the NL West, find themselves tied for last in the division, and under .500 after the all-star break- two new experiences for fans in Denver. Meanwhile, in sunny Miami, the Marlins lead the East featuring the league's youngest and most potent offense. While the Rockies fondly look back at their past recent success, the Marlins eagerly look forward to their future.
But all hope certainly isn't lost for the Rocksquad. The team has a history of making late-season runs at the NL West title, and only new fans to the PBL would be so naive as to write them off so quickly. But before the Rockies can even think about reclaiming their throne, they'll have to prove that they can beat winning teams. Beating Miami in their own playground would be a good start.
Colorado will send sophomore Rick Carson to the mound to face the might of the Miami lineup. Carson had an illustrious minor league career but hasn't quite seen it translate to success in the Majors. Outside of the oft-injured Greinke, who recently landed on the DL again, Old Iron Hands has been the Rockies best starter. He'll need to summon up all the leadership and grit he can, for Colorado to even stand a chance at making it back to the postseason.
On the offensive side of the ball, the story in Colorado has been rookie firstbaseman Graham Robers. Robers has been a force since his call up to the bigs, and boasts a .380/.427/.761 triple slash. Despite his success, the Rockies have still been allotting James Loney a fair share of playtime. Although with Kyle Lohse on the mound for Miami, Robers will probably see the start.
Speaking of whom, National League All-Star starter Kyle Lohse seems to have revitalized his career in Miami. After a year in which he bounced around the Miami bullpen and rotation, the former Cardinals star earned a spot in the rotation, and now leads the Marlins staff in wins. While nowhere near as flashy as teammate Aroldis Chapman, Lohse has reinvented himself as a contact pitcher and has proved himself nearly as effective.
Of course, Marlins brand baseball doesn't revolve around the pitching. The National League's leading offense is also one of the youngest, with second year secondbaseman Cody Puckett being the elder statesman at 28. What does that mean? The Marlins look like they're going to be very good, for a very long time (and that's not even taking into account that they still have the second best farm system in baseball according to BA).
Fortunately for the Rockies, the Marlins will be without power bat Julio Morban. Morban was on pace for his first 40+ season before being derailed by a bruised wrist that has kept him sidelined since the June 29th. Even without Morban's potent line of .304/.404/.583, the Marlins lineup is still scary.
Its a battle of generations in this week's edition of PBL's Game of the Week!
Questions for the GMs:
For Erick Blasco, Rick Carson and Luther Good have long been advertised as the future of Colorado Rockies pitching. With major league scouts insisting that they aren't starters, and their numbers not exactly looking promising, what's the long term outlook for these young arms?
You're probably uncomfortable with your position in the standings. There also has to be some temptation to just blow the team up. Carlos Gonzalez is also probably your biggest trade chip, what are the chances we see some sort of big moves in the near future? Outside of Carlos, is their anyone you can see yourself moving?
Benny Davis is playing in Colorado Springs as part of his rehab assignment. Is he the key to getting your offense going? Do his early struggles in AAA worry you at all?
For William Nemo, your offense has been raking all season, yet you still made a move for even more offense moving Will "Sandman" Moore for A.J. Casario. What was the logic behind the move?
Fans are beginning to get excited about prospect Phil Jackson. Any possibility the PBL gets a chance to see what he can do this season? Does his recent injury worry you?
You have a lot of ammunition down in the farm to make more moves. With the Nationals breathing down your back, are you done making moves this season? Or are there still areas of the team you'd still like to improve?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2011 16:35:12 GMT -5
For William Nemo, your offense has been raking all season, yet you still made a move for even more offense moving Will "Sandman" Moore for A.J. Casario. What was the logic behind the move?
To be honest, I'll make a good deal where a good deal can be found, no matter what side of the ball its on. I felt that there was a good opportunity to pick up a great player and an upgrade in Casario, and while moving Sandman did soften the rotation, youngster Bryan Merrills was showing he deserved a shot in the majors, and star prospect Phil Jackson isn't far away from his debut in the show. In the end, I felt that it made my team better overall in the long run.
Fans are beginning to get excited about prospect Phil Jackson. Any possibility the PBL gets a chance to see what he can do this season? Does his recent injury worry you?
Yes, his recent injury does worry me. It seems impossible in this day in age for a player to make it to the majors or even go a couple years without tearing or partially tearing something or other... However I think he can make a strong recovery. As far as seeing him this year, there is a very strong possibility that he'll get his first cup of major league coffee as mentioned previously. It will depend heavily on his ability to control the zone. Jackson is by no means a finesse pitcher, but he still needs to keep the free passes down before he'll be brought up. There is no reason to rush him to the bigs in our current state.
You have a lot of ammunition down in the farm to make more moves. With the Nationals breathing down your back, are you done making moves this season? Or are there still areas of the team you'd still like to improve?
As I said before, I will always make moves when good deals are available. We definitely have the ammunition and will be keeping an open ear for opportunities where good value can be found. We're not looking behind us, just trying to get healthy and keep pounding out wins. We'll look forward to getting Julio back and see what we can do with a completely healthy lineup and possibly getting some staff help from the minors.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2011 16:44:55 GMT -5
Rick Carson and Luther Good have long been advertised as the future of Colorado Rockies pitching. With major league scouts insisting that they aren't starters, and their numbers not exactly looking promising, what's the long term outlook for these young arms?
This is, unfortunately, a good question. First things first. If the scouts in the league had their way, there would be about 20 Major League front-end starters, 20 back-end starters, and the rest of the big leagues would be comprised of guys who "should be in the minors." Scouts don't handle mid and fringe talent very well. Heck, scouts think Franklin Morales, and his lack of stamina, should be a starter. Huh?
More to the point, the thing the disturbs me the most is that my defense is strong this year. Last year, I had to throw a lot of poor defensive players on the field which could contribute to bad numbers for pitch-to-contact pitchers, but this year, there isn't an excuse.
That being said, Carson's WHIP is terrific. He doesn't walk very many, and his oversized, metallic fingers generate good movement. His problem is that guess hitters can look for a fastball and when his location is off, he gets hit hard. He's already allowed 13 home runs this year. He's also still trying to max out his slider. If he can do that, he'll be a bit more effective as a strikeout pitcher. Right now we have him pegged as a #3 starter. Unless we can stumble upon some more starting pitching, he'll be in our rotation.
We're lucky we have him working against the Marlins today as he's worked 16.1 scoreless innings in a row, and went 1-1 against the team last season.
Luther Good is another matter altogether. He started out so well, but it's been elevated pitch after elevated pitch, with not enough movement. His stuff breaks late so everything stays on the ground, but it doesn't break enough. His location has been off so that has resulted in nothing but line drives.
We need him to max out his accuracy of his sinker so he doesn't get hit hard. If he can't do that, he'll be a fifth starter at best, and probably a middle man. The next few months will be crucial for him.
You're probably uncomfortable with your position in the standings. There also has to be some temptation to just blow the team up. Carlos Gonzalez is also probably your biggest trade chip, what are the chances we see some sort of big moves in the near future? Outside of Carlos, is their anyone you can see yourself moving?
There isn't much temptation to go on a firesale. Colorado isn't the kind of franchise that overreacts to short-term struggles. Our window is two years. We have the pieces and contracts in place to go after a title this year and next. We'll also have a bunch of contracts coming off the books after this season which will help the team go after one more piece next year. Because of this, Gonzalez will not be available until mid-season 2016. If we find ourselves out of the race next year, we'll be much more proactive in dealing guys as some of the contract demands for our players may be too high, or they'll be entering dangerous territory where they may drop off.
However, this year we're a bit over the budget Charlie Monfort has set for us and we'll be trying to move some pieces who have become expendable. Veterans like James Loney, Jayson Werth, and Jorge Cantu are on the block, and Franklin Morales may join them if the team struggles in July.
Benny Davis is playing in Colorado Springs as part of his rehab assignment. Is he the key to getting your offense going? Do his early struggles in AAA worry you at all?
For the most part our offense is fine. We have a strange lack of power right now, and we always strike out too much, but we get on base, hit the gaps, we even steal a few bases. However, Davis is a prime prospect and will likely be the third baseman when Ian Stewart's contract is up. We want Davis in AAA for a bit because we want to play him at second base a little. Ramon Gonzalez is a good seventh- or eighth-place hitter, and he's right handed which is nice, but Davis will be able to hit right-handed pitching better, and with some power. He'll have to learn how to play second base though, and the rehab assignment helps with that.
His early struggles don't worry me much because he's had an extremely small sample size this year, and was promoted way too quickly because of injuries last year. Even if he struggles, he'll likely take Clint Barmes' spot as a defensive utility guy going forward.
Other notes, Graham Robers will play two out of every three days against righties for the time being after playing every other day with James Loney. Loney is on a cold stretch and we need more power in our lineup.
Huston Street has blown three saves this year---two to Miami.
Finally, first round draft pick Loco Beccatini is on the roster and is ready to unleash his crazy-fast, crazy-unpredictable 98mph heater in the Majors. With our pen as bad it is, we can use the help.
Best of luck to Miami...they've really smacked us around this year, often in humiliating fashion...
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2011 16:48:53 GMT -5
Fans are beginning to get excited about prospect Phil Jackson. Any possibility the PBL gets a chance to see what he can do this season? Does his recent injury worry you?
According to his popularity ratings, only the most obsessed of the 18 Marlins fans in existence have any clue who Phil Jackson is (why doesn't the game add interest to really early draft picks...this is something OOTP should tweak in the future).
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2011 19:07:45 GMT -5
Oh, one final tidbit of info...Both Carson's 10th win AND 10th loss were against the Marlins! Crazy! He hasn't faced Miami since recording his 10th win against them last season.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2011 22:35:03 GMT -5
Another interesting subplot in tonight's game:
Erick has spent a fair amount of time badmouthing Kyle Lohse. Thoughts, gentlemen?
It does look like the Rockies are going to have to put their money where their mouth is.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2011 22:45:13 GMT -5
Another interesting subplot in tonight's game: Erick has spent a fair amount of time badmouthing Kyle Lohse. Thoughts, gentlemen? It does look like the Rockies are going to have to put their money where their mouth is. The fact that Lohse, a career journeyman (who is listed as a middle reliever...nice going OOTP having middle relievers consistently throw 95 pitches) started the All-Star game is a testament to all things fluky. Random middle relieving starters simply don't end up as the best pitcher in their league. That being said, he's done a good job. Lohse has been huge and he's given the Marlins some stability in the rotation. I like what he's done.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2011 22:46:45 GMT -5
It's a "compliment SANDWICH" Erick... you forgot to lead with a compliment... ;D
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2011 23:42:20 GMT -5
Ah Lohse was alright, the bullpen couldn't hold it together...
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2011 20:56:08 GMT -5
Postgame Wrap:
Rockies 12 - Mariners 10
After coming from behind in the seventh to tie the game at six apiece, Miami battered Kevin Gregg and Diego Moreno. The Marlins scored four runs in the inning, with a sensational throw to the plate by Carlos Gonzalez the only thing keeping more runners from scoring.
Once again the Rockies had come back against Miami. Once again, Miami had responded with a stronger counterattack.
This time, Colorado responded with its best punch of the year.
Ramon Gonzalez hit a three run shot, Jayson Werth hit a mammoth blast to straight away center field, and Troy Tulowitzki went deep as the Rockies came back from three runs down in the seventh and four down in the eight to win a slugfest 12-10.
The game was marred by poor baserunning from both teams. Dexter Fowler was caught trying to steal third base with two on and nobody out to begin the game. Later in the inning, Seth Smith unwisely challenged Mike Stanton's arm in getting thrown out trying to go first-to-third on a single. With All-Star Game starter Kyle Lohse shaky to start, surrendering a three-run home run to Graham Robers in the frame, the baserunning blunders were costly miscues that took runs off the board.
Later in the game, Graham Robers would be thrown out trying to score from second on a throw from Stanton.
After a rough first three innings, Lohse settled in relying on his off speed pitches more. He didn't allow a hit over his final three innings, and allowed only three hits over 6 innings. For a pitcher who was on the ropes early, he found his composure quickly.
Rick Carson never found his composure. After the Marlins swung at the first pitch and made outs on three pitches in the first, A.J. Casario lined a hanging slider to right field for a home run on the first pitch. From there, the Marlins added four more runs and knocked him out in the fourth. Carson got tagged for five runs and six hits over 3.2 ineffective innings.
Mitch Canham hit a bomb off Franklin Morales to make it 6-3 in the sixth. The Marlins could have added more runs but Logan Morrison twice failed to drive in a run with two outs and a man in scoring position, and Starlin Castro denied him a third opportunity by getting thrown out stealing third.
After a pair of Pat Neshek walks, Carlos Gonzalez tied the game with a three run blast. The lead was short lived.
Logan Morrison doubled to begin the seventh, Stanton tripled him home, and following an intentional walk, Tyson Gillies hit one into the right field corner, using his blazing speed for a two-run triple. A Canham hit made it 10-6 before the Rockies outburst in the eighth.
The Marlins got the leadoff man on against Maceo Beccatini in the youngster's big league debut, but Mike Stanton hit a rocket to Tulowitzki that turned into a double play to get out of the inning.
Jon Garland pitched a perfect ninth to earn his second save of the year.
Questions for the GM's. For Erick Blasco, a four run lead for most teams is usually insurmountable. How did you manage to keep yourself in the game?
"Even though Miami had a big lead, we never gave up. That's what we preach in Colorado."
Was there a secret that allowed you to persevere?
"Our secret was taking things one pitch at a time. Staying on an even keel."
The Marlins are a great team, and their offense scored a lot of runs. What was the key to beating them?
"When you face a great team you need to play great baseball. That's the key to winning."
Jayson Werth had a bomb of a home run. He's had a tough season but he really came up big. Can you say a thing or two about that?
"Jayson Werth has had a tough year, but what can you say. That guy has a lot of heart. And guts. Sure he has good ratings. But that winning attitude he brings made a big difference."
Despite the offensive execution, would you say that your team played well?
"We didn't pitch well and we made some baserunning mistakes. But sometimes moxie can make up for that. Moxie or a really, really good lineup. But anybody can build a good lineup. Only a great GM can build a team with moxie."
Finally, you've been critical of Miami's pen in the past, but they've been better this year. Were you surprised they struggled in the loss?
"No I was not surprised in the least that Miami's bullpen imploded against us. They have a history of mediocrity...and failure. We just waited out that clever wolf Kyle Lohse, and dined on the tender, succulent flesh of the flock of unintentional walks and hanging breaking balls. The fish-sheep set up the feast and we entered the dining hall. Blood was served and it tasted good."
For William Nemo, Kyle Lohse had a tough go early, but he really settled in as he's done all year. Talk about his guts, heart, and mental makeup. Does he have winning characteristics?
Surely your team had scouted Ramon Gonzalez and Jayson Werth and knew they weren't major power hitters this year. Were you disappointed in your staff for such awful---awful---pitching during the eighth inning?
With Julio Morban out, you moved Logan Morrison to the leadoff spot. While he had a tough day, he came up with runners in scoring position three times. Was that what you were going for in having him bat leadoff or were there other factors?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2011 22:27:19 GMT -5
For William Nemo, Kyle Lohse had a tough go early, but he really settled in as he's done all year. Talk about his guts, heart, and mental makeup. Does he have winning characteristics?
Lohse has been great for us all year. He does what he's asked and he understands what he is. He pitches to contact and lets an outstanding infield do its job. Playing into the game plan is just as important as any amount of talent on the field.
Surely your team had scouted Ramon Gonzalez and Jayson Werth and knew they weren't major power hitters this year. Were you disappointed in your staff for such awful---awful---pitching during the eighth inning?
It happens. The pen has generally been very good this year (4th best NL era) for all the bad mouthing that goes on around the league. You can't win them all and you have to give them a break every once in a while, not every one can be perfect.
With Julio Morban out, you moved Logan Morrison to the leadoff spot. While he had a tough day, he came up with runners in scoring position three times. Was that what you were going for in having him bat leadoff or were there other factors?
There were two reasons for that move.
1. With all the power and contact in our lineup, Morrison doesn't necessarily need to be in the middle. However, with the rate he gets on, he is a GREAT table setter for the rest of the bats. Getting the leadoff runner on with no outs greatly increases our odds of scoring runs.
2. Having Morrison bat first should get him more at bats, we want our best hitters getting on base as often as humanly possible. We got the situations we wanted, we just didn't capitalize.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2011 0:34:00 GMT -5
Good answers!
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