1
Story rewrites records on 2-homer night
Rockies' phenom raises bar with 26 HRs by NL rookie shortstop; 4 away from Nomar's MLB mark
By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | 1:23 AM ET
DENVER -- Rockies rookie Trevor Story treated his family and friends to another of his record-setting feats Saturday
night.
A day after tying former Rockie Troy Tulowitzki's 2007 National League record for home runs by a rookie shortstop, Story
launched his 25th homer, a two-run shot off Braves right-hander Matt Wisler in the second inning. In the eighth, he
cracked No. 26 off Jim Johnson for his career-high fifth RBI of the game and the final run of an 8-4 victory at Coors Field.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Story became the first rookie to go 4-for-4 with two home runs, at least five RBIs
and a stolen base in a game since the Royals' Bo Jackson on April 14, 1987. Jackson drove in seven that game.
Trevor Story collects four hits, including two home runs, and five RBIs in the Rockies' 8-4 win over the Braves
The performance came with Story's parents, Ken and Teddie, and his host family from Class A Modesto in the stands.
"I hope that they enjoyed it," Story said.
Story definitely enjoyed it because of the result -- the Rockies' third straight victory.
MEDIA CLIPS – July 24 , 2016
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From the beginning, when he became the first player in history to homer twice while making his Major League debut in a
season opener, Story has had to discuss his place in history with regularity. But as the team limped into the All-Star break,
too often he was a bright spot on a bleak night.
But Story has become a major part of the Rockies going 6-3 out of the break. At 46-51, the Rockies have work to do to be
considered a serious contender in the National League Wild Card race, but the team is embracing the challenge.
"That's what it's all about, first and foremost," Story said. "It's about how the team's playing. We feel good right now, have
great confidence."
Weiss talks about 8-4 win
Weiss talks about 8-4 win
Rockies Manager Walt Weiss discusses 8-4 win, Trevor Story continuing to do big things and the strong performance of
Tyler Anderson
Story also found his way into franchise history. He became the fourth Rockies player to have two home runs, five RBIs
and a stolen base in a game, joining Dante Bichette (twice), Vinny Castilla and Larry Walker.
Story needs four home runs to match the Major League rookie shortstop mark, set by Nomar Garciaparra of the Red Sox
in 1997. The NL rookie home run record is 38, shared by the Boston Braves' Wally Berger in 1930 and the Reds' Frank
Robinson in 1956. The Major League rookie mark is 49, by the Athletics' Mark McGwire in 1987.
The crowd of 46,195 hooted over the homers, but Story's most joyful noise came in the sixth, when his two-run single off
Wisler gave the Rockies the lead for good. It was part of a five-run frame.
Rockies five-run 6th inning
Rockies five-run 6th inning
Carlos Gonzalez, Trevor Story and Tony Wolters combine for five RBIs on three hits in the 6th, giving the Rockies a 7-3
lead
"You come up in a big spot like that -- we were down one -- to get those two RBIs and go ahead was huge," Story said. "I
show a little more emotion on things like that."
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Wisler actually dominated early -- when Story wasn't the one batting. The first homer and his third-inning single were the
Rockies' only two hits off Wisler until the big sixth.
"Wisler was tough early -- he handcuffed us -- but Story had a big home run, and it felt like offensively we grinded our way
through that game," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "Then we got into their bullpen and did some things."
4
Anderson shows competitive fire in win
Rookie logs 6 strong innings, waits out 47-minute rain delay
By Ben Weinrib / MLB.com | 2:00 AM ET
DENVER -- Rockies rookie Tyler Anderson's competitive edge was on display, for better and for worse, as he navigated
six strong innings in Saturday's 8-4 victory over the Braves.
Anderson, who endured a 47-minute rain delay before the third inning, held Atlanta to three runs on eight hits with six
strikeouts and a walk. But the left-hander had to control his emotions to do so.
Anderson's emotions first flared up in the fourth inning when he balked while attempting to pick off Anthony Recker at first
base. Anderson could be seen jawing at first-base umpire Mike Muchlinski and was calmed down after the inning by
manager Walt Weiss and catcher Nick Hundley. Recker eventually scored after a sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly.
"I think it was pretty clear to them that I was almost out of control," Anderson said. "Not quite, but getting close, with my
emotions. They just wanted to make sure I was taking those deep breaths and getting back to it because there was a lot
of ballgame left."
Anderson's competitive edge again came out toward the end of his night, when Weiss questioned whether to let him pitch
the sixth. Anderson had thrown 76 pitches through five innings, but had to stay loose during the delay by throwing in the
batting cages and using an arm bike to keep blood flowing.
Anderson missed last season because of a stress fracture he suffered near his pitching elbow late in 2014 at Double-A
Tulsa.
"They were looking out for me just because, obviously, injury history and a rain delay," he said. "They just wanted to make
sure I was OK and feeling good. So I just let them know, 'Yeah, I'm good, I'm ready to go back out if you let me go back
out.'"
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Anderson rewarded Weiss with a 1-2-3 sixth inning on 15 pitches.
Rockies manager Walt Weiss discusses the 8-4 win, Trevor Story continuing to do big things and the strong performance
of Tyler Anderson
"He's very competitive," Weiss said. "He's very strong-willed, but that's a good thing. That's why he is who he is, and that's
why he's hit the ground running at the Major League level."
That competitiveness is part of the reason Anderson has found so much success in the Majors. He has held opponents to
three runs or less in all but one of seven starts and has gone at least six innings in all but two starts -- both of which went
5 2/3 innings.
"It could have been a lot better," Anderson said. "A couple of those runs I should have been able to strand guys better.
We won, and that's all that matters."
Ben Weinrib is a reporter for MLB.com based in Denver. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League
Baseball or its clubs.
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Story lifts Rox with epic 2-HR, 5-RBI night
By Thomas Harding and Mark Bowman / MLB.com | 3:23 AM ET
DENVER -- Trevor Story put himself into the record books, then lifted the Rockies to their third straight
victory over the Braves, 8-4, on Saturday night at Coors Field. Story homered twice and had career highs with
four hits and five RBIs.
The Rockies -- who will try to sweep the series Sunday afternoon -- improved to 6-3 since the All-Star break
and are .500 (24-24) at home for the first time since June 27. Story is too wrapped up in the performance of his
club, which is 46-51 but harboring dreams of pushing into the National League Wild Card race, to think much
about history.
"After the season, I can look back and enjoy, but right now, I'm in a grind mode -- head down, working," Story
said.
Story's two-run, second-inning shot off Braves starter Matt Wisler (4-10) gave him the NL record for home
runs by a rookie shortstop, and he hit his 26th homer on a leadoff shot in the eighth off Jim Johnson. Story has
eight homers in the last 13 games and three in two nights against the Braves. Story's two-run single highlighted
a five-run sixth inning that also included Carlos Gonzalez's RBI double and Tony Wolters' two-run single.
Wisler had an RBI single in the second and Adonis Garcia added an RBI single in the third. But Rockies
starter Tyler Anderson (3-3) held the Braves to three runs and eight hits in six innings for his second straight
win.
"It just seems like every sixth inning in this series, it got away from us for some reason," said Braves manager
Brian Snitker, whose team has been outscored 12-0 in the sixth inning through three games this series.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Sifting through on a strange night: Anderson was up, 2-1, after two innings when a 47-minute rain delay hit.
Two batters after the game resumed he gave up Freddie Freeman's one-out triple, and two batters later, Garcia
scored Freeman on a single. But Anderson fanned Jeff Francoeur and induced an Ender Inciarte pop foul to
limit that threat, then weaved his way through six.
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"The fact that he gave us six, going back out for the sixth, that's where there was some debate because of the
delay," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "We checked in with him, and he was adamant about how good he
felt. I thought that Tyler actually got better as the game went on."
Anderson's winning start
Sudden implosion: Wisler retired 15 of the 18 batters he faced through the first five innings, and Story had
accounted for the only two hits recorded. But the Braves right-hander retired just one of the five batters he faced
in the sixth and was charged with six earned runs over 5 1/3 innings. DJ LeMahieu's one-out walk fueled the
sixth-inning uprising against Wisler, who has allowed at least five earned runs in five of his past nine starts,
including each of the past three.
"It's frustrating when you feel that good," Wisler said. "I had the couple innings [after the delay] where I kind of
settled down and got quick outs. Then to go out there in the sixth inning and have all that happen, that's
disappointing to myself. I've got to find ways to get through that."
Uplifting Story: Story surpassed the former Rockie Troy Tulowitzki 's 2007 NL rookie shortstop record. It
was the fourth multi-homer game for Story, who made his debut on Opening Night.
Braves' bullpen struggles: Wisler exited with one on, one out and the Rockies leading 4-3 with one out in the
sixth. Ian Krol then issued two consecutive walks before surrendering Wolters' two-run single. Story's eighth-
inning homer off Johnson added to the recent woes of Atlanta's bullpen, which has allowed eight earned runs
over nine innings through the first three games of this series.
bout 8-4 wi
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
• Story became the first rookie since the Royals' Bo Jackson on April 14, 1987, to go 4-for-4 with two home
runs, a stolen base and at least five RBIs in the same game. Jackson drove in seven runs against the Tigers in
that one.
• The Braves have lost nine straight games at Coors Field, and they have gone 5-29 on the road against NL
West opponents since last winning in Denver on June 10, 2014.
WHAT'S NEXT
Braves: Tyrell Jenkins will make his third career start when the four-game series concludes Sunday at 4:10 p.m. ET. Jenkins was
placed in Atlanta's rotation after the All-Star break. He allowed two earned runs over six innings in Cincinnati on Tuesday.
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Rockies: Tyler Chatwood (8-6, 3.83 ERA) has struggled in three starts since returning from a DL stint for a
back injury -- 12 earned runs, 19 hits and nine walks in 13 innings. Chatwood hopes to find his groove against
the Braves on Sunday at 2:10 p.m. MT.
9
Oberg recalled to bolster Rockies 'pen; Qualls to DL
Right-hander joins Colorado for third time this season
By Ben Weinrib / MLB.com | July 23rd, 2016
DENVER -- With a tired bullpen, the Rockies recalled right-hander Scott Oberg from Triple-A Albuquerque
on Saturday.
The Rockies placed right-hander Chad Qualls on the 15-day disabled list (colitis), retroactive to July 16. With
Qualls unavailable, there had been more pressure on other relievers.
"We knew it would take a few more days before [Qualls would] be able to go out and compete, so we felt like
we needed to make a move," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "Oberg is throwing the ball really well. We're
looking forward to seeing Scotty out there."
Oberg has had mixed results in two stints with the Rockies this season. In his first stint, he allowed six runs in
11 1/3 innings and was optioned to Albuquerque after allowing five runs in his last two outings. He only made
one appearance in a short-lived second trip to the Majors, throwing two scoreless innings in Miami.
However, Oberg has been successful in Albuquerque as the Isotopes' closer. He has a 2.43 ERA with nine saves
in 22 appearances and uses four different pitches, which is rare for a reliever.
"He's got plus stuff across the board, it's just a matter of commanding it, and that's what he's doing," Weiss said.
"His fastball is very lively. We think a lot of the kid. I certainly do, and he's throwing the ball very well."
Oberg could be used in several different roles, including as an emergency closer. He has not thrown more than
two innings in an outing in the Majors or Minors this season, although five of his 10 outings in the Majors have
been two innings.
Oberg pitched a scoreless seventh inning Saturday night in his first appearance since being recalled.
Worth noting
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• Right-hander Justin Miller threw his first simulated game since being placed on the 15-day DL on July 5 with
a left oblique strain. He threw to outfielders Brandon Barnes and Gerardo Parra and infielder Cristhian
Adames.
"I was just trying to throw everything with max effort and throw strikes," Miller said. "When you're throwing
[side sessions], you don't have anybody standing in the box, so it's good to have somebody there to get that
feel."
Miller is expected to go on a rehab stint in Albuquerque on Monday, when the Rockies open a three-game
series in Baltimore.
• Parra (left ankle sprain) is planning on running before each game in Baltimore. If he is healthy enough, he'll
go on a rehab assignment after that.
Parra said he felt tightness but no pain in the ankle when he tried running during this homestand. He was able to
take batting practice after hitting in Miller's simulated game.
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Chatwood matches up with Braves rookie Jenkins
By Ben Weinrib / MLB.com | July 23rd, 2016
Braves rookie Tyrell Jenkins has found success through two Major League starts, but he will face his biggest challenge yet Sunday,
when he takes the mound at Coors Field opposite Rockies right-hander Tyler Chatwood.
Jenkins' two starts came against the Phillies and Reds, who ranked 20th and 29th, respectively, in scoring this
season. The Rockies were third in scoring, and Coors Field has the by far the highest Park Factor for runs --
1.593 dwarfs second-place Progressive Field's 1.224 mark.
Jenkins has performed better as a starter than as a reliever this season. He has held opponents to three runs over
10 2/3 innings as a starter (2.53 ERA) but has a 5.79 mark in four relief appearances. He has 11 walks to just
nine strikeouts this season.
Three things to know about this game
• Chatwood has struggled since coming off the 15-day disabled list with a mid-back strain. He has allowed 13
runs in three starts spanning 13 innings with seven strikeouts and nine walks.
• Braves utility player Chase d'Arnaud entered Saturday with a .396 batting average (19-for-48) in 13 games
against the NL West this season, including 11 hits in his last five games. He also owns an eight-game hitting
streak against NL West opponents.
• Chatwood last faced the Braves in 2014, and first baseman Freddie Freeman is the only hitter from that team
still with the club. He hit two RBI singles off Chatwood, who was pulled after giving up eight runs in 2 1/3
innings.
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Marquez among top prospect performers Saturday
Brewers prospect caps huge game with walk-off shot; Indians' No. 2 notches season-high four hits
The Midwest League is notorious for dampening the power of young hitters. Apparently no one told that to Isan
Diaz.
The Brewers' No. 11 prospect slugged a pair of home runs on Saturday, including a walk-off shot to propel
Class A Wisconsin past Lake County, 9-8. Diaz also hit a triple in the contest en route to finishing 3-for-4,
while his six RBIs represented a new career high.
After drawing a walk in his first plate appearance, Diaz plated Wisconsin's second run of the game with an RBI
triple in the third inning. The left-handed hitter blasted a three-run homer to the opposite field in his third trip to
the plate, and, after striking out in the seventh inning, he gave the Timber Rattlers the win when he connected
on a two-run shot to center field in the bottom of the ninth.
With his huge game Saturday, Diaz now paces all Midwest League hitters with his 15 home runs, 62 RBIs and
175 total bases. The 20-year-old shortstop also extended his hitting streak to seven games, during which he's
batting .533 with 13 RBIs and 10 runs scored.
Overall, Diaz his hitting .266/.345/.476 through 96 games for Wisconsin in his full-season debut.
The rest of the best performances from top prospects Saturday
• No. 14 overall prospect Rafael Devers helped lead Class A Advanced Salem in a victory over Frederick as he
homered for a second straight game. The Red Sox's No. 2 prospect, who finished 2-for-4 at the plate, also
extended his hitting streak to 10 games in the win.
• No. 23 overall prospect Clint Frazier hit his 13th home run and collected a season-high four hits, though it
wasn't enough to keep Double-A Akron from falling to Altoona. Before his 4-for-5 performance on Saturday,
the Indians' No. 2 prospecthad been 1-for-28 at the plate over his previous seven contests.
• No. 30 overall prospect Robert Stephenson (Reds' No. 2) allowed three runs (one earned) on three hits over
six innings in Triple-A Louisville's loss to Lehigh Valley. The 23-year-old right-hander struck out seven and did
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not issue a walk for the first time this season in 17 starts. Overall, Stephenson has pitched to a 3.69 ERA in 100
innings.
• No. 32 overall prospect Raul Mondesi (Royals' No. 1) showed off his wheels in Triple-A Omaha's win over
Nashville, as he hit a triple and stole two bases while going 3-for-5 at the plate. In 13 games since being
promoted to Omaha, Mondesi has hit .308 with seven extra-base hits and eight runs scored.
• No. 78 overall prospect Nick Gordon stayed hot as he went 2-for-5 with his third home run and four RBIs in
Class A Advanced Fort Myers' victory against Clearwater. The Twins' No. 4 prospect has been on a tear this
month, hitting .349/.371/.453 with 13 RBIs and 10 runs scored in 20 July games.
• No. 80 overall prospect Bobby Bradley (Indians' No. 3) belted his Carolina League-leading 19th home run
and tallied four RBIs to power Class A Advanced Lynchburg past Carolina, 12-10. Since the beginning of June,
the 20-year-old first baseman has hit .316 with eight home runs and 34 RBIs over 42 games for the Hillcats.
• Indians No. 8 prospect Francisco Mejia extended his hitting streak to 37 games in style as he belted a grand
slam in the first inning of Class A Advanced Lynchburg's win against Carolina. The homer was Mejia's second
with Lynchburg and ninth of the season, and he's now hitting .346/.377/.536 through 73 games this season after
going 1-for-2 with a pair of walks on Saturday.
• In his longest start for Double-A Mississippi, Braves No. 10 prospect Lucas Sims fired 7 1/3 scoreless
innings in a shutout against Tennessee. The 22-year-old allowed four hits and four walks while also striking out
four and generating 10 ground-ball outs.
• Pirates No. 11 prospect Kevin Newman notched his third four-hit game of the season and first since being
promoted to Double-A Altoona. The 22-year-old shortstop went 4-for-4 in the contest to improve his average to
.350 through 30 games for the Curve. Overall, the 2015 first-rounder has posted a .359 average, with more
walks than strikeouts, over 71 games between the Class A Advanced and Double-A levels.
• Rockies No. 12 prospect German Marquez fired eight scoreless innings with just five hits allowed to pace
Double-A Hartford in a 6-0 shutout of Reading. The 21-year-old righty walked a pair, fanned seven and
generated 10 ground-ball outs in the performance, which saw him throw 69 of his 98 pitches for strikes. It also
was the second time in three starts that Marquez completed eight innings.
• Braves No. 29 prospect Patrick Weigel flirted with a no-hitter in Class A Rome's win over West Virginia, as
he tossed 6 2/3 innings before finally yielding a knock. The 22-year-old righty went on to allow three hits over a
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career-best 7 2/3 scoreless innings while striking out eight in the win. With the performance, Weigel lowered
his ERA to 2.83 and increased his strikeout total to 107, the third-most in the South Atlantic League.
"I felt pretty good coming into today's start," Weigel told MiLB.com. "Me and catcher [Jonathan] Morales had a
good game plan to establish the fastball early. Our offense came out and put a lot of runs up early. From that
point, it was just about filling up the strike zone and pitching to contact.
"I'd be lying if I said [the no-hitter] didn't cross my mind," he said. "I definitely was aware of what was going
on. But you know, I went 3-1 to Munoz and he put a good swing on the ball and got the hit. And from there on
out, it was about trying to get to the end of the game and finish it out."
• Royals No. 27 prospect Eric Skoglund hurled six innings of one-hit ball as Double-A Northwest Arkansas
lost to Springfield, 3-1. The 6-foot-7 southpaw issued three walks and struck out four, with 60 of his 92 pitches
going for strikes in the outing.
15
Rockies’ Trevor Story bashes two homers, breaks NL rookie record for shortstop
Story surpasses Troy Tulowitzki for most home runs by a rookie shortstop in National League
By PATRICK SAUNDERS | [email protected] PUBLISHED: July 23, 2016 at 10:17 pm | UPDATED: July
24, 2016 at 1:16 am
As Trevor Story rounded first base, he gave a subtle fist pump. No, he wasn’t
celebrating his historic 25th home run, nor blast No. 26 that came later.
Rather, he was jubilant over his two-run single in the sixth inning that gave the
Rockies a 5-3 lead over Atlanta. Just Story being Story.
“To come up in a key spot like that, to get those two RBIs like that, was huge,” he
said. “So I showed a little bit more emotion right there … in instances like that I
do.”
His hit sparked a five-run inning that carried the Rockies to an 8-4 victory over
the Braves on Saturday in front of a crowd of 46,195 on “Star Wars Night” at
Coors Field. It was the Rockies’ third straight win and set up a chance to
complete a four-game sweep Sunday afternoon.
Story’s historic chapter came early in Saturday’s game, before a 47-minute rain
delay. In the second inning, Story blasted a two-run homer off Atlanta right-
hander Matt Wisler to break the National League record for home runs by a
rookie shortstop. Story’s homer was his 25th, surpassing former Rockies star
Troy Tulowitzki, who hit 24 in 2007.
Story’s 430-foot homer, which came in his first at-bat, drove in Carlos Gonzalez,
who reached on a walk. Story had tied Tulo with a two-run blast in Colorado’s 4-3
victory over the Braves on Friday.
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“It’s pretty cool,” Story said. “I think it’s cool because Tulo set it before and he’s
kind of my mentor and he helped me out a lot. So to break his record is pretty
cool.”
But Story wasn’t done. He led off the eighth with homer No. 26, a 445-foot solo
blast to center off Jim Johnson. Story has swatted eight home runs in his last 13
games and manager Walt Weiss is running out of superlatives to describe his
shortstop.
“I have nothing to say that hasn’t already been said,” offered Weiss with a grin.
“He’s having a great year. It seems like he breaks another record every week or
so. He just keeps clicking. He’s having a dream season.”
The quiet shortstop is entering rarefied air now. He needs just four homers to
match the major-league rookie record for home runs by a shortstop. That mark is
owned by Nomar Garciaparra of the Red Sox, who hit 30 in 1997. The overall NL
rookie home run record is 38, shared by the Boston Braves’ Wally Berger in 1930
and the Reds’ Frank Robinson in 1956. The major-league rookie mark is 49, set
by Oakland’s Mark McGwire in 1987.
Story batted 4-for-4 with a career-high five RBIs and also stole a base. According
to the Elias Sports Bureau, he is the first rookie since Kansas City’s Bo Jackson
on April 14, 1987 to go 4-for-4 with two homers, five RBIs and a stolen base.
Yes, Story was the story Saturday night, but starter Tyler Anderson is another
rookie making his mark this season. The lefty picked up the victory, evening his
record to 3-3. He wasn’t exceptionally sharp, but he gave Colorado six innings,
allowing three runs on eight hits. He got better as the game went along.
“I think that was definitely the case,” Anderson said. “I was throwing some
changeups up and (the Braves) were either getting some hits or they were balls.
Some of them were right down the middle. I think later, I was able to get ahead
and get in situations where I could use (the changeup).”
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In the first six starts of his career at Coors Field, Anderson has four quality starts
with a 3.47 ERA. He’s struck out 35 and walked only eight.
He was able to survive two messy innings. In the third, Atlanta first baseman
Freedie Freeman looped an apparent one-out single in front of Gonzalez, who
misplayed the ball into what looked like a two-base error. The error was later
overturned and Freeman was awarded with a triple. Freeman scored easily on
Adonis Garcia’s bloop single to tie the game 2-2.
In the fourth, Anthony Recker led off with a single, advanced to second on
Anderson’s balk, moved to third on Wisler’s bunt single and scored on Chase
d’Arnaud’s sacrifice fly to right to give Atlanta a 3-2 lead.
STORY TIME
Rockies rookies shortstop Trevor Story continues to write baseball history. Here’s
what he accomplished Saturday night:
Hit his 25th and 26th home runs of the season, surpassing the
record for most home runs by rookie shortstop in the National League. (Previous was 24
by Colorado’s Troy Tulowitzki in 2007)
Passed Todd Helton (25 in 1998) for second place for most home runs by a Rockies
rookie. The record is held by Wilin Rosario who hit 28 in 2012.
Batted 4-for-4 with five RBIs and a stolen base, becoming the first rookie to do that
since Kansas City’s Bo Jackson Story on April 14, 1987 (according to the Elias Sports
Bureau).
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Rockies’ Trevor Story sets NL record for homers by rookie shortstop
Story surpasses Troy Tulowitzki for most home runs by a rookie shortstop in NL
By PATRICK SAUNDERS | [email protected] PUBLISHED: July 23, 2016 at 7:50 pm | UPDATED: July
23, 2016 at 9:18 pm
Move over Tulo, it’s Story time.
Rockies rookie Trevor Story blasted a two-run homer off Atlanta right-hander
Matt Wisler in the second inning Saturday night to break the National League
record for home runs by a rookie shortstop.
Story’s homer was his 25th, surpassing Troy Tulowitzki, who hit 24 for the
Rockies in 2007.
Story’s homer, which came in his first at-bat, traveled 430 feet.
He needs just five homers to match the major-league rookie record for home
runs by a shortstop. That mark is owned by Nomar Garciaparra of the Red Sox,
who hit 30 in 1997. The overall NL rookie home run record is 38, shared by the
Boston Braves’ Wally Berger in 1930 and the Reds’ Frank Robinson in 1956. The
major-league rookie mark is 49, set by Oakland’s Mark McGwire in 1987.
The Rockies were leading the Braves 2-1 after two innings when the game was
delayed by rain. The game was scheduled to continue at 7:45 p.m. MDT.
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Rockies have several players who could be targeted for trade with deadline near
Carlos Gonzalez, Charlie Blackmon coming up in trade talks
By NICK GROKE | [email protected] PUBLISHED: July 22, 2016 at 7:35 pm | UPDATED: July 23, 2016 at
11:57 pm
Charlie Blackmon stood in two places at the same time Thursday, at once in the
far corner of the Rockies’ home clubhouse but also smack in the middle of trade
rumors.
“I don’t really seek out that kind of stuff because most of it is speculation,”
Blackmon said. Then he stopped to search for a better descriptor. “What’s that
one word I’m thinking of? Not rumors. It’s like the drama talk?”
He scanned his vocabulary. “Gossip. It’s gossip. That’s it. It’s just gossip. I don’t
believe any of that stuff until something happens. And I can’t control it.”
Now in his sixth season, Blackmon is the best-hitting center fielder in the National
League, with a .307 average. That makes him an attractive trade target to teams
looking to make a playoff run.
Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich, however, has given no hints whether he
wants to trade any players, or acquire any, before Major League Baseball’s July
31 trade deadline.
But what kind of trade might the Rockies look at? Will they be buyers or sellers?
Both? Neither?
Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Dave Stewart told reporters last week
that he will not trade young players that make up his team’s core. Rockies
players, on the other hand, have had no such public assurances.
“As I’ve said before, we are going to keep all our options open and we are going
to continue doing our jobs as we have done in the past,” Bridich repeated to The
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Denver Post earlier this month. “We are going to keep our eyes and ears open to
everything.”
So Blackmon and his teammates, for now, will have to live with gossip.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen, honestly,” Colorado manager Walt Weiss
said. “I told the team, if we want that stuff to go away, let’s win games — and let
them figure it out upstairs.”
Two of the most important trades in Rockies history came within the past five
years, both within days of the trade deadline. In 2011, then-GM Dan O’Dowd
stitched together an awkward trade of the franchise’s best pitcher, Ubaldo
Jimenez, to Cleveland for four players, led by pitcher Drew Pomeranz. None of
the players acquired are still with the team. Last summer, Bridich shipped star
shortstop Troy Tulowitzki to Toronto as part of a six-player deal — with pitching
prospect Jeff Hoffman as the Colorado centerpiece. Hoffman is doing well in
AAA.
If the Rockies make a blockbuster deal this week, it will likely involve Carlos
Gonzalez, the all-star right fielder. He is the club’s highest-paid player, at $17
million this season and $20 million due in 2017, the final two years of a seven-
year contract. He leads National League outfielders with a .318 average and has
an outstanding OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) of .918.
The Tulowitzki trade last summer sneaked up on nearly everyone outside the
GM’s office, including Tulowitzki, who was furious he was kept in the dark. But
Bridich had that trade in the works for months. Trading Gonzalez could give a
playoff-contending team a hearty slugger at an affordable price. His contract may
be undervalued for his production.
“I’ve seen a lot of players that follow the money and they’re not happy,”Gonzalez
told The Denver Post. “Money isn’t everything. You want to be in a place where
you’re happy, your family is happy and it’s a place where you can succeed and
contribute and reach your goals.”
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The Rockies’ most likely trade piece is a pitcher. Veteran Boone Logan carries
the NL’s fourth-best ERA among left-handed relievers. He’s held left-handed
batters to a 159 average and .451 OPS. Logan is in the final year of a three-year
deal. And contenders always love left-handed relievers.
“I look around knowing that I might not be here in a couple weeks, or even at the
end of the season I’m a free agent,” Logan said. “There’s a high percentage
chance that I’m not going to play with these guys ever again… We’re a tight-knit
group now. No one is higher than anybody else.”
The Rockies, who entered the weekend seven games below .500 and 13 games
back in the National League West, continue to build for the future with a young
roster and minor-league prospects nearing a jump up. They don’t need to shed
payroll, so salary dumps won’t be the motive. But if this season is lost, now may
be the time to begin bolstering for next year.
“I just hope it doesn’t get wasted because there is a lot of good talent on this
team and you won’t be able to have this team as cheap as you have it for much
longer,” Logan said.
Staff writer reporter Patrick Saunders contributed to this report.
Who’s on the block?
The Rockies enter the final week before MLB’s trade deadline with some thinking to do.
Nick Groke and Patrick Saunders rank the Rockies most likely to be moved.
1. LHP BOONE LOGAN
2016 salary: $6.25 million, final year of contract.
Selling point: Playoff teams often covet lefty relievers.
Possible landing spots: Name a contender, especially in the NL.
2. LHP JORGE DE LA ROSA
2016 salary: $12.5 million, final year of contract.
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Selling point: Veteran starter with a habit of getting better late in the season.
Possible landing spots: Baltimore Orioles, they’ve shown interest in him before.
3. CF CHARLIE BLACKMON
2016 salary: $3.5 million, with two more years before free agency.
Selling point: One of the best center fielders and lead-off hitters in the NL, with a
very affordable salary.
Possible landing spots: Washington Nationals, who are desperate for a CF; St.
Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians.
4. RF CARLOS GONZALEZ
2016 salary: $17.5 million, with $20 million owed in 2017.
Selling point: A game-changing, left-handed slugger; his value is peaking.
Possible landing spots: Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, several others.
5. LHP JAKE MCGEE
2016 salary: $4.8 million, with one more year before free agency.
Selling point: See above, re: lefty relievers.
MAY ALSO BE IN PLAY:
C Nick Hundley, 1B Mark Reynolds, INF Daniel Descalso.
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Rockies’ Walt Weiss gives vote of confidence to streaky reliever Jason Motte
Motte is performing under his career averages in ERA and WHIP
By PATRICK SAUNDERS | [email protected] PUBLISHED: July 23, 2016 at 6:14 pm | UPDATED: July
24, 2016 at 1:27 am
Rockies reliever Jason Motte has run hot, and very cold, this season.
Friday night, the veteran right-hander gave up a two-run homer in the eighth
inning to Atlanta’s Jace Peterson, nearly costing Colorado a victory. The Rockies
held on for a 4-3 win, but Motte’s inconsistency has been his trademark this
season.
He entered Saturday having been charged with eight runs in his last five
appearances, but manager Walt Weiss continues to express confidence in Motte
as a late-game option.
“Last night, on the home run, it was just a cutter that sat in the middle of the
plate,” Weiss said. “He’s had some good outings, too. He’s got some big outs for
us. So yeah, I still have confidence in him.”
Weiss also explained that with right-hander Adam Ottavino unavailable Friday
night, and lefty Jake McGee still struggling to find his command, Motte was his
only workable option in the eighth before turning to left-hander Boone Logan.
Prior to his current skid, Motte had made five consecutive scoreless relief
outings. Still, his 5.95 ERA and 1.58 WHIP play are far worse than his career
marks (3.31 ERA, 1.15 WHIP).
“It’s like anything, it’s day to day,” Motte said. “Some days I’m good, I’m where I
need to be, and other days, it’s like anything. You have to go out there and
battle.”
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Motte, whose start to the season was delayed until May 25 because of a sore
shoulder, said he’s 100 percent healthy now.
Looking Ahead…
Braves RHP Tyrell Jenkins (0-1, 4.05 ERA) at Rockies RHP Tyler Chatwood (8-6, 3.83),
2:10 p.m. Sunday, ROOT, 850 AM
Chatwood is still trying to solve his Coors Field dilemma. He got beat up in his
last start at Coors against Tampa Bay, giving up a season-high seven earned
runs on eight hits in just three innings. He allowed a home run for the first time in
52 innings. His command was missing, and as manager Walt Weiss said, “he
was spraying his fastball.” Contrast that to the right-hander’s road performance,
where he is 5-0 with a 1.30 ERA in eight starts. Jenkins is coming off just his
second career start. He’s never faced Colorado.
Monday: Rockies LHP Jorge De La Rosa (6-7, 6.07 ERA) at Orioles’ RHP Yovani
Gallardo (3-2, 5.69), 5:05 p.m., ROOT
Tuesday: Rockies RHP Chad Bettis (8-6, 5.31) at Orioles RHP Chris Tillman (14-
2, 3.18), 5:50 p.m., ROOT
Wednesday: Rockies RHP Jon Gray (6-4, 4.12) at Orioles’ RHP Dylan Bundy (3-
2, 3.30), 5:05 p.m., ROOT
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Rockies call up right-hander Scott Oberg, send Chad Qualls to DL
Oberg is making his third stint on the Rockies’ roster and will be available for Saturday night’s game
By PATRICK SAUNDERS | [email protected] July 23, 2016 at 4:40 pm
The Rockies believe in Scott Oberg’s pitching ability. Now he gets another
chance to back up their faith in him.
The right-handed reliever was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque Saturday
afternoon to take the place of ailing veteran right-hander Chad Qualls, who was
placed on the 15-day disabled with colitis. The move with Qualls is retroactive to
July 16.
Oberg, 26, is making his third stint on the Rockies’ roster and will be available for
Saturday night’s game vs. the Braves at Coors Field. Manager Walt Weiss said
that, at least for now, Oberg could figure into late-game situations.
Oberg has thrived at Albuquerque. In 27 games with the Isotopes, he is 1-0 with
a 2.43 ERA. He’s notched nine saves as a closer.
“I think it’s mostly been about being more consistent with everything, getting
ahead in counts,” Oberg said of his success at Triple-A. “When I execute all of
my pitches, things have gone well.”
Oberg pitched in nine games for the Rockies earlier this season, going 0-0 with
a 4.05 ERA and giving up two home runs.
“Scotty is throwing the ball really well,” Weiss said. “He has plus stuff across the
board. It’s just a matter of commanding it. That’s what he’s been doing. His
fastball is very lively again. We think a lot of the kid, and he’s throwing the ball
very well.”
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Qualls, 37, signed a two-year, $6 million deal with the Rockies in the offseason,
but he’s been a disappointment. The veteran is 2-0 with a 5.61 ERA over 36
games. There is no set timetable for his return.
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Saunders: Jon Gray has right stuff to be best-ever Rockies starter
The contrast between Gray’s mental outlook from last August to now is striking
By PATRICK SAUNDERS | [email protected] July 23, 2016 at 4:14 pm
I’ll admit it. I had my doubts that Jon Gray possessed the right stuff.
I’m not talking about his 95 mph fastball or his diabolic slider. Anybody who has
watched Gray pitch on a regular basis can see his raw talent. But I wondered
whether he had the stuff to make it pitching for the Rockies at Coors Field. Did he
have the guts, self-confidence and resiliency necessary to win at Coors?
In his last start of the 2015 season, a 9-3 loss to the Pirates on Sept. 21 at
Coors, Gray was rocked for five runs and recorded just 14 outs. Ugly numbers to
be sure, but that wasn’t the worst of it.
“I’ve pitched fine on the road,” a dispirited Gray said that day. “I just can’t find that
— whatever it is — to make an adjustment to pitch in this place.”
I wondered whether Gray, the third overall pick in the 2013 draft, was going to
get eaten alive by the challenge of pitching at 5,280 feet.
Based on his showing this season, that won’t happen. If he stays healthy, Gray
has a chance to become the most dominant starter in Rockies history. And he
deserves to be in the discussion for National League rookie of the year.
“I have come to realize, that if it can be done here, it’s all that much better,” Gray
told me last week. “If you can come here and be successful, that’s huge. It’s the
biggest challenge in baseball, pitching at Coors Field and being able to conquer
it.”
Friday night, the right-hander pitched seven brilliant innings in Colorado’s 4-3
victory against the Braves at Coors. He limited the Braves to one run on six hits,
with one walk and eight strikeouts. He improved to 6-4 and lowered his ERA to
4.12.
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“He’s been setting the tone every start lately,” third baseman Nolan Arenado
said. “His intensity on the mound is unmatched. I haven’t really seen that here
before. He’s really pitching like an ace. The future is bright with him on the
mound, no doubt.”
The contrast between Gray’s mental outlook from last August to now is striking.
“He expects to win. He expects to get guys out,” Arenado said. “You can see him
talk to himself sometimes when he throws balls or whatever. But he bears down.
It’s really impressive.”
Gray’s “aha” moment arrived April 22 in his 2016 season debut. His line was
unsightly: five runs allowed on seven hits in just five innings in a 7-5 loss to the
Dodgers at Coors Field. He gave up home runs in the first inning to Corey
Seager and Adrian Gonzalez. Yet Gray took a giant leap forward that day.
“I was able to settle down and punch out 10 that day,” Gray recalled. “It was eye-
opening. I realized, you can still miss a lot of bats pitching here. My mind-set
changed.”
Not that it’s easy. Gray said he essentially has to master two approaches — one
for home, one for the road.
“Your sights, or target, has to be different,” Gray explained. “On the road, I can
start my curveball almost at the batter’s head and it will drop in over the plate. At
Coors, I have to start the curve on the plate, because it’s simply not going to
break as much. It takes some getting used to.”
Gray admits that he didn’t expect the learning curve to be as steep has it has
been. But now he’s learning to embrace pitching at Coors Field.
“It’s kind of like a badge of honor,” he said. “The challenge of pitching here is
really what pushed me in the offseason.”
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Ubaldo Jimenez: Spotlight on the Orioles pitcher
What’s up: Jimenez is 32 and light years removed from his glory days in Denver.
He opened the 2016 season in Baltimore’s starting rotation, posting a 3.91 ERA
over his first four starts. But then his mechanics broke down — something that
has become part of his history. Entering the weekend, Jimenez is 5-9 with a 7.38
ERA in 18 appearances (17 starts) and he’s been relegated to the Orioles’
bullpen. He has not pitched since July 8 — and there is a chance he won’t face
the Rockies during the three-game series that begins Monday at Oriole Park at
Camden Yards.
Background: There was a time when Jimenez was a legitimate Cy Young Award
candidate. Pitching for the Rockies in 2010, he was 15-1 with a 2.20 ERA
through July 8. He stumbled after that but still finished 19-8 with a 2.88 ERA,
good enough to finish third in the National League Cy Young voting. That was the
high point of his career. The Rockies traded him to to Cleveland in 2011 amid a
lot of hard feelings. Jimenez’s career has been checkered since his days in
Colorado, even after he signed a four-year, $50 million contract with Baltimore.
Saunders’ take: I first got to know Jimenez during spring training in 2006. He was
friendly, a tad innocent and an incurable optimist. Despite his funky delivery — or
maybe because of it — he confounded hitters, and his fastball was electric. But
his mechanics were problematic and the Rockies were wary of that. There also
were several Rockies teammates, particularly shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who
questioned Jimenez’s toughness. In 2011, Jimenez was traded to Cleveland for
four players, including pitchers Drew Pomeranz and Alex White, both of whom
departed Colorado long ago. During spring training in 2012, Jimenez drilled Tulo
and nearly set off a bench-clearing brawl. Then-manager Jim Tracy memorably
called the incident, “The most gutless act I have seen in 35 years of professional
baseball.” There was a time when I thought Jimenez would become one of the
most successful and beloved players in Rockies history. Sadly, he’s become a
franchise footnote for his flashes of brilliance from 2007-10.
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3 Up, 3 Down
UP
1. Marlins: In the thick of wild-card race, and Ichiro Suzuki entered Saturday just
four hits shy of 3,000.
2. Cardinals: Matt Adams rescued Redbirds with 16th-inning homer against
Dodgers Friday for season-high, fifth-consecutive victory.
3. Tigers: With sluggers Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez healthy, and bullpen
better, Detroit primed for second-half run.
DOWN
1. Rangers: Yu Darvish is back in form, but Texas has lost six of seven and its
lead over Astros is down to 2 ½ games.
2. Diamondbacks: Arizona Republic reporting that manager Chip Hale will be
replaced by Triple-A Reno manager Phil Nevin.
3. Giants: Painful loss at Yankees Friday night — catcher Buster Posey has a
badly bruised foot — was sixth straight.
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Colorado Rockies recall RHP Scott Oberg, place RHP Chad Qualls on disabled list
The Rockies have swapped right-handed relievers with a roster move on Saturday.
By Jordan Freemyer / Purple Row Jul 23, 2016, 4:18p
DENVER — The Colorado Rockies have placed reliever Chad Qualls on the 15-day disabled list with an illness and recalled reliever Scott Oberg from Triple-A Albuquerque.
Qualls has not pitched for the Rockies since July 15 and is dealing with colitis, a chronic ailment.
“Honestly, I’m afraid to ask what colitis is,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said.
Qualls has made 36 appearances for the Rockies this season, posting a 5.61 ERA and 1.68 WHIP in 25 2/3 innings with six walks and 14 strikeouts.
Oberg has had a pair of brief stints with the Rockies this year, making nine appearances and allowing six runs on 14 hits in 13 1/3 innings, walking five and striking out eight. Since his most recent demotion to Albuquerque, Oberg has been excellent, allowing just two runs on three hits in 11 innings of work with four walks and 15 strikeouts.
“A lot of it has to do with just commanding his stuff,” Weiss said. “That’s what he’s doing, the fastball is very lively again, we think a lot of the kid.”
The long ball has been the main issue for Oberg in his big league career, as he has allowed a dozen of them in 71 2/3 career innings. However, he has allowed just one home run in 29 2/3 innings with the Isotopes in 2016.
“Just throwing strikes and getting ahead in the count, that’s what I’ve been working on,” Oberg said.
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Rockies' Trevor Story sets NL record for home runs by a rookie SS
Story passed former Rockie Troy Tulowitzki in the record books.
By Bryan Kilpatrick / Purple Row Jul 23, 2016, 7:36p
Trevor Story on Saturday set the National League record for home runs by a rookie shortstop, hitting his 25th home run of the season in the second inning off ofAtlanta
Braves starter Matt Wisler.
Story surpassed former Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who hit 24 home runs in his debut campaign in 2007. Tulowitzki needed 161 games to accomplish the feat; Story reached the quarter-century mark in his team's 97th contest.
Next up on the list of home run records Story could potentially tie or break is the Rockies' record for homers by a rookie. Wilin Rosario set that mark in 2012 by clearing the wall on 28 occasions.
Nomar Garciaparra owns the all-time major league record for homers by a rookie shortstop with 36 in 1997. The NL record for homers by a rookie at any position is 38, set by Wally Berger in 1930 and Frank Robinson in 1956. All of those marks are realistically attainable for Story, who still has more than 60 games remaining in his rookie campaign.
The major league record for home runs by a rookie at any position is 49, set by Mark McGwire for the Oakland Athletics in 1987. Story probably won't get there, but what a ride it will be anyway.
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Rookies Trevor Story, Tyler Anderson lead Rockies to victory over Braves
Tony Wolters and Cristhian Adames also got in on the action as the Rockies’ rookie class was a force on Star
Wars night.
By Jordan Freemyer / Purple Row Jul 24, 2016, 6:00a
DENVER — It was Star Wars night at Coors Field on Saturday, and the 46,195 fans in attendance got a glimpse of A New Hope for the Colorado Rockies. For the second straight night, the Rockies saw a rookie pitcher and their rookie shortstop lead them to victory.
Trevor Story hit a pair of home runs and Tyler Anderson put together his fifth quality start in eight outings as the Rockies won their third straight against the Atlanta Braves, 8-4.
Story was 4-for-4 on Saturday night with a pair of home runs, giving him 26 on the season, and five runs batted in. He also stole his seventh base of the year. The only other Rockies with two home runs, five RBIs and a stolen base in a game are a trio of Blake Street Bombers, Dante Bichette, Vinny Castilla and Larry Walker.
“I just try to go day by day,” Story said. “After the season I can look back and enjoy it.”
Story’s first home run of the night, his 25th of the season, set a new record for a rookie shortstop in the National League, breaking the mark set by Troy Tulowitzki with the Rockies in 2007.
“It seems like he breaks another record every ballgame or two,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said of his shortstop.
Not to be outdone, Anderson pitched at least six innings for the fifth time in his six starts at Coors Field, allowing three runs on eight hits to Atlanta in six innings, walking one and striking out six, He threw 60 of his 91 pitches for strikes, with his ERA moving to 3.56 and his WHIP to 1.29.
“Just pitching here you try to limit walks,” Anderson said. “Even though there was one tonight, if you limit walks in this park I feel like anybody can have a better chance of winning games.”
Anderson’s start comes on the heels of a performance by fellow rookie Jon Gray in which he allowed just one run in seven innings against the Braves on Friday. The two rookies have combined to post a 3.94 ERA this season.
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“I’d say there’s a little bit of friendly competition,” Anderson said. “But I think everybody on our staff wants to pitch well every day.”
Story and Anderson were not the only two rookies to contribute to Saturday’s win, as rookie catcher Tony Wolters was 1-for-3 with a two-run single in the sixth and a walk, upping his batting line to .238/.322/.354 and his wRC+ to 67 to go with his usual top-notch defense behind the plate. In seven games in July, Wolters has a .955 OPS.
Rookie infielder Cristhian Adames also made a pinch hitting appearance in the bottom of the eighth, drawing a walk and stealing a base.
The four rookies responsible for Saturday’s win along with Gray and closer Carlos Estevez make up perhaps the strongest class of rookies in Rockies history, and they certainly stand out to their manager.
“We’ve got a young, talented club,” Weiss said, also noting that this was likely the best group of rookies he has seen in his tenure as manager.
The Rockies have seen talented rookie classes in the past, notably a group in 2005 that included Clint Barmes, Garrett Atkins, Brad Hawpe, Cory Sullivan and Jeff Francis that would play a large part in winning the pennant in 2007, but perhaps none have had the top-end talent combined with the depth of the 2016 group.
However, and this is more good news for Rockies fans, the 2016 rookie class could well be surpassed a 2017 class that could include any or all of Jeff Hoffman, David Dahl, Raimel Tapia, Tom Murphy, German Marquez, Kyle Freeland, Matt Carasiti, Jerry Vasto and Sam Moll.
While there may not be October baseball at Coors Field this year, a force is certainly awakening at 20th and Blake, and Rockies fans are starting to feel it.
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Albuquerque Isotopes see improvement thanks to David Dahl, Tom Murphy
An update on the Albuquerque Isotopes, the Rockies Triple-A affiliate in the Pacific Coast League.
By Cameron Goeldner / Purple Row Jul 24, 2016, 9:00a
Over the last few weeks, the Albuquerque Isotopes have experienced low lows and high highs. Still, the team currently sits at 43-56 and last in the Pacific South division. The team that finished June on a 13-game losing streak, which set a new team record, proceeded to win a record-tying nine games in a row. They naturally followed up by losing three in a row. Despite the ups and downs, the offense has been consistently good.
The offense has been led by recent addition David Dahl and catcher Tom Murphy. Dahl was called up to the Isotopes on July 3rd, and since then has had the hottest start at the Triple-A level in recent memory. Through Friday’s games (as all of the stats here are), Dahl is hitting .456/.508/.877 with a 1.385 OPS, five home runs and 16 RBI. In the eight games Tom Murphy has played in the same time frame, he’s raised his average 49 points, his OBP 57 points, and his slugging percentage by 104 points. He is now slashing .296/.320/.640 with 13 home runs and 38 RBI. Murphy also accomplished another impressive feat when he hit for the cycle in a game against the Memphis Redbirds on July 15.
Jordan Patterson continues to perform well for Isotopes, and with Brandon Barnes struggling for the Rockies, it seems that the excuses to leave him in Albuquerque are dwindling. Patterson leads the team in average and is second in runs and RBI. He’s hitting .320/.411/.493 with six home runs and 41 RBI in 78 games. It’s time Patterson got his chance with the Rockies.
Stephen Cardullo is still playing very well for the team, he’s hitting .283/.352/.469 with 49 RBI and 11 home runs. His average is third on the team among qualified hitters behind Patterson and Murphy. At the very least, Cardullo has proven he belongs in affiliated baseball this season.
On the mound, Jeff Hoffman has continued his up and down play. The right-hander is 4-8 in 18 starts with a 4.15 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. His last two starts have both gone poorly. On July 5, he only managed to last 4⅔ innings while giving up 10 hits and eight runs, walking three and striking out five. Before his second rough start just two days ago, he had a scoreless inning in the Futures Game that included one strikeout. Then came the second rough start in a row. In that game, Hoffman went 3⅔ innings, this time allowing four hits, three earned runs, walking two and striking out three. Manager Glenallen Hill has said that Hoffman is on an innings limit; however, he won’t say what that limit is.
As for Kyle Freeland, he’s still struggling to adjust to the Triple-A level, though he’s beginning to show flashes. In his start Friday night, he went 5⅔ innings, allowing five hits, three runs
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(two earned) and walking two and striking out seven. It was probably his second best start for the ‘Topes, behind his July 1 game, when he went six innings and only allowed one run. In his five total starts for Albuquerque, Freeland is 1-2 with a 5.10 ERA, with a 1.77 WHIP in 30 innings pitched.
Harrison Musgrave is 5-5 in 11 starts with Albuquerque, recording a 4.80 ERA in 65⅔ innings pitched. He snagged the win in his last start, going six innings while allowing eight hits, six earned runs, walking two and striking out four. Among those eight hits were three home runs. Musgrave will take the hill again Saturday night against Fresno.
Matt Flemer, a 27th-rounder from 2012, has been incredibly valuable for the team this season. As the man designated to take over after a rehabbing Rockies pitcher starts, Flemer, who began the year as a starter, is tasked with saving the bullpen from overuse. On July 14, he went 4⅓ innings in relief of Chris Rusin, allowing six hits and four runs, walking one and striking out four. On paper, it’s not the best outing, but it was exactly what the team needed, as Murphy hit for his cycle and Dahl went 3-for-5 with two home runs in what ended up a 12-8 win. Flemer also managed to help his own cause at the plate, as he hit a three-run home run. Noted slugger Matt Flemer, everyone.
Scott Oberg has been excellent for the team since he the Rockies sent him down, as he was before his call up. In 29⅔ innings for the ‘Topes, he’s 1-0 with a team leading nine saves. He has allowed 16 hits and 8 runs, and struck out 36. His WHIP is 0.91 and in his last outing he threw one inning scoreless with a strike out. Saturday, the Rockies called Oberg up to Denver to replace Chad Qualls, who is now on the DL.
Sam Moll missed over a month with an undisclosed injury, but he returned to the Isotopes after a rehab assignment with Grand Junction. In four outings since his return, he has pitched 4⅓ innings, allowing five hits, three runs (all three runs came in one outing), walking two and striking out two.
Following the conclusion of the Fresno series, which concludes after Monday’s game, the team will return home to face Salt Lake City for a four game series before finishing the month on the road against Tacoma.
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Trevor Story, Colorado Rockies Take Down Braves
By Michelle Stalnaker / Rox Pile 10 hours ago
Trevor Story was a one-man wrecking crew and Tyler Anderson put in a solid start as the Colorado Rockies took their third straight game from the Atlanta Braves.
A huge crowd turned out for Star Wars Night at Coors Field on Saturday night, and those who
arrived early enough got a Charlie Blackmon X-Wing fighter pilot bobblehead … which will
obviously go on the mantel next to last year’s Cargo Fett (or in my case, on the bookshelf with
my husband’s massive collection of Star Wars Lego creations). Tonight was also significant
because it was my first time seeing Tyler Anderson, whom I’ve kept missing by a game or
two since he debuted in June.
It wasn’t a brilliant start by Anderson, who struggled at times to control traffic on the base
paths, but I was very impressed with how he handled himself. I think the Rockies’ minor
league coaches must be doing something right, because both Anderson and Jon Gray seem
way less “head case-y” than Jorge De La Rosa, Jhoulys Chacin, Tyler Matzek, or
even Eddie Butler. Anderson wasn’t at his best tonight and he ran into some bad luck too,
but he stuck with it and kept his team in the game.
His line says three earned runs in six innings, but that’s misleading.
The first run was fair enough, coming with two outs on the third single of the second inning,
but one of those hits was smothered by Nolan Arenado, who was unable to get his footing in
time to make an out. It wasn’t Arenado’s fault, but it was just kind of an unfortunate situation
all around.
The second run was scored by Freddie Freeman, who was on third after hitting a single that
was badly misplayed by Carlos Gonzalez and resulted in two extra bases for Freeman.
Without the error, he wouldn’t have made it far enough to score. I guess the Coors Field
scorer was feeling charitable, because that error was later changed into a triple. A shame,
because it should have been an unearned run for Anderson.
The third run scored in the fourth on a single, a balk, a sacrifice bunt, and a sacrifice fly.
Without the balk, the run doesn’t score. It’s on Anderson to manage himself well enough not
to balk, but it was a dubious call at best.
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All this is just to say that Anderson pitched well, and if fortune had favored him a little more,
he might have had a scoreless outing. Not to mention the fact that he sat out a 45-minute rain
delay between the second and third frames and still came back to pitch four more innings.
The Rockies’ offense ran into some bad luck themselves, particularly in the third inning, when
three hard hit balls off the bats of Anderson, Blackmon, and DJ LeMahieu each went right to
a fielder. But a good team knows how to fight back when the stars are aligned against them,
and that’s what the Rockies did tonight … at least, that’s what Trevor Story did.
Story singlehandedly carried the offense with his 25th and 26th home runs and a pair of
singles, adding up to 5 RBI. He’s now broken the NL rookie shortstop home run record (set by
Troy Tulowitzki) and is gunning for Mark McGwire‘s all-time record of 49 (though if you ask
the haters, at least back in April, he’ll never get there).
Not to be ignored is Tony Wolters, who is batting .800 with the bases loaded this season.
Rockies PR @RockiesPR
Tony Wolters with the bases loaded this season: 4-for-5, two doubles, one triple and 10 RBI. #Rockies
He came to the plate in that situation during tonight’s sixth inning and laced a two-run single
on the first pitch he saw. Wolters may not be an offensive genius, but he is a little like
Brandon Barnes: general inconsistency at the plate but flashy production when it’s most
needed.
A weird thing: Jordan Lyles came on in the eighth inning to get the final out. This would be
a good moment for a giant eye roll in Walt Weiss‘ direction, but it worked, so …
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Colorado Rockies Embrace Pokemon Go Craze with Promotion
By Kevin Henry / Rox Pile 19 hours ago
It’s finally happened. The Colorado Rockies have officially adopted the Pokemon Go craze.
If you’re into Pokemon Go and the Colorado Rockies, your worlds are getting ready to collide on Sunday afternoon when
the Rockies finish up their four-game series against the Atlanta Braves at Coors Field.
And this comes on the heels of Star Wars Night on Saturday night, meaning it’s a great weekend to get your inner geek
on at 20th and Blake.
Here’s the official tweet from the Rockies, telling you everything you need to know about Sunday activities…
Colorado Rockies ✔ @Rockies
Catch 'em at #CoorsField tomorrow!
$7 tickets and Lures at every Stop before 1st pitch: http://atmlb.com/2a0zfqn
In the words of my 18-year-old daughter, “that sounds pretty cool.” She’s caught the Pokemon craze like so many other
people throughout the world. Jordan Freemeyer, one of our friends at Purple Row, did a great job with an article detailing
some of the Pokemon finds he found at Coors Field. If you’re into the craze, it’s worth a read.
With Star Wars and Pokemon getting their own days at Coors Field, here are a couple of other theme ideas that would
allow sci-fi fans to enjoy their time even more during a Rockies game.
Willie Abreu Really Really Likes Baseball1 d ago
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Star Trek Night
Hey, Star Wars had its own night so it’s time fans of the U.S.S. Enterprise and its crew had its time as well. With Chris
Pine leading the crew of the Enterprise back into outer space in this summer’s “Star Trek Beyond,” it’s a perfect time to
have fans don their Vulcan ears and tell each other to live long and prosper.
Want to have a little more fun? Have one of the current or former Star Trek cast members throw out the first pitch and
hang around for some photos. Personally, I think it would be pretty great to see Sir Patrick Stewart hum a fastball right
down the middle and then point his finger at the Rockies dugout and say, “Engage.”
Big Bang Theory Night
While I can’t see Dr. Sheldon Cooper/Jim Parsons throwing much of a first pitch, how fun would it be to have some of the
cast members of the award-winning show pay a visit to Coors Field?
Let’s face it, whether you’re a fan of The Flash, Green Lantern, Star Trek, Star Wars, Doctor Who or a number of other
sci-fi shows, you could feel a kindred spirit with many other fans on Big Bang Theory Night.
Come on, you’re telling me it wouldn’t be cool to see Raj standing on the pitcher’s mound, wearing a Rockies jersey?
Well, it would be … just as long as there’s nothing like this that happens …
So what are some of your ideas for a theme night for the Rockies, sci-fi-related or not? Let us know below!
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Colorado Rockies: It’s Time For Tom Murphy
By Nolan Lees / Rox Pile 22 hours ago
The 2016 season is more than halfway complete, and while the Colorado Rockies have been better than some expected, their 45-51 record means their playoff hopes looks bleak. Colorado shouldn’t give up yet (the 2014 Royals looked like they were toast in late July, and ended up in Game 7 of the World Series), but they should be realistic and think about their future. Luckily, there’s a move that allows them to do both.
When the Rockies signed catcher Nick Hundley before the start of the 2015 season, they
were likely hoping they could get league-average production out of him. In seven MLB
seasons before coming to Colorado, Hundley hit .249 or lower in all but one, and his defense
has always been just adequate.
In the first year of his contract, Hundley outplayed those expectations, hitting over .300 for the
first time in his career and making his salary of $3.1 million look like a great bargain. But there
were signs it wasn’t likely to continue in 2016.
Hundley had a .352 batting average on balls in play in 2015 after a career of being right
around .300, a strong indicator that his season was improved by good luck (deviations in
batting average in balls on play, or BABIP, are often temporary and usually regress to the
mean over long periods of time).
You probably already know that Hundley has indeed regressed this season. His average
heading into Saturday’s action is .252, and while he’s offset that somewhat with an increase
in walks, Hundley mostly looks like the guy he was before 2015.
Under some circumstances, there would be nothing wrong with paying Hundley a little over
$3 million to be a mediocre starting catcher. However, in the Rockies current situation,
playing Hundley every day seems like a costly mistake, not because of financial loss, but
because of opportunity loss.
The Rockies drafted Tom Murphy in the 3rd round of the 2012 draft and he immediately
started crushing homers in the lower levels of the minor leagues. After a down year in 2014,
Murphy got back on track last season before taking it to another level in 2016.
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After struggling with injuries at the start of the year, he’s returned and is currently slugging a
ridiculous .640 for the Albuquerque Isotopes in Triple-A (that would lead the league if he had
enough at-bats to qualify). Murphy has only played 82 total games at the Triple-A level, but it
appears he has little left to learn from hitting against pitchers in the Pacific Coast League.
Back in February, Dan Farnsworth wrote an evaluation of the Rockies top prospects for
Fangraphs. In that evaluation, Farnsworth listed Murphy as Colorado’s ninth-best prospect.
His review of Murphy is best encapsulated by this paragraph.
“Murphy is an offensive-minded catcher with enough defensive skills to be around average in
the field. How much he hits will be determined by how much he improves his approach. He
carries some risk of being a low-average, moderate-power catcher due to some strikeout
concerns, but he may just hit for enough power that it won’t matter.”
Murphy has responded to the concerns about him being a low-average hitter by posting the
best batting average of his career (.296) in 2016, and the power definitely hasn’t gone
anywhere either. It’s time for the Rockies to find out if it will translate at the highest level.
Murphy made his MLB debut last season and responded well in limited action, popping three
homers in just 35 at-bats. If Colorado called him up today and made him the starting catcher,
Murphy could probably log between 200-250 MLB at-bats before the end of the year.
Hundley isn’t giving Colorado anything they can’t live without right now, and we all know he’s
not going to be the long-term solution behind the plate. So why not try a guy who looks like he
could be, especially when he’s proving he’s ready for the challenge?
The Rockies probably aren’t going to the playoffs this year. Whether they do or not though,
Hundley will not be the reason. If you call up Murphy, there’s a chance (albeit it a slim one)
that his bat could get the lineup going and start a hot streak. It would also give him a chance
to continue building a rapport with some of the pitchers that will be part of the MLB rotation in
2017 and beyond.
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Murphy, like any other prospect, is not a sure thing. He strikes out a lot, a problem that’s not
likely to get better against MLB pitching. But no matter what happens, Murphy will still be well
under one year of service time, and have a better idea of what it takes to be successful in the
big leagues.
That’s a win-win for the Rockies, and for Murphy. It’s time for Colorado to make the call.
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WATCH: Trevor Story’s two home runs catapult him past Tulo among rookie shortstops
By Casey Light / Mile High Sports July 24, 2016
Trevor Story wasted no time on Saturday night getting a record out of the way in an 8-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves at
Coors Field. In his first at-bat of the night, Trevor Story sent a 1-2 offspeed pitch in the second inning over the center field wall
to give the Rockies an early lead and establish himself as the new leader for home runs among rookie shortstops.
With home run number 25 on the year, Story passed former Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, the man he replaced (minus a
brief interlude of Jose Reyes) as the anchor of the Colorado infield. Story isn’t worried about the record, though.
“After the season, I can look back and enjoy, but right now, I’m in a grind mode — head down, working,” Story said postgame.
That attitude caused him to further extend his lead on the newly minted record. In the bottom of the eighth, Story delivered his
second home run of the game – a solo shot that gave Colorado its final run of the game.
It was a career night in other ways for Story, who went 4-for-4 with 5 RBIs and a stolen base. He became the first rookie to do
so since Bo Jackson and joined Larry Walker, Vinny Castilla and Dante Bichette as the only players in Rockies history to have
such a night.
Colorado also received another solid effort from fellow rookie Tyler Anderson, who earned his second straight win and third
overall. Anderson held the Braves to three runs and eight hits over six innings.
The Rockies will go for a four-game series sweep of the Braves on Sunday.
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Chad Qualls placed on DL, Scott Oberg recalled from Triple-A
By Drew Creasman / BSN Denver July 23, 2016
DENVER — The Colorado Rockies placed Chad Qualls on the Disabled List on Saturday afternoon after
about a week of him not being available due to illness.
In 25.2 innings for the Rockies in 2016, Qualls has posted an ERA of 5.61 while striking out almost five
batters per nine and walking a little over two.
Right-handed reliever Scott Oberg was called back up to the MLB team in a corresponding move. The
Rockies have gotten the most out of this option year for Oberg, sending him down a number of times and
recalling him in a pinch on numerous occasions as well.
Oberg (26) has thrown 13.1 innings for the Rockies in 2016, posting an ERA of 4.05 while striking out over
five and walking over three batters per nine innings. In Triple-A, he has thrown 29.2 innings and has a
very solid 2.32 ERA while striking out nearly 11 batters per nine innings. Oberg has always had good
numbers in the minors but has yet to be able to make that stick at the big league level. The illness to Qualls
gives him at least one more shot.
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Trevor’s “dream season” is still the Story as Rockies top Braves
By Jake Shapiro / BSN Denver July 23, 2016
DENVER – Rookie Trevor Story, you know about him right? The guy that clobbered a bunch of dingers in the first 10 days of
the season. You know, the almost all-star shortstop of the Colorado Rockies. That guy, yeah! Well about him, he’s
unequivocally good. Scratch that, he’s great. The record-setting shortstop powered the Rockies past the Atlanta Braves 8-4.
Albeit the story was Story, rookie Tyler Anderson once again pitched into the sixth inning tonight, displaying the fruitfulness
that has been the Rockies rotation as of late. He’s pitched into the sixth inning in all sixth of his starts at 20th and Blake and
really kept the ball away from tried bullpen. Especially when you consider the rain delay Anderson had to sit through, it was
another solid game in his very young career.
The second inning showed signs of what was to come for Anderson as he was hurt by a few paper cuts and surrendered an RBI
single to pitcher Matt Wisler. The Rockies came right back at in the bottom half with a leadoff walk drawn to Carlos Gonzalez.
Trevor Story drove in his buddy and himself with a 430-foot blast to centerfield giving the Rockies a 2-1 lead.
Back came the Braves in the third after a 47-minute rain delay. They played the small ball, not the recently dampened field and
netted themselves a point. They did the same in the fourth giving themselves a 3-2 lead. But Anderson clamped down and
prevented the Braves from scoring another on his watch despite giving up eight hits.
“We felt comfortable brining him back out,” Manger Walt Weiss said of his pitcher and the weather delay. “Going back out for
the sixth there was some debate there because of the delay, but I checked in with him and he was adamant about how he felt. I
thought he got better as the game went along, he found his slot for his changeup because early a lot of changeups were up.”
Indeed he did get better but the third run that scored was one that got under the lefty’s skin as it was brought around on a balk.
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“I don’t like it to, but everyone on this team wants to win every game and it comes down to competing,” Anderson said of his
momentary bark at an umpire for correctly calling a balk. “And in that situation, it resulted in a run, you’re mad you don’t want
that, I kinda blacked out a bit.”
Overall, though, the last three innings were just what the doctor ordered. He did his best to limit walks and keep his changeup
down and the Braves didn’t have an answer.
“He’s very competitive, strong willed, but that’s a good thing,” Weiss said. “That’s why he’s hit the ground running at the
major league level.”
When the Rockies came to bat in the sixth they were just one run behind. When the Rockies took the field in the seventh they
were up four. Thanks to a huge, bat-around-rally, the club knocked in five. Started by a walk handed to DJ LeMahieu followed
by a Nolan Arenado single and run-scoring double by Carlos Gonzalez the home nine clicked. Then came up Story, who
already had recorded two hits in the game, he singled in two.
“Come up in a big spot like that and get those two RBI to go-ahead, that was huge,” he said following the victory.
But the Rockies weren’t done, two more walks and a two-RBI single by Tony Wolters but the nail in the Atlanta Braves coffin.
The Braves briefly rallied on Jake McGee in the eighth but Story answered right back with a 445-foot solo shot to keep the
Rockies lead at four.
“Three runs in this park that’re not a lot,” Story said. “I was just trying to get a run, get on base or something, luckily I hit a
home run.”
“He’s having a great year, just continues to do great things,” Weiss said about Story, “It seems like he breaks another record
every week or two. He keeps clicking, he’s having a dream season.”
HIGHLIGHT:
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MLB ✔ @MLB
This is @Tstory2’s 4th career multi-HR game. He’s played 90 games in his career. http://atmlb.com/2aoUwNX
TURNING POINT:
Sixth Inning
Not only did Anderson give the Rockies one more inning taking major strain off their bullpen, the club’s offense came through
for their biggest inning of the night.
PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Trevor Story
There aren’t words for how good this rookie has been. Tonight, he went four-for-four with two homers, five RBI and a stolen
base. Something only a few Rockies have ever done.
Rockies PR @RockiesPR
Players in #Rockies history with at least two HR, five RBI and one SB: Trevor Story, Vinny Castilla, Larry Walker and Dante
Bichette (2x).
QUOTE OF THE GAME: Tyler Anderson on Trevor Story
“It kinda is, (Scott) Oberg and I were talking about it after he came in for pitching. We played with him at every level and you
could see he just kept getting better and better and he always had super impressive BP and you always could see he was a
young hitter and his approach wasn’t there. He repeated Modesto his approach improved. He repeated Double-A his approach
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improved, by the time we saw him last year in Albuquerque we were like, ‘this guy is a stud, he’s gonna play no matter where
you put him.’ I’m not surprised he’s worked so hard.”
BY THE NUMBERS:
3 – Tyler Anderson tabbed his third carer MLB victory and second one of the homestand.
5 – The Rockies are five games back of .500.
8 – Story has eight homers in the last 13 games.
25 – Trevor Story hit his 25th HR of the year which broke the NL rookie record for shortstops set by Troy Tulowitzki.
WHAT’S AHEAD:
The Rockies finish their seven-game homestand and four-game series against the Braves tomorrow (Sunday) at 2:10. Tyler
Chatwood will get the ball for the second time after the All-Star Break and he’ll face Tyrell Jenkins.
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Carlos Estevez “pops” shoulder back in, secures 8th save
By Drew Creasman / BSN Denver July 24, 2016
DENVER — In order to secure his eighth save of 2016, Colorado Rockies rookie closer Carlos Estevez needed to battle
against a lead-off double, a bases-loaded-with-one-out-in-a-one-run-game situation, and a left shoulder that just wouldn’t
stay in its socket.
“I’m good, I’m good,” he said immediately after the game. “This one [his left shoulder]just still pops out sometimes since I
was like seven or six. I don’t remember how I popped it out the first time, but it still does it sometimes. Tomorrow, I’ll be
sore but I’ll be fine.”
He says this is not the first time this has happened while he was on the mound, recounting a similar event from a few
years ago: “I did it one year in Low-A,” he says. “But I still pitched through it, that’s just my left arm, just not much worry,
I’ll be fine.”
Estevez rotated his shoulder at this point in the conversation and an audible pop sent shivers down my spine. But the 23-
year-old who has carved out a spot as an MLB closer just a few months into his career was more focused on the game
than on his uniquely ailing shoulder.
“They left me in, in that situation. They trust me,” he says.
That might have something to do with him striking out over ten batters per nine innings on the season and has shown a
remarkable ability to learn and adjust so early in his career.
And the trust paid off. After a quick trip to the mound from head trainer Keith Dugger, Estevez simply popped his shoulder
back into place and struck out Jace Peterson with the game in the balance, sending the Rockies off winners in one of the
most dramatic moments of the season.
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“I got into a mess, but I got out of it,” he said afterwards. His thought process? Simple: “We needed this one, let’s get it
right now.”
And it clearly felt good to get that one. After putting the win in the record books, Estevez pumped his fist and embraced
his catcher, elated that he came through for his teammates in such a high-pressure situation.
Looks like that felt pretty good, I say.
“Yes,” he says with his trademark smile, “Yes it did.”
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Story's 2 home runs leads Rockies over Braves, 8-4
By MICHAEL KELLY / AP Jul. 24, 2016 1:25 AM EDT
DENVER (AP) — Trevor Story looked up to Troy Tulowitzki as he climbed through the Colorado Rockies' minor leagues.
Now he's looking down at his mentor after another big night at the plate.
Story hit two home runs to set an NL rookie record for shortstops and the Rockies beat the Atlanta Braves 8-4 on
Saturday night.
Story had four hits including his 25th and 26th homers to pass his Tulowitzki, who had 24 for the Rockies in 2007.
"It seems like he breaks another record every week or two," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "He's having a dream
season."
Story has said his success is due in part to Tulowitzki, the former fan favorite in Colorado who took Story under his wing
after he was drafted in 2011. He tutored him in spring training and even worked with him in the offseason.
"He helped me out a lot, so to break his record was pretty cool," Story said. "Any time you get to do something like that it
was pretty special."
Next up for Story is Nomar Garciaparra, who set the major league record for shortstops with 30 for the Boston Red Sox in
1997.
Tyler Anderson (3-3) worked around a 47-minute rain delay to finish with six strikeouts in six innings as the Rockies beat
the Braves for the ninth straight time.
He was adamant about pitching the sixth and came through with a clean inning before turning it over to the bullpen.
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Story started his night with a two-run homer in the second off Matt Wisler (4-10) to gave Colorado a 2-1 lead. He drove in
two more with a single in Colorado's five-run sixth and then led off the eighth with a deep shot off reliever Jim Johnson
that gave the Rockies a four-run lead.
It was his fourth multihomer game of the season. He also became the first rookie to go 4 for 4 with two homers, five RBIs
and a stolen base since Bo Jackson of Kansas City did it in 1987.
"That kid's the real deal," Atlanta interim manager Brian Snitker said.
Anderson realized that as he moved through the Colorado system with Story.
"I played with him at every level and you could see him getting better and better and better," Anderson said. "When we
saw him last year in Albuquerque, we thought, 'This guy's a stud.'"
A strong weather cell moved through the area and brought the tarp out after the second inning. Anderson gave up a one-
out triple to Freddie Freeman in the third, and he scored on Adonis Garcia's single to give the Braves a 3-2 lead.
Wisler, who allowed six runs on six hits, got the Braves on the board first with an RBI single in the second.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Braves: RHP Julio Teheran, who left Friday's game with tightness in his right lat, underwent a strength test Saturday and
checked out fine. Snitker said Teheran could be available for his next scheduled start. "We'll just wait and see," Snitker
said. "I'm optimistic, but if he can't, with this off day on Monday, we might be able to get an extra day, too."
Rockies: RHP Chad Qualls was placed on the 15-day DL — retroactive to July 16 — with colitis and RHP Scott Oberg
was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque. Qualls is 2-0 with a 5.61 ERA in 36 games this season. Oberg tossed a perfect
seventh in Saturday's win.
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RECORD PACE
Story is now second in franchise history for homers by a rookie. He passed Todd Helton, who had 25 in 1998, and is two
behind Wilin Rosario's 28, reached in 2012.
THREE FOR THREE
Freeman tripled for the second straight night and now has six this season. That is the most by a Braves first baseman
since they moved to Atlanta in 1966.
UP NEXT
The Braves will send RHP Tyrell Jenkins (0-1, 4.05) against Colorado LHP Tyler Chatwood (8-6, 3.83) in the four-game
series finale Sunday. Jenkins is making his third career start, and Chatwood will try to reverse his struggles at Coors
Field, where he is 3-6 with a 6.26 ERA in nine starts.