MEDIA CLIPS – August 7, 2016
Blackmon-led Rox upstage Stanton and Ichiro
By Thomas Harding and Ben Weinrib / MLB.com | 12:31 AM ET
DENVER -- The Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton hit the longest home run ever projected by Statcast™ at 504 feet,
but Charlie Blackmon negated that with 810 feet of production on a season-high-tying four hits to lead the Rockies to a
12-6 victory on Saturday night at Coors Field.
Stanton's 23rd homer this season -- a tape-measure shot in the old days but one calculated by sensors in this era -- off
winning pitcher Chad Bettis gave the Marlins a 3-2 lead in the fifth. But in the Rockies' seven-run sixth, Blackmon, who
had homered to lead off the first inning (a 360-foot trot), tripled (a 270-foot sprint) in a run and singled (90 feet) in two
more runs. Blackmon added another 90 feet on a single in the seventh and finished a double shy of hitting for the cycle.
"I'd rather consistently put pressure on their pitchers and defense and have a chance to score runs frequently rather than
sit around and hope for a homer, or one big hit or two big hits a game," said Blackmon, who entered on an 0-for-10 skien - something that hasn't happened often during a season in which he's hitting .306 with an .846 OPS.
When all the mathematics were done, the Rockies (55-55) finished the night three games behind the Marlins and the
Cardinals, who are tied for the second and finalNational League Wild Card position.
"It hasn't been perfect every night, but I feel like we've made the opposing pitchers work for every out that they get," said
Rockies manager Walt Weiss, whose team is 15-7 since the All-Star break.
Colorado and Miami will finish the three-game set Sunday afternoon, with more than standings on the line. The next hit for
Marlins star Ichiro Suzuki, who reached on an eighth-inning infield single on Saturday, will make him the 30th MLB player
to reach 3,000.
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The Rockies took 13 turns at bat in the sixth, which opened with the first five hitters reaching against Marlins
starter Andrew Cashner -- four hits (Cristhian Adames' single, Blackmon's triple, DJ LeMahieu's RBI single and Carlos
Gonzalez's RBI double) and a walk to Nolan Arenado. Cashner was charged with seven runs on eight hits. The Marlins
went to lefty Mike Dunn to face rookie David Dahl, who singled in another run. Nick Hundley singled in another run, and
Blackmon singled in two off Dunn.
"The two key hits, I thought, were for Hundley and then Blackmon after that to polish the inning off," Marlins manager Don
Mattingly said. "If we could have held it to three or four, in this ballpark we could have done some things."
Gonzalez extended his hit streak to 17 games -- his longest in a single season, surpassed only by a 21-gamer at the end
of last year and the beginning of this year. Dahl, who had three hits, extended his streak to 12 games, the longest for any
MLB player at the beginning of his career since the Twins' Glenn Williams had a 13-game streak in 2005.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Blackmon sets the tone: Blackmon's 13th homer this season, off Cashner to open the bottom of the first, was the 18th
time he had homered to lead off the first inning. It was a powerful way to end a slump.
"It's just that I wasn't very good the past couple of games, and I know that doesn't last long, good or bad," Blackmon said.
Stanton's long, long liner: Stanton's 504-foot homer was even more impressive considering its 18.3-degree launch
angle. Gonzalez held the previous Statcast-era record for longest home run with a launch angle less than 20 degrees, at
468 feet. Stanton's home run had an exit velocity of 115.8 mph to propel it to the record distance.
"We've seen different ones," Mattingly said. "Obviously you guys watched the Home Run Derby. You see him hit different
ones. There's balls with that trajectory, for a lot of guys it doesn't go out. He hits balls that just keep carrying. He hits them
a long way."
Ichiro almost gets 3K: Ichiro got hit No. 2,999 of Jordan Lyles in the eighth and Miami's two-run rally extended the
inning long enough to make sure he had a chance to reach the milestone in the ninth. Ichiro came to the plate with a
runner on first and no outs and hit a hard comebacker up the middle, but Rockies relieverScott Oberg got a glove on it to
knock the ball down and recovered to get Ichiro at first, barely.
"When you put him in the game there when we did, there's a little thought in there that he might get two ABs," Mattingly
said. "Also to get 'G' off his feet a little bit. And once he gets that first one and that inning gets extended, you know he's
going to get another AB. I think the guys are excited to have a chance to see it." Escape hatch: Bettis got in trouble
early. After giving up two runs in the first, Chris Johnson led off the second with a single and Bettis hit Cashner with one
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out. Bettis forced a Dee Gordon grounder for a second out -- doubling him up was impossible -- then coaxed a Martin
Prado fly to center to keep the Marlins' lead at 2-1. Bettis finished having given up three runs on seven hits over six
innings -- and the length of Stanton's homer, which gave the Marlins a 3-2 lead, didn't faze him a bit.
"Solo shots never kill you, and that was a great example tonight," Bettis said. "It was a really poor pitch to a guy that's
really strong and hits home runs really far. At that point, I was a little upset because we had worked so hard to get back 22.
"But the bigger picture is that we ended up winning the game, and that's all that really matters."
QUOTABLE
"I wasn't happy with my 3-0 swing. It was a good swing, but not the type of attack you should have with that. I said if he
throws me that again, do what I should have on the 3-0. So he did." -- Stanton, on his record home run
AFTER REVIEW
The Marlins challenged a first-inning call that LeMahieu was safe at first on a ground ball to shortstop Adeiny
Hechavarria. After a brief review, the call was overturned, as it was determined that Johnson did not pull off the bag until
after he completed the catch.
The game ended on a review that overturned a safe call on Johnson's infield grounder. Replay showed that LeMahieu,
who made a sliding grab in short center, beat Johnson with his throw.
WHAT'S NEXT
Marlins: Left-hander Adam Conley (7-6. 3.41 ERA) will take the mound for the Marlins at 4:10 p.m. ET on Sunday in the
final game of a three-game set against the Rockies. He has limited opponents to two earned runs or fewer in his last six
starts, although he's averaging fewer than 5 2/3 innings per start during that stretch.
Rockies: Righty Jon Gray (8-4, 3.77 ERA), who is 3-0 with a 0.69 ERA in his four starts since the All-Star break, will lead
the Rockies against the Marlins in Sunday's series finale at 2:10 p.m. MT at Coors Field.
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Oberg flashes leather to avoid Ichiro infamy
Rockies reliever robs legend of 3,000th career hit
By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | 2:50 AM ET
DENVER -- It took a display of all his ability and instincts, but Rockies reliever Scott Oberg made a ninth-inning play
during Saturday night's 12-6 victory over the Marlins that prevented him from being the pitcher who gave up Ichiro
Suzuki's 3,000th career hit.
Oberg, a second-year right-hander, leaped to knock down Ichiro's sharp bouncer up the middle, dropped the ball while
spinning, but sank to a knee to retrieve it and make an in-time throw to first base. However, that highlight-package play
might not be appreciated by many folks outside Oberg's friends and family.
Oberg's quick relexes kept Ichiro from becoming the 30th player in Major League history to reach the milestone. The
veteran tallied No. 2,999 off Jordan Lyles an inning earlier.
Oberg thought of the play as more a great recovery than a standout defensive feat.
"Well, I bobbled the ball," he said. "I tried to make a double play on that. But once I bobbled it, I was just trying to get the
out at first base."
Oberg said the prospect of giving up Ichiro's 3,000th hit crossed his mind. While he didn't want to be the one, he
appreciates the 42-year-old's place in history.
"What he's done in his career is an outstanding accomplishment, an inspiration to a lot of players," Oberg said.
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Blackmon gets on track with 4-RBI near cycle
By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | 2:52 AM ET
DENVER -- Only after his seventh-inning single did Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon allow himself to wish it had
been a double.
Blackmon ended up a double shy of hitting for the cycle while lashing four hits for four RBIs to help the Rockies to a 12-6
victory over the Marlins at Coors Field on Saturday night.
"I'm not going to say I wasn't thinking about it," said Blackmon, whose four hits matched a July 29 performance against
the Mets for a season high. "But if you had asked me beforehand, 'Would you take a hit?' the answer is yes every time."
With the Rockies down, 2-0, Blackmon launched his 13th homer this season and his 18th career first-inning leadoff
homer, off Marlins starter Andrew Cashner -- projected by Statcast™ to be a 438-foot shot to right field. Blackmon
added an RBI triple off Cashner and a two-run single off Mike Dunn in the Rockies' seven-run sixth inning, then singled to
left-center off Nefi Ogando.
Blackmon entered the game on an 0-for-10 skid, but he didn't let it stress him.
"I tried not to overthink it," Blackmon said. "I actually tried to simplify, tried to do less, relax and just let it come."
Blackmon can afford to relax. The Rockies, with an offense that's riddling opposing pitchers with patience and production,
are 15-7 since the All-Star break and have climbed to three games behind the Cardinals and Marlins, who are in the
second National League Wild Card position.
"I just feel like we're playing like we're supposed to play right now," Blackmon said. "I always felt we're really good, and
now we're playing good."
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Gray rides impressive run into rubber match with Marlins
By Ben Weinrib / MLB.com | 2:13 AM ET
Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki will get a chance to reach 3,000 hits in Sunday's finale at Coors Field as the Marlins and
Rockies have a rematch of a June 17 pitchers duel between Adam Conley and Jon Gray. Miami and Colorado split the
first two games of the series.
Ichiro collected his 2,999th career hit in Saturday night's 12-6 Rockies win on a pinch-hit infield single and will look to
reach his milestone against a pitcher he has never faced in his first start in over a week.
Gray was effective in the June 17 start against Miami with his fifth straight quality start at the time. He limited the Marlins
to two runs on six hits over six innings with four strikeouts and two walks. Since June 10, Gray has held his opponents to
two earned runs or fewer in seven of his last 10 starts.
Conley was nearly untouchable in that one for the Marlins, holding the Rockies scoreless with one hit. However, with five
walks, the Rockies were able to run up his pitch count to 109, and Conley exited the 5-1 Marlins win after 5 2/3 innings.
Things to know about this game
• Right fielder Carlos Gonzalez was the only Rockies batter to get a hit off Conley in that June 17 matchup, lining a double
to right field in the sixth inning. Gonzalez is riding a 17-game hit streak.
• The Marlins lead baseball with a .283 road batting average (582-for-2059). Catcher J.T. Realmuto is second in the
Majors (first in the NL) with a .364 road batting average (68-for-187) and third baseman Martin Prado is third in the Majors
with a .352 road batting average (76-for-216).
• Rockies rookie outfielder David Dahl has a 12-game hit streak to begin his career. It is the longest to start a career for
the Rockies since Juan Pierre had a 16-game streak in 2000.
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Ottavino thriving since return from Tommy John
By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | August 6th, 2016
DENVER -- At least statistically, Rockies right-handed pitcher Adam Ottavino hasn't missed a step since missing 14
months because of Tommy John surgery.
Ottavino threw a scoreless inning during Friday's 5-3 loss to the Marlins to extend his scoreless string to 25 1/3 innings -the longest active streak in the Majors. The last run Ottavino allowed came Sept. 6, 2014, against San Diego, 30
appearances ago.
Before the injury last April, Ottavino threw 10 1/3 scoreless innings in 10 games and had become the Rockies' closer.
Since returning last month, he has 10 2/3 scoreless innings, with his wipeout slider and a fastball that can reach the mid
and upper 90s. Even better news is Ottavino believes he can improve.
"It's been up and down, in terms of how I feel," Ottavino said. "You see my fastball velocity has fluctuated more than
normal. Even within an inning, with the same effort, I can be 92 or I can be 95. That's one aspect that's a little weird.
"Also, home-road and the way I've been bouncing back has been kind of backwards. I'm feeling a little better at home, for
whatever reason. I've been feeling better and better since the surgery, but I'm not at the point where I know what to
expect every single day when I wake up."
Ottavino gave up two hits, but struck out two to escape a jam on Thursday at home against the Dodgers, so Friday
marked the first time he has pitched on consecutive days since being activated.
The Rockies are committed to hard-throwing rookie Carlos Estevez in the closer's role. Ottavino has quickly earned a
primary setup role.
"He certainly has hit the ground running, coming back from that Tommy John," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "He's
still a very uncomfortable at-bat, especially for right-handed hitters. And he's done some work to try to be more effective
against left-handed hitters. He's got a real good feel for things. He makes adjustments well."
Worth noting
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• Righty reliever Chad Qualls, who hasn't pitched since July 15 because of colitis, will throw a bullpen session Sunday
and hopes to throw a simulated game Wednesday before the Rockies play at Texas. If all goes well, he will then go on an
injury rehab assignment.
• Before giving up four runs in the ninth inning Friday night, Estevez had a 1.80 ERA and seven saves in his previous 11
games. As Estevez struggled, fans instantly second-guessed Weiss' decision not to yank Estevez.
"He's been absolutely dominant," Weiss said. "Because the guy walks the leadoff hitter, you don't go take him out."
Had a ground ball from Martin Prado (who has grounded into a National League-leading 18 double plays) not found a
hole, Estevez may have limited damage.
"It's like a field-goal kicker -- the one time you miss, everyone wants you fired," Weiss said.
• Lefty reliever Jake McGee turned 30 on Saturday.
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Rockies hammer Marlins, despite Ichiro’s 2,999th hit and Giancarlo Stanton’s 504-foot homer
Rockies get 17 hits, Charlie Blackmon goes 4 of 5
By Patrick Saunders / The Denver Post | August 6th, 2016
Ichiro Suzuki closed in on baseball immortality and Giancarlo Stanton struck like lightning, but it was the Rockies who
rolled like thunder. The Rockies sent 13 batters to the plate and exploded for seven runs in the sixth inning en route to a
12-6 demolition of the Marlins at Coors Field on Saturday night. The Rockies’ victory, coupled with St. Louis’ 13-5 loss to
Atlanta, moved them three games behind the Cardinals and Marlins for the second wild-card playoff berth in the National
League.
Suzuki, the Marlins’ 42-year-old star, is only one hit from the magic 3,000-hit mark. Pinch hitting for Stanton in the eighth,
Suzuki rapped an infield single to Nolan Arenado. The Gold Glove third baseman snatched Suzuki’s chopper with his bare
hand and missed throwing out the legend by only half a step.
Suzuki came to bat again in the ninth but grounded out to pitcher Scott Oberg. So Suzuki still needs one more hit to
become the 30th player in MLB history to join the 3,000-hit club.
Colorado hitters, meanwhile, treated Marlins pitchers like pinatas, banging out 17 hits — including a 4-for-5 night for
Charlie Blackmon, who came up a double shy of hitting for the cycle. Carlos Gonzalez went 2-for-5 and extended his
hitting streak to 17 consecutive games, his longest over the course of one season. Rookie outfielder David Dahl went 3for-5 and has now hit in all 12 big-league games to begin his career. He’s batting a sizzling .380.
“Charlie had a big night,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said, “and I thought we rebounded well from a tough loss last
night, like we usually do.” Said Blackmon, referring to almost hitting for the cycle after getting a single in his last at-bat
when he needed a double: “I’m not going to say I wasn’t thinking about it. But if you had asked me beforehand, ‘Would
you take a hit?’ The answer would definitely be yes.”
Stanton struck in the fifth inning. The Marlins’ muscular right fielder and reigning Home Run Derby champion obliterated
Chad Bettis’ 88 mph changeup and sent the baseball flying deep into the left-center field seats for a solo homer to give
Miami a 3-2 lead. According to Statcast, Stanton’s homer flew 504 feet, which would make it the longest home run in
Coors Field history. Video, however, shows that Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza’s 496-foot homer Sept. 26, 1997, while
playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, actually went farther.
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Bettis has seen better nights, but he was plenty tough Saturday night. He gave up two runs in the first inning on a leadoff
triple by Dee Gordon, an RBI single by Martin Prado and an RBI groundout by Stanton. But aside from Stanton’s titanic
blast in the fifth, Bettis handled Miami’s offense. He was charged with three runs on seven hits, striking out three and
walking two.
“Early on I was throwing the ball up in the zone, but I was able to adjust,” Bettis said. “My goal every time out is to give us
six innings, at least, and get us a quality start. I want to contribute to a win, and I think I did that tonight.” Said Weiss: “He
gave us six (innings), and that was big because our bullpen was really thin tonight.”
Andrew Cashner, acquired from San Diego at the trade deadline to bolster the Marlins’ rotation, was knocked around by
the Rockies. He was charged with seven runs on eight hits over five-plus innings. Blackmon led off the first with a home
run into the second deck in right field. Miami Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton hit a 504-foot homer to left-center off
Rockies starter Chad Bettis Saturday night at Coors Field.
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Saunders: Rockies putting together best rotation in franchise history
Rockies could have the best pitching rotation since 2009
By Patrick Saunders / The Denver Post | August 6th, 2016
The Rockies are about to enter their Golden Age of starting pitching.
In some places — baseball hotbeds such as Boston, New York, St. Louis and Los Angeles come to mind — that
statement could get me locked up for blasphemy. Or at the very least get my baseball writers’ card revoked.
But hear me out.
The Rockies’ current rotation is young (for the most part), talented and appears up to the difficult challenge of pitching at
Coors Field. There is optimism and a continuity we have not seen since 2009.
Recent statistics are very un-Rockies like. Colorado’s overall road ERA is 3.62, third in the National League, trailing only
the New York Mets and Washington. In winning 11 of their last 14 games entering the weekend, Rockies starting pitchers
were 10-1 with a 2.28 ERA, with opponents hitting a meager .224.
In July, Colorado’s starters posted 20 quality starts, setting a franchise record for the most quality starts in a month. You
get the picture.
“It’s about mind-set — 100 percent,” veteran catcher Nick Hundley told me. “We are much more aggressive. There is
much less hope and lot more confidence. These guys go out there knowing they are going to get the job done.”
My bottom line: I think this staff has a chance to be better than the 2009 quintet of Ubaldo Jimenez (15-12, 3.47 ERA),
Jason Marquis (15-13, 4.04), Jorge De La Rosa (16-9, 4.38), Jason Hammel (11-8, 4.33) and Aaron Cook (11-6, 4.16).
Remember, I said, has a chance.
The current staff is anchored by power right-hander Jon Gray (8-4, 3.77), who has emerged as the staff ace for the
present and future. He’s only 24, throws a 95-98 mph fastball, an evil slider, curve and changeup. He could well be the
organization’s first 20-game winner. Not this year, of course, but in 2017 or ’18.
Tyler Chatwood (10-7, 3.63), Chad Bettis (9-6, 5.16) and left-hander Tyler Anderson (4-3, 3.25) are all entering the prime
of their careers and all of them are 27 or younger. Only De La Rosa (7-7, 5.51) , who entered Friday night’s game against
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the Marlins with 100 career victories, is long in the tooth. The lefty is 35 and in the final two months of his contract with the
Rockies.
Waiting in the wings are right-hander Jeff Hoffman (5-9, 4.35), now learning lessons at Triple-A Albuquerque, and German
Marquis (9-6, 2.85), who has been dominant for Double-A Hartford (Conn). In fact, four of the Rockies’ top
nine prospects are pitchers who are currently pitching at Double-A or Triple-A.
The organization’s emphasis on inducing groundball outs is paying off. Entering the weekend, Rockies starters had 753 of
them, second in the NL behind only the Cardinals (821). Colorado’s 64 groundball double plays also ranked second to St.
Louis (74).
As manager Walt Weiss explained to me, he doesn’t want his pitchers throwing only sinkers or only pitches that might
induce infield dirtballs. What he wants is “situational groundballs,” mixed in with the pitchers’ best stuff.
“What I’ve tried to emphasize is that we execute pitches to get those groundballs when we need them,” Weiss said. “I
think that’s made a difference.”
Hundley especially likes the aggressive nature of Gray and Bettis, both of whom are learning to throw curveballs in tough
counts.
“Being able to do that is all about confidence and belief in your stuff,” Hundley said. “Our guys have that now.”
The last time the Rockies made the postseason was in 2009, when they had a solid corps of starting pitchers. This group
has the potential to be better, if, knock on wood, they stay healthy.
What’s up: Lucroy has long been one of the majors’ best catchers, but also one of its most forgotten. Playing in
Milwaukee, where the Brewers are constantly in a rebuilding mode, Lucroy was a local favorite, but without the promise of
playing for a winner. Last week, Lucroy was traded to Cleveland, but he nixed that deal by invoking his no-trade clause.
He ended up being dealt to the powerful Texas Rangers, who come to Coors Field on Monday for a two-game set against
the Rockies.
Background: A lot of fans in Cleveland were angry that Lucroy rejected the Indians. But in a first-person account for
ESPN.com, he explained his perspective: “It was already pretty clear there wasn’t going to be much of a future for me in
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Milwaukee. They’re in rebuilding mode, and they wouldn’t want to pay to keep me there.” As for rejecting Cleveland, he
wrote: “My decision not to go to Cleveland had nothing to do with the team, but it had everything to do with my future in
this game. It was an economic decision. Period.”
Saunders’ take: Lucroy’s article is worth a read, because it provides insight from a player’s point of view. As Lucroy
notes, he had to make a smart career decision: “My agent, Doug Rogalski, found out it was the Indians that traded for me.
I was surprised, but I wanted to keep an open mind. Great team. Competitive team. There’s a real chance to win. Doug
called Chris Antonetti, the Indians’ president. There was one thing we wanted to know: What was my future with the
Indians? We knew Cleveland already had a good catcher, Yan Gomes, who’s injured right now. He’s getting paid more
than me, and he’s younger than me. We knew they’d probably want him catching almost every day next year. … We were
right. Antonetti told Doug that the Indians couldn’t make any promises on me catching next season. … I would have been
mostly at first base and designated hitter. In the end, that was the deal killer. Doug called me. He said, ‘You’re not going
there.’ ”
UP
1. Blue Jays: Going to six-man rotation to keep talented young starter Aaron Sanchez on the hill.
2. Tigers: Miguel Cabrera now the fourth active player with at least 12 25-home run seasons. The others are Alex
Rodriguez, Albert Pujols and David Ortiz.
3. Cubs: Loose? A bunch of Cubs flew early to San Francisco to play golf at Pebble Beach on their day off Thursday.
DOWN
1. Giants: Jeff Samardzija was terrible in a 5-1 loss to the Nationals on Friday as San Francisco slumped to 5-14 since allstar break.
2. Yankees: Lost season includes retirement of Mark Teixeira, one of only five switch-hitters in baseball history to slug 400
home runs.
3. Diamondbacks: Worst bullpen in the majors gives Arizona the second-worst record in the National League.
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Walt Weiss reiterates faith in rookie Carlos Estevez as Rockies’ closer
Estevez allowed just two runs in his first 12 appearances as Rockies closer
By Patrick Saunders / The Denver Post | August 6th, 2016
Manager Walt Weiss’ message was as firm and as clear as a Bob Gibson fastball to the ribs.
Rookie right-hander Carlos Estevez will remain the Rockies’ closer going forward, despite a four-run meltdown in the ninth
inning Friday night in a 5-3 loss to Miami. Weiss also said he did not consider giving Estevez the hook after the rookie
walked J.T. Realmuto on four pitches to open the ninth.
“(Estevez) has been absolutely dominant, so just because a guy walks the leadoff hitter you don’t go take him out,” Weiss
said Saturday afternoon before Game 2 of the series vs. the Marlins. “He’s our closer, and I’ve already used all of my
back-end guys at that point. He’s going to be in there until he loses the lead.”
In his first 12 appearances with save situations since being named closer, Estevez had only allowed two runs. In July, he
had a 1.80 ERA and compiled seven saves in 11 appearances. Friday night, however, Estevez struggled mightily with his
fastball command. He was charged with protecting a two-run lead, but he put the first three batters on base and allowed a
career-high four runs in one-third of an inning.
Estevez said he did not lose his nerve with the game on the line. Though Estevez likely was unavailable Saturday night,
he made it clear he wants to pitch in a save situation again as soon as possible.
“Things like (Friday night) can happen, but you just have to turn the page and move on,” Estevez said. “I want to be the
closer, and that hasn’t changed, not even a little bit. I am going to have bad days, but it’s not going to always be like that.
You have to move ahead.”
Estevez throws a 98 mph fastball, 93 mph changeup and an 85 mph slider. Weiss is confident the rookie has the right
mentality, to become a big-time closer.
“Carlos is made of the right stuff, believe me,” Weiss said. “He’s got plenty of stuff to get the last three outs of the game.
He’s going to be a really good closer. He already is. But it’s like being a field-goal kicker. The one time you miss,
everybody wants you to get fired. But he’s been absolutely dominant. He’s going to be very good.”
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DJ’s way. Second baseman DJ LeMahieu tied a career high with four hits Friday night and entered Saturday’s game with
a .328 average, third in the National League. Weiss credits LeMahieu’s ever-steady approach.
“His approach is so consistent,” Weiss said. “He doesn’t stray from it. And it’s a rock-solid approach and he can hit the ball
from line to line. Plus, his bat is in the zone for a long time. As he’s matured as a hitter, he’s gotten a better understanding
of the strike zone. He doesn’t expand for the pitcher much anymore. He’s just a tough out.”
Marlins LHP Adam Conley (7-6, 3.41 ERA) at Rockies RHP Jon Gray (8-4, 3.77), 2:10 p.m. Sunday, ROOT, 850 AM
Gray is quickly learning how to tame Coors Field, where he’s 5-0 with a 3.83 ERA this season. He’s also clearly become
the Rockies’ ace, going 3-0 with a 0.69 ERA in four starts since the all-star break. Conley has struggled with his control
most of the season, and it hurt him in a loss to the Cubs last Monday. He allowed two runs on five hits while walking six
and striking out four over four innings. He needed 97 pitches to get through his short start. Conley beat the Rockies on
June 17 in Miami, being charged with one run on one hit over 5⅔ innings in Miami’s 5-1 victory.– Patrick Saunders, The
Denver Post
Monday: Rangers LHP Cole Hamels (12-3, 2.89 ERA) at Rockies LHP Tyler Anderson (4-3, 3.25), 6:40 p.m., ROOT
Tuesday: Rangers RHP A.J. Griffin (5-1, 4.05) at Rockies RHP Tyler Chatwood (10-7, 3.63), 1:10 p.m., No TV
Wednesday: Rockies LHP Jorge De La Rosa (7-7, 5,24) at Rangers LHP Martin Perez (7-8, 4.33), 6:05 p.m., ROOT
15
Tyler Anderson’s perseverance paying off in big way for Colorado Rockies
Anderson’s 3.25 ERA is the lowest of any Rockies pitcher after ten starts in team history
By Nick Kosmider / The Denver Post | August 6th, 2016
George Horton was on a family vacation in Big Bear, Calif., last week, but that wasn’t going to stop him from getting to a
TV.
Not when two of his favorite players he had coached were about to face off in the middle of a major-league playoff chase.
When Horton was chosen to restore baseball at the University of Oregon in the fall of 2008, he invited Justin Turner, his
bat boy turned star infielder during his previous stop at Cal State Fullerton, to come to Eugene, Ore., and talk to his new
players about the value of creating a winning culture and the art of competing like your hair was on fire.
Horton’s promising left-handed freshman, Tyler Anderson, listened intently, soaking it all in.
“It’s pretty wild and shows you how small the baseball world is,” Horton said over the phone last week during another
brief break in that vacation.
During the Rockies-Dodgers game Wednesday at Coors Field, Turner kept teaching, taking Anderson deep with a two-run
shot in the first inning. But it was Anderson’s response — he didn’t give up anymore runs in seven innings — that made it
clear the Rockies’ first-round pick in the 2011 draft has made the most of the lessons he has learned on his long path to
the major leagues.
And he is putting them to use when the Rockies need them most.
“All the hiccups in his progress on his journey to make the major-league level, my heart went out to him,” Horton said. “But
just knowing what Tyler is made of, I don’t know if there’s anybody out there who has a better drive for success or ability
to overcome obstacles than Tyler.”
After missing the 2015 season because of a stress fracture in his pitching elbow, perpetually waiting for a green light to
throw the baseball that never came, Anderson is realizing the potential the Rockies saw in him when they selected him
20th overall five years ago.
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Anderson’s victory over the Dodgers on Wednesday was his fourth in five starts, with all of the wins coming at Coors
Field. While quieting the Los Angeles lineup after Turner’s early blast, the left-hander lowered his ERA to 3.25 — the
lowest for a Rockies pitcher after his first 10 starts in franchise history.
“He’s been outstanding,” manager Walt Weiss said of Anderson. “It’s a pretty amazing story when you think about it. Not
pitching at all a year ago, he showed up at the big-league level and hit the ground running. He’s been really good from the
first start on. It’s been an awesome boost for our rotation.”
Examine Anderson’s numbers at every stop of his professional career, and the success he is having isn’t hard to fathom.
Anderson went 12-3 with a 2.47 ERA in 20 starts for Single-A Asheville. By 2014, he was the Texas League pitcher of the
year after going 7-4 with a 1.98 ERA in 23 starts for Double-A Tulsa.
During the playoffs that season, the elbow pain that first surfaced in 2013 began flaring up again. Anderson thought he
would be recovered in time for spring training in 2015 and be in the mix to compete for a spot in the starting rotation. But
returning from the elbow injury became a long game of hurry up and wait.
“We kept saying, ‘We’ll get a CT scan and hopefully it’s good,’ ” Anderson said. “I thought I was going to start throwing in
the spring, then I thought I’d start throwing at the end of the spring, then I thought I’d start throwing in June, then July,
then August. … We just kept pushing it back.”
While frustration brewed, he refused to let his situation diminish his will to improve.
“He got himself stronger,” said Darryl Scott, Anderson’s pitching coach at two stops in the minors. “He worked on his
mechanics, worked on his balance. He did everything he could to make himself a better pitcher without pitching. Whether
it was his mental approach or physically working on his body or working on his delivery with what he does with his lower
half, or whether it was watching games and studying how different guys were approaching different hitters, he didn’t waste
that year.”
By last fall, Anderson was finally ready to throw, and he counted his time spent in the Dominican fall league, his first
opportunity to face live hitters in a full year, as a key reason he was able to storm out of the gates when spring training
began.
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Not that he was done with setbacks. Anderson suffered an oblique injury in March that briefly derailed his progress,
triggering a “miserable” here-we-go-again feeling.
But there was no stopping Anderson’s rise once he got healthy. For five years as a pro, the stuff and the numbers had
been there. It was just time for a break. After wiping out hitters in six minor-league starts, he made his long-awaited debut
June 12 and has quickly become a key member of a rotation as strong as any the Rockies have seen in years.
Much of the Rockies’ success since the all-star break has centered on their newfound dominance at Coors Field, where
Anderson has been at his best. In seven starts at home, the lefty is 4-1 with a 3.32 ERA, striking out 41 against 10 walks.
“To be honest, he’s so focused in on his process, so focused in on his plan, that the ballpark doesn’t really play that big of
a role,” Scott said. “He knows that if he goes out and executes pitches and does what he needs to do, he’ll have success
everywhere.”
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Colorado Rockies prospects: outfielder Raimel Tapia promoted to Triple-A Albuquerque
By Adam Peterson / Purple Row | August 7th, 2016
The Colorado Rockies have promoted top outfield prospect Raimel Tapia (No. 5 PuRP) to Triple-A Albuquerque along
with shortstop Pat Valaika. This comes in addition to the flurry of moves announced yesterday.
Tapia has hit .325/.364/.453 in 103 games for the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats this season while hitting eight home runs
and stealing 17 bases. The promotion comes six years after the Rockies first signed him out of the Dominican Republic
and three years after he made his stateside debut with the Grand Junction Rockies in 2013. Since then he has had a
steady ascent through the Rockies system, riding his preternatural hitting ability to the top of the mid-season prospect
rankings among various outlets, including No. 79 at Baseball America, No. 84 at MLB Pipeline, and No. 32 on Baseball
Prospectus. Raimel Tapia is already on the 40-man roster and will therefore find himself as a likely candidate for a
September call-up to the major league club when rosters expand.
Valaika, who received some down ballot consideration on our most recent PuRPs list, has had a productive year for the
Yard Goats in his second go-around at Double-A. The 23-year-old has played in nearly every game, hitting .269/.314/.450
with 13 home runs, and eight stolen bases.
They join former Yard Goats pitchers Harrison Musgrave, Kyle Freeland, and Matt Carasiti, who all started the year in
Hartford.
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Colorado Rockies 12, Miami Marlins 6: Pair of big innings propel Rockies to win, back to .500
By Jordan Freemyer / Purple Row | August 6th, 2016
A seven-run sixth inning put the Rockies in the lead for good as they bounced back from a tough loss last night for a 12-6
victory over the Miami Marlins.
After Giancarlo Stanton hit an absolutely massive home run, measured by Statcast at 504 feet, in the fifth to give the
Marlins a 3-2 lead, the Rockies exploded for a big sixth inning against Miami starter Andrew Cashner.
Cristhian Adames started the inning with a pinch-hit single and scored on a Charlie Blackmon triple to tie the game. DJ
LeMahieu then singled to bring home Blackmon and then came around on a Carlos Gonzalez double to give the Rockies
a 5-3 lead. Nolan Arenado was the first Rockies hitter in the inning not to get a hit, as he walked and Cashner was pulled
from the game.
Miami brought in lefty reliever Mike Dunn to face rookie David Dahl with two on and none out, but Dahl prevailed in the
left-on-left matchup with an RBI single to give the Rockies a 6-3 lead. Dunn then struck out Mark Reynolds and Daniel
Descalso before Nick Hundley extended the lead and the inning with a single that brought home Arenado to make it 7-3.
The Rockies’ final two runs of the inning came on a two-run single from Blackmon after Adames had walked in his second
trip to the plate.
The Rockies added three more runs in the seventh against Marlins reliever Nefi Ogando on a two-run double from
Descalso and an RBI single from pinch hitter Ryan Raburn.
Of note late in the game, Miami’s Ichiro Suzuki led off the eighth with an infield single, the 2,999th hit of his career, before
the Rockies bullpen closed out the victory.
The Rockies will now look to Jon Gray in the rubber game of the series tomorrow against the Marlins’ Adam Conley. First
pitch is at 2:10 p.m. Mountain time.
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The result may look familiar, but Rockies rookies shaping future
By Ben Macaluso / Mile High Sports | August 6th, 2016
For seven innings the Rockies looked lost against the Marlins without their rookie shortstop’s 27 homeruns and 72 RBIs.
Walt Weiss couldn’t emphasize enough that Trevor Story’s production can’t be replaced.
But to the manager’s point, this Rockies team on the rise keeps finding ways to win. After getting shut out for more than
three hours, the Rockies scored three runs off reliever Fernando Rodney to take the lead against the team who holds the
lead over the Rockies for the second wild card spot.
That is when Carlos Estevez lost command of his fastball. The Marlins scored fours in the ninth to repeat a narrative all
too familiar to this 2016 Rockies club. This team wouldn’t be here without it’s rookies, but another comeback was thwarted
late.The 5-3 loss dropped the Rockies’ record to 54-55, now four games back in the Wild Card race.
“I think it’s just a matter of not commanding my fastball because I’ve still before been worse than that and I get through it,”
Estevez said responding to if the pressure of the game got to him. “Obviously my command wasn’t there. I was coming
back to the same spot every time. My slider and change up were good but my fastball wasn’t there.”
While the late loss may be the toughest of the season with the playoff implications, it is telling how different these Rockies
are from years past. Rookies are getting experience in meaningful games late in the season.
Adam Ottavino may be more suited for the closing position right now pitching another scoreless inning Friday night
extending his scoreless innings streak to 25.1, the longest in the Majors. Even so, Weiss still has trust in the rookie
Estevez. It may be more beneficial in the long term to keep the rookie in the closer role to solidify his confidence and build
him up for the future.
“Command wasn’t sharp from the get-go but [Estevez] has had outings like that before where the first hitter or two he’s not
real sharp and then settles in,” Weiss said. “He can strike guys out and usually he works himself out of those types of
messes. Late losses are always frustrating. Bounce back tomorrow, win a game tomorrow.”
Fans still may have trust issues with this team as only 27,888 showed up Friday night. With the Rockies fighting for a
playoff spot and Ichiro Suzuki in town two hits away from 3,000 MLB hits, Coors Field seemed much emptier than that.
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The media seemed more interested in this game as there were more members covering Ichiro’s milestone seemingly than
those who showed up for Tulowitzki’s return and the Yankees series combined.
Ichiro made one pitch-hit appearance in the seventh striking out looking against, his former teammate in New York, Boone
Logan.
“He was a good teammate but I don’t want to be the one that gives up one more hit to get to 3,000,” Logan said. “I’m just
excited for him. I think everyone is.”
The Rockies won 15 games in July, the most wins in a month in over two years and the most wins in the month since July
2009. Rockies starting pitching recorded 20 quality starts in the month that is a franchise record beating their total of 19 in
June of 2009. To quote Frank Sinatra, that was a very good year. This staff has three of the five starters that have one
year of service time or less. This opening game loss may show why the Marlins look more playoff ready than the Rockies,
but this loss does not sum up the way the Rockies are trending. A trend that has a lot to do with Rockies rookies. Even
Estevez.
If not for Ichiro, come to Coors for competitive baseball. Friday the result looked similar. But this team is anything but
familiar.
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Colorado Rockies Regain Mojo With Big Win Over Miami
By Michelle Stalnaker / Rox Pile | August 6th, 2016
Needing a bounceback performance after Friday night’s late-inning collapse, the Colorado Rockies logged an
impressive 12-6 win on Saturday night over the Miami Marlins to pull even in a series between Wild Card contenders.
We Rockies fans are breathing rarefied air right now. For just the seventh time in our team’s history, they’re playing .500
baseball in the first week of August. The last time they were doing it was 2010, a year that felt like the team was headed
for the playoffs up until the end of September.
The tide has finally turned, the years of waiting have paid off, and this is a team that, playoff-bound or not, is very exciting
to watch.
Tonight’s game was a doozy, full of exciting offense and cringeworthy pitching, highlight-reel defense and nail-biter
moments. On top of all that, two Marlins reached personal milestones. Giancarlo Stanton hit (arguably) the longest home
run in Coors Field history, at 504 feet. By the numbers it was the longest, but this Mike Piazza one sure looks longer:
No matter which one was actually longer, the Stanton one was something to behold. Stanton is always a risk for towering
homers, even in a year when his overall offensive production is down. That was a fun one to witness.
Then, Ichiro Suzuki came to the plate in the eighth inning. I was disappointed that Ichiro wasn’t in the starting lineup,
since I’m really hoping to see him reach 3,000 hits this weekend. When he came to the plate in the eighth, he knocked
a Jordan Lyles fastball down the third base line, where Nolan Arenado barehanded it and nearly got the out at first. It
was a very close play, but Ichiro is still fast, and he got there for #2,999.
He played right field in the bottom of the eighth and then came to bat again in the ninth. The whole crowd was hoping for
3,000, but instead what they got was something bizarre: a comebacker to Scott Oberg that looked like an easy out but
which then fell out of his glove. Somehow, he managed to retrieve the ball and throw it to Mark Reynolds before Ichiro
touched the bag. It would have been an error, not a hit, if Ichiro had reached, but we were still sad.
Those were the Miami highlights … but the Colorado Rockies had even more thankfully. They’re back to .500, like I said,
and they won tonight. The spread should have been bigger than that, but as is often the case, the Rockies’ bullpen was
not about to let that happen. After a solid six-inning start by Chad Bettis, Lyles and Oberg combined to give up three runs
in the final two innings. Thank goodness for insurance runs, right?
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Bettis was decent if not ace-quality. He was not super sharp, but he battled inning after inning to get three outs. His only
really tough inning was the first when he gave up a triple and two singles before recording an out.
The crown jewel of this outing was the sixth inning, which Bettis almost didn’t see. He was nearing 100 pitches, and Walt
Weiss sat him for pinch hitter Cristhian Adames in the bottom of the fifth. When Adames didn’t get the chance to bat,
Weiss gave Bettis a shot to close out the sixth, and he did it on just seven pitches. It was great to see Bettis finish so
strong and save the bullpen one more inning.
In the end, it was one of those nights where the pitching didn’t matter much because the offense took care of business.
They were a little slow to start against former Padre Andrew Cashner, scoring just two runs in the first five innings. But a
seven-run sixth broke the game open, as the Rockies sent 13 men to the plate and collected five singles, a double, and a
triple. Carlos Gonzalez ended the inning with a called strike three and the bases loaded, an unfortunate outcome no
matter the situation, but the Rockies still went back to the field in a very comfortable position.
They tacked on three more runs in the seventh inning, and several Rockies finished the night with impressive
performances. Charlie Blackmon was 4-for-5 and fell a double short of the cycle, David Dahl was 3-for-5 with his first
career triple, and Daniel Descalso was 2-for-5 with 3 RBI.
It was a great team win, and while the bullpen’s inability to shut things down at times still worries me, I have rarely seen
this team play with so much energy and momentum in August.
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Stanton’s record breaker doesn’t damage determined Denver club
By Jake Shapiro / BSN Denver | August 6th, 2016
DENVER – The Colorado Rockies won a thrilling ballgame 12-6 Saturday night against the Wild Card-spot-holding Miami
Marlins. In the process, they gained a game in the race and now are only three games back of a playoff spot, with a 55-55
record.
However, baseball being this game that is, somehow boasted a few more noteworthy things than the Rockies being .500
in August. Future Hall of Famer Ichiro collected his 2,999 hit in this contest, Charlie Blackmon almost hit for the cycle
and Giancarlo Stanton hit the longest home run in Coors Field history.
The Marlins got a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Dee Gordon began things with a triple and came around to
score on a Martin Prado single. Prado came in on a failed double play ball which Daniel Descalso made a throwing error
on and things looked bleak early for the Rockies.
Charlie Blackmon struck right back in the bottom of the first with his 13th home run of the season to lead off the night. The
Rockies tied the game in the following frame when David Dahl hit his first triple of the year and extended his hitting streak
to 12 games; every game of his career. He scored on a RBI groundout from Descalso.
The game remained tied until the fifth inning when Giancarlo Stanton unloaded on a ball that is still feeling the effects,
driving it 504 feet. For more on the longest home run of the season and the longest ever in Coors Field history, read this
interview with the young man who caught the ball.
The Rockies clearly weren’t intimidated and batted around in the sixth lashing out for a crooked seven spot.
Cristhian Adames started things off with a pinch-hit single which was followed up by a Blackmon triple, his third of the
year. Blackmon came in on a DJ LeMahieu single, which is a sentence we’ve typed more than once, and LeMahieu
scored on a Carlos Gonzalez double down the right-field line.
Bettis, who was errant early settled down and gave the Rockies the classic Coors Field quality start.
“He never changes his demeanor on the mound,” Manager Walt Weiss said. “Little rough early but righted the ship and
got through six. He’s on a good run… he’s got back to the things that have made him successful.”
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“My whole mentality is trying to keep my team in the ballgame as long as I can possibly go,” Bettis told BSN Denver. “The
whole goal is to go out there and get as many quality starts as possible… We’re always trying to go out there and get as
many runs as possible.”
Dahl kept the offense alive in the seventh, collecting his third hit of the game on a single which drove in Gonzalez.
Then Nick Hundley finished off the scoring with a single of his own. When the dust finally settled, it was the 9-3 Rockies.
The beardless Andrew Cashner was sent to the dugout and the game was in hand.
The Rockies tacked on three more in the seventh, the big blow coming from Descalso on a two-run double, fully making
up for his early error. The Fish added three in the final two innings tightening it to 12-6.
HIGHLIGHTS:
QUOTE(S) OF THE GAME:
Chad Bettis
“Ten wins is exciting, it was one of my goals I was trying to get to this year.”
Walt Weiss
“It’s fun, I said it the other night, that’s why the scoreboard is out there, yes I scoreboard watch.”
PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Charlie Blackmon
A double shy of the cycle, Blackmon scored another four-hit game. Including a homer and a triple. It helped him get off the
small slump he was on.
“Charlie had a big night,” Weiss said. “Thought he rebounded well.”
BY THE NUMBERS:
.5oo – The Rockies are .500 at 55-55.
12 – David Dahl has 19 hits in his first 12 MLB games.
17 – Carlos Gonzalez extended a Rockies season-high hit streak to 17 games tonight.
504 – The distance on Stanton’s fifth inning shot that was recored at 116 mph off the bat.
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Kid catches longest home run in Coors Field history
By Jake Shapiro / BSN Denver | August 6th, 2016
Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton took Colorado Rockies starter Chad Bettis deep on Saturday night. Really
deep. Stanton’s fifth inning bomb was clobbered so far that some video games wouldn’t even track it.
The distance 504 feet. The first ever recorded 500-foot homer in the Statcast era.
Not only that, it was the longest dinger in the history of the 21-year-old Coors Field. Prior to Saturday, the longest home
run hit at Coors Field was a 496 footer by Hall of Famer Mike Piazza. His long ball, which came off current Rockies
Bullpen Coach Darren Holmes, was hit on September 26, 1997.
1997 was years before MaCade Lewis of Lawrence, Kansas was even born. The sixth grader who caught Stanton’s home
run was at just his second Rockies game ever. “We’re on vacation,” he said, “and just wanted some Rockpile seats.”
Lewis was sitting about 20 rows up in dead centerfield with his father Mike. The boy was overjoyed as jealous fans looked
toward his glove to inspect the ball that may as well have been a foreign object that far away from the plate. The
youngster was just happy to be at the ballgame with his father on summer vacation. He told BSN Denver that he was
looking forward to telling his friends at school what he did this summer, noting that this would be at the top of the list.
Although Lewis didn’t catch the ball on the fly, he made quite the effort. “It bounced off the aisle and I dove in the pile,”
Lewis said while admiring the ball. “I got my knees scrapped up and beer spilled on my back but got it, it was worth it.”
Most people would just be happy to say they were at the game when something as memorable as that happened. This
pre-teen Jayhawk fan will have a memory for life about the day he caught one of the most impressive home runs in MLB
history. It’s funny to think now that he was just happy to catch a batting practice ball earlier in the day.
The young Rockies fan said Stanton would now be one of his favorite players. And perhaps it was a bit serendipitous that
a sixth grader should catch this piece of history. Baseball — they say — is a kids game, after all.
Today is a day MaCade Lewis will never forget. He and his dad will have plenty to reminisce about on the drive back to
Lawrence and will have to find a place to put a very special baseball.
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Ichiro Suzuki is (almost) the true hit king
By Drew Creasman / BSN Denver | August 6th, 2016
DENVER — You don’t have to credit him for his hits in Japan to recognize that Ichiro Suzukiis the true all-time hit king.
Maybe.
The Miami Marlins and Colorado Rockies are currently locked in a battle for the Wild Card in the National League (the
Marlins took Round One last night) but history trumps all else, so the big story is, as it should be, Ichiro’s approach of a
historic landmark.
But the only reason he is creeping up on his 3,000th hit this weekend in Colorado and not his 4,257th is because there
was a widely held — and clearly wrong — belief that Ichiro could not hang in with MLB pitching. Debuting at the age of 27
because of this nonsense, all the Japanese phenom did was come into the league that most thought would humble him
and immediately assert himself as the best pure hitter in the game.
From 2001-2010 he recorded over 200 hits in each season, leading MLB seven out of ten of those years. And all the
voices that had laughed to themselves, “yeah, but he won’t be able to do that in the big leagues, son!” were quickly
silenced.
But not entirely … Because it is a fact that Ichiro did not, and will not, accrue an extra 1,200 hits in MLB, there will always
be those who will claim someone else as the hit king. After all, we don’t count minor league hits, so why should we count
hits in Japan?
We shouldn’t. We should understand a player in an unusual context in a way that fairly recognizes who and what he has
been for the game. Bill Russell has more NBA championships than Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul Jabar has more
points — those are the facts — but because of context MJ is rightly considered the superior player.
The same principle should be applied to Ichiro. And so rather than credit him with hits he did not accrue in MLB, we
should be looking at an extrapolation of what he did accomplish against the greatest pitchers in the world and try to put
that in context.
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If Ichiro had debuted at 23 and hit at about his career average — including some off-the-charts years in his prime and
some down years in his older age — he would have gotten approximately 750 more hits, putting him just 23 shy of Hank
Aaron for third all time.
If he had burst onto the scene as a 21-year-old and gotten exactly 200 hits each season (as he actually bettered during
his first ten) he would be at 4,200 hits … or 56 less than Pete Rose for the all-time record.
I suspect Ichiro will get at least 23 more hits in his career, putting him (using our unscientific methodology here) ahead of
Aaron and behind just Rose and Ty Cobb. Putting aside the jackassery of those two, there is also a similar “era” argument
to be had in favor of Ichiro over both men just like with Michael Jordan.
The game is at its absolute pinnacle in terms of talent, and during the first part of his career, Ichiro was still contending
with the end of the steroid era, which if he did not partake, put him at a disadvantage. There are also park factors to
consider.
Getting to the bottom of all that math would take someone much smarter than I (to apply to be the math guy for
BSNRockies, send an email to [email protected]) but the ultimate point here is that this debate should not boil
down to whether you include Ichiro’s numbers from Japan or not.
It’s worth considering what he would have done had unfair and bias practices and beliefs not kept him out of the game,
even during part of his prime. If he debuted at a relatively normal age (23) and been his average self, he is probably about
third all time. If he had debuted early, like so many do these days, we would likely be celebrating the breaking of one of
the greatest records in the history of sports this weekend in Denver.
Like with Ken Griffey Jr.’s injuries, Ichiro leaves behind both an inarguable legacy of greatness and a bitter taste of “what
if.” There are a ton of arguments to be made on all sides of this debate, but my question to Ichiro detractors will always be
this: Do you really think he could not have approximated his MLB value if he had been given the chance to play three or
four years earlier? He wasn’t given the chance, and so we can never know for sure.
But if you find it reasonable to assert that by his own MLB rate, Ichiro should have been in the league earlier, then it is
worth considering that his true place in history may be at the very top. Will he end his career with the most number of hits?
No. But by any fair measure, Ichiro Suzuki may still well be the greatest hitter of baseballs who ever lived.
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Suzuki misses in 1st try at 3,000 hits, Rockies top Marlins
By Associated Press / ESPN.com | August 7th, 2016
DENVER -- Ichiro Suzuki nearly got his 3,000th hit and Giancarlo Stanton hit a record-long home run. It should have been
a night to celebrate for the Miami Marlins, but the Colorado Rockies' relentless offense spoiled the party.
Suzuki grounded out in his first try at 3,000 hits and the Marlins, despite a 504-foot home run by Stanton, lost to the
Colorado Rockies 12-6 on Saturday night.
Charlie Blackmon homered among his four hits and drove in four runs for the Rockies, who moved within three games of
the Marlins and St. Louis for the second NL wild-card spot on a night when history was nearly made.
"I don't know if I've ever been in a game where I've seen 3,000 hits," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "It's a big deal."
It didn't seem like Suzuki would have a chance after the Rockies took a 12-3 lead in the seventh, but he had a pinch-hit
infield single to lead off the eighth inning for No. 2,999, just beating the throw by Gold Glove third baseman Nolan
Arenado. Suzuki stayed in the game to play right field.
"When I threw it I thought I had him, but like I said, he's too fast," Arenado said. "That's why he's so good."
In the ninth, with many in the crowd at Coors Field standing, Suzuki hit a comebacker to Scott Oberg. The 6-foot-2 pitcher
reached high to get the ball before it went up the middle and, after dropping the transfer, quickly gathered it to barely
throw out Suzuki.
"I was trying to turn a double play on that, but once I bobbled it, I was just trying to get the out at first base," Oberg said.
"What he's done in his career has been an outstanding accomplishment. He's been an inspiration to a lot of players."
The 42-year-old Japanese star will become the 30th player in major league history to reach 3,000 with his next hit.
"You put him in the game when we did there's a little thought that he might get two (at-bats)," Miami manager Don
Mattingly said. "Once he gets that first one, as that inning gets extended, you know he's going to get another AB. The
guys were excited to have a chance to see it."
Rookie David Dahl had three hits to extend his hitting streak to 12 games andDaniel Descalso drove in three runs for
Colorado, which is 15-7 since the All-Star break.
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Stanton's 23rd homer was the longest in the major leagues this season and the longest in Coors Field history. Suzuki
batted for the All-Star Home Run Derby champion in the eighth.
Stanton, who flew out on a 3-0 pitch in the third, connected in the fifth on an 89 mph changeup from Chad Bettis (10-6),
sending a drive into the seats in left-center field for a 3-2 lead.
"I wasn't happy with my 3-0 swing," Stanton said. "It was a good swing but not the type of attack you should have with that
so I said if he throws me that again I'm going to do what I should have done 3-0 and he did."
Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza held the record for the longest homer at Coors, hitting a 496-footer in 1997 when he
was with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
This was the second time Stanton crushed a ball in Denver. He hit a home run 494 feet in 2012.
"It put us in a good place but didn't seem to work out," Stanton said.
Andrew Cashner (4-8) retired 10 straight after Dahl's leadoff triple in the second, but faltered in Colorado's seven-run
sixth. The Rockies got five straight hits and a walk off the righty to take a 7-2 lead, and they tagged reliever Mike Dunn for
three more runs.
The Rockies sent 13 batters to the plate in the inning, which ended with relieverNefi Ogando striking out Carlos
Gonzalez with the bases loaded.
"We want to play out front and our offense is helping us do that," Weiss said. "At the same time we're getting good starting
pitching. We got a long way to go. We got a lot more games to win, but it's been nice seeing our guys fight their way back
in the mix here."
STILL STREAKING
Dahl's streak is the second longest by a Rockies rookie to begin a career. Juan Pierre reached 16 in 2000. ... Gonzalez
also had two hits to reach 17 straight games. His is the longest current streak in the majors.
UP NEXT
The Marlins will send LHP Adam Conley (7-6, 3.41) against Colorado's Jon Gray(8-4, 3.77) on Sunday.
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