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Rockies can't power past Cards despite 3 HRs

By Ben Weinrib and Owen Perkins / MLB.com | 3:00 AM ET

DENVER -- Behind a career-high four RBIs from Adam Wainwright, the Cardinals moved into a three-way tie for the top

National League Wild Card spot with a 10-4 victory over the Rockies on Tuesday night at Coors Field. St. Louis, San

Francisco and the New York Mets are all 80-71 with 11 games left in the regular season.

"I've been saving my RBIs up for this year," Wainwright said. "I'm doing whatever it takes to help this team win. In a park

like this, in a place that no lead is safe, if a pitcher can go up there and push something across and help the team get a

run, get four runs, whatever, you're doing your job."

The Cardinals pummeled Rockies starter Jorge De La Rosa for eight runs (seven earned) over 4 2/3 innings in what may

likely be his final start with the franchise. Manager Walt Weiss said it would be De La Rosa's last start of the season, and

the lefty will be eligible for free agency this offseason.

"De La seemed like he didn't have great command of the secondary stuff," Weiss said. "The changeup is usually his best

weapon, but he had a hard time throwing strikes with it. They were laying off it. He got in some difficult counts."

Matt Adams got St. Louis on the board in the second with a homer to right field, and Wainwright helped his cause with a

two-run double three batters later. Jedd Gyorko added a two-run homer in the fifth, which Statcast™ projected to travel

452 feet. De La Rosa was chased when Randal Grichuk doubled in Adams in the frame. Reliever Eddie Butler couldn't

stop the bleeding, as Wainwright picked up two more RBIs on a single to right-center.

MEDIA CLIPS – September 21, 2016

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Wainwright earned his 12th win despite giving up a career-high-tying three home runs. Daniel Descalso went deep in the

fourth, Charlie Blackmon homered in the fifth, and Gerardo Parra ended Wainwright's night with a homer in the sixth.

"Charlie's ball, most hitters hit that ball foul, but he's a great hitter," Wainwright said. "He did a great job keeping that ball

fair. He doesn't have many holes. Kudos to him. The other ones are not the pitch I'm trying to make. I attribute that to a

lack of focus on my part. When I'm grinding and focused like I need to be, that wouldn't happen."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Damage down in the lineup: Adams' solo shot in the second inning opened an inning the Rockies never recovered from.

From Adams through Wainwright, four batters reached base, with three of them scoring. De La Rosa walked one and hit

two batters in the inning, and after a two-run double from the pitcher, the Cardinals never relented. Six of the eight runs

against De La Rosa came from the bottom four hitters in the lineup.

Matt Adams belts a solo home run to right field that puts the Cardinals on the board, tying the game at 1 in the top of the

2nd inning

"That's the conversation going on in the dugout: keep going, because anything can happen in a hurry here," Cardinals

manager Mike Matheny said. "Just keep taking good at-bats. Even some guys who didn't have a lot of hits still had

productive at-bats. Moving guys over, hitting the ball hard. The big home run by Jedd. Getting guys into a good frame of

mind. Hopefully it's one of those things we can ride for a while."

Leadoff power: Blackmon's homer gave him the franchise record for RBIs (75) at the leadoff spot, eclipsing first-base

coach Eric Young's 74 in 1996. Blackmon continues to tear through September by going 1-for-3 with a homer, two runs

scored and a walk. Overall, he is slashing .340/.426/.755 with five homers in 14 games this month. This comes after

slashing .360/.408/.730 in August with 11 home runs, which is five more than his previous high for a month. More >

Charlie Blackmon belts a solo home run off the foul pole in right field in the bottom of the 5th inning

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"Mostly, I just want to have good at-bats and get on base," Blackmon said. "But I think this year, I've been a little more

aggressive in certain situations. Obviously, I think it's really important to be good with runners on base, so RBIs really, I

can't do much unless I've got guys out in front of me. As a team, we've been doing a good job."

Four more: Wainwright wasn't the only one setting career highs at the plate. Grichuk scored a career-high four runs and

is riding a 14-start streak of reaching base safely. He is hitting .333 (16-for-48) with a .375 OBP during the streak, adding

three hits and two doubles in four at-bats on Tuesday.

Randal Grichuk grounds a single into left field that scores Matt Adams and gives the Cardinals a 6-2 lead in the top of the

5th inning

"He was fouling off some good pitches too," Matheny said. "Reached to foul off a tough cutter that last at bat. He did go

down swinging, but all in all, I see him trusting himself a little more."

Youngsters show up: Several Rockies rookies got to show off at the end of the game, notably reliever Matt Carasiti and

center fielder Raimel Tapia. Carasiti tossed a scoreless inning with one strikeout. After posting a 1.96 ERA between

Double-A Hartford and Triple-A Albuquerque, Carasiti has struggled to a 12.34 ERA in 14 big league games. Tapia drove

in the final run of the night on a single to right field, which raised his average to .290.

"It was good to see Carasiti have an inning like that," Weiss said. "He had such an outstanding year at the Minor League

level. He was dominant at the Minor League level, but he struggled up here. It's good to see Matt have an inning like that.

That's the type of thing he's capable of doing. He's got big weapons.

Raimel Tapia knocks a single to right field to score Daniel Descalso in the bottom of the 9th inning

"The kids swung the bat. ... Tapia gets the RBI single. That's the thing about September. You get to see some of these

young kids, and they've done a nice job."

QUOTABLE

"I don't have enough starts to get [my ERA] down in the 2s like I want to be. I don't have enough starts to get to 20 wins

like I want to be. But I have a chance to help this team win a World Series. And if that's offensively, winning a Silver

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Slugger along the way, hopefully, then that's great. I don't really care. As long as I pitch well down the stretch, pitch well in

the postseason, and get that ring, I couldn't care less." -- Wainwright, on contributing to the playoff push

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Wainwright now has 18 RBIs on the season -- the most for a pitcher since Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins drove in 20 for

the Cubs in 1971.

COLE HIT IN BATTING PRACTICE

Rockies third-base coach Stu Cole was sent to the hospital after being struck in the head by a ricocheted ball while he

was throwing batting practice. Tests came back negative, and he returned to Coors Field during the game. More >

WHAT'S NEXT

Cardinals: Right-hander Luke Weaver (1-3, 3.21 ERA) will start the series finale on Wednesday at 2:10 p.m. CT. Weaver

has a 1.50 ERA in two home starts and a 4.15 ERA in five road starts. It will be his first appearance at Coors Field. He

was lifted in the third inning of his last start in San Francisco after giving up six unearned runs in the frame.

Rockies: Right-hander German Marquez (0-0, 5.06) will make his first Major League start against the Cardinals at 1:10

p.m. MT. Marquez has issued four walks in three relief appearances spanning 5 1/3 innings with just three strikeouts. He

was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Year with a 2.85 ERA over 135 2/3 innings for Double-A Hartford.

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Blackmon sets Rockies' mark for leadoff RBIs

By Ben Weinrib / MLB.com | 2:50 AM ET

DENVER -- With a home run in the fifth inning of the Rockies' 10-5 loss to the Cardinals on Tuesday night, center fielder

Charlie Blackmon set the franchise record for RBIs by a Colorado leadoff hitter.

With 75, Blackmon passed Eric Young's mark of 74 RBIs in 1996. As Blackmon rounded third on the homer, he high-fived

Young, who was filling in as the third-base coach.

"EY, he's my boy," Blackmon said. "I'm upset that his record got broken, but I'm glad it was me. I don't know if he'd say

that, but I will."

Young joined team two years ago as a first-base coach after spending parts of five seasons with the organization as

player, hitting leadoff. Blackmon has been the team's leadoff hitter as long as Young has been coaching, so the two have

worked together a good deal.

"I talked to him my first year about things that I had experienced and things that I tried to do as a leadoff hitter, but Charlie

has a good sense of what he wants to do from Day 1," Young said. "It's all coming together this year, and you can tell by

all the records he's breaking from the leadoff spot. It's a tribute to him and the way he goes about his business each and

every day of preparing to be successful. If anything, I took a step back and not try to impose my will because he's a little

different type of leadoff hitter."

Whereas Young hit .295 and averaged six homers and 36 steals in his time with the Rockies, Blackmon is cut from a

different mold. Over the past three seasons, Blackmon is hitting .297 with an average of 21 homers and 29 steals.

"Charlie's evolved into quite a player," manager Walt Weiss said. "I talk about him being a dual threat at the top of the

order. He can get on base and slug, and hit the ball in the seats, as he's shown this year. His power has continued to

develop the last three years. He's a good player. He's a tough out, and he can do damage as well as steal a base for you.

He's quite a threat at the top."

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What makes Blackmon's season even more impressive is that he missed 15 games with turf toe in April and another five

starts in September with lower back stiffness. Blackmon has already surpassed in 131 games what Young did in a full

season.

"Mostly, I just want to have good at-bats and get on base," Blackmon said. "But I think this year I've been a little more

aggressive in certain situations. Obviously, I think it's really important to be good with runners on base, so RBIs really, I

can't do much unless I've got guys out in front of me. As a team, we've been doing a good job."

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Rox rotation should follow De La Rosa's lead

By Tracy Ringolsby / MLB.com | @TracyRingolsby | 12:39 AM ET

DENVER -- Jorge De La Rosa was a 10-year baseball journeyman, who spent the bulk of his time bouncing around in the

Minor Leagues with the D-backs, Red Sox, Brewers and Royals, when the Rockies decided to give him a shot. In spring

2008, Colorado acquired him from Kansas City to complete a trade for Ramon Ramirez.

"None of the metrics look good, but [scout] Terry Wetzel saw something in him and really believed in him," former Rockies

general manager Dan O'Dowd remembered. "The Royals were down on him, so we decided to see what might happen."

The answer to the question: plenty.

De La Rosa, who will turn 36 two days after the Rockies' scheduled April 3 opener next season, made what manager Walt

Weiss said will be his final start of the season on Tuesday night against the Cardinals. It most likely is the final start of his

Colorado career.

Jorge De La Rosa strikes out eight over five strong innings of three-run ball against the Nationals

A free agent this offseason, De La Rosa would not seem to fit in a Rockies rotation that is built on promising youth. He,

however, leaves with a legacy of success.

"He has shown that you can pitch at Coors Field and win games there," O'Dowd said. "He has been a great contributor

and has shown you can survive just fine."

Coors Field has been De La Rosa's salvation despite a final start in which he allowed eight runs (seven earned) in 4 2/3

innings against a postseason-hopeful Cardinals team that won, 10-4.

In parts of five big league seasons with the Brewers and Royals, De La Rosa was a combined 15-23 with a 5.85 ERA in

97 games (41 starts).

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Things changed in Colorado. De La Rosa has the most victories (86-61) and best winning percentage (.585) in franchise

history. He is the Rockies' all-time strikeout leader with 985, and he ranked second to Aaron Cook in games started (200)

and quality starts (102).

More than that, De La Rosa was 53-20 all-time at Coors Field, a .736 home-field winning percentage that ranks second to

only Zack Greinke since the start of the 2008 season among pitchers with more than 30 decisions.

Jorge De La Rosa holds the Cubs to two runs on four hits with six strikeouts over eight strong innings in the Rockies' 11-4

win

"My breaking ball does not move as much at Coors Field," De La Rosa explained, a twist on most pitching complaining

about a lack of movement. "I can control it better."

Weiss said he felt the key is "the changeup. He keeps hitters off stride. It's a key in this ballpark."

In addition to the confidence of Wetzel, which was validated over the past nine seasons, there was the impact of former

Colorado pitching coach Bob Apodaca and former mental skills coach Ron Svetich.

"Dac did a wonderful job with him, helping him smooth out his delivery, and Ron was able to get through to him on the

mental part," said O'Dowd.

And while De La Rosa can get very technical in explaining how Apodaca helped him, he has a simple explanation for

Svetich's impact.

"When I would get frustrated, he told me to just take a deep breath," said De La Rosa.

The Rockies, however, are undergoing a changing of the guard. The legwork of amateur scouting director Bill Schmidt

and his staff is paying dividends. Colorado anticipated a youthful rotation with dominant arms come next April.

Jon Gray of the Rockies set a new franchise record for strikeouts in a game with 16

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It will be anchored by Jon Gray, a first-round Draft choice and the third pick overall in 2013, who is coming off a club-

record 16-strikeout performance against the Padres on Saturday night; lefty Tyler Anderson, a first-round pick of Schmidt

in 2011; and right-hander Chad Bettis, the Rockies' second-round selection in 2010. The three of them are a combined

19-6 at Coors Field this season.

Tyler Chatwood, coming off Tommy John surgery, is a solid No. 4 starter, and Colorado is now looking at German

Marquez to step into the fifth spot. He will make his Major League debut on Wednesday, and by dropping De La Rosa to

go with a five-man rotation the rest of the season, Marquez will receive three planned starts, the last one on the final day

of the season.

Marquez was the key player for the Rockies in trading Corey Dickerson to the Rays last offseason, and he was the Pitcher

of the Year in the Double-A Eastern League this season, pitching for a Hartford team that played its entire season on the

road because of stadium construction delays.

German Marquez strikes out Clayton Richard swinging, notching the first strikeout of his career in his Major League debut

And waiting for a chance to step in are Jeff Hoffman, the right-hander who came from the Blue Jays as part of the

package for Troy Tulowitzki, and lefty Kyle Freeland, Colorado's first-round Draft pick in 2014 out of the University of

Evansville. Freeland happens to be a Denver native and grew up pitching at altitude.

It's a depth the Rockies haven't enjoyed before. Now, to see if the new faces can follow the path that De La Rosa created.

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Marquez set for first Major League start against Cards

By Owen Perkins / Special to MLB.com | 3:00 AM ET

The Cardinals will be looking for a three-game sweep of the Rockies and to remain in the top Wild Card spot with right-

hander Luke Weaver on the mound on Wednesday at Coors Field.

St. Louis enters the finale tied atop the Wild Card standings with the New York Mets and San Francisco at 80-71.

Rockies right-hander German Marquez (0-0, 5.06) will be making his first Major League start and his fourth big league

appearance. He has impressed out of the 'pen with an upper 90s fastball.

"You're auditioning every day you're in uniform," manager Walt Weiss said. "To see him make a couple starts at the Major

League level, it helps you make assessments going into the next season."

Weaver (1-3, 3.21) has posted a 1.50 ERA in two home starts and a 4.15 ERA in five road starts. It will be his first

appearance at Coors Field.

"Just go do your thing," manager Mike Matheny said of his advice for pitching in Colorado. "We'll keep an eye out for

anything that doesn't look right. But to kind of preset in his mind that he's going to have to do something different is a bad

strategy."

Things to know about this game

• Ryan Raburn had been the only active Rockies hitter with a home run against the Cardinals this season until Colorado

hit three on Tuesday. Daniel Descalso, Charlie Blackmon and Gerardo Parra went deep in a 10-5 loss.

• Stephen Piscotty is hitting .441 (15-for-34) against the Rockies, with six doubles.

• DJ LeMahieu brings a 36-game on-base streak into the series finale. He is hitting .413 (59-for-143) during the streak.

11

Cole returns to ballpark after being hit in BP

By Ben Weinrib / MLB.com | 1:00 AM ET

DENVER -- Rockies third-base coach Stu Cole was taken to the hospital after being struck in the head by a ball while

throwing batting practice prior to Tuesday night's 10-5 loss to the Cardinals. Tests were negative, and Cole returned to

Coors Field before the end of the game and met with the other coaches.

"He's doing OK; he's fine," manager Walt Weiss said. "He got hit pretty hard, so he got his bell rung for sure. We want to

keep him off his feet tonight, but everything checked out all right."

Infielder Cristhian Adames was taking ground balls and tossed a ball in, but that ball ricocheted off a batted ball and hit

Cole.

First-base coach Eric Young moved to third base, while special assistant Vinny Castilla served as the first-base coach on

Tuesday.

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Jorge De La Rosa, in likely his final start for Rockies, hit hard by Cardinals

Randal Grichuk in the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016 in Denver.

By PATRICK SAUNDERS | psaunders@denverpost.com | September 20, 2016 at 11:16 pm

Many a pitcher has walked onto the mound at Coors Field only to trudge off it, shell-shocked and cursing under his breath.

Not Jorge De La Rosa. He’s made Coors Field his personal home-field advantage.

“This guy has been a bit of a trailblazer, showing people that you can pitch at Coors Field, and doing it better than

anybody else in franchise history,” manager Walt Weiss said before the Rockies hosted the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday

night.

“He’s the poster boy for showing that you could pitch here, at an offensive park, at altitude,” Weiss added. “A lot of it has

to do with his competitiveness. Jorge never gives in.”

But before the game, Weiss announced that De La Rosa would not start again this season. De La Rosa is in the final days

of a two-year, $25 million contract, and it’s doubtful that the Rockies, who are building a strong, young rotation, will be

interested in bringing him back.

Unfortunately for De La Rosa, things did not go well in his abbreviated goodbye performance Tuesday night. The

Cardinals, needing every victory to keep their National League wild-card playoff hopes alive, cruised to a 10-5 victory.

The 35-year-old left-hander, making his 200th start for the Rockies, departed after 4 ⅔ innings, giving up eight runs

(seven earned) on seven hits. The seven earned runs allowed tied his season high. He also walked three and hit two

batters. The Cardinals crushed two homers off De La Rosa — a 426-foot solo shot by Matt Adams to the second deck in

right field in the second inning and a 452-foot, two-run moonshot to center by Jedd Gyorko in the fourth.

De La Rosa left the clubhouse before media arrived and was not available for comment after the game.

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“He’s been a great pitcher for us,” said Carlos Gonzalez, De La Rosa’s teammate and friend. “He’s very tough on himself,

and when things don’t go the way he expected, like tonight, he takes it hard. That’s why he left tonight.”

There were flashes of De La Rosa in his LoDo prime. The split-finger changeup that became his trademark pitch helped

him strike out eight Cardinals, but he also gave up a two-run double to St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright in a three-run

second inning.

“He loves pitching here, but he didn’t have his best stuff tonight,” Gonzalez said.

Weiss said De La Rosa would be available to pitch out of the bullpen, although it’s doubtful that will happen. So let the

record show that his 86 victories are the most for any Rockies pitcher, as are his 985 strikeouts. His Coors Field record is

53-20, a .726 winning percentage that Weiss called “absurd.”

In parts of five seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers and Kansas City Royals, De La Rosa was a struggling journeyman

with a 15-23 record and a 5.85 ERA in 97 games (41 starts). But he found himself when he started pitching at the foot of

the Rockies. He ranks second to Aaron Cook in Rockies games started (200) and quality starts (102). De La Rosa twice

won 16 games, in 2009 for the Rockies’ last playoff team, when he had a 4.38 ERA, and again in 2013, when he had a

career-best 3.49 ERA after coming back from Tommy John surgery.

He left Coors Field on Tuesday with 8-9 record, 5.51 ERA, 108 strikeouts and 63 walks in 2016.

After sweeping a three-game series from San Diego, the Rockies lost their second consecutive game to the Cardinals,

who moved into a tie with the New York Mets for the NL’s top wild-card spot.

Postgame Notes of Note:

Charlie Blackmon went 1-for-3 and hit his 28th homer, a solo shot off the right-field foul pole in the fifth inning.

Blackmon has 75 RBIs from the leadoff spot, setting a franchise record. He surpassed Eric Young, who drove in

74 runs as a leadoff hitter in 1996.

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DJ LeMahieu extended his career-high on-base streak to 36 games, the longest on-base streak for Colorado this

season and the sixth-longest in franchise history. He is batting .413 (59-for-143) with a .482 on-base percentage

during the streak.

LeMahieu went 1-for-3 with a walk and a double. He’s hitting .349 and still holds a slight edge over Washington’s

Daniel Murphy in the chase for the NL batting crown. Murphy, who’s been dealing with a leg injury, went 0-for-1

Tuesday night and is hitting .347. He’s expected to be back in the starting lineup Wednesday.

Daniel Descalso hit his eighth homer, a solo blast in the fourth. He’s batting .267 over his 59 starts this season.

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German Marquez’s first major-league start provides peek into Rockies’ future

By PATRICK SAUNDERS | psaunders@denverpost.com | September 21, 2016 at 6:31 am

September baseball often means a sneak preview for April.

That certainly could be the case for German Marquez, the Rockies’ young, hard-throwing right-hander who will make his

first major-league start Wednesday afternoon against the St. Louis Cardinals at Coors Field.

“I want to show them what I have now, so maybe I can fight for a spot in next year’s rotation. Who knows?” Marquez said

Tuesday, with reliever Carlos Estevez acting as his interpreter.

Marquez is supplanting veteran left-hander Jorge De La Rosa in the rotation for what’s left of the season, but manager

Walt Weiss is hesitant to stick a label on Marquez’s turn in the rotation.

“I don’t know if I would label it a tryout,” Weiss said. “My feeling is that you are auditioning every day you are in uniform.

So I think it’s an opportunity to get a look at him. We have seen glimpses of him out of the bullpen, but to see him make a

couple starts at the major-league level helps you make assessments going into next season.”

Marquez, a 21-year-old from Venezuela, was a September call-up and made his debut Sept. 8, pitching 2⅓ innings of

relief against the Padres. He has made three appearances out of the bullpen, posting a 5.06 ERA.

He was the Eastern League pitcher of the year, going 9-6 with a 2.85 ERA and recording 126 strikeouts in 21 starts at

Hartford, Conn. in his first season in Double-A. That earned him a promotion to Triple-A Albuquerque and then to the

Rockies. In 26 combined starts at Double-A and Triple-A, Marquez went 11-6 with a 3.13 ERA in 166⅔ innings, striking

out 155 batters while walking only 39.

“The thing that jumps out at you is his easy velocity,” Weiss said. “He throws in the upper 90s, but it’s very easy. There is

not a lot of effort and he has a good finish. And he’s got a good breaking ball. His changeup is a work in progress right

now, but it’s coming along. For a 21-year-old kid, he’s very impressive.”

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The Rockies acquired Marquez, along with left-handed reliever Jake McGee, in an offseason trade that sent outfielder

Corey Dickerson and third-base prospect Kevin Padlo to Tampa Bay.

“I’m really happy and excited to make my first start here,.” Marquez said. “I’m going to do everything I can to show them

my best.”

Footnotes. One of the Rockies’ prime objectives this season was to cut down on walks by their pitching staff. The Rockies

entered Tuesday’s game with 494, seventh most in the National League. Monday night, the Rockies recorded their 10th

game of the season in which they did not issue a walk. That’s one short of the club record of 11 in 2008. … Third-base

coach Stu Cole was hit in the head by a baseball during batting practice Tuesday and taken to the hospital. Test were

negative and he’s expected to rejoin the team Wednesday. Eric Young, the usual first-base coach, replaced Cole at third.

Vinny Castilla filled in for Young at first.

Looking ahead

Cardinals RHP Luke Weaver (1-3, 3.21 ERA) at Rockies RHP German Marquez (0-0, 5.06), 1:10 p.m. Wednesday,

ROOT, 850 AM

Weaver, 23, is hoping to rebound from the shortest outing of his young career. He hung around for just 2⅔ innings Friday

in the Cardinals’ 8-2 loss at San Francisco’s AT&T Park. He gave up five hits, but all six runs were unearned.

Nonetheless, he failed to get the game under control after a key St. Louis error. Weaver has yet to allow more than three

earned runs in any of his seven career starts. Marquez, the Double-A Eastern League pitcher of the year, will be making

his first major-league start. His 5.06 ERA has come over three bullpen appearances. Marquez throws a high-90s, four-

seam fastball, a sinking fastball, a curve and a changeup.

Thursday: Rockies RHP Tyler Chatwood (11-9, 4.13 ERA) at Dodgers RHP Brock Stewart (2-2, 6.00), 8:10 p.m., ROOT

Friday: Rockies RHP Jon Gray (10-8, 4.42) at Dodgers RHP Jose De Leon (2-0, 5.52), 8:10 p.m. ROOT

Saturday: Rockies RHP Chad Bettis (13-7, 4.79) at Dodgers LHP Clayton Kershaw (11-3, 1.73), 7:10 p.m., ROOT

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Jorge De La Rosa gets hit hard in final start, Rockies fall 10-5

The Cardinals offense was firing on all cylinders as Jorge De La Rosa's final start ended poorly.

By Nick Stephens - Sep 20, 2016, 10:17p / Purple Row

In what was likely Jorge De La Rosa's final start for the Colorado Rockies, the team put together a rather disappointing

performance as they fell 10-5 on Tuesday night.

De La Rosa struggled early, and it led to a very poor final outing for his Rockies' career. De La Rosa allowed eight runs

(seven earned) and seven hits through just 4 2/3 innings. He struck out an impressive eight batters, but walked three. The

veteran left-hander finished his season with a 8-8 record and a 5.51 ERA. It's important to not let that overshadow his 4.20

ERA over his last 182 games in a Rockies' uniform.

Eddie Butler's miserable 2016 campaign continued as he allowed six hits and two runs in just 1 1/3 innings. Justin Miller,

Matt Carasiti, and Jason Motte all threw one clean inning apiece.

David Dahl picked up his 22nd RBI in the first inning, when he singled in Charlie Blackmon. The Rockies tacked on four

more runs over the course of the game, three of which were solo homers. Daniel Descalso, Charlie Blackmon, and

Gerardo Parra all went deep off of Adam Wainwright. Raimel Tapia picked up an RBI in the ninth when he singled in

Descalso from second base.

The Rockies face the Cardinals tomorrow at 1:10 PM MT as they try and avoid being swept at home.

18

Colorado Rockies looking for new High-A affiliate

The Rockies could land in the Carolina League following Modesto’s announcement of a partnership with the

Mariners.

By Ryan Schoppe - Sep 20, 2016, 1:57p / Purple Row

The Modesto Nuts today announced an agreement on a new player development contract (PDC) with the Seattle

Mariners, who are also becoming part owners of the team. This long-rumored move means that the Colorado Rockies will

be looking for a new home for their High-A affiliate.

With the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers leaving the Cal League, one possibility would be the Rockies moving their

team to one of the now-empty California ballparks being vacated — like Lancaster, for instance. However, multiple

sources have indicated that the most likely landing spot for the Rockies is Zebulon, N.C., which houses the Carolina

Mudcats of the Carolina League.

It was announced last week that the Atlanta Braves are leaving their High-A affiliation with Carolina to sign a new PDC

with the former Brevard County Manatees (who are relocating to Kissimmee, Fla.) in the Florida State League.

A move to the Carolina League would help the Rockies’ minor league logistics as it would place their High-A team in much

closer proximity to their Low-A and Double-A clubs in Asheville and Hartford, respectively. Not only would it reduce travel

for the minor league instructors, but it would also prevent players from have to fly from coast-to-coast with each

promotion.

Either way, an official announcement should come from the Rockies in the coming days. During the last series of affiliation

shuffles in 2014, the club had everything wrapped up prior to the final week of the major league season.

19

Ranking this year's rookies based on long-term value

By Jim Callis / MLB.com | @JimCallisMLB | September 20th, 2016

Baseball experienced a historic rookie class in 2015, perhaps the best ever in game's long history. Kris Bryant, Carlos

Correa, Francisco Lindor and Noah Syndergaard graduated from prospects to stars in their first seasons in the big

leagues, and there was plenty of depth behind them.

While this year's rookies can't compare to their immediate predecessors, the Class of 2016 is still a formidable group.

We've seen elite prospects make the jump (Corey Seager, Trea Turner), the first two picks in last year's Draft swiftly make

an impact (Dansby Swanson, Alex Bregman) and relatively unheralded players make headlines (Aledmys Diaz, Trevor

Story).

It seems a given that Seager, who's a legitimate National League MVP Award candidate, and Michael Fulmer, who could

lead the American League in ERA if he pitches enough innings to qualify, will win the league Rookie of the Year awards.

But which of this year's rookies will have the best careers? We rank them below.

Only players who have exhausted their rookie eligibility or are on pace to do so before season's end were considered,

which is why Yoan Moncada and Lucas Giolito are absent. So too are Andrew Benintendi and Aaron Judge, who likely

would have exceeded the 130 at-bat limit if not for late-seasons injuries. Yulieski Gurriel and Kenta Maeda, who are quite

talented but have fewer productive seasons left than rookies five and 10 years younger, don't make the cut as well.

1. Corey Seager, SS, Dodgers

He entered the season as the consensus No. 1 prospect in baseball and could finish it with 200 hits and 30 homers. This

is only the beginning for Seager, who potentially has batting championships and NL MVP Awards in his future.

2. Alex Bregman, 3B/SS, Astros

The Brady Aiken saga has worked out well for the Astros, who turned the compensation pick they got for not signing the

No. 1 choice in the 2014 Draft into Bregman (the No. 2 selection in 2015). His bat and makeup are beyond reproach, and

his power and defensive versatility are better than expected.

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3. Byron Buxton, OF, Twins

The Twins didn't do Buxton any favors by rushing him, but since he got his first extended time in Triple-A, he has batted

.311/.364/.705 with six homers in 17 September games. Small sample size, sure, but he still has better tools than most

big leaguers and is just 22.

4. Julio Urias, LHP, Dodgers

The ridiculously precocious Urias earned his first two Major League wins before he turned 20 on Aug. 12. Though he's still

on a tight innings count -- he'll spend the rest of the year in the bullpen -- he was the Dodgers' most reliable starter down

the stretch as they took control of the NL West.

5. Trea Turner, OF/INF, Nationals

The Nationals hesitated to make him a starter until the second half, but Turner has batted .348/.367/.581 with 11 homers

and 27 steals in just over a third of a season since they came to their senses. He won't maintain those numbers, but he

does have game-changing speed, more pop than most burners and the capability of playing center field, second base or

shortstop.

6. David Dahl, OF, Rockies

Significant injuries derailed him in 2013 and '15, but a fully healthy Dahl showed what he could do this year by chasing a

25-25 season (combining his stats in the Majors and Minors) and tying a big league record by hitting safely in his first 17

games. This is what a five-tool center fielder looks like, though the Rockies have played him mostly in left.

7. Dansby Swanson, SS, Braves

Part of the heist from the D-backs in the Shelby Miller trade last December, Swanson will be the face of his hometown

franchise. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 Draft handled the jump from Double-A to Atlanta with aplomb, and while he

doesn't have the offensive ceiling of the other players in this Top 10, he'll outproduce most shortstops while playing solid

defense.

8. Nomar Mazara, OF, Rangers

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Unexpectedly thrust into a starting role when Shin-Soo Choo strained a calf muscle in the first week of the season,

Mazara has stayed in the lineup for the likely AL West champs ever since. He has an advanced approach for a 21-year-

old, and he'll grow into 30-homer power.

9. Blake Snell, LHP, Rays

The Rays had a record 10 picks before the second round of the 2011 Draft, though it looks like they'll go 1-for-10.

Fortunately for them, the lone keeper in the bunch is a front-line left-hander in Snell, who can miss bats with his fastball,

curveball and changeup but will need to refine his command.

10. Gary Sanchez, C, Yankees

The Yankees have gone from Trade Deadline sellers to stealth contenders, thanks in large part to Sanchez, who reached

11 homers quicker than any player in Major League history. His power is for real, as is his arm strength, and he could

become an All-Star after showing more maturity and receiving prowess the past two years.

The next 20

11. Steven Matz, LHP, Mets

12. Willson Contreras, C, Cubs

13. Orlando Arcia, SS, Brewers

14. Michael Fulmer, RHP, Tigers

15. Jameson Taillon, RHP, Pirates

16. Trevor Story, SS, Rockies

17. Joey Gallo, 3B, Rangers

18. Jose Berrios, RHP, Twins

19. Josh Bell, 1B, Pirates

20. Jon Gray, RHP, Rockies

21. Tim Anderson, SS, White Sox

22. Max Kepler, OF, Twins

23. Aledmys Diaz, SS, Cardinals

24. Raul Mondesi, 2B/SS, Royals

25. Cody Reed, LHP, Reds

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26. Sean Manaea, LHP, Athletics

27. Dylan Bundy, RHP, Orioles

28. Archie Bradley, RHP, Diamondbacks

29. A.J. Reed, 1B, Astros

30. Jake Thompson, RHP, Phillies

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Colorado Rockies: St. Louis Cardinals Take Game 2 of Series

By Tyler Bellis – September 21, 2016 / Rox Pile

The Colorado Rockies dropped another game at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals. However, it wasn’t because of the

arm of Adam Wainwright, but rather the bat.

Wainwright went 2-for-2 at the plate with a single, double, a sacrifice bunt and 4 RBI as the Cardinals took a 10-5

decision. As the game went south for the Rockies, it wasn’t a total loss for the team as this gave Walt Weiss the

opportunity to bring in some young reserves to see some playing time and get to hit against Cardinals closer Trevor

Rosenthal.

Here are a few takeaways from tonight’s game.

Jorge De La Rosa‘s possible last start at Coors Field or even as a Rockie was not one he wants to remember.

De La Rosa was pulled before he could finish the fifth inning after allowing eight runs (seven earned) on seven hits and

three walks. It was not all bad though, as he was able to fan eight batters in the process.

This would be a sad ending to a marvelous run De La Rosa has put together with his time with Rockies. But only time will

tell if he gets another start or appearance this season … and if he will remain on the team come April.

It was a pleasure being at the game tonight though, giving him at least eight more “HIP HIP JORGE”‘s before his early

departure.

The Cardinals are in playoff mode.

Not to say the Rockies weren’t playing hard, as they did fight until the 27th out, but the Cardinals know where they stand

in the playoff run. They also know how important each and every win is. Winning any game in Major League Baseball is

not easy, especially winning on the road, and the Cardinals seem to be handling this as we have seen in years past.

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Usually we find the Cardinals on top of the NL Central not needing to compete in the last few weeks. However you could

tell they have been on high alert. Wainwright hitting in four runs and the bottom of the Cardinals lineup accounting for

seven RBI shows they are firing on all cylinders.

I think the Rockies fans finds this loss not quite as painful knowing this is making it harder for the San Francisco Giants to

keep up in the Wild Card race.

The Rockies fan base has officially jumped ship back to the Broncos for the rest of the year.

With the Rockies well out of contention and the Broncos winning their first two games of the year, it appears Rockies fans

have given up for the season.

Of the 28,000-plus people in attendance for tonight’s game, I could probably feel confident saying that nearly half of them

were wearing Cardinals attire. It’s always a sad sight to see when fans have given up on the team for the year, but I can

say that this year, that time took a lot longer to get to then some of the recent years past. The Rockies have been able to

showcase a plethora of young talent as the season concludes, helping to keep Rockies fans excited for the upcoming

years.

It was another tough loss for the Rockies, but there is still plenty of time to play spoiler for teams making a playoff push.

With one more game against the Cardinals left and series against both the Dodgers and Giants, this could make for a fun

end of the season crushing playoff hopes for contending teams.

This will also be a good time to see what the Rockies future has to hold as we continue to watch top prospects take the

field and show managers everything they have to get ready for 2017. The Rockies finish their series against the Cardinals

Wednesday afternoon, but for now, I will leave you with one final, “Hip Hip… JORGE!”

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Colorado Rockies Make Right Decision with Jeff Hoffman

By Kevin Henry – September 20, 2016 / Rox Pile

Earlier tonight, Trevor Irvine wrote an article about the decision by the Colorado Rockies to move Jeff Hoffman to the

bullpen. He believes it’s a mistake. I’ll take the other side of the coin and say it’s exactly what Hoffman needs to prepare

him for 2017.

Of course, we know that Hoffman has struggled somewhat in his five starts this season. His 0-4 record and 6.04 ERA are

proof of that. He’s also just struck out 13 batters in 22.1 innings of work. Certainly those are numbers that need to

improve. However, I believe the bullpen may be just the thing Hoffman needs heading into the offseason.

One split to look at with Hoffman is what happens when he is ahead or behind in the count. When he’s ahead in the count,

his ERA is 2.57. When he falls behind, it skyrockets to 7.11.

The problem is that Hoffman hasn’t been ahead enough to make the ERA what it needs to be. There’s a difference

between pitching to Triple-A hitters and pitching to those making a living in Major League Baseball. Considering Hoffman

didn’t even have a full season in Triple-A, he needs to gain all of the experience he can facing Major League-caliber

hitters … and gain confidence from those outings. Right now, that’s not happening in his starts.

As this article detailed at the start of the season, there were some pitches that the 23-year-old Hoffman needed to work

on. He still needs to work on those. Having a chance to come out of the bullpen with a single focus of getting a certain

number of batters out will give him that chance.

Let him get a few batters out before you turn the whole lineup over to him.

Let’s also not forget what a difference the bullpen made for Jorge De La Rosa earlier in the season when he was

struggling. A change of scenery isn’t always such a bad thing and can pay dividends for the Rockies.

Hey, even Hoffman seems in favor of it.

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“I and everybody else who is in the decision-making process are on the same page,” Hoffman told MLB.com. “I want to

compete. I want to earn my stripes. I’m glad they’re giving me that opportunity.

“My stuff makes me effective. The only thing I’m focused on is executing pitches, because that’s what’s gotten me into

trouble through my first few outings. Regardless whether it’s in the bullpen or a starting role, you’ve got to execute pitches

to get outs.”

There is absolutely a lot riding on Hoffman and how he performs in 2017. Coming out of the bullpen and gaining

confidence this season (which saving a few innings off his arm as well) gives him a chance to be the starter all Rockies

fans want to see in 2017.

Taking a chance during a lost season in 2016 could pay dividends for the Rockies in a big way in 2017. Isn’t that worth it

when you’re talking about a potential run at the playoffs? Isn’t that worth it when you’re talking about one of the arms

you’re depending on to get you there? I say yes, yes it is.

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Wainwright drives in 4 as Cards beat Rockies 10-5

By PAT GRAHAM - Sep. 21, 2016 2:39 AM EDT / Associated Press

DENVER (AP) — On the mound, Adam Wainwright likes to own the inside part of the plate.

As he's only recently discovered, crowding it is a pretty good approach for hitting, too.

Although shaky on the hill, Wainwright shined in the batter's box with a career-high four RBIs as the St. Louis Cardinals

beat the Colorado Rockies 10-5 on Tuesday night to move into a three-way tie for the two NL wild cards.

Wainwright credits inching just a little bit closer for his newfound prowess at the plate.

"My whole career, I've fought trying to pull the ball and tried to stay up the middle and hit the ball to right field. It just

doesn't work for me very well," explained Wainwright, who has 18 RBIs this season. "If it's a pitch in the strike zone, I'm

going to swing at it."

The free-swinging Wainwright lined a two-run double in the second inning and brought in two more with a bloop single in

the fifth. Matt Adams and Jedd Gyorko homered for the Cardinals, now even with the Mets and Giants in the race for the

final two NL playoff spots.

The 35-year-old Wainwright (12-9) didn't have his sharpest command, yielding solo homers to Daniel Descalso, Charlie

Blackmon and Gerardo Parra. But the right-hander was sharp enough — especially his curveball — as he gave up four

runs in 5 1/3 innings.

"In a park like this, in a place where no lead is safe, a pitcher, if you can go out there and push something across ... you're

doing your job," Wainwright explained.

Jorge De La Rosa (8-9) struggled through what could be his final start in a Rockies uniform. The winningest pitcher in

team history allowed eight runs — seven earned — in 4 2/3 innings. His contract expires after this season.

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"It looked like he just didn't have a lot of depth to his stuff," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said.

Wainwright became the second straight Cardinals pitcher to play a starring role at the plate. Carlos Martinez had a two-

run double in a 5-3 win on Monday.

These days, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny just can't help but scoreboard-watch. It's hard to miss, since the scores are

posted on the right-field fence and he stares at it from the dugout.

And yes, he saw it when the Mets game went final.

"Just keep playing our game," Matheny said. "Not get caught up."

Adams had a solo homer in the second and Gyorko added a two-run shot in the fourth — a 452-foot no-doubter to center.

Gyorko has 27 homers this season.

DJ LeMahieu's average remained at .349 after he went 1 for 3 with a double. He holds a slight lead over Washington's

Daniel Murphy in the NL batting race. Murphy is hitting .347.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Cardinals: OF Matt Holliday (broken right thumb) said of his potential return: "I will be ready as fast as I can. To put a

date on it doesn't make sense.”... INF Matt Carpenter got the night off.

Rockies: Third base coach Stu Cole was hit in the head by a ball that caromed off another during batting practice. He

checked out OK after being taken to the hospital. The Rockies moved Eric Young over to coach third, and Vinny Castilla

served as the first base coach.

MIGHTY BLOW

Holliday good-naturedly admitted he hasn't received a bill for breaking the glass at a burger joint behind the left-field seats

during batting practice Monday.

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Then again, the restaurant — Helton Burger Shack — does bear the name of his good friend, longtime Rockies first

baseman Todd Helton.

Holliday's drive shattered the window pane protecting the prep area.

"That was collateral damage," joked Holliday, who was with the Rockies from 2004-08. "Maybe now they will put in

Plexiglas."

THIS & THAT

Wainwright has 133 wins and is one from tying Dizzy Dean for sixth on St. Louis' career list. ... Randal Grichuk had three

hits, including two doubles, and scored four times. ... De La Rosa is 53-20 with a 4.31 ERA at Coors Field in 106 games

with Colorado, including 99 starts. "He's the poster boy for showing that you can pitch in an offensive park here at

altitude," Weiss said.

UP NEXT

The Cardinals will send RHP Luke Weaver (1-3, 3.21 ERA) to the mound in the series finale Wednesday. The Rockies

counter with righty German Marquez (0-0), who will make his first major league start after three relief appearances.

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De La Rosa’s potential finale a dud, Rockies lose 10-5

By Drew Creasman - September 20, 2016 / BSN Denver

DENVER — If tonight was indeed the last night anyone will see Jorge De La Rosa in a Colorado Rockies uniform, it was

an unfortunate way for an era to end.

Arguably the greatest pitcher in Rockies history went out with a dud in a 10-5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Rockies got on the board first inning when Charlie Blackmon, who had walked and moved up on a Nolan Arenado

single, scored on a two-out base hit from David Dahl.

The Cardinals evened the score in the very next half inning on a solo home run from Matt Adams — his 15th of the year

— then took a two-run lead on a double into the left-center field gap off the bat of pitcher Adam Wainwright.

St. Louis tacked on another pair of runs in the top of the fourth on a two-run shot from Jedd Gryorko that traveled an

estimated 452 feet, landing just shy of the rockpile in center field.

Daniel Descalso’s career-high-extending eighth home run of the season brought the Rockies to within three runs at 5-2

but the Cardinals counterpunched hard, knocking De La Rosa out of the game and potentially ending his Rockies’ career

on a sour note.

They scored three times in the fifth, again Wainwright getting in on the action with a two-run base hit before the inning

closed with the Cardinals up 8-2.

De La Rosa’s final line — in perhaps his final game for Colorado: 4.2 IP, 7 H, 8 ER, 3 BB, 8 K.

Blackmon made it 8-3 in the bottom fifth with his 28th home run of the season. The blast off the right-field foul pole also

brought Blackmon’s 2016 RBI total to 75, tying Eric Young for the franchise record.

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But the Cardinals couldn’t even let the Rockies inch back in as the team went back in forth over the next few inning.

Brandon Moss scored Gyorko on a sac fly in the sixth. Gerardo Parra hit a solo home run in the bottom of the inning. Then

Jeremy Hazelbaker drove in Randal Grichuk to knock Eddie Butler out of the game in the seventh.

The Rockies got a final token run in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI single from Raimel Tapia, driving in Descalso, and

that ended the scoring on the night with the Rockies down 10-5 and never really a threat to win this one.

By the Numbers

75 – Blackmon’s home run in the fifth ties him with Eric Young for the all-time record for RBI out of the lead off spot.

36 – DJ LeMahieu extended his career-high on-base streak to 36 games.

What’s Next

The Rockies will try to avoid the sweep tomorrow afternoon in the final game against the Cardinals. German Marquez, the

21-year-old rookie, will get the first start of his MLB career against Luke Weaver. First pitch is at 1:10 MST.

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You are Charlie Blackmon. Your beard is real. And it’s spectacular.

Christian Clark - September 21, 20166:29 am / Categories Denver sports

You can become Charlie Blackmon if you’d like — at least for a single at bat.

All you must do to pretend you’re the Rockies’ star center fielder is walk toward a booth behind section 115 during any

home game and slip on a set of white goggles and white headphones. A Samsung phone fits snuggly inside the goggles.

It’s all part of a virtual reality simulator designed to give you the chance to see and hear what Blackmon sees and hears

when he he’s batting.

You don’t become Blackmon instantly. Patience. But he does greet you in his purple jersey and pinstripe pants in the

hallway leading to the Rockies’ dugout. You follow Blackmon, Tony Wolters and Christian Bergman up the stairs.

Coaches lean against the railing and peer out at the field when you step inside. Blackmon is standing in front of you,

maybe 3 feet away. He’s not wearing a hat or helmet. You resist the urge to touch his mullet.

He’s almost up.

He finds his helmet and bat and heads toward the on-deck circle. You follow him out there and stand on the dirt as he

takes his practice cuts. It’s the same swing you’ve seen a thousand times. The bat wiggles up and down, then up and

down. He kicks his front foot up and follows through.

It’s time to bat now. That’s when you become him. You’re no longer an eerily close observer. You’re Charlie Blackmon.

You’re wearing his helmet. You’re carrying his bat. You have a mullet and a bushy beard. You’ve never had a beard —

just some patchy stubble you have to hack off every four or five days. It feels good to have a beard.

“JOSIE’S ON A VACATION FAR AWAY”

The Outfield’s “Your Love” blares across the speakers, because is it’s not a Charlie Blackmon at bat until The Outfield’s

“Your Love” starts to blare across the speakers.

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You’re breathing heavily as you settle into the box. It’s dark, but lights flicker in the outfield seats. Cameras, probably. The

stadium is illuminated by the two enormous sets of light that hang high in left and right field.

You dig your back foot into the dirt. That’s your left foot. (You’re left-handed, remember?) A catcher squats behind you.

There’s the pitcher in front of you and an infield. They’re wearing white jerseys, but it’s difficult to tell what team they’re a

part of.

The pitcher settles in. He’s right-handed. That’s good, because you’re absolutely raking (.319/.376/.595 with 23 home

runs) against righties this year. He winds up and delivers the pitch. It looks like a fastball. It’s com ing straight down the

middle. Your body uncoils, and bat meets ball. There’s a loud crack, and it’s over. The screens fade to black.

You’d like to think you hit a home run. Number 28 of the year! That’s good. You’re eligible for arbitration this summer. The

more home runs, the more money.

Plus you helped your team score some runs. You think.