Colorado Rockies are Close to Permanent Contender Status

Walt Weiss Colorado Rockies

Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

This is what the Colorado Rockies have learned in their recent games versus the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks: they’re close, very close. A team written off in the beginning of the season as fodder for the NL West, the Rockies have made a habit of turning heads.

However, there is still tweaks that need ironed out along the way. The road series versus the Giants only went Colorado’s way one out of three games with errors, pitch count and an inability to capitalize on situations being the culprit of the weekend.

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Following a gem by Tyler Chatwood, Colorado sent Juan Nicasio and Jon Garland to the mound. While neither player pitched poorly, they both had the same problem of a high pitch count that belted them from the game earlier than usual. Garland did give up five runs, but only two were earned following a fluke play in which D.J. LeMahieu lost the ball due to AT&T Park’s wind gusts.

If the Rockies intend to make a serious run at the NL West Division title down the stretch, the pitching will have to be more like the Chatwood efforts and less like the Garland effort Sunday. Solid pitching is an absolute necessity for a team to contend in MLB.

The Colorado offense has been solid through these pivotal games, but Sunday was a reminder that one can never let their guard down. Matt Cain, in unusual fashion, came out wild needing 65 pitches to make it through the first two innings, but the Rockies could not capitalize. The ever-reliable Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki went hitless on the afternoon and both fanned three times at the plate.

The Rockies will face a new challenge that would seem rudimentary to many — winning games you’re supposed to win. Often, teams unfamiliar to winning ways can bring their proverbial “A-Game” to the big games, yet trip when their supposed to dominate.

Colorado now faces the Houston Astros, one of baseball’s weakest teams. Trailing by one game in the back-and-forth NL West race, this is a good four-game stretch for Colorado take advantage and pad their win totals.

Jim Heath is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @jim_heath, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google

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