Series Preview: Diamondbacks v. Rockies
* PREVIEW: ARI v. COL - We remember when last the Arizona Diamondbacks (4-8) met the Colorado Rockies (4-7). The season was young and full of possibility. Brandon Webb was anchoring the pitching staff. The Diamondbacks were ready to embark on a three-series home-stand, part of an April schedule featuring eighteen games at home and only four on the road.
Surely the Diamondbacks would build an insurmountable lead and cruise to an NL West title!
Can it really have been two weeks ago? How time flies when you're having "fun."
Arizona has had little fun -- nor much offense -- since winning a 9-8 shootout with the Rockies on Opening Day. We don't mean to overreact to a crummy fortnight, but the Diamondbacks' futility at the plate and general discombobulation has spoiled the golden opportunity presented by their early season schedule.
Rather than dwell upon who’s to blame for the stumbling start, we’ll gather ourselves and break down Arizona’s second shot at their division from Denver.
* A CALL TO ARMS – While the Snakes and Rockies are familiar foes, the match-ups look a bit different than they did during their most recent engagement.
For Arizona, Webb is on the DL with an achy shoulder and Doug Davis is not scheduled to pitch in the series. Only Dan Haren is due for a rematch. He will pitch Game 3 of this series, following Jon Garland and Yusmeiro Petit in Games 1 and 2.
Garland, having spent his first nine campaigns in the AL, has never faced his Game 1 opponents. Petit has no decisions in his one start and two relief appearances against the Rockies, although his 2.57 ERA, 1.143 WHIP and .597 OPS-against indicate he’ll fill in ably for Webb.
Haren (7 IP, 3 H, ER, 0 BB, 9 K) was great in his first outing against the Rockies, but took the loss based on a Troy Tulowitzki homer and a lack of run support. Historically, Haren has owned Colorado batters; current Rockies have a .222 / .252 / .373 line in 133 plate appearances against him.
Colorado’s starter in Game 1, Jason Marquis, has performed well in his career against the Snakes. He owns an all-time record of 5-3 with a 3.41 ERA and 1.153 WHIP versus Arizona. However, Marquis is winless at Chase Field and has given up five home runs combined to Chris B. Young and Conor Jackson.
Franklin Morales (6 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 6 K, HR, W) rolled the Diamondbacks in the initial series and will pitch the middle game in this set.
In Game 3, the Rockies will start Jorge de la Rosa, who has twice been a member of the Diamondbacks organization.
Despite an unimpressive career record, de la Rosa has quality stuff and seemed to take a step forward in the second half of 2008. In his final fourteen appearances, the southpaw was 7-3 with a 3.08 ERA, 1.329 WHIP and 8.4 K/9. His success in the unfavorable pitching environment at Coors Field depends on keeping the ball down and limiting home runs – a skill set that may serve him equally well at Chase Field.
* DEEP BREATH – If there’s good news from the early season, it involves the Arizona rotation. The Diamondbacks’ starting pitching has been their strength in the opening weeks. The rotation has kept the club in most games, even if the offense has offered little run support.
But the team cannot rely on starting pitching alone. At the plate, on defense and in the pen, the Snakes must begin to show improvement. Another series loss at home to an NL West opponent would be an unacceptable result.
At three games under .500, the Rockies have started not much better than Arizona. Colorado can be beat if the Diamondbacks string together quality at-bats and try not to hit every pitch out of the park.
1 responses to this Post, with 1 unique participants
Series Win Please
A sweep is to much to ask for, clearly. Is asking to win 2 games in a row greedy though?