Denver’s professional baseball team, the Colorado Rockies, opened their 2015 regular season on April 6 on the road against the Milwaukee Brewers. As has become a trend in the last few years for the Rockies, they started out strong in their first few games. The team defeated the Brewers with scores of 10-0, 5-2 and 5-4 during the three game series behind manager Walt Weiss.
After this three-game road trip, the Rockies returned home for the official home opener against the Chicago Cubs. Denver was abuzz after the team’s sweep of the Brewers. Fans crowded Coors Field in anticipation of watching their home team. The Rockies remained hot by winning their first game of the series 5-1, but subsequently dropped the last two games to the visiting Cubs.
The Rockies would continue with their streaky ways, sweeping the San Francisco Giants in a three-game series on the road before getting swept at home by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the same week. The Rockies’ record is now 7-5, good for third in their division, which is the National League (NL) West.
This is a team anchored by two superstars in Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez. They will need to stay healthy this season if the Rockies want a chance at making the playoffs. They’re also getting help from some younger hitters, as second baseman D.J. LeMahieu currently leads the team with 19 hits. Stud third baseman Nolan Arenado is sporting a solid .644 slugging percentage, while his defense remains spectacular.
DU student Stone Guise, a member of the club baseball team and a Colorado native, commented on the Rockies’ performance thus far.
“[The Rockies] started off the season strong, but had a bad series against the Dodgers recently. Hopefully they don’t fall off now like they have in years past. Arenado and Dickerson are young guys looking awesome, which is hopefully a sign of the future,” said Guise.
The Rockies’ pitching core is a mixed bag for 2015, with some experience and a whole lot of young guns. Jordan Lyles, Eddie Butler and Tyler Matzek are three starting pitchers 24 or younger with a lot of growth left. They sport earned run averages of 3.50, 2.25 and 1.80, respectively. Kyle Kendrick was acquired in the off season to bring a veteran presence to the staff.
Besides a miraculous World Series run in 2007 that ultimately fell short to the Boston Red Sox, the Rockies have had only one postseason appearance in the last 20 years. They have been largely unsuccessful at adapting to their high-altitude home. It’s easier for balls to go farther at high altitude, which isn’t great news for Colorado pitchers. In addition to that fact, the overall talent, durability and scouting of the Rockies has struggled.
Over the course of the season, the Rockies will play a total of 162 games. Professional baseball is a marathon, not a sprint, which is why Colorado’s early season heroics always needs to be taken lightly. Hopefully this team can shake their summer demons and deliver a playoff-worthy season, but history shows their early season success may be short-lived.
