Durango53
04-20-2005, 04:55 PM
Colorado (3-10) at Philadelphia (6-6), 5:05 p.m. MT
Much of the hopes for an improved ballclub in 2005 focused on a strong young pitching rotation that could be counted on to keep the Rockies in games with solid, quality starts. They're not even through a third complete spin of the rotation, but the starters have lived up to their billing, more often than not leaving fans wanting to see more of them.
"I'd probably give them a 'B' as a whole," Colorado manager Clint Hurdle said before Tuesday's game. "They've been above average. They've been pretty solid. [Jason] Jennings has had two out of three good efforts. [Joe] Kennedy's probably got a push, a bad and a good. [Shawn Chacon] had two really fine outings. Jamey Wright threw a gem and threw a horseshoe -- so they've been above average."
And while Hurdle acknowledged that Jeff Francis has "spun his wheels" during his first two outings, the rookie came out after Hurdle's grading session and pitched what could be considered the finest outing from a starter so far, getting 7 2/3 innings at Coors Field with only one run allowed, securing the victory and throwing down the gauntlet.
The bullpen, on the other hand, has managed to convert only one of seven save opportunities this season, a ratio that could easily earn a "below average" appellation, though Hurdle didn't offer a letter grade for the beleaguered relievers.
"I think it'll get better," Hurdle said of the 'pen, and if it doesn't, the Rockies would be in for a season of historic proportions.
But the one-two punch of Jose Acevedo and Chin-hui Tsao to close the final 1 1/3 inning in Tuesday's victory was a step forward, giving Hurdle an elusive element of comfort as he continues to plan for the maximum efficiency from the vital cog in the team machine.
"We'll figure out roles as we go along," Hurdle said of Acevedo's place in the bullpen. "Usually, the way they pitch helps you figure out their roles a little bit. But I think he's a very versatile arm. There's no doubt he can throw multiple innings."
Though the early spring has not gone according to the offseason blueprint, Hurdle remains convinced that the pieces can still be fit together to produce the complete puzzle management envisioned.
"I think in our clear picture we'd like to have [Scott] Dohmann pitch the seventh inning," Hurdle said. "We kind of anticipated that over the winter, going in, and [Brian] Fuentes the eighth and Tsao the ninth. Then you have the opportunity to mix and match with Speier in that threesome. The addition of Bobby Seay, that gave you another guy. And now you look at [Marcos] Carvajal early, and the other arm, [Byung-Hyun] Kim, we looked at pitching early when we first acquired him. I still have a very clear picture of what we want to have happen out there."
While Francis flirted with the rarity of a complete game at Coors Field, Hurdle continues to be pragmatic, looking to the long view and exercising the restraint necessary to keep the starter cart from getting out in front of the horse.
"We're not in the same situation as some of the other clubs that are rolling out complete games right now," Hurdle said. "They've been doing it for awhile. That's what we're trying to evolve into. They're going to pitch better."
With Tuesday's 'A+' performance from Francis, Acevedo and Tsao, the evolution is clearly underway.
Much of the hopes for an improved ballclub in 2005 focused on a strong young pitching rotation that could be counted on to keep the Rockies in games with solid, quality starts. They're not even through a third complete spin of the rotation, but the starters have lived up to their billing, more often than not leaving fans wanting to see more of them.
"I'd probably give them a 'B' as a whole," Colorado manager Clint Hurdle said before Tuesday's game. "They've been above average. They've been pretty solid. [Jason] Jennings has had two out of three good efforts. [Joe] Kennedy's probably got a push, a bad and a good. [Shawn Chacon] had two really fine outings. Jamey Wright threw a gem and threw a horseshoe -- so they've been above average."
And while Hurdle acknowledged that Jeff Francis has "spun his wheels" during his first two outings, the rookie came out after Hurdle's grading session and pitched what could be considered the finest outing from a starter so far, getting 7 2/3 innings at Coors Field with only one run allowed, securing the victory and throwing down the gauntlet.
The bullpen, on the other hand, has managed to convert only one of seven save opportunities this season, a ratio that could easily earn a "below average" appellation, though Hurdle didn't offer a letter grade for the beleaguered relievers.
"I think it'll get better," Hurdle said of the 'pen, and if it doesn't, the Rockies would be in for a season of historic proportions.
But the one-two punch of Jose Acevedo and Chin-hui Tsao to close the final 1 1/3 inning in Tuesday's victory was a step forward, giving Hurdle an elusive element of comfort as he continues to plan for the maximum efficiency from the vital cog in the team machine.
"We'll figure out roles as we go along," Hurdle said of Acevedo's place in the bullpen. "Usually, the way they pitch helps you figure out their roles a little bit. But I think he's a very versatile arm. There's no doubt he can throw multiple innings."
Though the early spring has not gone according to the offseason blueprint, Hurdle remains convinced that the pieces can still be fit together to produce the complete puzzle management envisioned.
"I think in our clear picture we'd like to have [Scott] Dohmann pitch the seventh inning," Hurdle said. "We kind of anticipated that over the winter, going in, and [Brian] Fuentes the eighth and Tsao the ninth. Then you have the opportunity to mix and match with Speier in that threesome. The addition of Bobby Seay, that gave you another guy. And now you look at [Marcos] Carvajal early, and the other arm, [Byung-Hyun] Kim, we looked at pitching early when we first acquired him. I still have a very clear picture of what we want to have happen out there."
While Francis flirted with the rarity of a complete game at Coors Field, Hurdle continues to be pragmatic, looking to the long view and exercising the restraint necessary to keep the starter cart from getting out in front of the horse.
"We're not in the same situation as some of the other clubs that are rolling out complete games right now," Hurdle said. "They've been doing it for awhile. That's what we're trying to evolve into. They're going to pitch better."
With Tuesday's 'A+' performance from Francis, Acevedo and Tsao, the evolution is clearly underway.