Rox go Fishing Game 1

[Durango53]

GAME: Florida Marlins (11-8) at Colorado Rockies (6-12).

TIME: Tuesday, 8:35 p.m. EDT.

Josh Beckett and the major leagues' best pitching staff begin an eight-game road trip when they open a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies - baseball's top hitting club.

Florida leads the majors with a 2.27 team ERA, five complete games and four shutouts. Colorado, meanwhile, tops baseball with a .306 team batting average.

Beckett has been stellar so far. The right-hander allowed two runs, four hits and struck out seven in a 9-2 win over the New York Mets on Wednesday to improve to 3-1 with a 1.00 ERA in his first four starts.

"Like they always say, 'hitting is contagious'," Beckett said. "I believe pitching is too. Sometimes it's contagious just for yourself to have confidence. My last couple of outings have been pretty good. I think we're starting to jell together. I'm happy."

Florida failed in its attempt to sweep the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday when it managed four hits in a 2-1 loss.

The Marlins didn't score in the fourth and sixth innings despite having two runners on with one out. And in the ninth, they couldn't get anyone home after putting runners on first and second.

"We couldn't get the key hit," Florida manager Jack McKeon said. "One hit could have broke the game open."

Florida has won three straight on the road, but McKeon said his pitching staff will be tested in Colorado, where the Marlins are 19-38 all-time.

"It's a mindset. You've got to pitch your regular game," McKeon said. "If you look at the history of Coors Field, it's the bases on balls that kill you. It's when you walk a couple and then give up the three-run homer."

The Rockies also failed to come away with a sweep over the weekend after losing 8-6 to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday. They had won four of five before the defeat.

Colorado led 5-3 in the eighth, but its struggling relievers allowed Los Angeles to come back by allowing five runs in the inning. The Rockies' bullpen has seven blown saves in nine chances this year.

"The bullpen has been an issue since Day 1," manager Clint Hurdle said. "It hasn't been doing things to give us a chance."

[Durango53]

Now Colorado Rockies right-hander Jamey Wright needs to make himself at home in 2005.

Wright will start Tuesday night's game at Coors Field against the Florida Marlins. Thus far, Wright has had two outstanding performances and an awful one.

The problem with that is the two strong ones came on the road. He held San Francisco to one run in 7 1/3 innings in his first appearance of the season. On Wednesday night, he held Philadelphia to one run in six innings and earned the decision in Colorado's 7-4 triumph.

But the one time he pitched at Coors, he gave up nine runs in four innings of a 13-6 loss to the Giants on April 15. It matched the most runs he has ever given up in a game.

Against the Marlins, Wright will be looking to regain his Coors Field form of 2004, when he posted a 3.98 ERA in seven games at home after signing with the Rockies in late July.

[Durango53]

STANDINGS: Marlins - 1st place, NL East. Rockies - 5th place, 6½ GB, NL West.

[Durango53]

MARLINS PROBABLE STARTER: Beckett (3-1, 1.00 ERA). The right-hander is 2-0 with a 4.15 ERA against the Rockies, with both starts coming at Coors Field.

FLA: RHP Josh Becketthttp://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/images/gameday/mugshots/277417.jpg
•3-1, 1.00 ERA in 2005
•1-0, 5.14 ERA vs. COL in 2004

COL: RHP Jamey Wrighthttp://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/images/gameday/mugshots/124604.jpg
• 1-1, 5.71 ERA in 2005
• Did not face FLA in 2004

ROCKIES PROBABLE STARTER: Jamey Wright (1-1, 5.71 ERA). Wright earned his first win of the season in his last start Wednesday, allowing five hits and one run over six innings in Colorado's 7-4 victory at Philadelphia.

[Durango53]

Player to watch
Wright has had his ups and downs with the top of the Marlins' order. He's had his difficulties with leadoff man Juan Pierre (.455 in 11 at-bats) but has basically handled No. 2 hitter Luis Castillo (.240 in 25 at-bats).

[Durango53]

OFFENSIVE LEADERS: Marlins - Paul Lo Duca, .368 avg.; Miguel Cabrera and Juan Encarnacion, 3 HRs; Encarnacion, 19 RBIs; Luis Castillo, 15 runs and 3 SBs. Rockies - Clint Barmes, .438 avg. and 19 runs; Barmes and Preston Wilson, 4 HRs and 14 RBIs; Barmes and Matt Holliday, 2 SBs.

[Durango53]

2004 SEASON SERIES: Marlins, 5-1.

[Durango53]

STREAKS AND NOTES: Marlins - Florida is 0-7 in games in which it has scored less than four runs. ... RF Encarnacion is 1-for-12 over his last four games after going 7-for-13 in his previous three contests. ... C Lo Duca is 4-for-6 with a double against RHP Wright. Rockies - SS Barmes is batting .524 (22-for-42) with two homers and 10 RBIs during his 10-game hitting streak. ... 1B Todd Helton has a double and a homer in six at-bats against RHP Beckett. ... Colorado lost 13-6 to San Francisco in RHP Wright's only home start this season. He allowed nine hits, nine runs and four walks over four innings to fall to 13-17 with a 6.79 ERA in 54 starts at Coors Field.

[Durango53]

Quotable
"When you go against an elite group, the opportunity is enlightened or enhanced. Those will be interesting matchups. If those guys are on, there will be tough matchups and tough challenges with it. But they've proven they can stay in it, they can grind out an at-bat, they can get a two-strike hit. They've hit some pretty good pitchers already and they've been handled by some pretty good pitchers." -- Rockies manager Clint Hurdle on facing Florida's pitching staff. The Marlins will start LHP Al Leiter on Wednesday night and RHP A.J. Burnett on Thursday afternoon

[Durango53]

ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Marlins - 3-2 on the road; Rockies - 5-5 at home.

[Durango53]

Quick hits
Colorado SS Clint Barmes has a 10-game hitting streak. At .456, Barmes is trying to become the third rookie ever to hit .400 for the entire March/April period of a season. Only Andres Galarraga (.400 in 1986 wth Montreal) and Willie Randolph (.400 in 1976 with the New York Yankees) have done it. ... Colorado 2B Aaron Miles should just forget his history against the Marlins. He batted .071 -- 1-for-14 -- in five games against them last season as a rookie. ... Colorado pitchers hit four Los Angeles Dodgers batters on Sunday. For the Dodgers, it tied a franchise record originally set July 17, 1900, against the New York Giants. ... CF Preston Wilson has homered in his last two games, during which he also is 3-for-8 with six RBIs.

[Durango53]

On television:
• COL: FSN Rocky Mountain
• FLA: FSN Florida

On radio:
• COL: KOA 850
• FLA: WQAM 560, WQBA 1140 (Español)

[Durango53]

Florida has won three straight on the road, but McKeon said his pitching staff will be tested in Colorado, where the Marlins are 19-38 all-time.

"It's a mindset. You've got to pitch your regular game," McKeon said. "If you look at the history of Coors Field, it's the bases on balls that kill you. It's when you walk a couple and then give up the three-run homer."
Funny how a guy outside of the system can see it. How he knows what you got to do to win. Everyone else can see it but the GM and Manager. :angry:

This is why I feel the Rox need a old time manager to kick the Rox in the butt and fire them up. So that they dont quit come July as we have seen so many times in the past years. This is where that team leader should do it but with none on the Rox they need that Manager to make them play for some pride when out of it and that could change things and make the Rox a little better where they could make a run for it.

[Durango53]

This one could get ugly Rox fans!!!!!!!!!!! :(

Going up against Josh Beckett (who I feel is the kind of pitcher that you should have at Coors) could be a long day for the young Rox hitters. Add it in with the Rox very bad bullpen and the good hitting and speed of the Fish this game could be real bad.

Beckett and Co have been going real deep in games and that give the Rox problems also. When a team thrives of getting into a teams bullpen but the team they are playing dont let that happen very much it could mean trouble. Also with the team that came up the same time as the Rox seem to just own the Rox also.

Side note we get to see Rox great farm prospect Juan Pierre who has turned into a great CF for the Fish. Still torn on this one. He was a great fit for the Rox in all areas but one and that one killed the Rox a ton when it happened and that was his arm in Coors. So very weak and a field where you got to have a strong arm in Coors. Look for the Rox to use that and run on Juan as many teams do but in Coors it shows much more.

[Durango53]

And the Bullpen blows up again!!!!!!!

[Durango53]

Old Juan Pierre comes back to kill the Rox.......


And the Fish make the Rox look like little leaguers..........

[Timberwolf]

One game.

Tommorow, we win and then take the series Thursday.

[Durango53]

I think the Rox can win today but tomorrow will be the same story

[yagsy]

Always keep hope alive, Shad! :thumpsup:

Besides, Kennedy has been looking good this year.