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Remade Reynolds thriving with Rockies Slugger has improved his contact rate, retained power By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | May 9th, 2017 DENVER -- Rockies first baseman Mark Reynolds' opposite-way home run off the Cubs' Dylan Floro during

Tuesday's 10-4 victory landed in the home bullpen Tuesday at Coors Field, and it fired up the way-back machine.

That long ball gave Reynolds homers in four straight games heading into Tuesday's nightcap of a doubleheader against

the Cubs, matching his career-best -- Aug. 6-9, 2012, with the D-backs.

That streak ended in an 8-1 loss in the second game to the Cubs, as Reynolds went 0-for-1 with three walks.

Just don't go thinking Reynolds is the same player now that he was then.

This is the third year of the new Reynolds, who began reinventing himself when he joined the Cardinals in 2015 and found

a mentor in the team's hitting coach, John Mabry.

"Cliff's Notes? The easiest answer is keeping the barrel in the zone longer," Reynolds said.

The old power is back. Reynolds, who eclipsed 30 homers three times and had 21 or more 2008-14, already has 12 this

year. But he struck out a Major League-record 233 times in 2009, and led his league in that category 2008-11.

MEDIA CLIPS –May 10, 2017

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In 2015 with Mabry and the Cardinals, Reynolds hit .230 with 13 homers, but managed a .315 on-base percentage, which

was his highest in three years. Last year with the Rockies brought a career-best .356 OBP. Through 33 games, he has a

.402 OBP and a .333 batting average.

With the D-backs (2007-10), Orioles (2011-13), Indians (2013), Yankees (2013), and Brewers (2014), power paid well,

with salaries from from $5.3 million to $7.5 million from 2011-13.

"I don't think there was pressure [to hit home runs]," he said. "It was more I had success doing it and I wanted to keep

doing it. And I had job security."

The salary dropped to $2 million with the Brewers as the industry saw him as a part-time starter. In '13, realizing that he

could no longer depend on 600 at-bats to let him take advantage of pitchers' mistakes, he signed with the Cardinals and

reached out to Mabry, a standout pinch-hitter for 14 seasons with eight teams.

"It's not like we did drills to do it, to change stuff," Reynolds said. "It was more of a mindset."

Mabry, who played for the Rockies in 2007, credits a willing student.

"There's no secret sauce," Mabry said. "It was just him rolling up his sleeves and doing the work that he wanted to do to

get better."

With the Cards and with the Rockies last year, close-to-regular opportunity arose, but Reynolds kept the off-the-bench

approach. Last season, he finished with 14 home runs in 118 games.

When no team offered a starting opportunity last winter, Reynolds took a Minor League contract from the Rockies, turned

it into $1.5 million job, and took over first base when Ian Desmond suffered a broken left hand during Spring Training.

Last year, Reynolds made contact (fair or foul) with a career-high 71.24 percent of his swings, after not exceeding 68.28

percent any previous year. This year he has improved to 72.9 percent.

Contact is much harder. According to Statcast™, Reynolds has barreled (hit hard, according to exit speed and launch

angle) 11.2 percent of balls in play, up 6 percent from last year and 8.4 percent from 2015.

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"I wasn't bad, but I had a lot more holes than I did now," Reynolds said. "If you go back and watch video of my younger

days versus now, I could only get to certain pitches back then.

"But I'm not saying that I have everything figured out. It just so happens that when I barrel it, it's going in the air."

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Marquez looks for success at Coors Field By Owen Perkins / Special to MLB.com | 9:08 AM ET

The Cubs and Rockies will be rooting for cooperative weather Wednesday for the series finale of their three-game set,

which features two pitchers with a nine-run differential in their career ERAs at Coors Field.

Chicago's Kyle Hendricks has pitched well in Colorado, going 1-0 with a 3.44 ERA in three starts spanning 18 1/3 innings.

He's struck out 10 while walking only three.

"You try to do more and less happens," Hendricks says of the Coors Field factor. "You try to throw your curveball harder,

it's going to break less. You almost have to do less to make things happen here. Don't press when things aren't going your

way. I've had games out here where my sinker comes in dead straight. You just have to roll with that and try and spot up.

Hopefully, you can back off a little bit and find that movement with all your pitches."

Rockies rookie German Marquez could use a few pointers on pitching in his home field. He's 0-2 with a 11.70 ERA in two

starts at home this this season, and 1-2 with a 6.55 ERA over five career appearances, four starts, at home.

Things to know about this game

• In three starts this season, Marquez has thrown his four-seam fastball roughly 65 percent of the time, fifth most among

starters with at least 250 total pitches. Teammate Antonio Senzatela tops that list at 77 percent. The difference so far is

that while opponents are slugging .356 in at-bats ending with Senzatela's four-seamer, they are slugging .511 off

Marquez's with a pair of homers.

• Carlos Gonzalez is 5-for-14 (.357) with two doubles, a homer, and three RBIs against Hendricks.

• The only Cub Marquez has faced in his career is Jon Jay, who is 1-for-2 (.500) with a double against the right-hander.

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Rox ride 6-run 3rd to breezy G1 win over Cubs By Thomas Harding and Owen Perkins / MLB.com | May 9th, 2017

DENVER -- Ryan Hanigan's two-out bloop single in the third inning signaled Tuesday afternoon would be that kind of day

for the Rockies -- and for Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta. The Rockies bested Arrieta for nine runs (five earned) in 3 2/3

innings of a 10-4 victory in the opener of a split doubleheader at Coors Field.

Hanigan's single, which eluded the glove of sliding left fielder Kyle Schwarber, was part of a six-run third that

included Charlie Blackmon's triple and DJ LeMahieu's double, and saw the Rockies take 10 turns at the plate. The

National League West-leading Rockies matched their season high with 15 hits while winning their fifth in the last six

games and seventh in the last 10.

Hanigan, a veteran who joined the Rockies last week from Triple-A Albuquerque, acknowledged the role of luck.

"I didn't get it like I wanted to, but, hey, I'll take it any day," Hanigan said. "Soon as I hit it, I thought it was an out."

Hanigan noted that Schwarber was disadvantaged because he had to play deep -- a necessary evil for most outfielders at

Coors. But the field wasn't the whole story.

"They hit some balls really well, others they dropped it in front [of the outfielder]," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "You

have to play such a big outfield here, it's so large. They just have good at-bats. They're really good offensively."

About the best that be could said for Arrieta (4-2), who yielded nine hits, was it wasn't as bad as his last Coors start,

when he gave up 13 hits and nine earned runs on Aug. 6, 2014.

"They've got one of the better offenses in all of baseball, especially at Coors Field," Arrieta said. "They hit for a

significantly higher average here. That's just a testament to their ability to play to their home park and have a good

approach. I wanted to come into this game and establish strikes with all my pitches. I did it pretty well -- almost too well

with too many hittable pitches, really."

Mark Reynolds went 3-for-4 and clubbed his 12th home run -- just two fewer than he managed last year in 118 games.

Meanwhile, "The Little Prince," Antonio Senzatela (5-1), a rookie right-hander, held the Cubs to two runs and five hits,

struck out four and walked three in six innings.

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MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Ascending: After the Rockies' six-run third, Senzatela found himself facing loaded bases and no outs in the fourth.

Lefty Chris Rusin was already warming up. But Senzatela forced an Albert Almora Jr. pop to second base, got one out

and nearly two on Schwarber's RBI grounder, and worked Kris Bryant into a fly to right to escape the jam having allowed

just one run. Rusin didn't enter until the seventh.

Senzatela managed a less-than-ideal 57.6 percent strike rate, but his final two innings were his best.

"Learning this fellow and knowing what our Minor League people say about the intangibles of competitiveness -- when in

the game he has to step it up, when he has to make a pitch, when he has to throw a little harder or land a curveball, he

sort of gets it," Rockies manager Bud Black said.

Story taking a turn: The Cubs were down, 3-1, with two outs in the third and Arrieta got away with a pitch in the middle of

the plate that Trevor Story fouled off. However, Story rebounded from a 1-2 count to walk, bringing up Hanigan for his

three-run blooper that blew the game open. Story, who entered with a .173 batting average, went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

QUOTABLE

"That's special because he's a good guy, a big guy, and he won the Cy Young two years ago."

-- Senzatela, on the victory over the Cubs, opposite Arrieta

"We're all focused on hitting, but I want us to play defense and pitch. … Our guys are good, we're going to start making

those plays. Those are the kind of plays that we normally do make that we're not. Sometimes it's not an error, but it's a

play that we normally make that we're not."

-- Maddon, on the four unearned runs and the need for the defense to elevate its play

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Reynolds tied a personal best by hitting a homer in his fourth straight game. He accomplished the feat Aug. 6-9, 2009,

with the D-backs.

FLORO STRONG IN DEBUT

Dylan Floro gave the Cubs exactly what they needed in his debut with the Cubs, throwing 4 1/3 innings of one-run ball to

spare the 'pen in the doubleheader.

"One bright spot, Dylan came in and pitched very well," Arrieta said. "Enabling us to only use two pitchers moving into the

second game of a doubleheader was huge."

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Floro was called up Monday when Jason Heyward went on the disabled list with a sprained finger on his right hand.

"He got a lot of swings and misses," Maddon said. "He was outstanding today. Second game tonight we should be in

good shape regarding our pitching."

Statcast™ SUPERLATIVE

Gonzalez covered 39.4 feet in 2.9 seconds to rob a Javier Baez liner in the sixth inning on a diving catch that registered

with just a five percent catch probability, according to Statcast™ -- the lowest probability of any outfield catch this season.

"It was harder because it was do or die," Gonzalez said. "You can't hesitate on those plays. As soon as you go for it,

you've got to go for it because if you think twice, it's going to hit the ground; those low line drives. So I was going for it

since the beginning. If I wasn't going to make the catch, at least I wanted to keep it up front and avoid the extra base. It

was just a good play."

A LITTLE PAIN, A LOT OF GAIN

Senzatela, while leading off the third inning, smashed a foul ball into the right hip of Blackmon, who was in the on-deck

circle. Blackmon drew a few laughs by backing away so he would be protected by the backstop. Well, after Senzatela

struck out, Blackmon promptly lined a triple -- his fifth this season -- to begin the big inning.

WHAT'S NEXT

Cubs: John Lackey is 2-2 against Colorado in his career, but Rockies hitters tend to get the best of him, running his ERA

to 6.25. He's got some demons to exorcise at Coors Field, where he has allowed 17 earned runs in 16 2/3 innings for a

9.18 ERA..

Rockies: Rookie lefty Kyle Freeland (3-1, 2.65 ERA) will start the nightcap at 6:40 p.m. MT. Freeland pitched well in his

last start -- 6 1/3 innings, three hits, one run against the Padres -- by forcing quick decisions early in at-bats, which kept

his pitch count under control.

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Defense lets Rockies down in Game 2 By Thomas Harding and Owen Perkins / MLB.com | 2:05 AM ET

DENVER -- John Lackey struck out 10 in seven innings of a strike-throwing exhibition to subdue the Rockies, and the

Cubs took advantage of risky defense to win, 8-1 on Tuesday night to earn a split of a split doubleheader at Coors Field.

The Rockies won the first game, 10-4.

Lackey (3-3) entered Tuesday 0-2 with a 9.18 ERA at Coors Field.

"It has been [a house of horrors] most of the time for me," Lackey said. "I've taken a couple beating in this place."

But on Tuesday, Lackey threw 76 of his 105 pitches for strikes -- a season-best 72.4 percent -- while holding the National

League West-leading Rockies to four hits, just one after the second. More >>

"He had good command of the fastball, and the breaking ball was thrown at any time of the game," said Rockies manager

Bud Black, who complimented Lackey -- a pitcher he worked with while the Angels' pitching coach several years back --

on varying speeds on breaking balls and finding a velocity when he needed it on the fastball.

Rockies rookie lefty Kyle Freeland (3-2) went six innings, with four hits, six strikeouts and four walks. He was solid

outside of the second inning -- when he surrendered five runs. Two runs were unearned because shortstop Trevor

Story and second baseman DJ LeMahieu each committed errors on exciting but desperate flips to second, attempting to

steal outs.

"They made some great plays, first of all," Maddon said, giving the Rockies credit for getting to challenging balls. "They

were the back ends of these things [when they made the errors]. Back-handed flips. Otherwise they made some great

plays. They're a really outstanding defensive team."

Freeland had a bases-loaded walk in the second but rebounded to retire 13 of the last 14 Cubs he faced.

"There was one blemish, one inning, where I didn't have my stuff and things didn't fall my way or the team's way, and the

result was five runs," Freeland said.

The Cubs' Javier Baez knocked his fifth homer of the season, a two-run, opposite-way shot off Mike Dunn in the eighth.

Kris Bryant added a home run in the ninth.

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MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Abraca … never mind: Story dove to stop Addison Russell's hard grounder with one on and one on in the second,

rolled over and flipped wide of second for an error that put runners at second and third. Three batters later, first

baseman Mark Reynolds dove, but the ball ticked off his glove. LeMahieu retrieved it but made a wild flip to second, and

two runs scored.

"In the first game, our big inning was aided by a couple big breaks that went our way," Black said. "Trevor made a great

play on a smash to his right and tried to make a play, and it just didn't happen for us. And the ball ricocheted off

Reynolds."

He's got a bat; he's dangerous: With one out, Freeland pitched around Willson Contreras to load the bases and face

Lackey, batting eighth. But with a .300 average, Lackey is no easy out. Lackey laced Freeland's first pitch -- a 93.6 mph

fastball -- over a leaping LeMahieu and into right-center for an RBI. It made Freeland had to work harder to get through

the frame..

"The only thing I really care about hitting is having more hits than Jon Lester," Lackey said, ribbing his fellow pitcher in

the next locker. "I'm a much better hitter than he is."

QUOTABLE

"It's the barometric pressure version of slider and curveball versus a lower barometric pressure situation. And also the

rotation of the earth has something to do with it." -- Madden's foray into the science behind the heightened humidity (46%,

or more than double the average at Coors Field) that gave both Lackey and Brian Duensing their best breaking balls of

the season

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Lackey is the second visiting pitcher with 10 or more strikeouts and no walks in seven or more innings runs at Coors.

Pedro Martinez threw nine with 13 strikeouts on July 29, 1997. Two home pitchers have accomplished the feat -- Jon

Gray with 16 strikeouts in nine innings against the Padres last Sept. 17, and Brian Bohanon with nine innings and 10

strikeouts against the Phillies on Aug. 28, 1999, in the second game of a doubleheader.

The Rockies have played 51 doubleheaders in their existence.

WHAT'S NEXT

Cubs: Kyle Hendricks toes the rubber for the Cubs in Wednesday's series finale at 2:10 p.m. CT,, bringing an impressive

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3.44 Coors Field ERA to the game. In his only 2016 outing at Coors, Hendricks held the Rockies to one run on four hits

over six innings.

Rockies: Righty German Marquez (0-2, 7.31 ERA) has made three starts -- a scoreless six innings on the road at

Arizona and two rocky starts at Coors. He'll try to pitch better this time out in the series finale Wednesday at 1:10 p.m. MT.

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Freeland recovers well after rough start By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | 12:48 AM ET

DENVER --- Almost everything went right for Rockies rookie left-handed pitcher Kyle Freeland -- except for an inning that

went so wrong that he ended up with an 8-1 loss to the Cubs in the second game of a doubleheader at Coors Field on

Tuesday night.

The Rockies won the first game, 10-4.

Freeland gave up four hits and walked four, but all the hits and half the walks came in the Cubs' five-run second inning.

Two errors didn't help, but neither did walking Ben Zobrist with the bases loaded.

But Freeland lasted six innings and struck out six. He didn't match Cubs pitcher John Lackey, who fanned 10 and held

the Rockies scoreless on four hits over seven innings, but showed resilience.

"You learn a lot about yourself, about the game," said Freeland (3-2). "You've got to make adjustments on the fly and

learn about yourself out on the field. That's a big part of it."

The miscues were almost highlight-reel defensive plays. Shortstop Trevor Story dove to stop Addison Russell's

grounder with one out and a runner at first. Story rolled over and flipped wildly to second. After the ball bounced off diving

first baseman Mark Reynolds, who was trying to reach a ground ball hit by Albert Almora Jr. which saw second

baseman DJ LeMahieu make the wild flip to second.

Freeland had no qualms with the confidence of his infielders to even attempt those plays.

"I have complete confidence in my defense behind me," Freeland said. "Story, DJ and Mark made some incredible plays,

knocking the ball down and keeping it in the infield. We just couldn't quite connect all the dots and get out of that second."

The hits were singles. There was the single by Lackey, who jumped on a first-pitch fastball during an inning when

Freeland couldn't achieve downward movement. Freeland kicked himself over the walks, especially one to Zobrist with the

bases loaded.

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"With Kyle, there's a tendency to get under some balls -- that elbow drops ever so slightly," Rockies manager Bud Black

said. "It's just a fine line with him getting on top of pitches. That creates the great sink and movement in the hitting area.

That inning, there were a couple walks in there. But his stuff was fine.

"But I really liked the way that he regrouped and put up four zeroes. That was great."

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Rox summon prospect Hoffman as 26th man Catcher Murphy begins working toward return to baseball activities By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | 12:50 AM ET

DENVER -- The Rockies called up right-hander Jeff Hoffman -- the organization's No. 2 prospect -- to be available for

Game 2 of Tuesday's doubleheader vs. the Cubs for the 26th roster spot allotted for such occasions.

Hoffman struck out two and gave up one hit -- a Kris Bryant solo homer -- while throwing the Rockies' final 1 1/3 innings

of a 8-1 loss.

"He showed me the last couple at-bats a little velocity on the fastball against [Addison] Russell, and I liked the fact when

he got 3-1 against [Ben] Zobrist, he threw a strike and on 3-2 threw a really good strike that Zobrist swung through," said

manager Bud Black.

"He landed a couple breaking balls. It was a good outing for him."

Hoffman is 2-2 with a 3.71 ERA in six starts at Triple-A Albuquerque, and he's been on a hot streak -- four runs (two

earned) on four hits and 13 strikeouts over 13 innings in his past two outings. The 24-year-old was scratched from a

scheduled start Monday against Las Vegas when the Rockies' game was being threatened, and ultimately postponed,

because of inclement weather.

Tuesday's doubleheader sparked an intriguing scenario. No one will be available on regular rest to start Saturday night's

game against the Dodgers. Black said he hasn't made a decision on the issue. Hoffman could figure into that mix,

depending on what happens over the next several days.

Lefty reliever Chris Rusin serves as an option on the current roster. Rusin, who has started on several occasions in the

past, walked two and gave up a run in Tuesday's first game, a 10-4 Rockies win. He threw 55 pitches in his last

appearance before Tuesday -- a three-inning save in Saturday's 9-1 victory over the D-backs. Rusin could start Saturday,

although Black will not likely push him much beyond 50 pitches.

Hoffman, by rule, must be sent back to Albuquerque after Tuesday night's game. But if the Rockies need him, they could

recall him for Saturday. In that case, they would have to clear a spot from the 25-man active roster.

Worth noting

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• Rookie catcher Tom Murphy, who suffered hairline fractures in his right forearm and wrist, began throwing a weighted

ball Monday and hopes to work toward playing catch next week.

Murphy, a power hitter who has eight home runs in 79 Major League at-bats over the past two seasons, is the

organization's No. 11 prospect. The 26-year-old said the slow recovery has been frustrating. The issue, he said, was there

were actually two fractures -- one on the outside of the forearm and another closer to the wrist.

The second has been the slower of the two to heal. Murphy was hurt when the Cubs' Anthony Rizzo hit him on a swing

follow-through in Spring Training, while Murphy was attempting to throw to second on a steal attempt.

"My goal was to play May 1, and obviously it's way past that, so it's been a real long schedule, and there's nothing I can

do," Murphy said.

Murphy said he has been bothered by the suggestion that his participation in a team archery contest the day after he was

hit by Rizzo -- the extent of the injury wasn't known -- somehow worsened the injury.

"That's a very frustrating comment; no," Murphy said.

• Outfielder David Dahl, asked about the stress reaction in his sixth rib that has bothered him since early Spring Training,

said, "No news." Black said the Rockies must be careful.

"Two weeks ago, we ramped him up and it flared up, so you go by how the player is feeling, his symptoms," Black said.

"At that point, he wasn't quite ready."

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P. Manning pays surprise visit to Cubs, Rox By Daniel Kramer / MLB.com | May 9th, 2017

DENVER -- The Cubs and Rockies got a surprise celebrity visit in the midst of a hailstorm that passed through Denver on

Monday, when Peyton Manning strolled through each clubhouse at Coors Field.

Manning, who visited the Cubs ahead of a hitters meeting as the clubhouse was closing to the media, stopped by the

team video room first, where he seemingly surprised a wide-grinning Kris Bryant.

"He's a contemporary of sorts. It's not having Terry Bradshaw walk through your clubhouse," Cubs manager Joe Maddon

said. "Just the fact that a couple of generations removed, when our guys could identify more recently with … they want to

see Peyton walk through the clubhouse. So, yeah, I think it's great. I'm really grateful that he did it. Believe me, our guys

are bright enough to understand what that means and maybe take something away from it."

Manning also popped into the Rockies' underground batting cage, where manager Bud Black offered the two-time Super

Bowl winner an opportunity to take a few cuts, though Manning good-naturedly declined.

Known for his meticulous attention to detail, Manning also had a throng of questions for Black and sluggers Nolan

Arenado, Carlos Gonzalez and Trevor Story -- about hitting, how the mindset of a football and baseball player differs

and about the 2017 Rockies themselves.

"Hey, [he's a] Rockies fan," Black said of Manning.

Manning has been a regular guest at Coors Field for more than a decade, and well before he joined the Denver Broncos

in 2012.

Through his longtime friendship with Rockies legend Todd Helton, Manning used the club's facilities to work out during the

NFL lockout in 2011, which also coincided with his rehab from neck surgery that sidelined him the entire '11 season. The

Rockies even gave Manning his own locker. He said at the time the club was "a big part" of his recovery.

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In 2001, Manning hit at least one homer at Coors during batting practice and fielded grounders at shortstop, the position

he starred at for Isidore Newman High School in New Orleans, hitting .440 as a junior. Maddon was unsurprised that

Manning was a ballplayer of yesteryear.

"Kind of a Ripken-looking dude," Maddon said of Manning.

The only starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl with two teams (the Colts and Broncos), Manning has also been an

Opening Day regular at Coors since moving to Denver, where he still resides.

"He loves Denver," Black said. "Hopefully we'll see him out here more often."

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Split decision: Rockies, Cubs swap lopsided victories in doubleheader at Coors Field The teams play the rubber game of the three-game series Wednesday afternoon By Patrick Saunders / Denver Post | May 9th, 2017

One unsightly inning, combined with a command performance by 38-year-old Chicago right-hander John Lackey, spoiled

the Rockies’ chance of completing a statement-making doubleheader sweep Tuesday at Coors Field.

Behind a 15-hit attack and a resilient performance by rookie Antonio Senzatela, Colorado squashed the Cubs 10-4 in the

opening game. But Lackey made a statement of his own in the nightcap, tossing seven scoreless innings and striking out

10 as the defending World Series champions rolled 8-1.

When Lackey departed, many of the blue-clad Cubbie lovers — they made up a sizable majority of the 36,563 in

attendance for Game 2 — serenaded him with a standing ovation. He became first visiting pitcher at Coors Field to toss

seven or more shutout innings with 10 or more strikeouts and with as few as four hits allowed.

“It was the mix of his fastball and his breaking pitches,” Rockies manager Bud Black said of Lackey. “He had good

command of the fastball, and the breaking ball was thrown at any time of the game.”

Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland, who had performed so well in his rookie season, couldn’t match Lackey, but he didn’t

pitching poorly. Freeland hung tough for six innings, allowing five runs (three earned) on only four hits, while striking out

six. But one bad inning doomed him and the Rockies.

“It was just one blemish, one inning where I didn’t have my stuff,” Freeland said of the second inning. “The result was five

runs, and that walk to score a run didn’t help. … I learn each and every game, but you have to make adjustments on the

fly.”

Indeed, the second inning was messier than Interstate 25 at rush hour. The Cubs sent 11 men to the plate and scored five

runs. The Cubs hit the ball hard off Freeland, and he also walked three in the inning. Chicago’s key hits were RBI singles

by Lackey and Kris Bryant.

Compounding the mess were critical throwing errors by shortstop Trevor Story and second baseman DJ LeMahieu. Both

infielders made excellent, athletic plays to reach the baseball — Story on Addison Russell’s hot shot, LeMahieu off Albert

Almora’s ricochet infield hit — but their rushed throws to try to get forceouts led to two unearned runs.

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Javier Baez put an exclamation point on the Cubs’ victory with a two-run homer off reliever Mike Dunn in the eighth.

Bryant added a solo homer off Jeff Hoffman in the ninth.

Jake Arrieta, the 2015 National League Cy Young Award winner, was on the mound for Chicago in the opener, while the

Cubs’ powerful lineup stared down the 22-year-old Senzatela.

The big right-hander, though, proved much more resilient than Arrieta. Senzatela didn’t have his best stuff or his best

command, but he delivered.

“That’s special,” Senzatela said. “Because (Arrieta) is a good guy, a big guy, he (won) the Cy Young two years ago. He’s

really good. And the team beating him, that’s good.”

By the fourth inning, Arrieta was battered and gone, having given up nine runs (five earned) on nine hits in 3

innings. A throwing error to third base by shortstop Javier Baez opened the door for the Rockies, and when catcher Ryan

Hanigan hit a two-out, three-run bloop single during a six-run third inning, Arrieta wouldn’t have been blamed if he had

started searching for the nearest Coors Field exit.

His 3-inning start was his shortest since July 5, 2012, when he was with Baltimore.

“I’ll take it, man,” Hanigan said of his Coors-style single. “I had never faced (Arrieta) before, and he’s got this little crossfire

action. He’s tough.

“I wasn’t real happy with the swing. I was kind of sitting on the pitch, but it bottomed out on me at the bottom of the zone. I

didn’t get it like I wanted to, but the result was there. I will take that any day.”

Senzatela (5-1) proved once again that he has the moxie of a weathered veteran. And he’s showing that Coors Field can

be tamed. The right-hander limited Chicago to two runs on five hits over six innings, walking three and striking out four. It

was his fifth quality start in his seven big-league games, and his ERA sits at a cool 2.86. Senzatela improved to 3-1 with a

3.12 ERA in four starts in LoDo.

“His ball-strike ratio wasn’t good today,” Black said. “And he got behind and had some deep counts. But there was some

resiliency there and he hung with it, even not pitching as good as we have seen him overall.That’s going to happen.”

19

Colorado’s offensive highlight of the opener was Mark Reynolds‘ 3-for-4 performance that included his 12th homer, a solo

shot in the sixth off reliever Dylan Floro.

The teams play the rubber game of the three-game series Wednesday afternoon.

20

Antonio Senzatela shines, Mark Reynolds homers again as Rockies pound Cubs Colorado improved to 21-12 with its third consecutive victory By Patrick Saunders / Denver Post | May 9th, 2017

Blue-clad Chicago Cubs fans arrived early and created quite a clamor Tuesday afternoon for the first game of a split

doubleheader at Coors Field.

They were no doubt expecting a big day from the defending World Series champions. After all, 2015 National League Cy

Young Award winner Jake Arrieta was on the mound and the Cubs’ powerful lineup was staring down 22-year-old rookie

right-hander Antonio Senzatela.

Senzatela, though, proved to be much more resilient. With the help of a season-high 15 hits, including a 3-for-4 day

from Mark Reynolds, who hit his 12th homer, the Rockies rolled to a 10-4 victory.

Senzatela didn’t have his best stuff or his best command, but he delivered for an important early-season victory.

“That’s special,” Senzatela said. “Because (Arrieta) is a good guy, a big guy, he (won) the Cy Young two years ago. He’s

really good. And the team beating him, that’s good.”

Colorado improved to 21-12 with its third consecutive victory, tying the 1997 edition for the best 33-game start in franchise

history.

By the fourth inning, Arrieta was battered and gone, having given up nine runs (five earned) on nine hits in 3⅔ innings. A

throwing error to third base by shortstop Javier Baez opened the door for the Rockies, and when catcher Ryan Hanigan

hit a two-out, three-run bloop single during a six-run third inning, Arrieta wouldn’t have been blamed if he had started

searching for the nearest Coors Field exit.

HIs 3 2/3-inning start was his shortest since July 5, 2012, when he was with the Baltimore Orioles.

“I’ll take it, man,” Hanigan said of his Coors-style single. “I had never faced (Arrieta) before, and he’s got this little

crossfire action. He’s tough.

“I wasn’t real happy with the swing. I was kind of sitting on the pitch, but it bottomed out on me at the bottom of the zone. I

didn’t get it like I wanted to, but the result was there. I will take that any day.”

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Hanigan was surprised the ball fell in front of left fielder Kyle Schwarber.

“As soon as I hit it, I thought it was an out,” Hanigan said. “But then you’ve got to remember that at this field, guys play

deep. … When I saw him in a full sprint there, I thought maybe there was a chance.”

Senzatela (5-1) proved once again that he has the moxie of a weathered veteran. And he’s showing that Coors Field can

be tamed. The right-hander limited Chicago to two runs on five hits over six innings, walking three and striking out four. It

was his fifth quality start in his seven big-league games, and his ERA sits at a cool 2.86. Senzatela improved to 3-1 with a

3.12 ERA in four starts in LoDo.

“His ball-strike ratio wasn’t good today,” manager Bud Black said. “And he got behind and had some deep counts. But

there was some resiliency there and he hung with it, even not pitching as good as we have seen him overall.That’s going

to happen.”

Senzatela easily could have buckled in the fourth inning. Instead, he buckled down. Tommy La Stella drew a walk to open

the inning, followed by singles by Javier Baez and Arrieta. But Senzatela gave up just one run.

“He doesn’t pitch like a rookie,” third baseman Nolan Arenado said. “He didn’t have hit best stuff, but he hung tough and

gave us six innings. He did a great job.”

Reynolds, batting .336, has now hit a home run in four consecutive games, tying his career-long homer streak set with

Arizona from Aug. 6-9, 2009. He hit a career-high 44 homers that season.

The second game of the split doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 6:40 p.m. Right-hander John Lackey starts for

Chicago vs. Rockies rookie left-hander Kyle Freeland.

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Kiszla: Does unlikely Rockies ace Antonio Senzatela belong in the same sentence as Clayton Kershaw? Colorado is off to its best start in nearly 20 years By Mark Kiszla / Denver Post | May 9th, 2017

It’s not his 96 mph fastball that blows you away. It’s those eyes. Rockies rookie Antonio Senzatela doesn’t blink.

Here’s the mess Senzatela stared down Tuesday: Top of the fourth inning. Bases loaded against the world champion

Chicago Cubs. Nobody out. Coors Field so loud with Old Style-drinking, bandwagon-jumping, Joe Maddon wannabes it

sounded a little like the inside of Murphy’s Bleachers when the Cubbies finally won something after 108 years.

Senzatela peered at Colorado catcher Ryan Hanigan and checked for a sign, although maybe it would have been a better

idea for somebody to check Senzatela’s heart rate.

“A little bit nervous,” Senzatela admitted later. “But I got the ball and said: ‘OK, this is my time. Take it easy. And I’m

making a quality pitch right here.’ ”

With the pressure on, Senzatela made nothing but quality pitches to three straight Chicago hitters, inducing a weak popup

from the bat of Albert Almora Jr., forcing Kyle Schwarber to roll a meek groundball to second base and getting a flyout

from Kris Bryant, the reigning most valuable player of the National League. There was no joy in Wrigleyville West.

Senzatela got out of the jam by turning the Cubs’ bats to jelly.

Who does this Senzatela guy think he is, anyway? Bret Saberhagen? Clayton Kershaw? Colorado beat the Cubbies 10-4

in the first game of a doubleheader behind Senzatela, who lowered his earned run average to 2.86. On a cloudy afternoon

crisp enough to feel like October if you shut your eyes and dreamed, he earned the victory against Chicago ace Jake

Arrieta.

“That’s special. Because (Arrieta) is a good guy, a big guy, he wins the Cy Young two years ago. He’s really good,” said

Senzatela, born Jan. 21, 1995, in Valencia, Venezuela. “And the team beating him, that’s good.”

Here’s betting most of the fans who applauded Senzatela as he walked toward the Colorado dugout after working six

strong innings had never heard of him two months ago. Well, don’t feel bad.

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Before the coffee began to kick the cobwebs out of my brain on a morning in late February, I sat in the office of Rockies

manager Bud Black at the team’s Salt River Fields complex in Arizona. Black was preaching. He believed young starting

pitchers could be the most pleasant surprise for the 2017 Rockies.

And I thought: This Senzatela dude has not even pitched above the Double-A level in the Colorado farm system, where

he was a Hartford Yard Goat in 2016. He’s going to make the jump to the major leagues and make a big difference?

Yeah, right.

Sensing doubt in the room, Black asked if Saberhagen and Kershaw had not both jumped directly to the majors from

Double-A. They did. In 1985, Saberhagen won 20 games for the Kansas City Royals at age 21. In 2010 at age 22,

Kershaw posted a 2.91 ERA for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Rare talent doesn’t require endless patience to blossom. But, at the same time, it seemed nervy of Black to put Senzatela

in the same breath as Saberhagen and Kershaw.

“I saw the makings of major-league stuff,” Black said. “And then you get to know the player.”

What Black quickly discovered: The bigger the moment, the taller Senzatela stands on the mound.

Yes, it is a small sample size. But nobody has seen this kind of magic on the mound in LoDo since Ubaldo Jimenez left

town.

Isn’t Coors Field a ballpark that eats a pitcher’s ego for lunch? But here is Senzatela. He’s 22 years old. His record is 5-1.

If there’s really something mysterious and magical about the Rockies in 2017, the indescribable wow begins with

Senzatela.

Colorado is off to its best start in nearly 20 years. Could it be our cuddly Pet Rocks could actually make some noise in the

pennant race? This wasn’t supposed to happen this year. And certainly not like this. The team’s best starting pitcher is

Senzatela, who reported to spring training wearing No. 71 on his back. That’s the number of an offensive tackle, not a

staff ace.

“I make the team, I’m really happy for that. I make the rotation, I’m more happy,” Senzatela said. “I’ve got 5-1, that’s really

good. Just try to keep doing the same.”

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Here’s a rookie pitcher who dropped clean out of the sky and rocked Denver as hard as hail the size of a baseball.

Senzatela has brought the goose bumps back to Coors Field. Chills and thrills. For everybody.

After Senzatela shut down the world champs, I asked him if owning as many victories as Kershaw or any other pitcher in

the National League felt real to him.

“A little bit,” Senzatela replied.

Please don’t pinch me. If this isn’t real, I don’t want to know.

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Charlie Blackmon and DJ LeMahieu should switch places in the Rockies’ lineup Both players are a better fit in the place the other currently hits. By Ryan Freemyer / Purple Row | @RFreemyer | May 10, 2017, 8:00am MDT

Since early in the 2016 season, Charlie Blackmon and DJ LeMahieu have been mainstays at the top of the Colorado

Rockies’ lineup. For Blackmon, all 168 of his starts have come in the leadoff spot. LeMahieu has moved around a bit

more but has primarily consistently hit second, with 134 of 176 starts coming from that spot in the batting order, including

all 32 so far in 2017. This clearly has worked for them. Blackmon sports a 130 wRC+ during this time frame with

LeMahieu not far behind at 119. But it still might not be the optimal way to deploy them. They should switch places.

The answer to the question, “who gets on base more?” is a good way to determine who should hit leadoff. The goal of the

leadoff hitter is to get on base to set the table for the 2-5 hitters, who theoretically are four of your top five hitters (with the

leadoff man being the fifth). Since the beginning of 2016, LeMahieu has had better on-base skills, with a .404 on-base

percentage to Blackmon’s .376. This is a simple way to view it, but it it is only one of many reasons the move makes

sense.

In addition to the on-base percentage advantage, LeMahieu’s walk and strikeout rates of 10.4 and 12.8 percent,

respectively, also beat Blackmon’s 6.6 and 16.4 percent rates. Taking walks and putting the ball in play are two more

desirable traits of a leadoff hitter, who will take more of his plate appearances with the bases empty than any other hitter

in the lineup (he’s the only hitter guaranteed at least one of these per game). With the bases empty, a walk is identical to

a single (whereas with runners on base, someone could advance two bases on a single, and any ball in play at the very

least presents the opportunity for a defensive error without the risk of hitting into a double play.

Speaking of double plays, in 2016, LeMahieu hit into a double play on 16.96 percent of his double play opportunities

(defined as any plate appearance with less than two outs and runners on first, first and second, or the bases loaded). This

was the 13th highest rate of 146 qualified hitters and the highest of any Rockies hitter. Blackmon, on the other hand, hit

into a double play in just 2.6 percent of his double play opportunities, third lowest among qualified hitters and the lowest of

any Rockies hitter. This makes sense given LeMahieu’s high ground ball rate compared to Blackmon (52.2 percent to

36.3 percent) in addition to Blackmon hitting left-handed and having better speed.

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It’s a real rally killer when the leadoff man reaches, only to be eliminated by a double play a batter later. Swapping these

two would help to eliminate this and give the power hitters in the middle of the order more opportunities to hit with runners

on base. In fact, Blackmon should probably be one of those power hitters trying to drive in the leadoff man.

Blackmon has hit 37 home runs and has 91 total extra base hits since the 2016 season began (LeMahieu has 12 and 59).

That’s a great number! Unfortunately, 30 of those home runs and 67 of the extra base hits have come with the bases

empty. All extra base hits are good, but extra base hits with the bases empty are the least good. Circling around to what

we were talking about before with the double plays, it’s wise to try to get as many people on base as possible in front of

their best power hitters to maximize the damage those power hitters can do. Blackmon leads the club in wRC+ and is third

in isolated power since the beginning of 2016. What better way to get him to the plate with runners on base than to put

him right behind LeMahieu, the club leader in on-base percentage?

The Rockies have gotten off to a strong start in spite of a lineup that entered play on Wednesday 21st (not counting

pitchers) in wRC+. That number will likely improve as the season wears on, but the Rockies also have an opportunity to

score more runs by making one minor change to maximize the production of two of their best hitters.

27

Charlie Blackmon and DJ LeMahieu should switch places in the Rockies’ lineup Both players are a better fit in the place the other currently hits. By Ryan Freemyer / Purple Row | @RFreemyer | May 10, 2017, 8:00am MDT

Since early in the 2016 season, Charlie Blackmon and DJ LeMahieu have been mainstays at the top of the Colorado

Rockies’ lineup. For Blackmon, all 168 of his starts have come in the leadoff spot. LeMahieu has moved around a bit

more but has primarily hit second, with 134 of 176 starts coming from that spot in the batting order, including all 32 so far

in 2017. This clearly has worked for them. Blackmon sports a 130 wRC+ during this time frame with LeMahieu not far

behind at 119. But it still might not be the optimal way to deploy them. They should switch places.

The answer to the question, “who gets on base more?” is a good way to determine who should hit leadoff. The goal of the

leadoff hitter is to get on base to set the table for the 2-5 hitters, who theoretically are four of your top five hitters (with the

leadoff man being the fifth). Since the beginning of 2016, LeMahieu has had better on-base skills, with a .404 on-base

percentage to Blackmon’s .376. This is a simple way to view it, but it it is only one of many reasons the move makes

sense.

In addition to the on-base percentage advantage, LeMahieu’s walk and strikeout rates of 10.4 and 12.8 percent,

respectively, also beat Blackmon’s 6.6 and 16.4 percent rates. Taking walks and putting the ball in play are two more

desirable traits of a leadoff hitter, who will take more of his plate appearances with the bases empty than any other hitter

in the lineup (he’s the only hitter guaranteed at least one of these per game). With the bases empty, a walk is identical to

a single (whereas with runners on base, someone could advance two bases on a single), and any ball in play at the very

least presents the opportunity for a defensive error without the risk of hitting into a double play.

Speaking of double plays, in 2016, LeMahieu hit into a double play on 16.96 percent of his double play opportunities

(defined as any plate appearance with fewer than two outs and runners on first, first and second, or the bases loaded).

This was the 13th highest rate of 146 qualified hitters and the highest of any Rockies hitter. Blackmon, on the other hand,

hit into a double play in just 2.6 percent of his double play opportunities, third lowest among qualified hitters and the

lowest of any Rockies hitter. This makes sense given LeMahieu’s high ground ball rate compared to Blackmon (52.2

percent to 36.3 percent) in addition to Blackmon hitting left-handed and having better speed.

28

It’s a real rally killer when the leadoff man reaches, only to be eliminated by a double play a batter later. Swapping these

two would help to eliminate this and give the power hitters in the middle of the order more opportunities to hit with runners

on base. In fact, Blackmon should probably be one of those power hitters trying to drive in the leadoff man.

Blackmon has hit 37 home runs and has 91 total extra base hits since the 2016 season began (LeMahieu has 12 and 59).

That’s a great number! Unfortunately, 30 of those home runs and 67 of the extra base hits have come with the bases

empty. All extra base hits are good, but extra base hits with the bases empty are the least good. Circling around to what

we were talking about before with the double plays, it’s wise for a team to try to get as many people on base as possible

in front of its best power hitters to maximize the damage those power hitters can do. Blackmon leads the club in wRC+

and is third in isolated power since the beginning of 2016. What better way to get him to the plate with runners on base

than to put him right behind LeMahieu, the club leader in on-base percentage?

The Rockies have gotten off to a strong start in spite of a lineup that entered play on Wednesday 21st (not counting

pitchers) in wRC+. That number will likely improve as the season wears on, but the Rockies also have an opportunity to

score more runs by making one minor change to maximize the production of two of their best hitters.

29

Charlie Blackmon and DJ LeMahieu should switch places in the Rockies’ lineup Both players are a better fit in the place the other currently hits. By Nick Stephens / Purple Row | @nlckstephens | May 9, 2017, 9:46pm MDT

The Cubs gave the Rockies a taste of their own medicine in game two, putting together strong offense and pitching to

achieve an 8-1 victory over the Rockies.

The Cubs' offense struck first, driving in five runs in the second inning off Kyle Freeland. Jeimer Candelario kicked off the

inning with line-drive single, and Addison Russell reached base afterwards on a throwing error from Trevor Story. This

set the tone for the inning, as the Cubs notched three more hits and two additional walks to contribute to the big inning.

Despite the rough inning, Freeland still managed to collect a six-inning start, allowing five runs (three earned) on four hits

while striking out six and walking four.

John Lackey held the Rockies offense to four hits, all singles, across seven innings. He walked just two while striking out

ten.

Jordan Lyles threw a clean inning of work, and Mike Dunn got roughed up by a two-run shot from Javier Baez to give

the Cubs a 7-0 lead.

Jeff Hoffman came on in relief of Dunn with two outs in the eighth, making his 2017 debut for the Rockies. He pitched

1 1⁄3 innings and allowed one run on a solo shot from Kris Bryant. He struck out three of the five batters he faced.

The Rockies finally got on the board in the bottom of the eighth, when Nolan Arenado ripped a deep fly ball to left field.

The ball was originally caught by Jon Jay, but he was unable to hold on after he bumped into the wall. Mark

Reynolds followed with his third walk of the night, and Ian Desmond drove in Arenado with a grounder up the right-field

line.

Brian Duensing closed things out in the ninth to secure the 8-1 victory for Chicago.

The two teams will face off again tomorrow at 1:10 PM MST.

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Colorado Rockies 10, Chicago Cubs 4: Team effort at the plate dismantles Chicago in series opener Every Rockies starter had a hit in an impressive victory over the Cubs. By Jordan Freemyer / Purple Row | @jfreemyer | May 9, 2017, 3:17pm MDT

A six-run third inning kicked off an offensive explosion for the Colorado Rockies, who beat the Chicago Cubs, 10-4, in

the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader.

With the Rockies down 1-0, Charlie Blackmon started the third-inning rally with a one-out triple and scored on a DJ

LeMahieu double. LeMahieu should have been out trying to get to third on Nolan Arenado’s ground ball to short, but was

safe thanks to a throwing error.

Back-to-back hits from Carlos Gonzalez and Mark Reynolds scored LeMahieu and Arenado, giving the Rockies a 3-1

lead. After Ian Desmond and Trevor Story reached, a three-run single from Ryan Hanigan extended the Rockies lead to

6-1.

The five-run lead allowed Rockies starter Antonio Senzatela to settle in. The rookie pitched six innings, allowing two runs

on five hits, walking three and striking out four. He threw 99 pitches, 57 for strikes and tied Clayton Kershaw for the NL

lead with his fifth win.

Colorado continued its offensive onslaught in the fourth, scoring three runs on four hits and a walk, chasing Cubs

starter Jake Arrieta from the game in the process and taking a 9-2 lead.

Reynolds hit his team-leading 12th home run of the season to make it a 10-2 Rockies lead in the sixth, and the Cubs got a

lone run against each of Chris Rusin and Chad Qualls for the 10-4 final.

The Rockies will look to sweep the doubleheader and win the series in the nightcap, which is scheduled for 6:40 p.m.

Mountain time. Kyle Freeland and John Lackey are the scheduled starters.

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Colorado Rockies: Antonio Senzatela showing Rookie of the Year skills By Kevin Henry / Rox Pile | May 9, 2017, 3:17pm MDT

Antonio Senzatela has stormed into the Colorado Rockies spotlight in a very short amount of time.

Consider his meteoric rise within not only the organization but also all of Major League Baseball. He was a non-drafted

international free agent. He was merely a rumor to make the rotation midway through spring training. Now he’s beating

the defending World Champion Chicago Cubs and putting his name squarely in the discussion for Rookie of the Year

honors.

He already grabbed the monthly rookie award in April, but what’s to say he couldn’t finish his rookie year with some

hardware as well? He was recently named as the frontrunner for National League Rookie of the Year in this article …

just ahead of teammate Kyle Freeland.

There’s a lot to like about Senzatela, Bud Black says. There’s also a lot to like on days when he might not have had his

best stuff, like Tuesday in a 10-4 win over the Cubs at Coors Field.

“There’s a resiliency where he hung in there and got through it, probably not pitching how we’ve seen him overall,” Black

said. “That’s going to happen. If a starting pitcher goes out there 33 or 34 times, it’s not going to be easy. It’s not going to

be smooth. There is going to be some rocky games. The thing that I like to see is, in those rocky games, you have the

ability to get through it by making a pitch here or a play is made there. You get the guy out you need to get out.”

By beating the Cubs on Tuesday, Senzatela improved to 5-1 on the season. That includes a 3-1 mark with a 3.12 ERA at

Coors Field.

If there’s any reservations about pitching at altitude, Senzatela laughs them off with the same smile he flashes in

postgame interviews.

“I make the team. I’m happy for that. I make the rotation. I’m happy. I get to 5-1? That’s pretty good,” the 22-year-old right-

hander said.

Does the fact that he’s 5-1 sound real to him?

“Little bit,” Senzatela laughed.

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That’s the attitude he brings to the mound as well. When Trevor Story leaped high to snag a Tommy La Stella liner to

lead off the sixth inning on Tuesday, Senzatela’s smile was even bigger than it was postgame.

“I feel pretty good,” Senzatela said. “The slider was working really good for me tonight and my teammates were making

good plays.”

An effective mix of fastball and slider and the ability to pound the strike zone has resulted in Senzatela logging two earned

runs or less in five of his seven starts this season.

“He’s always competing out there,” Nolan Arenado said of Senzatela. “He doesn’t act like a rookie.”

With an impressive array of pitches and veteran-like composure, Senzatela may seem way older than his seven MLB

starts. If he keeps it up, it won’t just be one rookie award he will have won this season.

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Colorado Rockies lineup shows full potential in knockout of Cubs By Kevin Henry / Rox Pile | May 9, 2017, 3:17pm MDT

Don’t believe what you read, folks. The Colorado Rockies have a pretty darn good batting lineup. Just ask the Chicago

Cubs.

After being pegged as the 25th-best lineup in Major League Baseball by this article on ESPN (Insider access required),

the Rockies flexed their muscles at the plate early and often against the defending World Champion Chicago Cubs at

Wrigley Field. A six-run third inning against former Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta set the table for a 10-4 Rockies victory

on Tuesday afternoon at Coors Field.

And no, there was nothing “Coors Field” about the way the Rockies systematically picked apart Arrieta and reliever Dylan

Floro. Colorado sent 18 men to the plate over the course of the third and fourth inning. Two of the six outs Arietta

recorded during that time were strikeouts of Colorado pitcher Antonio Senzatela.

“We strung together there in the third inning,” Colorado manager Bud Black said, talking about a frame that saw the

Rockies go triple, double, fielder’s choice, single, single, single, walk and single between Senzatela’s two strikeouts.

Over the course of those two innings, only Nolan Arenado didn’t record a hit for the Rockies. However, he skied a

sacrifice fly high to left field to plate Charlie Blackmon in the fourth inning to push the Colorado lead to 7-2.

Also, as a side note, none of those runs in the third and fourth inning onslaught were produced via the home run. Only

Blackmon’s triple and DJ LeMahieu’s double which followed to open the third inning were extra base hits. The other eight

hits were all singles. It was slow and methodical torture for the many Cub fans in attendance.

It was also delightful for Rockies fans who have been waiting for this lineup to show its full potential. Once it became clear

late in April that David Dahl wouldn’t be back before Ian Desmond returned from injury, a lineup that featured Blackmon,

LeMahieu, Arenado, Carlos Gonzalez, Mark Reynolds, Desmond and Trevor Story as the top seven seemed pretty

potent. On Tuesday, it was exactly that.

Oh, and by the way, Reynolds blasted his 12th homer of the season in the sixth inning. It was just part of an offensive

cavalcade that saw Story get singles (yes, he hit singles) in two of his first at-bats of the day (sandwiched around a walk).

CarGo even showed signs of life with a seeing-eye RBI single in the third. When both of those players can break out of

34

their slumps, Colorado’s lineup is only going to get better. That should be a very scary thought for the rest of the National

League.

“It’s an early game but we came out firing,” Nolan Arenado said after the game. “We got a little lucky with some bloopers

and we capitalized on that one error (a throwing error by Javier Baez in the third inning). We’re a good team too.”

After Tuesday afternoon’s win, the Rockies have now won five of their last six games. They’ve outscored their opponents

41-18 during that stretch.

Call me crazy, but that sounds like a pretty good offense to me.

35

36

Ryan Hanigan: The Rockies know how to have fun playing the game By MHS Staff / Mile High Staff | May 10, 2017

Ryan Hanigan had possibly the biggest hit of the day against the Chicago Cubs in the first game of Tuesday’s split

doubleheader, but it wasn’t one that will likely end up on the 36-year-old catcher’s career highlight reel. Hanigan

joined Eric Goodman and Les Shapiro on Mile High Sports AM 1340 | FM 104.7 postgame and laughed about the single

that scored three runs in a 10-4 Rockies victory.

“They were respecting the power,” Hanigan joked with Goodman and Shapiro.

In the third inning of Tuesday’s win, Hanigan sent what looked like a fly ball out into shallow left-center field at Coors Field

with two outs and the bases loaded. Chicago’s Albert Almora Jr. and Kyle Schwarber both charged on the ball, but it was

the less defensively skilled Schwarber who attempted (and failed) to make the diving play. When the dust had settled,

Hanigan was on first base and three runs had scored to extend Colorado’s lead to 6-1 at the time.

“In all seriousness,” Hanigan continued, “in Colorado, all outfielders gotta’ play deep. So, when I hit it I wasn’t super happy

about the swing but then I saw them sort of [going] all out for it, and I thought it had a chance and it worked out for us.”

Things have been working out well for the Rockies on the whole since Hanigan was called up from Triple-A Albuquerque

while Tony Wolters is on the concussion DL. Colorado is 5-2 since he joined the team on May 3. The Rockies are 3-0 with

Hanigan, a 10-year big league veteran, on the field.

Hanigan spent time in Cincinnati, Tampa Bay and Boston and has been to the playoffs numerous times in his career. With

the Rockies off to such a hot start, it’s logical to wonder if he sees a playoff-caliber mentality in the Colorado clubhouse.

“Well absolutely, in terms of the chemistry of the team,” Hanigan said. “All the way from the coaches to the players, this is

a fun team to be on. It’s a great mix of veteran guys, young guys. Lotta’ talent. Lotta’ hard-working guys that know how to

have a good time playing the game.”

Although his time with Colorado has been short, Hangian sees several important markers in this team.

“These guys are a group; they’re a family. Everyone’s pulling for each other; everyone works hard. And the talent is just,

it’s pretty impressive for the young pitching they have, the bullpen and obviously the lineup,” he said.

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As a player who’s seen a lot over his decade in the big leagues, he’s not going to rush to any judgements or predictions,

though.

“It’s too early to predict playoffs this year,” Hanigan said. “We’re playing one game at a time. You know, that’s obviously

what everyone wants; you just have to go out and get it done.”

Catch the whole interview with Hanigan, including his thoughts on Cubs fans invading his stadium, in the podcast below.

Catch Afternoon Drive with Goodman and Shapiro every weekday from 4p-6p on Mile High Sports AM 1340 | FM 104.7

or stream live any time for the best local coverage of Colorado sports from Denver’s biggest sports talk lineup.

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HIGHLIGHTS: Rockies and Cubs split high-scoring doubleheader By MHS Staff / Mile High Staff | May 10, 2017

If the Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs were playing a soccer-style series “on aggregate,” they’d be entering

Wednesday’s rubber match with only one run separating them. Together, the two teams combined for 23 runs in a split

doubleheader that saw each team win in blowout fashion.

Rockies rookie right-hander Antonio Senzatela (5-1, 2.86) was solid in game one, allowing only two runs on five hits over

seven innings. Every Colorado starter had a base hit, including Senzatela, and Mark Reynolds continued his hot streak

going 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Ryan Hanigan had a bloop two-out single to score three runs in a six-run

third inning. Colorado chased Cubs starter Jake Arrieta (4-2, 5.35) with another three runs in the fourth. Reynolds tacked

on another in the sixth with a solo home run and the Rockies rolled to a 10-4 victory.

The Cubs flipped the script in the nightcap, though. John Lackey (3-3, 4.29) was dominant, striking out 10 Rockies and

scattering four hits over seven innings. A pair of defensive lapses in the second inning spelled doom for Colorado’s other

wunderkind starter, Kyle Freeland (3-2, 2.93). Trevor Story and DJ LeMahieu each made throwing errors in the inning,

leading to five Chicago runs (three earned). Chicago added a pair in the eighth off Mike Dunn and a solo shot by Kris

Bryant in the ninth to cap an 8-1 win.

Colorado and Chicago will wrap up the series with another day game Wednesday. German Marquez (0-2, 7.31) hopes to

earn his first win in 2017, while Kyle Hendricks (2-1, 3.51) will look to remain unbeaten at Coors Field in his fourth career

start there. First pitch is 1:10 p.m

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BSN EXCLUSIVE: Kyle Freeland on his “long journey” to “a dream come true” By Drew Creasman / BSN Denver | May 10, 2017 Denver – Somewhere, someplace, there is possibly … a picture of a very young Kyle Freeland with Colorado Rockies

mascot, Dinger. “Growing up, I always knew who he was, I think I might have gotten a picture with him when I was little,”

he says. “It was always fun seeing him running around.”

It’s odd to think we may have crossed paths over the years as fans at down at the ballpark long before baseball would

become both of our jobs. Especially considering how far outside the mainstream people from this area so often

feel. There’s something special about the hometown, or in this case also the home state, hero. And when you come from

a smaller, often overlooked part of the country, you take that much more ownership and pride over the success of your

neighbors.

“It’s definitely special,” Freeland says. “There’s much bigger stages out there like New York, Chicago, places like that

where their fan base is extremely massive and goes throughout the United States. Here in Denver, it’s special. It’s a tight-

knit group of fans that want to see you succeed and want to see how. Being able to have that fan base behind you being

from Denver, they want to see you succeed. They want to be able to talk about that story about a hometown kid who is

playing for the Rockies and be able to come out and enjoy the moment and have fun and have success.”

About a week ago, we shared Part 1 of our conversation with Freeland where we broke down the nitty-gritty details of his

pitching mechanics, but how could two Colorado kids not talk to one of their own about realizing the ultimate dream?

From Thomas Jefferson High School to Coors Field

“When I woke up that morning … came to the ballpark … about 10-15 minutes after I got to the ballpark, I actually put my

phone into airplane mode just so I didn’t get all the notifications and everything. I got a lot of texts, got a lot of people

tweeting at me and reaching out telling me congratulations and good luck. After the start, everything went smooth. Got a

win in the home opener. They all came flooding in after that but it was cool.”

In a feel-good story that felt straight out of the very best of Pixar, The Southpaw from the Centennial State appeared for

the first time in front of an MLB crowd — and MLB hitters — making his MLB debut in the Rockies home opener at Coors

Field against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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“When I first walked out of the dugout to take the mound in the first inning and hearing the roar of the crowd and everyone

behind me and everyone excited to see what was about to happen? That right there, walking out of the dugout, it gave me

chills.”

It gave 50,000 people chills. The roar felt as though it emanated from the whole of Lower Downtown Denver and

somehow magnified in intensity until it went supernova, shaking the foundation of a city when Freeland struck out Logan

Forsythe, the very first batter he faced. Jets flew overhead before the game, but they had nothing on the reaction to that

punchout.

“The strikeout was big definitely,” Freeland recalls. “Especially on the first hitter I’m facing. The thing that really sticks out

to me still is that first inning, getting out of that bases-loaded jam. I just remember walking off the mound like, whew, that’s

how it is. That’s the pressure you can feel and be able to face that and come out of it on top was big.”

It wasn’t just that first batter either. He has pitched phenomenally well to begin his career, posting a record of 3-2 with a

2.93 ERA over 34 innings pitched. Freeland, and fellow rookie Antonio Senzatela, have somehow been the Rockies most

consistent pitchers in a season that sees them leading the NL West through a month and a week of the season.

“Me and him have definitely fed off each other,” Freeland tells us about Senzatela. “We’ve been together for quite a long

time. I met him when I got promoted to Low-A right after I got drafted. I’ve been moving up the ranks with him ever since.

We were in Modesto together after I got off of rehab. We were in Double-A together last year and then spring training and

we broke together. He’s a great guy, great pitcher. He’s got an amazing fastball. We feed off each other being rookies.”

Each young pitcher has only one bad outing so far this season. For Freeland, that came in his second game against San

Diego when he gave up six earned runs over just 4.2 innings before being pulled. But even though his next game saw him

retire two fewer hitters, it was a remarkable display of growth and quite possibly a major turning point early in his career.

“It was my first time on the road and it was in a stadium that can get pretty loud,” he says of his trip to Los Angeles to face

the mighty Dodgers. “It was a little intimidating at times. I did find myself a little bit. I think I was trying to be too fine with

pitches instead of letting all of my pitches work and do what I did against them in my debut. It was a battle for the four

innings I was out there.”

Just four innings but he kept the defending division champs in check, allowing just run in a game Colorado went on to win.

It’s a cliche but games like this are the reason why; Freeland kept his team in the game.

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“That’s the goal every time,” he says. “Obviously you want to go as deep as possible. Four innings really isn’t as deep as

you can go but you always want to leave a game with your team up and put them in a position to win.”

What Dreams Become

“It’s been a long journey since I graduated high school and definitely a dream come true for me,” Freeland says. “Going

through the whole process and then finally being up here the past few weeks has been awesome. [I’ve] been soaking it all

in, learning a ton from the guys, a lot about myself and a lot about the game.”

And the game has been learning about Kyle Freeland. If he keeps pitching this well, they’ll have to learn a great deal

more. For now, at least the constant text and tweets have stopped.

“Things have definitely settled down,” he says. “Once the news broke and the debut and everything, things were crazy. It

was fun. It was fun to experience that and be a part of that, have friends and family be a part of that. Being from Denver

and everything, it just made it that much sweeter.”

Hollywood scripts about kids from small(er) cities growing up to become the hometown hero on their local baseball team

get tossed out because the odds of that occurring make it less believable than tales of aliens, robots, and people with

superpowers.

Thomas Jefferson High School sits approximately 10 blocks from the mound at Coors Field where Kyle Freeland turned

the dream of a five-year-old into a reality. It was the streets and the parks and the people who helped shape him who

graced the background as the tapestry on which he could paint this surreal picture.

For every time he caught the 16th Street Mallride or went down to Larimer Square or up to Cap Hill … for every trip out to

the suburbs of Lakewood, Aurora, Cherry Creek, Arvada, Wheat Ridge and beyond — probably to play baseball … and

for every time he walked up Blake Street and bought a Rockpile seat at the ticket window just like some kid will today and

tomorrow … and for every moment in between, April 7, 2017, will always be one of the greatest days Kyle Freeland ever

got to spend … at home.

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Rough inning dooms Rockies in strong showing by Cubs By Jake Shapiro / BSN Denver | May 9, 2017 DENVER – A rough second inning cost the Colorado Rockies in a 8-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs. The two teams split

Tuesday’s doubleheader which was pitched by two rookies for the Rockies. In the nightcap Kyle Freeland had the ball

and was good, again, his defense was not.

A leadoff single by the 26th man Jeimer Candelario coupled with two consecutive men reaching on errors led to the

dreaded big inning. When the damage was done the Cubs had brought across five runs, the Rockies had already started

to warm their bullpen and the home team had lost all their momentum from the socking they had handed out in game one.

The Rockies tried to tag back in the second but didn’t bring any across due to the lack of a big hit. The Rockies would only

get one more hit off of John Lackey the rest of the evening as he dealt. Finishing with 10 strikeouts in seven innings

pitched, the Cubs got back above water with their roughed up bullpen.

Freeland bounded back terrifically from the Cubs batting around. Striking out the next three straight and not surrendering

a hit the rest of the night. His final line was six innings pitched, four hits, four walks six strikeouts, five runs and three were

earned. His ERA went up a bit from the crazy 2.65 but his groundball rate increased to an MLB best.

The Cubs added two more in the eighth off of Mike Dunn before they handed the club handed the ball to one of their top

pitching prospects Jeff Hoffman, who was the 26th man today, to finish the eighth.

Hoffman struck out Ben Zobrist to get out a jam then pitched the ninth including a second strikeout, totaling one and one

thirds innings. He did serve up a home run to 2016 NL MVP Kris Bryant.

Rockies added one in the eighth after a two out error by Jon Jay let Nolan Arenado aboard, Ian Desmond drove him

home.

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“Black and Blue”: Bud’s most memorable doubleheader By Drew Creasman / BSN Denver| May 9, 2017

DENVER – The game of baseball can be a bit of an odd duck. It’s perfectly built for all kinds of coincidences and hilarious

moments of happenstance. It’s an odd game that is somehow both filled to the brim with routine and yet presents daily

opportunities to see something you’ve never seen before.

A favorite from a year ago was the minor league pitching match-up between Joe Musgrove and Harrison Musgrave.

Musgrove vs. Musgrave.

And when two teams “play two” as the late great Chicago Cub Ernie Banks would say, that’s double the chance for some

weirdness to play out.

BSN Denver asked Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black before a doubleheader against those same Cubs what the

most memorable such day was in his playing career.

As is his custom, Black did not disappoint to deliver a story a fantastic story filled with humor and history:

“I think it was 1982. New York, on the road. It was a Saturday. Woke up the next morning, I pitched the second game of

the doubleheader, Vida Blue pitched in game one … New York Post back page Sunday morning ‘Yankees pound Royals,

Black and Blue’ … how about that? I gave up one of the longest home runs ever to Dave Winfield. Way past the

monuments. So how about that? There ya go. I got pounded.”

Now, that’s good stuff. Baseball never lets you forget.

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Senzatela outduels Arrieta, Rockies continue to rock NL aces By Drew Creasman / BSN Denver| May 9, 2017

DENVER – The Chicago Cubs, defending World Series Champions, handed the ball to a former Cy Young winner in Jake

Arrieta for the first game of a doubleheader against the Colorado Rockies. The home team sent 22-year-old

rookie Antonio Senzatela to the hill to do what he could to hang with the big bad boys in blue. Twas the rookie who came

out looking like the seasoned veteran in a 10-4 beatdown of the Champs.

Meanwhile, it was the shortest outing for Arrieta as a Cub and his least amount of time pitched since July 5, 2012, when

he was with Baltimore.

Ian Desmond told us yesterday that the Rockies would not be intimidated by the champs. “They were World Champs last

year, this year they’re just the Cubs. That’s no disrespect to win a title is a big deal and they earned but this is a new

year.”

The Cubs scored the first run of the game in the third. Kyle Schwarber hit a double to begin the frame and he came

around on a pair of productive outs from Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo, scoring on a groundout to second off the bat of

the latter.

But Colorado came back in a big way in the bottom of the frame. Charlie Blackmon, who was struck by a foul ball off the

bat of Senzatela while he was standing on deck, smashed a triple off the out of town scoreboard and came in on a double

from DJ LeMahieu. LeMahieu moved up to third on a throwing error that allowed Nolan Arenado to reach base and Carlos

Gonzalez scored him on a single. Mark Reynolds came through yet again with an RBI single of his own and Ian

Desmond followed with the club’s third straight but didn’t get an RBI because Gonzalez was thrown out at home on a

questionable send by third base coach Stu Cole.

It looked for a moment like that might come back to really hurt the Rockies, especially when Trevor Story strode to the

plate and got into an 0-2 count immediately. But Story bore down and worked the walk, setting the stage for huge two-out

RBI bloop single to center from veteran catcher Ryan Hanigan.

The Rockies poured in three more runs in the bottom of the fourth on a sac fly from Arenado (scoring Blackmon who had

walked) and RBI singles from Reynolds and Story.

It was Story’s second single of the game, something he has struggled with so far in this season of feast or famine. The

similarly slumping Gonzalez also reached base twice in this game and generally looked better at the plate. If those two

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players get going, this team is going to go from scary upstart to team to beat. Each also had web gem catches in the sixth

inning, CarGo’s diving catch had only a five percent chance of being caught, according to Statcast.

Every single member of the Rockies lineup recorded at least one hit in this game, a day a four-lettered sports network

ranked their offense the 25th best in baseball.

On the other side of things, the Rockies rookie did it again, powering through the game despite having to work out of a

few tough jams. Most notably, Chicago loaded the bases in the fourth but a clever deke from Gonzalez in right field kept a

run from scoring and the runners from moving up. But with the bases loaded and nobody out, Senzatela worked out of the

inning, allowing just one run on a fielder’s choice, striking out Miguel Montero to end the threat.

Senzatela’s final line: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 99 pitches, 57 of them for strikes.

Reynolds made it a 10-2 game in the top of the sixth with his 12th home run of the season, a solo shot that went 412 feet.

Reynolds went 3-for-4 with a three to bring his season batting average to .330 and put him in sole possession second

place in MLB for most runs driven in 30. He sits behind just Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals in both home

runs and RBI.

The Cubs plated what amounted to a meaningless run in the seventh off of Chris Rusin and another in the ninth off

of Chad Qualls but otherwise went quietly into the afternoon, getting routed by the Rockies.

This win moves Colorado to 21-12 and keeps their lead in the NL West at two games. It’s the first time they have been at

least nine games over .500 this deep in the year since September 26, 2010. The last time they were nine games above

.500 at all was April of 2013. Colorado has now defeated Clayton Kershaw, Madison Bumgarner, Zack Greinke, Johnny

Cueto, and Jake Arrieta already this season.

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Lackey strikes out 10, Cubs beat Rockies 8-1 for DH split By Associated Press / ESPN.com | May 9, 2017

DENVER -- John Lackey's breaking ball had some ferocious bite to it. That never seems to happen for him at Coors Field.

For once, this park wasn't unfriendly to him.

Lackey struck out 10 over seven scoreless innings and added an RBI single , helping the Chicago Cubs stop a four-game

skid by beating the Colorado Rockies 8-1 on Tuesday for a day-night doubleheader split.

Chicago gave Lackey plenty of cushion with a five-run second inning. Javier Baez added a two-run homer in the eighth

and Kris Bryant a solo shot in the ninth.

Lackey (3-3) allowed just four singles, a sharp contrast to his previous start at Coors, when he surrendered 10 runs on

June 8, 2015.

"Most of the time, I've taken a couple of beatings in this place," Lackey said. "That's the first time I've done good here."

Lackey became the second visiting pitcher to throw seven or more shutout innings with 10 or more strikeouts at Coors,

according to the Rockies. The other was Pedro Martinez on July 29, 1997, when he went nine innings and struck out 13.

"It was really fun to watch," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "He had a really, really good breaking ball, slider, today, and

commanded everything. ... He had himself a pretty good evening."

In the first game, the Rockies cruised past Jake Arrieta in a 10-4 win .

Kyle Freeland (3-2) had one bad stretch in the nightcap. He allowed five runs, three earned, and four hits -- all in a second

inning that was compounded by two errors. The rookie left-hander finished with four walks and six strikeouts over six

innings.

"There's definitely positives about this outing and the way I bounced back after that second inning to eat up more innings

to give our bullpen rest and not really tax them," Freeland said. "It showed I could get back in the zone and get outs."

The Cubs figure to sleep well after another exhausting night. They arrived in Denver early Monday after an 18-inning loss

to the New York Yankees that lasted 6 hours, 5 minutes. A rainout Monday gave them a brief break, but meant playing

two on Tuesday.

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"We're running on fumes a bit," Maddon said. "I'm proud of our guys. But starting pitching drives the engine -- don't ever

be deceived."

Jeimer Candelario was called up from Triple-A Iowa to serve as the 26th player for the second game. He ignited the

second by starting the inning off with a sharp single. In all, the Cubs sent 11 batters to the plate and took advantage of

errors by shortstop Trevor Story and second baseman DJ LeMahieu. Freeland didn't help his cause by walking three,

including Candelario with two outs and the bases loaded.

Candelario also made a nifty backhanded play at third in the fourth to prevent a run. He's definitely caught the attention of

Maddon, especially his .340 average with Iowa.

"He's tearing up Triple-A. That's what you have to do to be a big leaguer," Maddon said. "He just needs to keep doing

what he's doing."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Cubs: OF Jason Heyward (sore knuckle on right hand) is eligible to come off the 10-day disabled list on May 16. "I'd be

surprised if it's any longer than that," Maddon said.

Rockies: C Tom Murphy (fractured right forearm) is "getting closer," manager Bud Black said. "He's starting to do some

things with his arm that he hadn't been able to do before, range of motion."

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS

Ryan Hanigan had two-out, bases-clearing bloop single off Arrieta as part of a six-run third inning in the opener. Hard-

throwing rookie Antonio Senzatela (5-1) wrestled with his command over six innings but wiggled out of several tough

spots.

"There's some resiliency where he hung in there and got through it when he's probably not pitching how we've seen him

overall," Black said.

OMAHA, OMAHA

Maddon had a chance to visit with former Broncos QB Peyton Manning on Monday. He even invited Manning to spring

training sometime. Maddon's one regret?

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"Should've asked him about `Omaha," Maddon said in reference to the word Manning used to call out at the line of

scrimmage. "I had my opportunity to ask about Omaha and I screwed up."

HOME GAME?

The Cubs fans were out in full force for both games.

"You kind of look around, `Wow, it's a home game for us, I thought," Nolan Arenado said. "Cubs fans travel. They're a

great team and World Series champs."

THIS & THAT

Usually at third, Bryant started both games in right field. ... 1B Mark Reynolds was held without a homer for the first time in

five games. He walked three times in the nightcap. ... OF Ian Desmond broke the shutout with an RBI single in the eighth.

UP NEXT

Cubs: RHP Kyle Hendricks (2-1, 3.51 ERA) is 1-0 with a 1.04 ERA over his last three starts.

Rockies: RHP German Marquez (0-2, 7.31) has an 11.70 ERA in two home starts this season.

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Reynolds, Rockies rough up Cubs 10-4 in opener of DH By Associated Press / ESPN.com | May 9, 2017

DENVER -- Antonio Senzatela picked a good day not to have his best stuff.

His offense had his back and gave him some breathing room.

Ryan Hanigan hit a two-out, bases-clearing bloop single as part of a six-run third inning, Mark Reynolds homered for a

fourth straight game and the Colorado Rockies beat the Chicago Cubs 10-4 on Tuesday in a day-night doubleheader

opener.

Reynolds also added two RBI singles as every player in the starting lineup, including Senzatela, had a hit for the NL West-

leading Rockies.

Senzatela (5-1) wrestled with his command over six innings but wiggled out of several tough spots to keep the damage to

just two runs. The hard-throwing rookie had three walks and four strikeouts.

"There's some resiliency where he hung in there and got through it when he's probably not pitching how we've seen him

overall," manager Bud Black said.

Even with his usually pinpoint accuracy a little off, Senzatela, the NL rookie of the month for April, never shied away

from Kris Bryant & Co.

"He's not pitching scared, whether he's got his command or not," Hanigan said. "He's not trying to nibble. He's going after

guys."

Jake Arrieta (4-2) couldn't find his groove and was removed after 3 2/3 innings -- his shortest start since 2012. He

surrendered nine hits and nine runs, but just five were earned.

"There were too many hittable pitches left in the middle of the plate," Arrieta said. "The bottom line was I didn't do my job."

The Cubs got a good night's rest when Monday's game was rained out. They arrived in town earlier that day after an 18-

inning loss to the New York Yankees that lasted 6 hours, 5 minutes. The team needed a little break, even if it meant

playing two on Tuesday.

"Just different when you have that swimming feeling in your cranium. It's difficult to focus," said manager Joe Maddon,

whose team lost its fourth straight.

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Arrieta and the Cubs were undone by a mistake-filled third inning. A damaging play was an error on shortstop Javier

Baez, who threw the ball away trying to get DJ LeMahieu crossing from second to third on a grounder.

There was another costly play too, when Albert Almora Jr. started back on a shallow blooper by Hanigan, forcing left

fielder Kyle Schwarber to race after it. But the ball just eluded Schwarber's reach, and the bases cleared.

"As soon as I hit it, thought it was an out," Hanigan said. "When I saw him full sprint at it, I was like, `Oh, maybe there's a

chance there.' It worked out."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Cubs: OF Jason Heyward (sore knuckle on right hand) is eligible to come off the 10-day disabled list on May 16. "I'd be

surprised if it's any longer than that," Maddon said.

Rockies: C Tom Murphy (fractured right forearm) is "getting closer," Black said. "He's starting to do some things with his

arm that he hadn't been able to do before, range of motion."

OMAHA, OMAHA

Maddon had a chance to visit with former Broncos QB Peyton Manning on Monday. He even invited Manning to spring

training sometime. Maddon's one regret?

"Should've asked him about `Omaha," Maddon said in reference to the word Manning used to call out at the line of

scrimmage. "I had my opportunity to ask about Omaha and I screwed up."

REINFORCEMENTS

The Cubs and Rockies were to each add a 26th player for the second game. The Cubs planned to bring up

infielder Jeimer Candelario from Triple-A Iowa and the Rockies right-hander Jeff Hoffman from Triple-A Albuquerque.

QUIETING THE CROWD

By scoring early, the Rockies quieted a crowd that was filled with Cubs fans.

"You kind of look around, `Wow, it's a home game for us, I thought," Nolan Arenado said. "Cubs fans travel. They're a

great team and World Series champs."

THIS & THAT

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Usually at third, Bryant started in right field. ... Two of Chicago's runs scored on groundouts. ... Ian Desmond, Trevor

Story and LeMahieu each had two hits. ... Reynolds is batting .533 through four games on this 10-game homestand.

UP NEXT

RHP John Lackey (2-3, 5.14 ERA) was to start the nightcap for Chicago and LHP Kyle Freeland (3-1, 2.65) goes for

Colorado.