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Story showing improvement at the plate By Daniel Kramer / MLB.com | May 31st, 2017 DENVER -- Mired below the Mendoza line and perhaps with aspirations of matching his meteoric rise in 2016, Trevor

Story was candid about his recent stint on the disabled list, saying it offered "a little mental break" that allowed him to

hone his preparation with patience.

Story went 2-for-3 with a walk and run scored in Tuesday's 10-4 loss to the Mariners, elevating his average to .201, his

highest since the opening series of the season in Milwaukee. He's now 7-for-23 with three doubles, two homers and just

five strikeouts to go with four walks since coming off the DL.

"I feel more in control of myself, more balanced," Story said. "My BP has been better. My cage work has been better. I'm

confident in that. It carries over to the game for sure."

While shelved, Story kept his preparation consistent, with the focal point of finding more balance in his stance. Hitting

coaches Duane Espy and Jeff Salazar diagnosed a direct correlation between Story's struggles -- he had a National-

League worst 48 strikeouts when placed on the DL on May 11 -- and movement with the shortstop's head through his

swing, which in turn, thwarts his timing.

"Everything speeds up and then it, for lack of a better term, becomes guessing," Salazar said. "You hope that a pitcher

leaves a hittable pitch in a good spot, whereas curveballs and changeups, you find yourself chasing them more because

you're forced to make a decision on a pitch a fraction earlier, or a little bit late on a good fastball. So you get caught in

between."

MEDIA CLIPS –May 31, 2017

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One telling trouble was Story's 21.7 swing-and-miss rate on pitches inside the zone at the time he strained his shoulder on

a check swing against the Cubs on May 9, which was the second-highest in MLB at the time, according to Statcast™.

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Trevor Story swing-and-miss on pitches inside zone, start of season to DL stint (left) vs. PAs tonight (right). He was 2-for-

3 with 2B, BB.

That lofty miss rate also indicated Story was identifying strikes, but may have mistimed them on his stroke. However,

adjusting swings at the big-league level is "like the fifth or sixth thing down the list of things" to tailor, Salazar says,

because it's what got that player to the Majors.

"You don't tinker with that," Salazar said. "You don't try to reinvent the wheel when it's already working. So you usually

start with a mental approach."

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Entering Tuesday, Story had a 10.9 percent swing-and-miss rate in the zone since coming off the DL. For context, that

mark tied teammate and NL Player of the Week Charlie Blackmon for that same period, 115th in MLB among 225

batters who had seen at least 25 pitches in the strike zone. Story swung and missed at just one of the 15 total pitches he

saw against the Mariners.

"Mentally, when you see that, that's a good thing," manager Bud Black said. "I think where he is in the batter's box, as far

as his stance, his setup, what he's doing after working with Duane and [Salazar] on some things, he's in a better spot."

And Story's burgeoning self-assurance is resonating with his coaches.

"I'll take a bad swing from a guy who's really confident over a really great swing that doesn't trust it at all," Salazar said.

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LeMahieu drives in three, but Rockies fall By Daniel Kramer / MLB.com | May 31st, 2017 DENVER -- Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager homered as the Mariners won, 10-4, at Coors Field on Tuesday night,

ending the Rockies' franchise record-tying streak of nine straight series without a loss.

Seager's fifth homer of the season, a two-run shot, keyed the Mariners' three-run second inning against Rockies

lefty Tyler Anderson (3-5). Cano's leadoff shot in the seventh off Mike Dunn was measured by Statcast™ at an

estimated 440 feet -- the Mariners' deepest homer of the season.

"Kyle's been awesome," Mariners manager Scott Servais said. "He really swung the bat with authority. He probably could

have had four or five home runs on this road trip. Today, he finally got one over the fence."

Mariners lefty Ariel Miranda (5-2) pitched around four walks and three hits, but held the Rockies to two runs -- on DJ

LeMahieu's two-run single in the fifth -- in five innings. Seattle's offense also was helped by Jean Segura's four hits.

"Our pitching really hung in there," Servais said. "I was really happy. Miranda ran out of gas. Understanding the altitude

here, he busted his butt down the line on a ground ball, and then he flies out and was almost on second base. He can

really run. Unfortunately, not the greatest idea for pitchers all the time. It took a lot of gas out of his tank."

Anderson, who entered with a 2.55 ERA in his last four starts, coughed up six runs and 11 hits in five innings Tuesday

and had nearly no command of any of his pitches.

"It just goes to show you no matter what you do, how good or bad you think you are, you've got to make good pitches,

quality pitches," Anderson said. "That's how you get guys out.

"You don't get guys out in the middle. Hitters are just too good."

The loss and the Dodgers' 9-4 victory over the Cardinals pushed the Rockies out of first place in the National League

West for the first time since May 2.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Compound misery: Anderson has limited walks recently, and he had two on Tuesday. But his leadoff walk to Nelson

Cruz set up Seager's shot to right-center and a 2-0 lead.

Third-inning escape: With the Mariners leading, 6-0, Trevor Story led off the bottom of the third with a double. But instead

of letting the Rockies gain momentum, Miranda forced a Ryan Hanigan flyout, struck out Anderson and worked an infield

groundout from Charlie Blackmon -- who had taken him to the warning track in the top of the first.

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"It was one of those weird games where you kind of scratch your head -- one of those unsatisfied feelings," the

Rockies' Ian Desmond said. "But credit [Miranda]. He kept us off-balance, used his changeup well and was locating and

getting ahead early. We never could get in rhythm."

QUOTABLE

"There's absolutely zero panic -- it's two games. We lose two in a row and [people believe] something's wrong. There's

nothing wrong. People have bad days. Ours just happen to be on TV." -- Rockies first baseman Mark Reynolds, on the

recent losses

"It gets contagious. Look at Segura. He had four hits today and could have easily had a couple of more. He gets the ball

rolling, and we can all feed off of that. He just needs to get four hits every game, and we'll be pretty good." Seager, on the

Mariners' 19 hits

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Before they dropped games Monday and Tuesday against the Mariners, the Rockies' last series loss was April 24-27,

when they lost three of four against the Nationals. The last time the Rockies went nine series without losing one was May

21-June 21, 2007.

EXIT FIELD RIGHT

Cruz left the game in the middle of the second inning with right calf tightness. The Mariners' regular designated hitter

started in right field for each of the two Interleague games at Coors Field. Cruz fielded a routine fly ball in the first inning

and walked in his only at-bat, scoring when the next batter, Seager, homered.

"He should be fine tomorrow," Servais said. "I trust Cruzie, and he knows his value to the club. He came up after the

second inning, when Seager hit the home run. He took off hard running right away, and he felt it, he said, 'Hey, Skip, I

don't want to do anything stupid.' I said, 'Sounds good, we'll get Ben Gamel in there and he'll get us three hits.'"

Gamel was 3-for-4, finishing a homer shy of a cycle.

WHERE TRIPLES COME TO LIFE

Blackmon opened the Rockies' eighth with his eighth triple of the season on a bouncer down the right-field line that

squirted free when Gamel tried to play it off the wall. Blackmon, who went into Tuesday second among outfielders in votes

on the Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot, needs just one more triple to match his career high, set in 2015. All of

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Blackmon's triples have come at Coors, where right field is deep and the ball can hug the fence in the corner rather than

bounce true to the fielder.

UNDER REVIEW

With one out and Gamel on third in the top of the seventh, Guillermo Heredia grounded to LeMahieu, who threw home to

Hanigan. Gamel was ruled safe, making the score 8-2. Rockies manager Bud Black challenged the call, and it was

overturned, as replays definitively showed that Hanigan made the tag before Gamel reached back to touch the plate with

his left hand. Gamel was ruled out, keeping the score at 7-2.

Servais then issued his own challenge, claiming Hanigan violated the home plate collision rule. The review officials then

ruled the out call to stand. Mike Zunino popped to short to end the inning in the next at-bat.

Hanigan turned his left ankle and was taken out of the game for pinch-hitter Tony Wolters in the bottom of the inning, but

said afterward it was "no big deal." Black expects him available for Wednesday night's game at Seattle.

"There's a new rule put in a couple years ago, a catcher's not allowed to block the plate if they don't have the ball, and

clearly in my opinion he did not have the ball, stuck his leg out and deflected Gamel's arm away from the plate," Servais

said. "In my mind it was a no-brainer. He did not give him a lane to run in. That one shocked me. That is why the rule was

designed. Otherwise, Gamel should just plow into the catcher and light him up. But the rule was put in place so that didn't

happen. We have to get some clarification on that."

WHAT'S NEXT

Mariners: James Paxton comes off the disabled list in time for Wednesday's 7:10 p.m. PT tilt with the Rockies. He was

3-0 with a 1.43 ERA before going on the DL with a left forearm strain on May 5 (retroactive to May 3). He made a rehab

start with Double-A Arkansas on Friday and allowed two runs on four hits while striking out five and walking none.

Rockies: Rookie righty Antonio Senzatela (7-1, 3.19 ERA), who entered Tuesday's play tied for the National League

lead in wins, will face the Mariners on Wednesday at Safeco Field at 8:10 p.m. MT.

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Rockies place Ottavino on DL, recall Estevez By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | May 31st, 2017 DENVER -- Feeling less effective over the past couple of weeks because of inflammation in his right shoulder, Rockies

relief pitcher Adam Ottavino was placed on the 10-day disabled list Tuesday.

Ottavino, the primary right-handed setup man, has struggled with control all season. He has managed a 2.57 ERA in 23

appearances, but with 15 walks in 21 innings and a 1.43 WHIP (higher than any full season in his career), he decided to

take some time to heal. One hit and two walks (one intentional) to four batters during Monday's 6-5 loss to the Mariners

led to the decision.

"I'm not doing anybody any good pitching the way I pitched yesterday," said Ottavino, who said he doesn't think it will be

an extended absence. "I feel like this is as good a time as any to make sure I get it right."

The Rockies recalled righty reliever Carlos Estevez from Triple-A Albuquerque. Estevez, who began the year with the

Rockies, appeared in the ninth inning of Tuesday's 10-4 loss to the Mariners and gave up three runs on five hits -- some

so soft he said afterward, "it's like the ball had eyes."

He is 3-0 with a 8.78 in 15 Major League games. ERA. He was sent down May 3, but he came back up and threw a

scoreless inning at Minnesota on May 18, allowing two hits and one walk with three strikeouts.

Estevez said he continued to fine-tune his delivery without the leg kick that he pitched with last year, a significant

mechanical adjustment the Rockies requested over the winter. Estevez said he capitalized the Minor League stint by

working closely with co-Minor League pitching coordinator Darryl Scott.

"Since I wasn't doing the leg kick, I was quick to home plate, so they wanted me a little bit slower, just because of the

command," Estevez said. "Just getting more time for my hand to get out of my glove and just timing-wise with my delivery;

not to rush it going home. Just getting load on the back leg and just taking my time to get my hand out."

Ottavino has struggled with control since Spring Training, but he does not blame any shoulder issues. He said he fell into

bad technique habits and has been addressing those. But the last two weeks, he hasn't recovered from outings as well as

before.

"It's something I probably could have stayed pitching through, but it's smarter to get it quieted down," he said. "I want to

get it taken care of while there's still a lot of season left."

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Worth noting

• Righty pitcher Jon Gray, out since May 13 with a stress fracture in his left foot, threw his first bullpen session without his

protective boot on Sunday and expects to throw another one soon. Gray said his motion feels natural, but he needs to

build leg strength. He has done brief jogging on a treadmill and will work his way to fielding and throwing to bases. He

could return by mid-June, but the Rockies haven't targeted a date.

Gray will throw bullpen sessions Wednesday in Seattle and Saturday in San Diego.

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Senzatela gets the nod vs. Mariners By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | May 31st, 2017 DENVER -- The Rockies and Mariners continue their four-game Interleague home-and-home set with a pair of games in

Seattle. Seattle has not won a series at home against the Rockies since taking two out of three in 2006.

James Paxton is set to come off the disabled list, where he has been since May 5 (retroactive to May 3) with a left forearm

strain. He made a rehab start with Double-A Arkansas on Friday and allowed two runs on five hits while striking out five

and walking none.

"We have to be realistic about expectations for Pax coming back," manager Scott Servais said. "He hasn't been out there

for a while. He certainly was off to a great start. He's been our horse in the rotation. His ability to get deep in games, and

kind of taking the next step in his career. He can dominate games. It means a lot to us to get him back in there."

The Rockies will send rookie Antonio Senzatela to the hill in Seattle. His seven wins are tied for first in the National

League, and his 3.19 ERA is eighth best -- and the lowest in Rockies history through 10 starts. In his last start Friday, he

threw a career-high eight shutout innings against the Cardinals at Coors Field. This will be his first Interleague start.

Things to know about this game

• No active Rockies player has a hit against Paxton. Five Rockies have faced him, and they are a collective 0-for-12

against the left-hander.

• Danny Valencia's 3-for-5 day against the Rockies on Monday raised his career average against Colorado to .529 (9-for-

17), entering play Tuesday.

• Paxton's 95.9 mph average four-seam fastball velocity leads all left-handed starters, and he has used the pitch to great

effect. Batters have missed on 29 percent of their swings against it, the third-highest whiff rate against any starter's four-

seamer.

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‘The Little Prince’ meets ‘King Felix’ By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | May 31st, 2017 DENVER -- Rockies rookie right-hander Antonio Senzatela collected himself for a baseball thrill. But when he met

Mariners star pitcher "King" Felix Hernandez on Tuesday, it became an even bigger rush for Senzatela.

Of course, any young pitcher would be honored to spend time with Hernandez, the 2010 American League Cy Young

Award-winner and a six-time All-Star. But Senzatela grew up in the same hometown as Hernandez -- Valencia,

Venezuela. Yet, at just 22, Senzatela had never met Hernandez, 31.

But Hernandez, who is working his way back from right shoulder bursitis, was aware of Valencia's newest pitching

wonder. Senzatela (7-1, 3.19 ERA) is tied for the National League lead in wins and eighth in ERA. It turned out "King

Felix" was just as happy to meet "The Little Prince," as Rockies teammates are calling Senzatela, with a nod toward

Hernandez.

"It was a dream -- he's my favorite pitcher," said Senzatela, who will start Wednesday night at Safeco Field against the

Mariners and lefty James Paxton. "He was throwing a bullpen while I was playing catch. After he was done, he was

walking to his dugout.

"I said, 'Hey, I'm Antonio.' And he said, 'Hey, you're doing a good job. Keep it going.' I was so happy."

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Deserving Blackmon 2nd in NL All-Star voting By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | May 30th, 2017 DENVER -- Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon's strong start has been noticed, and how can it not be?

Blackmon, who entered Tuesday's game against the Mariners leading the National League in RBIs (46), total bases (135),

triples (7) and multi-hit games (23), has garnered 520,479 fan votes on the Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot. That's

second-most of any National League outfielder, with the leader being top vote-getter Bryce Harper of the Nationals, with

900,079.

The top three outfielders will compose the starting lineup for the 88th All-Star Game presented by MasterCard, July 11 at

Marlins Park in Miami. Blackmon, 30, could make his second appearance in the Midsummer Classic. He went in 2014.

"He's had a great month," Rockies manager Bud Black said. "Charlie, so far this year, statistically, has been one of the

best players in the game. The stats don't lie, in this case for sure. He's done it on the field."

Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado, a two-time All-Star, is second at third base with 392,051 votes. However, the

Cubs' Kris Bryant is the leader at the position by a wide margin, with 632,900 votes. No other Rockies player is in the top

five at his position. Carlos Gonzalez is 15th among outfielders at 117,944.

Fans may cast votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- on computers, tablets and smartphones -- exclusively

online using the 2017 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot until Thursday, June 29, at 9:59 p.m. MT. On smartphones and

tablets, fans can also access the ballot via the MLB.com At Bat and MLB.com Ballpark mobile apps. Vote up to five times

in any 24-hour period for a maximum of 35 ballots cast.

Following the announcement of the 2017 All-Star starters, reserves and pitchers, fans should return to MLB.com and cast

their 2017 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote for the final player on each league's All-Star roster. Then on Tuesday,

July 11, while watching the 2017 All-Star Game presented by MasterCard live on FOX, fans may visit MLB.com to submit

their choices for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet with the 2017 MLB All-Star Game

MVP Vote.

The 88th Midsummer Classic, at Marlins Park in Miami, will be televised nationally by FOX Sports; in Canada by Rogers

Sportsnet and RDS; and worldwide by partners in more than 160 countries. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will

provide exclusive national radio coverage, while MLB Network, MLB.com and SiriusXM will have comprehensive All-Star

Week coverage. For more information about MLB All-Star Week and to purchase tickets, please visit AllStarGame.com

and follow @AllStarGame on social media.

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Blackmon earns Player of the Week honors Rockies leadoff hitter named winner for 1st time in ’17, 5th tinme overall By Jack Baer / MLB.com | May 30th, 2017 DENVER – Rockies After continuing to drive in more runs than any leadoff hitter could be reasonably expected to, Charlie

Blackmon was named the National League Player of the Week for the final week of May on Tuesday.

Blackmon hit .400 (12-for-30) with three homers and 12 RBIs over the course of the week, leading the Rockies to a 5-2

record in series against the Phillies and Cardinals.

That torrid pace pushed Blackmon to second among outfielders in the first round of results for the 2017 Esurance MLB

All-Star Game Ballot, which was released on Tuesday. His 520,479 votes put him behind only the top vote-getter,

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper, on the outfield leaderboard.

"Well-deserved to get this award this week," Rockies manager Bud Black said of Blackmon. "The way he's playing, he's

being talked about nationally, as he deserves. Again, where Charlie is in his game, both at the plate and in the field, it's

showing up each and every day."

Blackmon currently leads the Majors in RBIs with 46, an astonishing feat considering he has worked out of the leadoff

spot in all but one game so far this season. No other hitter in MLB has more than 30 RBIs out of the leadoff spot.

Blackmon also leads the Majors in hits (71) and triples (seven).

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The Tylers, this time Anderson, are struggling again as Rockies fall out of first place in the NL West Anderson and Chatwood, combined, carry a 5.43 ERA this season. By Nick Groke / The Denver Post | May 31st, 2017 DENVER – Kyle Seager’s 433-foot home run in the second inning Tuesday night landed in the corner of the visitor’s

bullpen at Coors Field, over the center-field wall and into the long, evening shadows. Robinson Cano’s homer in the

seventh burrowed within feet of the same spot — as if the Seattle sluggers were playing a game of hardball H-O-R-S-E.

And in losing a second consecutive game for the first time in more than two weeks, the Rockies got belted from multiple

angles. The Mariners’ runaway 10-4 victory to sweep a quickie two-game series in the first half of a home-and-away set

turned into a hard break on the Rockies’ runaway momentum.

For the first time since May 3, the Rockies fell out of first place in the National League West. The Los Angeles Dodgers,

who rallied for a 9-4 victory over the Cardinals in St. Louis, took over the top spot.

“Starting pitching is a critical part of a team’s success,” Colorado manager Bud Black said. “These two games, back to

back, we have not ‘starting pitched’ well. That’s the big reason why we lost these two games.”

The Rockies since the middle of April have been baseball’s darlings of statistical quirks, the outliers at altitude. They have

spent just three days out of first place in a division they have never won. But they traveled to Washington state late

Tuesday night with ground to regain.

Some anxiety surfaced before they left. Tyler Anderson’s five sideways innings Tuesday — he gave up six runs on 11 hits

in a five-inning outburst that included Seager’s longball — became the second worrisome start from the senior members

of Colorado’s rotation. Fellow 27-year-old Tyler Chatwood on Monday allowed six runs on seven hits in an even briefer

outing.

“There really wasn’t much command with anything,” Anderson said.

The Tylers have yet to catch up to their rookie counterparts. Anderson and Chatwood, combined, carry a 5.43 ERA this

season. Colorado’s first-year arms — Antonio Senzatela, Kyle Freeland and German Marquez — have a collective 3.42

ERA. And another excelling rookie, Jeff Hoffman, is lying in wait at Triple-A Albuquerque.

Anderson’s issues pushed him suddenly off course. He entered Tuesday with a 2.55 ERA in three previous May starts,

including a one-run effort over a season-high seven innings last week at Philadelphia.

Against the Mariners, though, after he walked Nelson Cruz to lead off the second inning, Anderson elevated a 91 mph

fastball at the top of the zone that Seager crushed to center field. Then Mike Zunino’s double down the left-field line was

bobbled by Ian Desmond in the corner and Guillermo Heredia scored.

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“Lots of things were up in the zone. I had a hard time throwing, so I had to go middle and hope for the best,” Anderson

said. “But balls in the middle will get hurt a lot.”

The third was equally hurtful. Ben Gamel and Seager looped back-to-back doubles to right field. Seager’s scored two

runs. Heredia knocked in another. And the M’s had a 6-0 lead before the Rockies found their first hit. Anderson got

yanked after five innings. Cano’s leadoff homer in the seventh off reliever Mike Dunn only compounded the chase.

“Just goes to show you,” Anderson said, “no matter what you do, how good or bad you think you are, you have to keep

making pitches. And quality pitches is how you get guys out. You don’t get guys out throwing balls down the middle.

Hitters are too good.”

By the time Carlos Gonzalez doubled to start the fifth inning and DJ LeMahieu blooped in two runs, the Rockies were

deep in a deficit. They scratched just three hits off Seattle veteran lefty Ariel Miranda. The Mariners, a fourth-place team in

the AL West and just 9-20 on the road before their visit to Denver, tacked on three more runs in the ninth off recently

recalled reliever Carlos Estevez.

The Rockies’ three-armed rookie rotation returns Wednesday night at Safeco Field in Seattle, with Senzatela throwing

against the Mariners to start two games there. Freeland follows. Marquez will pitch Friday at San Diego. The kids have a

house to put in order.

“Arguably the most important player on the field is the starting pitcher,” Black said. “If he pitches well, we have a really

good chance to win. It is critical.”

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Kiszla vs. Groke: Is Charlie Blackmon or Greg Holland the Rockies’ most valuable player? In the team’s 25-season history, Colorado has never enjoyed a better record after 50 games By Nick Groke and Mark Kiszla / The Denver Post | May 31st, 2017 Is Charlie Blackmon or Greg Holland the Rockies’ most valuable player?

Kiz: The Rockies are baseball’s happiest story of the young 2017 season. So let’s have a happy argument, my friend. In

the team’s 25-season history, Colorado has never enjoyed a better record after 50 games. What player is most

responsible for that success? Which one has been most valuable? Yes, Nolan Arenado is the team’s best player. But

should we anoint him MVP of the Rockies’ hot start?

Groke: Let me throw some numbers at you, Marky Mark, to muddy the waters. Arenado through Monday has the Rockies’

highest WAR (wins above replacement), according to Baseball Reference. According to Fangraphs, Charlie Blackmon

has the highest WAR. Even the math can’t agree. But the list of worthy MVPs on this Rockies team does not end with the

two of them. Let this be known, though: Blackmon on Tuesday was named the National League player of the week.

Kiz: Manager Bud Black likes to talk about managing the chaos of pitching at Coors Field. The tough job of shutting down

the chaos of a game at altitude, however, often falls to the bullpen. If you ask me, the bullpen is the No. 1 reason the

Rockies have rocked from opening day through Memorial Day. You see where I’m going with this? But I know there are

baseball purists that believe it’s silly to even consider a reliever as MVP.

Groke: I see your gears spinning, Kiz. And allow me to dance for a second. There is a difference between “most valuable”

and “best.” Most valuable is a difficult determination. Everyday players contribute more in raw output. But at Coors Field, a

pitcher has a noticeably difficult job. A case could be made for Kyle Freeland and Antonio Sentzatela being Rox MVPs.

But I won’t make that case.

Kiz: OK, I’m going to do it. My choice for MVP is closer Greg Holland. Here’s why: In a handful of innings, Holland has

changed the whole attitude of the team. More than any other single thing, his shut-down ninth innings have given the

Rockies their swagger. From Andres Galarraga to Blackmon, there have been too many hitting heroes to mention in the

history of the Rockies. What Holland has done as a closer is unprecedented.

Who is the Rockies' MVP after the first two months of the season?

Groke: I hear ya’, but I’m going with Blackmon. He is not only the NL player of the week, he should be NL player of the

month for May too. Black said as much too: “Statistically, he’s been one of the best players in the game,” Black said. “The

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stats don’t lie, in this case for sure. The way he’s playing, he’s being talked about nationally and it’s deserved.” Through

two months, the man who mans the ocean of outfield at Coors Field, Blackmon, is the Rockies’ MVP.

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Adam Ottavino moved to disabled list as Rockies bullpen loses a top-shelf reliever Colorado called up 24-year-old right-hander Carlos Estevez By Nick Groke / The Denver Post | May 30th, 2017 The screws seemed loose on Adam Ottavino’s wipeout slider in recent days. There was a reason. The Rockies’ right-

handed reliever was suffering shoulder inflammation, so on Tuesday the club moved him to the 10-day disabled list.

Colorado called up 24-year-old right-hander Carlos Estevez from Triple-A Albuquerque to take Ottavino’s place.

Ottavino, who underwent Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery in 2015 before returning last season, said this injury,

to his throwing shoulder, is much less serious.

“It’s something I could have worked through,” Ottavino said. “But we decided it was better to put the fire out now.”

In Ottavino’s past three appearances, over 2 1/3 innings, he walked four batters and struck out three. He did not allow a

run over that stretch, but his command was noticeably off, unlike his brief stint as Colorado’s closer in 2015 right before

his elbow ligament surgery.

“I felt like I was pitching without a full deck,” he said. “Last time I tried to pitch through something, I ended up with Tommy

John. I know I’m a big part of this team. But I want to be a big part for the long run.”

Major League Baseball changed its rules before this season to trim the disabled list time from a minimum of 15 days to

10. But even without the shorter time frame, Ottavino said he would have gone to the DL at this point.

“We feel good about our bullpen and depth right now,” Colorado manager Bud Black said. “The other guys will pick up the

slack.”

The Rockies’ bullpen, even with some low-leverage blowups in recent weeks and with half of their games at Coors Field,

have the National League’s eighth-best ERA, at 3.95.

Estevez, who pitched in 14 games for the Rockies earlier this season before he was sent down in early May, has a stellar

1.86 ERA for the Isotopes over 9 2/3 innings. He is allowing fewer than one baserunner per inning, by average, with a

0.93 WHIP (walks and hits per inning).

“The veteran guys told me that earlier this year. It’s gonna happen. Young guys with options will go back and forth,”

Estevez said. “I knew it might happen. So I just stayed within myself and gave the team whatever I can.”

Estevez, who flirted with Colorado’s closer role last season, earning 11 saves, adjusted his mechanics in Triple-A. He was

unwinding too quickly to the plate. Colorado’s pitching coaches slowed down his motion to allow more time to get the ball

out of his glove, he said.

“It wasn’t a big change,” Estevez said. “I left a winning club and I’m coming back to one. So I feel good.”

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Footnotes. Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon on Tuesday was named the National League player of the week after

hitting 12-for-30 (.400) with with three home runs, 12 RBIs and six runs over seven games. It is his fifth weekly award. …

Blackmon is also among the leading vote-getters in the first round of All-Star Game tallies. His 520,479 votes trail only

Washington’s Bryce Harper (900,079) among NL outfielders. The Cubs’ Jason Heyward is third at 344,166. Nolan

Arenado is second among NL third basemen, well behind Chicago’s Kris Bryant. And DJ LeMahieu is fifth among second

basemen.

Looking ahead

Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (7-1, 3.19) at Mariners LHP James Paxton (3-0, 1.43), 8:10 p.m., ROOT, 850 AM

Senzatela tossed eight shutout innings in a victory over the Cardinals last week. And through 10 career games, the

Rockies’ 22-year-old is acing his rookie run. He has a 1.15 WHIP (walks and hits per inning) and his 156 ERA-plus (a

park-adjusted stat by Baseball Reference where 100 is average) is the best among the Rockies’ rotation. One oddity has

surfaced: Despite a rather low strikeout total, Senzatela has been Coors Field-proof. His numbers are nearly the same

home and away. Paxton, meanwhile, will return to the injury-depleted Mariners rotation after missing nearly a month with

a left forearm injury.

Thursday: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (5-3, 3.43) at Mariners RHP Yovani Gallardo (2-5, 5.76), 2:40 p.m., ROOT

Friday: Rockies RHP German Marquez (4-2, 3.76) at Padres LHP Clayton Richard (3-6, 4.33), 8:10 p.m., ROOT

Saturday: Rockies RHP Tyler Chatwood (4-7, 5.04) at Padres RHP Jhoulys Chacin (4-4, 5.77), 8:10 p.m., ROOT

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Kiszla: Don’t call them Cinderella, unless you want the Rockies to throw a glass slipper at you Despite the best start in 25 seasons as a major-league frnachise, the Rockies have their issues. By Nick Groke / The Denver Post | May 30th, 2017 For the first time in nearly a month, Cinderella fell out of first place.

Carlos Gonzalez doesn’t like the sound of that, if only because he doesn’t believe the Rockies are a Cinderella story.

“In every movie, I guess there has to be a favorite and a villain and a Cinderella,” Gonzalez said Tuesday night, when the

Rockies got thumped 10-4 by Seattle and fell out of first place in the National League West for the first time since the

morning of May 3. “But I will leave it to the fans and people who follow the game to give us whatever name they want to

give us. It’s not going to change anything. We’re still going out there to compete, and maybe compete harder than other

teams.”

The Los Angeles Dodgers, who horde baseball talent the way Jay Leno collects antique cars, are the villain here (in

Denver, at least). They are the big blue beast. They have won the division every year since 2013. At $245 million, their

payroll ranks No. 1 in the major leagues. They spend nearly twice as much on players as the Rockies do.

But here’s one way major-league baseball is way better than the NBA.

Clayton Kershaw is not LeBron James.

“In basketball, if you have LeBron James, you’re probably going to win, because he’s going to dominate the game,”

Gonzalez said. “In baseball, you might have a player like Mike Trout, who has been dominating the game for four or five

years, but he’s not getting a championship, because he’s only one player. One player doesn’t carry a team in baseball like

one player can in the NBA.”

So CarGo is saying there’s a chance.

“I think what baseball teaches you is it’s not like pro football or the NBA, when you know which teams are good and are

going to dominate,” Gonzalez said.

Despite the best start in 25 seasons as a major-league franchise, the Rockies have their issues. The pitching of

starter Tyler Chatwood has been vexing. The mediocre 15-13 record at Coors Field is puzzling. But perhaps most

concerning of all, the NL West has fangs. It’s the toughest division in baseball. The Dodgers aren’t going away, and

the Arizona Diamondbacks seem to think those glass slippers fit them better than the Rockies.

While the playoff race in baseball has barely reached a simmer, the NBA Finals between Golden State and Cleveland

begin this week in a showdown that seems as if it was preordained since before Steph Curry splashed his first 3-point

jumper of the season.

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While analysts that critically dissect Antonio Senzatela’s reliance on a limited pitching repertoire wait for the Rockies to fall

back to earth, Colorado can have real hope, because the game of baseball is determined by well-located fastballs and

timely hits to the opposite field, rather than superstars that form super teams (NBA) or a rule book slanted in favor of Tom

Brady (NFL).

“Baseball is more unpredictable because it’s more complicated. In baseball, you can have a Kershaw on the mound and

think there’s no doubt he’s going to win a game, then he ends up losing and having a bad day,” Gonzalez said. “It so easy

to be inconsistent in baseball. That’s why you can’t pick a favorite.”

Don’t look now. But here comes June. And June has often spelled doom for the Rockies , crushing playoff dreams before

they had a chance to really take root and grow.

The next month is when the Rockies must prove they mean serious business, both to a football-crazy city and franchise

ownership. Hanging around first place will bring 40,000 fans on a regular basis to Coors Field, and the real miracle would

be if sound of their cheering voices actually persuades management to trade for a veteran starting pitcher to provide a

steady hand for the young arms of Kyle Freeland and Senzatela in the heat of a playoff race.

For good reason, baseball fans around here are afraid to trust the Rockies as real. But the Rockies aren’t scared of the

Dodgers, Chicago Cubs or any of the teams that are supposed to represent the National League in the World Series.

“It takes a lot of people to win in baseball, man. It’s not like any other sport,” Gonzalez said. “At the end of the day, you’re

going to need a good group to win in baseball. And I know we have a good group.”

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Rockies’ Jordan Lyles adjusting his pitching repertoire Lyles is ditching his sinking in favor of a four-seam fastball that he can use to get ahead in counts and allow batters to put in play. It’s working By Bryan Kilpatrick / Purple Row | May 31st, 2017 DENVER—It has been a tough season so far for Colorado Rockies reliever Jordan Lyles. The 26-year-old right-hander

enters play on Wednesday with a 6.94 ERA and has often been the top scapegoat when the team’s bullpen struggles.

Fortunately for Lyles and the Rockies, bullpen woes these days come fewer and farther between than they did in 2016.

The bulk of Lyles’ work has come in extreme low-leverage situations, so it hasn’t affected the team much in terms of wins

and losses. It has, however, created a seemingly unshakeable reputation for Lyles as a pitcher who can’t be trusted to

take the ball even in lopsided games.

Lyles has allowed two or more earned runs in seven of his 16 appearances this year. On several occasions, he’s allowed

the opposing team to get back into games to the point where star closer Greg Holland has had to vulture saves. Lyles’

issues on the field—perhaps compounded by the fact that he was acquired in a deal that sent the beloved Dexter Fowler

out of town—are almost always met with tweetstorms and article comments from frustrated fans.

Lyles knows all of that, and he expects better of himself.

“From a personal standpoint, the start of the season couldn’t have been much worse,” Lyles told Purple Row after pitching

a scoreless inning last Friday.

Fortunately, winning made things better. Despite Lyles’ 10.03 ERA in April, the Rockies played pretty good baseball and

entered May with a 16-10 record.

“My teammates have picked me up after my bad outings, and being on a winning team, the personal stuff doesn’t affect

you as much,” Lyles said. “So I’m just keeping my head level.”

Lyles’ approach—keeping a level head and making it a point to bounce back from his early season woes—has paid off in

May. The seventh-year big leaguer owns a 3.86 ERA this month thanks to his resilience—plus a few adjustments on the

mound.

“[I’m] not throwing the sinker as much,” Lyles said. “Less movement, try to keep it over the plate.”

That’s a bold strategy—“I don't know [why] any pitcher would want to create less movement; that seems contradictory to

what you want to do,” Rockies manager Bud Black said—but in a small sample, it has paid off. Lyles in recent outings has

backed off of his sinker in favor of higher four-seam usage. The difference in results has been staggering:

May 11 vs. Dodgers (21⁄3 innings, 4 hits, 2 runs): 8 two-seam fastballs

May 19 at Reds (2 innings, 4 hits, 3 runs): 12 two-seam fastballs

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May 23-29 (4 games, 41⁄3 total innings, no runs): 4 total two-seam fastballs

“At the end of the day, my role is to get quick outs. That’s it.”

The danger in Lyles’ recent approach is that he’s generating fewer swings and misses; he’s down from 11.2 percent—

slightly above the league-average figure of 10.2—through May 19 to 8.6 percent over his last four appearances. As a

result, Lyles has just one strikeout during that time.

But as long as he avoids creating traffic, Lyles seems okay with the diminished whiff rate.

“I just want to keep guys off base and not walk them,” Lyles said. “I just have to get outs at the end of the day.”

It’s worth noting that Lyles, results wise, experienced periods of success with a similar profile as a reliever last season.

The wheels came off a bit in September, but in his first 25 appearances out of the bullpen in 2016, Lyles posted a 2.67

ERA despite striking out only 15 batters in 301⁄3 innings. Limiting walks was key: Lyles’ walk rate during that stretch was

7.8 percent, better than the league average of 8.2.

He’s continued that this season, boasting an impressively low 4.9 percent walk rate. He just has to keep staying out of

hitter’s counts and remain confident in an approach that has suited him well in the past. (And one that, by the way, has

allowed the Rockies to have a pair of National League Rookie of the Year candidates in their rotation.)

Black continuing to pick and choose spots for Lyles to succeed will help, and the first-year Rockies manager isn’t showing

any signs of backing off of the volatile reliever, in whom he still sees great potential.

“He's got good stuff,” Black said. “We’ve seen the velocity in the mid to upper 90s. We've seen the secondary pitches

show up on the scouting scale as plus pitches.”

“What I've encouraged him to do lately is pitch regardless of the score,” the skipper continued. “Man, you've got to use

your pitches and you've got to get outs.”

Starting catcher Tony Wolters echoed Black’s sentiments on the younger-than-you-think Lyles, expressing confidence in

his teammate.

“Jordan's doing really well,” Wolters said. “He's making adjustments, executing pitches, and believing in his stuff. He has a

really good four-seam [fastball] and he’s going to get guys out with it.”

As long as the Rockies keep winning, Lyles will continue receiving opportunities to get better. Bigger tests, such as getting

back to more multiple-inning appearances, will come. The role of a long reliever—someone who can eat innings with even

moderate effectiveness—is big for a team like the Rockies that employs multiple rookie starters and a young rotation

overall. Lyles wants to be that. He relishes being part of the club’s newfound success.

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“This is season No. 4 for me over here. My first three seasons in the major leagues were also losing seasons by a wide

margin, so winning is a breath of fresh air,” Lyles said. “Those personal things—my bad start to the season—don’t weigh

on me as much, and winning makes it easier for me to just go out there and get outs.”

“The other 24 guys in here know what I can do, and they've been great to me,” Lyles continued. “I want to be great for

them.”

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Colorado Rockies: Bud Black talks baseball’s unwritten code, showboating By Kevin Henry / RoxPile | May 31st, 2017 On Monday afternoon, a brawl took center stage in Major League Baseball. On Tuesday afternoon, Bud Black,

manager of the Colorado Rockies and former Major League pitcher, talked about some of baseball’s unwritten

rules.

Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals and Hunter Strickland of the San Francisco Giants both drew

suspensions for their role in Monday’s melee in San Francisco. The fisticuffs drew national attention and were still being

discussed on Tuesday afternoon as the Rockies and Seattle Mariners prepared to play at Coors Field.

One of the things that reportedly sparked the feud was Harper hitting two homers off Strickland in 2014 and doing more

than just running around the bases after. Some jawing and not-so-friendly looks accompanied the long balls. That was

almost three years before Monday’s fiasco.

During his 15-year career, Black gave up 217 homers. I asked him if he still remembered some of the reactions of the

batters after they launched a homer off one of his pitches.

“Do I still have a visual? Yeah, I still have a couple of visuals,” Black smiled. “It depends on what your definition of

showboating is. Some guys when a pitcher or hitter does something, they say, ‘That’s not showboating.’ Other guys, you

do one little thing and that might be showboating. I think the showboating is in the eye of the beholder.”

Monday’s fight has already brought up baseball’s “unwritten code,” kept between players as part of a special fraternity.

One of the codes is keeping the celebration at the plate to a minimum. It’s one of the reasons why the bat flips that Jose

Bautista loves to do after homers has drawn so much attention.

So has the unwritten code changed as the game of baseball has changed?

“I think it has in some ways, sure,” Black said. “I think that happens from generation to generation. I still think there are

some traditional unwritten rules or codes that will last a lifetime in our game.”

It’s now apparent that Strickland held a grudge against Harper for hitting those homers in 2014. Does Black hold a grudge

against a former opponent at the plate?

“There’s this kid in Little League…” Black smiled.

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Colorado Rockies: Charlie Blackmon named NL Player of the Week By Kevin Henry / RoxPile | May 31st, 2017 Charlie Blackmon is having an All-Star type of season for the Colorado Rockies. Apparently the rest of Major

League Baseball is taking note.

Blackmon was named as the National League Player of the Week on Tuesday. It’s the third time Blackmon has earned

the honor in the last calendar year. In his last 10 games, Chuck Nazty has posted a .372 average with four homers and 15

RBI.

The 30-year-old center fielder entered Tuesday’s game against the Seattle Mariners leading the National League with 46

RBI. He is also tied for sixth in the National League (with teammate Mark Reynolds and others) with 13 homers. Those

numbers go along with a .329 average and four stolen bases.

All are impressive statistics, but RBI could be the most eye-popping of the bunch, especially considering that Blackmon

serves as the leadoff man for the Rockies. However, this season, he has not only served as the catalyst to get on base for

teammates like Nolan Arenado and DJ LeMahieu. He has also brought home runners from the bottom of the order who

are getting on more and being advanced into scoring position by the pitcher.

Blackmon’s hottest game during his recent 10-game streak came in Philadelphia on May 23 when he belted a pair of

homers and drove in four during Colorado’s 8-2 win over the Phillies.

While he is having an All-Star-caliber season, Blackmon has received the second-highest number of votes for a National

League outfielder in the first All-Star Game voting result release. Blackmon earned more than 520,000 votes while

Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper leads the category with just over 900,000 votes.

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Whether he’s hitting or not, it’s all about winning for Carlos Gonzalez By Aniello Piro / Mile High Sports | May 31st, 2017 The Colorado Rockies are in the midst of their best start in franchise history. Boasting a 33-21 record, the Rockies have

dominated the league in numerous aspects through the first quarter of the 2017 season.

However, while the Rockies have been firing on all cylinders, cornerstone outfielder Carlos Gonzalez has not. So far this

season, Gonzalez is hitting a mere .240 with just four home runs and 17 RBIs. For much of the 2017 campaign, CarGo

has struggled to establish consistency at the plate, but that does not mean he is not capable of flipping the switch at any

given moment.

“What I tell myself all the time is when I go 0-for-4 or whatever is it’s not the first or last time it’s going to happen,”

Gonzalez said. “If you play this game long enough, you are going to go 0-for-4 a lot, so you have to either understand how

to deal with it or be miserable for your entire career. So I choose to deal with it every day. When you’re doing bad, that’s

fine; it’s not the first time or last time it’s going to happen, but I know there’s going to be some really good games in front

of me, so that’s what motivates me every day. That’s why I put the jersey [on] every day. I want to do well. I want to be a

good player for this franchise.”

Recently, CarGo has started to turn a corner at the plate. Since May 11th, Gonzalez is batting .324 (23-for-71) with

seven doubles and two home runs, a good sign for the struggling veteran.

“I think I can hit a little bit,” Gonzalez said with a chuckle. “Baseball is tough, hitting is tough. You’re going to go through

ups and downs. Obviously, I had a slow start, but that doesn’t determine what kind of player I am.”

While 2017 has been filled with peaks and valleys for the 31-year-old free agent to be, winning is all that matters in his

mind, something the Rockies have been doing a lot more of this year as opposed to years past. Winning is the center of

everything for CarGo. Whether or not he’s with the Rockies organization following this season in unknown, but how the

team finishes will likely dictate his future.

“We want to win games,” Gonzalez said. “Whatever your personal numbers [are], it doesn’t matter. You could hit 0-for-4 or

5-for-5; of course, someone is going to point and say ‘hey you had a great game,’ but I think the biggest things is winning,

and when you are winning everything looks good, even when you don’t play well it looks good. So why change that? I

think that’s the one number you have to care about most, is trying to get that win at the end of the day.”

The Rockies greatest trait so far this season has been their ability to continuously win despite the fluctuation in individual

player performance and injuries. Already this season, Colorado has been dealt a handful of obstacles that they have

overcome. From losing key players in Chad Bettis, Jon Gray, Ian Desmond and David Dahl early in the season to owning

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the youngest starting rotation in the National League, the Rockies have been forced to adapt as the season has

progressed and have thrived during the process.

“This is a strong team from top to bottom; we have been saying this for a long time: If you want to be a good team, it takes

more than one or two guys,” Gonzalez explained. “It takes all the way from the front office, GM, ownership, everybody on

the same page trying to win a championship, so I think that’s where we are heading, and we are playing good baseball.”

The Rockies club as a whole is strong, with the addition of Bud Black being the glue that holds everything together. Since

his arrival, Black’s ability to instill a winning culture within Colorado’s clubhouse has been the single biggest difference

maker this season. Black’s chemistry with his players, pitchers most importantly, has allowed the Rockies to take their

game to new heights, even when cornerstones like Gonzalez slump.

Right now, Colorado is playing with an added confidence that has been lacking within the organization for some time. The

winning mentality within the clubhouse has become contagious with every player, coach, and front office executive having

bought into the “win now” mindset.

“Everybody is picking each other up,” Gonzalez said. “When I wasn’t hitting everybody was doing it, so right now I’m

helping a little bit offensively. We do the same thing defensively. I think that’s what it’s all about. You have to play as a

team and try to do the best you can wherever they put you … Just keep pushing for yourself, keep pushing for your

teammates and a lot of good things happen.”

A lot of good things have happened for the Rockies in 2017. While there is still more than one-third of the season left to

play, there is no denying that this Rockies team has the potential to make some noise in the National League. While guys

like Gonzalez, Trevor Story and others have struggled so far in 2017, it should give the Rockies organization all the more

confidence that their team can be even better when they bounce back to form.

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Pin the Rockies’ latest losses on the starting pitching By Casey Light / Mile High Sports | May 31st, 2017 The Colorado Rockies have fallen out of first place in the NL West after dropping a pair of games at Coors Field to the

Seattle Mariners. In each of those losses, the starting pitcher struggled with command.

In Tuesday’s 10-4 loss, Tyler Anderson surrendered six runs on 11 hits over five innings. The day prior, Tyler

Chatwood also gave up six runs, but could not complete five.

“I think a big part of our success this year has been the starting pitching,” Rockies manager Bud Black said in Tuesday’s

postgame press conference. “These two games back to back, we have not starting pitched well. And that’s the big reason

why we’ve lost these two games.”

About Anderson’s performance on Tuesday, he was straightforward. The lefty simply left too many pitches up in the strike

zone.

“Too much stuff, well, up in the strike zone. I think the goal is to throw in the strike zone to get strikes – or give the

impression that when you release the ball it’s a strike, and then maybe [throw it] out of the strike zone. Today, I think that

he was in the strike zone ‘up’ when he needed to be ‘down,’ and I think overall his command was lacking pretty much

throughout the game with all his pitches.”

Anderson threw 87 pitches in the game, 60 for strikes. He struck out three and walked two. Both of those walks came in

the second inning and eventually scored.

On Monday, Chatwood walked three and hit one batter. Three of those four baserunners made their way across home

plate.

In the five instances this year where the Rockies have lost consecutive games, Chatwood has been involved each time,

and Anderson has been involved three times.

The lack of command is disconcerting for Chatwood and Anderson, who last year were the only two starting pitchers on

the Rockies roster to post ERAs below 4.00. So far in 2017, Chatwood’s carrying a 5.04 ERA, while Anderson comes in at

5.85, the worst among Colorado’s starters.

Despite the struggles from Chatwood and Anderson, the Rockies are currently in second place in the NL West thanks to

superb efforts so far by a group of rookie starters.

Antonio Senzatela has come out of nowhere to go 7-1 with a 3.19 ERA. Hometown hero Kyle Freeland has been nearly

as good at 5-3 and 3.43. German Marquez has gone 4-2 with a 3.76 ERA since joining the rotation in late April. And Jeff

Hoffman has been strong, going 2-0 with a 3.29 ERA in two spot starts.

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Black will call on Senzatela on Wednesday in Seattle to get the Rockies back into the win column and the starting pitching

headed back in the right direction.

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Black and Bridich face brutal decisions on Rox roster without enough spots By Will Petersen / Mile High Sports | May 30th, 2017 Some problems are good ones.

But that doesn’t mean they aren’t still problems.

Even though the Rockies have lost four of six games, they still are the most intriguing they’ve been since 2010. This team

could very well be playing Rocktober baseball.

The problem? It may not be this team.

There is a fairly good chance Jeff Bridich and Bud Black have to make a number of big decisions over the summer that

will change the makeup of this team. Let’s hope they push the right buttons.

Sure, the jersey on the front will still say Rockies, but the name on the back may change for five or six guys.

Major roster decisions are on deck.

The most obvious – and frankly the most important – choices come in the rotation. The last 48 hours have been flat out

ugly for the Tylers (Chatwood and Anderson), and their starting spots are at risk.

Jon Gray is out of his boot, and Jeff Hoffman is beating down the Triple-A door for a roster spot in the majors. Heck, he’s

even had a cup of coffee with the big league team this year, and he’s chugged down the straight black stuff. How he

hasn’t stuck is a mystery.

Throw in Chad Bettis recovering from testicular cancer – and the Rockies may feasibly have eight guys for five spots

come August.

Again, this a luxurious spot to be in, but it’s still a tough one. Bridich and Black have to put the best 25 on the roster while

also maintaining the chemistry of the team. It’s not difficult to see this group is clicking right now.

The ‘problems’ – again that’s what they are in a weird way – don’t stop with the starters.

The Rox have major questions at left field, right field, shortstop, first base and catcher.

Good questions, but questions nonetheless.

Where does David Dahl fit in when he returns? Some folks on Twitter will tell you he’s the best prospect in franchise

history. That seems a bit hyperbolic – but how do you possibly stunt the growth of a guy with that much potential once

he’s healthy?

In right (or wherever he plays), Gerardo Parra is on fire. No one can argue he shouldn’t be playing over Carlos

Gonzalez right now. Gonzalez has the bigger name – other than that Parra has proven to be a more valuable commodity

in every measurable trait.

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The shortstop position has similar questions. Trevor Story is the obvious pick to play each day, but both Alexi

Amarista and Pat Valaika are better options right now. Both those guys may not be on the team in the coming months –

whichever one survives likely won’t see nearly as many at-bats as he should.

At first base, it’s unclear if Mark Reynolds can keep up his torrid pace (signs he’s slowing have already emerged), but for

now he’s pretty much always out there. That’s pushing the expensive Ian Desmond to the outfield and Parra to the bench

– a problem that will only compound when Dahl is healthy.

At catcher, the Rockies have four big-league guys in the system, but only two roster spots. Tony Wolters is secure, but

after that it’s a battle royale between Ryan Hanigan, Tom Murphy and Dustin Garneau for the second spot.

Some talk about Murphy like they talk about Dahl. So, when he’s healthy, Murphy probably makes his way to 20th and

Blake. That’s a tough break for Hanigan and Garneau.

Head spinning yet?

Imagine being one of the two men tasked with making these decisions.

The Rockies have 30-plus guys worthy of being on the top squad, but the MLB has this funny little rule that you can only

carry 25 until September 1.

The key (as mentioned) will be putting the best guys on the team, while making sure the clubhouse stays the healthiest

it’s been in a long time.

Some problems are good.

That doesn’t mean finding a solution isn’t tricky.

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With Mike Trout out, Charlie Blackmon is baseball’s best center fielder By Jerry Crasnick / ESPN | May 30th, 2017 CHARLIE BLACKMON, THE Colorado Rockies' leadoff hitter, center fielder and Renaissance man-in-residence, believes

it's possible to dedicate himself to his profession without becoming a one-dimensional, cardboard cutout of a human

being. So he likes to carve a chunk out of his offseason and explore far-flung locales in the name of self-fulfillment.

A few years ago, Blackmon jetted off to the east coast of Australia. The following winter, he grabbed a backpack and

passed through London, Paris, Nice, Rome, Barcelona, Amsterdam and Frankfurt on a three-week jaunt before returning

home to Georgia. He slept in hostels and experienced what he calls the "whole college, walkabout thing" at age 28.

"I don't want to be narrow-minded," Blackmon says. "I think it's good to broaden your horizons a little bit, gain some

perspective and interact with people who have completely different backgrounds than you. I think it's made me a better

person and helped me appreciate my life more."

Whether abroad or at home -- like the time he traveled to Idaho in the offseason to film a hunting show -- Blackmon is free

to indulge his wanderlust in anonymity. As the Rockies bust out this year and sit a half-game behind Los Angeles in the

National League West with a 33-21 record, the best center fielder in baseball (non-Mike Trout division) isn't even the

biggest story in his own clubhouse.

Early media accounts of the Rockies' surprising breakout have focused on new manager Bud Black's positive influence, a

precocious starting rotation led by rookies Antonio Senzatela and Kyle Freeland, and Greg Holland's rebirth as a

shutdown closer. And any conversation about Colorado's potent lineup is likely to begin with All-Stars Nolan

Arenado and Carlos Gonzalez before making reference to Blackmon and 2016 National League batting champion DJ

LeMahieu.

Producing at leadoff

With 46 RBIs in the No. 1 spot, Charlie Blackmon is on track to become the seventh leadoff hitter with at least 90 RBIs in

a season.

SEASON PLAYER RBIS

2000 Darin Erstad 100

2002 Alfonso Soriano 99

1997 Nomar Garciaparra 98

2011 Jacoby Ellsbury 97

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SEASON PLAYER RBIS

2004 Johnny Damon 91

2008 Grady Sizemore 90

Source: ESPN Stats & Information

But Blackmon's fingerprints are all over the Rockies' fast start. He leads the National League with 72 hits, eight triples and

138 total bases, and his .457 batting average with runners in scoring position has put him on pace to join Darin Erstad of

the 2000 Anaheim Angels as the only leadoff man in MLB history to drive in 100 runs. It's going to take some serious

regression or a barrage of anti-Coors Field sentiment to deprive Blackmon of his second career All-Star appearance in

July.

"There's an everyday performance that shows up," Black says. "He's durable. He brings a workmanlike attitude every day

that I think we all see and admire. It's the pregame routine. He doesn't give away at-bats. He grinds from pitch one to the

last pitch of the game both on defense and at the plate. He's engaged during the game. There are so many intangibles. It

rubs off on guys. He's such a big part of our group."

Rockies-watchers who are paying close attention will see more than a player who's finally blossoming at age 30.

Blackmon has a bachelor's degree in finance and an affinity for chess and other strategy games. He's an ardent fly

fisherman, a skilled juggler and an engaging tweeter who dispenses entertaining insights under the moniker

@Chuck_Nazty.

Peer beyond the massive beard, the eye black and the shades, and you'll find a player with a "most interesting man in the

baseball world" quality.

"My friends don't know what kind of person I am on the field. I'm a completely different person, I think, and this

look very much reflects how I try to play the game."

Charlie Blackmon

"Charlie walks to the beat of his own drum, there's no question," says broadcaster Cory Sullivan, a former Rockies

outfielder. "But he's brilliant. He sees the game of baseball from a different perspective. He can remove himself from it

and be really objective and think, 'What can I do to make the people around me better?' It's like a meta-awareness that

not many people have."

THE PEOPLE WHO interact with Blackmon on a daily basis say he has a flair for sarcasm reminiscent of former Rockies

great Todd Helton -- minus the trademark grumpiness that Helton so assiduously cultivated through the years.

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"Charlie is very quick-witted," says Rockies broadcaster Ryan Spilborghs, Blackmon's teammate in Colorado in 2011. "He

has a math, economics brain about him. Basically, he's a left-handed pitcher in a left-handed outfielder's body."

Blackmon's playful side was evident during a recent television broadcast, when he grabbed the microphone from Sullivan,

turned a postgame interview sideways and then winked to the camera as he threw it back to postgame hosts Jeff Huson

and Jenny Cavnar in the studio.

Blackmon owes some of his wry sense of humor and well-rounded personality to his parents, Myron and Ellen, who

supported him in his athletic endeavors while making sure he and his sister, Katie, adhered to high academic standards.

Myron works for a business services company that does consulting work for payroll and human resources, and Ellen was

an algebra teacher. They passed along their distaste for shortcuts to their two children. Charlie and Katie received praise

if they scored well on a test, but they also had to review the mistakes that made the difference between a 95 and a 100

before moving on to the next challenge.

Athletics were a constant in the Blackmon household in suburban Atlanta. When Charlie wasn't pitching or playing the

outfield, he was a left-handed catcher and shortstop on the Little League team that Myron coached. He dabbled in soccer,

basketball and football before approaching his parents as a high school junior and announcing his intention to focus

strictly on baseball.

"As a little kid, Charlie loved anything physical," Myron says. "His first word was 'ball.' I know that for a fact, because I was

there when he said it."

Blackmon gravitated to Georgia Tech, where he converted from pitcher to outfielder and received a $563,000 signing

bonus as a second-round pick in the 2008 draft. But in the minor leagues, he was always behind someone else in the

prospect pecking order. First it was Tim Wheeler and Kyle Parker. Then he graduated to the majors and waited in line

behind Tyler Colvin. It took a 6-for-6 game against the Arizona Diamondbacks and a .374 April in 2014 for Blackmon to

finally stake his claim to a full-time job.

"He earned his opportunity, and once he got it, he's never relinquished it." Spilborghs says. "He's gone through his

thought process where he's always asking himself, 'What do I need to do to get better?' If you ask him, he'll tell you that

his career is a small window, and [he] doesn't want to leave anything to chance."

Blackmon's minus-6 defensive runs saved in center field this season could use some improvement, and he and his fellow

Rockies hitters will always be under scrutiny because of the gaudy stats they compile at mile-high altitude. Blackmon has

a career .931 OPS at home compared to .727 on the road. But the Coors Field factor was negligible last year when he hit

17 of his 29 homers on the road and logged a .926 OPS in away games compared to .939 in Denver.

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If Blackmon's personal history is any indication, he'll continue to attack each weakness with tunnel vision. One year he

arrived in the Cactus League and decreed that he would improve his two-strike approach. Another spring, he willed

himself to run deeper counts and see more pitches.

This season, he set his mind to doing a better job of minimizing the down times and bouncing back from failure.

"If I make a bad play or don't have a good at-bat, I want to immediately get rid of that and become a good productive

player right after that happens," he says. "I'm not going to let that drag me down for the rest of the game."

Charlie Blackmon has been as good at plating runs from the leadoff slot as scoring them himself. Eric Hartline/USA

Today Sports

BLACKMON WAS JUST another wholesome, clean-cut American kid until the 2013 season, when he watched

the Boston Red Sox win the World Series with some gnarly beards and developed a kinship with the group from afar. The

Tom Hanks-in-"Castaway'' look was a bit of a rebellious statement at the beginning, but it has come to embody the

mindset he adopts between the lines.

"I enjoy it because it makes me feel competitive," Blackmon says. "My friends don't know what kind of person I am on the

field. I'm a completely different person, I think, and this look very much reflects how I try to play the game. Focus.

Intensity. Competitive desire. That kind of stuff."

At a rangy 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, Blackmon gives off the vibe of a left-handed Jayson Werth. So which outfielder

wears it better? Rockies outfielder Ian Desmond, who spent five years playing alongside Werth in Washington, gives a

slight nod to the Colorado-based werewolf.

"Jayson's going to be pissed that I'm saying this, but Charlie, for sure," Desmond says. "I just like the mullet. I mean,

Jayson started it. He laid the groundwork for everyone with the beards, no doubt. But Charlie wears his really well. He's

got a little more flow to his too. He's a center fielder who's diving all over the place."

Rockies fans celebrate Blackmon's hustle during home games when he steps in the batter's box to the accompaniment of

the 1985 pop single "Your Love" by The Outfield. As the refrain "I don't want to lose your love tonight" blares over the

public address system, the volume goes down and the home crowd belts out the word "Tonight!" in unison. It's the most

interactive fan bonding experience at Coors Field since Rockies fans were doing the Troy Tulowitzki "Tulo" chant.

Myron and Ellen Blackmon have enjoyed watching the spectacle while taking a sabbatical from their lives in Georgia.

They've spent April and May in Denver and plan to return to watch the Rockies during the stretch drive and (they hope)

the playoffs.

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Having seen the obstacles that Blackmon overcame to reach this point, his parents are especially proud of his work ethic,

his grounded reaction to success and his ability to inspire and energize his teammates. They're even on board with the

long hair and that voluminous, mountain-man beard.

"The only person in our family who doesn't like it is Charlie's grandmother -- Ellen's mom," Myron said. "She's never going

to get there. But everybody else has figured out, 'Oh well. That's kind of his trademark -- his brand.' That's his personality,

and it works really well in Colorado.

"It's still Charlie under there."

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Baseball’s Unlikely, League-Leading Leadoff Man By Ben Lindbergh / The Ringer | May 31st, 2017 Charlie Blackmon’s RBI onslaught started in the seventh inning of the Rockies-Brewers game on Opening Day. With one

out and the bases loaded, the Rockies center fielder drilled what looked like a double-play grounder to Orlando Arcia at

short. Arcia flipped it to Jonathan Villar for the second out, but Villar bobbled the ball on the transfer and couldn’t complete

the turn. Mark Reynolds scored from third, and Blackmon was safe at first, awarded with his first RBI of the season. Since

then, he’s added 45 more.

The RBI’s battle for analytical value is long since decided: The run batted in, for decades a prominent method of player

evaluation, has become a statistical curiosity prized by only players, salary arbitrators, fantasy owners, and fans who

haven’t moved on from old-school stats. Nowadays, we take notice only when a player has an extraordinary number of

RBIs, on either the high or the low end. Last year, Orioles backup catcher Caleb Joseph briefly became a player people

had heard of when he set a single-season record for at-bats and plate appearances without an RBI. (He finally got back

on the board with a two-run homer on April 29 of this season.) And through the first two months of this season, Blackmon

is pursuing his own freak RBI accomplishment, albeit one without the stigma of Joseph’s streak.

Blackmon, who’s hitting .329/.364/.625 with 13 home runs and an MLB-high eight triples, is also leading the big leagues

with 46 RBIs. That puts him on pace for 138, which would be the most any hitter has had since 2013. But that’s not the

strange part. The strange part is that Blackmon bats leadoff.

The primary reason the RBI has lost its privileged position is its failure to consider context: It makes no adjustment for

where a player hits in the lineup or who hits ahead of him, two factors that significantly skew hitters’ totals. That context is

also what makes Blackmon’s start so surprising. Because leadoff hitters are guaranteed at least one plate appearance per

game with no runners on — and because they come up after low-OBP players thereafter, particularly in the NL, where the

pitcher hits eighth or ninth — it’s harder for them to drive in runs than it is for anyone else. The graph below shows the

average number of runners on each base when NL hitters have come to the plate over the past seven-plus seasons,

broken down by batting-order position.

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On average, NL leadoff hitters have had 0.43 runners on base when their plate appearance started. Hitters in non-leadoff

lineup slots have averaged 0.62 runners on base, led by cleanup hitters with 0.68. Admittedly, leadoff hitters make more

plate appearances, period — Blackmon is tied for the major league lead — but that huge runners-on disadvantage explains

why we almost never see leadoff hitters touch triple-digit RBI totals, let alone lead the league. Since 1974, when

FanGraphs’ splits by batting order begin, only Darin Erstad has driven in 100 runs in a season while batting leadoff, and

only 11 leadoff hitters have come within 50 runs of the major league RBI lead.

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Faced with those obstacles, Blackmon — a very good player, but not quite an elite one — has benefited from a confluence

of circumstances that have helped him pull off the improbable through the first third of the season.

The Coors Effect

Whenever a Rockies hitter does something special, the reflexive response is “Coors Field.” It’s not an unfair explanation:

Coors remains by far the most inflated offensive environment in baseball, increasing scoring by 18 percent relative to the

league average. More runs, quite clearly, means more runs batted in. It’s no coincidence that the Rockies’ Nolan Arenado

led the majors in RBIs in each of the past two seasons.

That said, Blackmon’s RBI run is extreme even by Rockies standards. He already owns the franchise record for RBIs by a

leadoff batter, which he set last season, when he tied the Tigers’ Ian Kinsler for the major league lead with 82. At the pace

he’s played at thus far, he would blow by that mark with months left to go.

Moreover, the Rockies’ offense isn’t so strong: After park adjustments, it ranked 27th in production per plate appearance

entering play Tuesday. Granted, the team trailed only the Nationals in runs scored (thanks, Coors), but the lineup is top-

heavy: Blackmon has been the Rockies’ best hitter, and the bottom of the lineup — the hitters who bat before Blackmon

when he’s not leading off the game — doesn’t stand out. Even with the Coors effect, the Rockies’ on-base percentages out

of the seventh, eighth, and ninth slots were only six points better, three points worse, and 19 points worse, respectively,

than the NL average for those lineup positions when Tuesday’s games began.

The Leadoff Revolution

As my colleague Zach Kram chronicled in March, teams are getting a little more liberal in their understanding of what

constitutes a leadoff hitter. No longer is the leadoff slot limited to speedy, high-average hitters who steal bases; power

hitters are welcome, too. Last year, Blackmon launched 29 homers and saw his stolen-base total fall from 43 to 17. In an

earlier era, that might have gotten him bumped down in the lineup to a more traditional slugging slot. Today, he gets to

stay, enabling his anomalous start to the season.

The leadoff revolution has hit some snags so far: After setting some all-time offensive highs last season, leadoff hitters

have been well below league average at the plate in 2017. (The Cubs’ Kyle Schwarber, the poster boy for the leadoff

slot’s evolving appearance and performance, has hit only .173 with modest power.) However, as measured by isolated

power (SLG-AVG), they’ve still posted their second-best power performance relative to the league since at least 2001,

trailing only last season. The leadoff spot is still a safer harbor for home run hitters (and, by extension, Blackmon) than it’s

tended to be in the past.

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Fortuitous Timing

This is the big one. With the exception of a likely line-drive out in April that Hunter Pence misplayed into an inside-the-park

homer, Blackmon hasn’t been “lucky” in the way we usually mean when we talk about batters: His BABIP and home-run-

per-fly-ball rate are high by leaguewide standards, but less high by Coors standards and barely above Blackmon’s full-

season figures from 2016.

Blackmon has, however, been extremely lucky in how he’s timed his hits. Before this season started, Blackmon had been

a better career hitter with the bases empty (110 wRC+, where 100 is average) than with runners in scoring position (104

wRC+) or with men on base (96 wRC+). This year, though, he’s done the

pairing (through Monday) a decent 116 wRC+ with the bases empty with a spectacular 181 wRC+ with men on and

a major-league-leading 243 wRC+ with runners in scoring position. With someone(s) on second and/or third, no qualified

hitter has been better than Blackmon.

Due to his lineup position and the Rockies’ lackluster bottom of the order, Blackmon hasn’t had that many RBI

opportunities. Despite his high RBI count, Blackmon entered Tuesday in a three-way tie for 90th place in the number of

runners on base when his plate appearances started. (The Reds’ Adam Duvall, who trails Blackmon by one RBI, ranked

third on the list with 41 extra runners.) Yet Blackmon has made the most of those opportunities, converting runners into

runs at a major-league-leading — and yes, unsustainable — rate. Blackmon has plated 28.4 percent of the runners on base

at the beginning of his plate appearances. Even setting a low minimum of 230 plate appearances (Blackmon has 239),

that would be the highest seasonal rate in the past 60-plus years, topping a list that features a few pre-humidor Rockies.

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Even if Blackmon hadn’t bunched his hits at big moments, he would be worthy of the All-Star start the fans seem set

to deliver. Because he has, though, he’s vaulted himself to the top of a leaderboard that’s hostile to leadoff hitters and has

helped propel the Rockies’ cluster-luck-aided offense to a 33–21 record, one game in the NL West loss column behind the

heavily favored Dodgers. This kind of craziness can’t keep up, but it’s already lasted long enough to make the RBI

relevant, if only for one man and one moment.

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Rockies Peaking, Not Going Away By Mike Lupica / Sports on Earth | May 29th, 2017 On Memorial Day, traditionally the first good tracking point of the baseball season, we really need to talk about the team

with the second-best record in the sport behind the Astros. A team that can mash like crazy, up and down its batting

order. A team whose starting pitching has been a surprise, and one whose relief pitching is absolutely stacked in the late

innings.

Of course it sounds as if we're talking about the Yankees. We're not. The team, even more of a surprise than the

Yankees, is the Colorado Rockies. You can only imagine the things people would be saying about them if they were doing

this in New York, and what kind of expectations people would have for them after a start like they've had.

"The expectations that matter here, and where we can go, are the ones inside the walls of our clubhouse," the Rockies'

manager, Bud Black, says. "Coming out of Spring Training, I knew we could hit with anybody. The question was if we

could pitch. And so far we've really pitched."

There is a brief pause, and then Black says, "You need players to believe. And that is happening with our baseball team."

There is plenty to be excited about with Black's baseball team, starting with young starting pitching that has been the

biggest surprise of all. Then there is the fact that the Rockies, who have so often faded in the past when they have gotten

away from Coors Field, came into Monday's games with an 18-8 record on the road (best in the National League), against

a 15-11 record at home. Finally, there are the fireworks that Charlie Blackmon has provided at the top of Black's lineup,

with the most hits in Major League Baseball (70), the most RBIs (45) and seven triples already to go with all that.

You have to talk about all that when talking to the manager of the team about why his team is where it is, playing the way

it has been playing. That's before you discuss the best player Black has, his third baseman, Nolan Arenado, the best

player in baseball about whom people don't discuss nearly enough outside Denver.

When I mention Arenado's name to Black, this is his initial response:

"Oh my gosh."

And keeps going from there:

"Listen, I played with George Brett. I saw (Mike) Schmidt. Remember watching Brooks Robinson on television. I'm aware

that in the present day guys like (Manny) Machado and (Kris) Bryant are great players at third. But defensively, I've never

seen anything like this kid. I mean, we're talking about an unbelievable defensive player. He makes plays almost every

night that make you shake your head. To the point where you start to take them for granted, which really isn't fair to the

kid. Doesn't matter what kind of ball is hit at him. Hard shots. Reaction plays. Slow rollers. Then you factor in that he's got

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a cannon for an arm, and truly great instincts, and has an amazing passion for the game. He is working on his hitting all

the time. Hitting better on the road this season than at home. As an all-around player, you can put him in with any of the

big boys right now, any name you care to mention."

Going into Memorial Day, Arenado is hitting .288, with 12 home runs, 17 doubles, 34 RBIs and a .914 OPS. And he is

probably just getting started. Last season, he hit 41 homers with 133 RBIs. The year before he hit 42 homers and had 130

RBIs. You want to know how good the Rockies are going right now? Not only is Arenado not the second-best hitter

they've got, he's only third, behind Blackmon and Mark Reynolds. Reynolds, now playing for his seventh big-league team,

came into Monday's game with 13 homers, 43 RBIs and a .320 batting average.

Black talks about the "resurgence" of Reynolds, his first baseman, and says, "It really is a good lineup."

But Black knows the Rockies wouldn't be leading the NL West, which looks like the most interesting division in baseball

right now, without so many things breaking right with his pitchers that you feel as if you need a platoon of analytics guys to

keep track of them all. The Rockies start rookie pitchers all over the place. Here are the three best: Antonio Senzatela, 7-

1, 3.19 ERA; Kyle Freeland, 5-3, 3.43 ERA; German Marquez, 4-2, 3.76 ERA.

"Obviously we didn't know how well the young starting pitching was going to do," Black says. "In our bullpen, Greg

Holland was coming back from a full year off. Jake McGee was coming back from pitching on a bad knee last season.

You see the way the two of them have bounced back. And, let's face it, the young starters have been a bonanza."

Holland, once a bullpen star, hadn't pitched in the big leagues since September of 2015. Had Tommy John surgery in

October of that year. Didn't pitch at all in '16. Signed a one-year deal for $7 million with an option for '18. Is currently 19-

for-19 in save opportunities, three earned runs in 19 2/3 innings, 1.37 ERA. McGee? He's also pitched 19 innings. Struck

out 27 batters. With a 1.89 ERA. Yeah. You could say McGee has bounced back, too.

So far this season, Black's staff is ranked fourth in the NL with a 4.04 earned run average. Last year they finished 13 th in

the league. The four years before that, they finished last in ERA in the NL every single time. Now they pitch the way they

do for Black, an old pitcher himself, one who coached for Mike Scioscia in Anaheim once, alongside another coach

named Joe Maddon.

After that, Black managed eight-plus seasons with the Padres, was always better than his circumstances there. He won

89 games his first year in San Diego, and later won 90 there. Send up a flare the next time anybody else does as well with

the Padres. He was in play to get the Nationals job after that. Says he has no complaints about a process that saw him

finish as first runner-up to Dusty Baker, an old teammate.

"Not exactly sure how it played out in the end," he says, "how it all shook out. Just know that I'm happy where I am."

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He has been at this a long time. He pitched his first full season in 1982 and was still around, with the Indians, in 1995. Ten

years before that, he was with the Royals when the Royals twice came back from three games to one down, first in the

American League Championship Series and then in the World Series against the Cardinals, to win it all. There would be a

lot of pitching stops for Black after that. But once in his life, he got to pitch in a World Series.

"If there's one thing I've learned," he says, "you can't always pick where you want to go. Some guys write their own ticket.

I was never one of those guys. You just stay at it, and hope that one day things will click. And that you'll end up

somewhere that gets you as excited, not just about what's happening right now, but about the future, as I am."

Very good guy. Very good team. Some story, and not because the Rockies happen to have a Story -- Trevor -- at

shortstop. They are pitching. They are winning on the road. They could always hit. A long way from Broadway, you use a

famous old theater line with Bud Black's team. Attention must be paid.

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Kyle Seager homers, drives in 4 as Mariners beat Rockies 10-4 By Michael Kelly / Associated Press | May 30th, 2017 DENVER (AP) – A road trip that began with a whimper ended with a bang for the suddenly resurgent Seattle Mariners.

Kyle Seager homered and drove in four runs, Robinson Cano also connected and Seattle beat the Colorado Rockies 10-4

on Tuesday for its third straight win.

“It definitely feels good,” Seager said. “Nobody likes losing, so anytime you win some games you feel good.”

The Mariners were scuffling while dropping seven of eight. After beating Washington to avoid a three-game sweep,

Boston blanked them on consecutive days. Seattle then responded with 21 runs in the last three games to finish .500 on

its eight-game trip.

“I said the other night in Boston I thought we hit rock bottom,” manager Scott Servais said. “I certainly believe that, and

we’ve turned it around ever since.”

Jean Segura had four hits for the Mariners. Ben Gamel, who replaced slugger Nelson Cruz in the second inning,

and Guillermo Heredia each had three of Seattle’s season-high 19 hits.

“It gets contagious,” Seager said. “Look at Segura. He had four hits today and could have easily had a couple of more. He

gets the ball rolling and we can all feed off of that. He just needs to get four hits every game and we’ll be pretty good.”

Ariel Miranda (5-2) pitched five solid innings to help the Mariners sweep two games in Denver, pinning a rare series loss

on Colorado. It was just the Rockies’ third defeat in 17 series and first since April 24-27 against Washington.

Colorado, which dropped out of first place in the NL West for the first time since May 2, can even the score when the

home-and-home matchup moves to Seattle for two games starting Wednesday.

The Mariners jumped on Rockies lefty Tyler Anderson (3-5). Seager hit a two-run homer in Seattle’s three-run second,

and his two-run double in the third helped the Mariners go up 6-0.

“Just didn’t have very good command, so a lot of things were up in the zone because I had a hard time throwing it. So I

had to go middle and hope for the best,” Anderson said.

Colorado scored twice in the fifth, but Cano led off the sixth with his 10th home run.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mariners: Cruz left the game with right calf tightness, but Servais said the slugger should be fine to play Wednesday. …

RHP Felix Hernandez (right shoulder inflammation) threw a bullpen during Servais’ media availability. Servais said

Hernandez was throwing mainly fastballs and changeups, and no breaking balls.

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Rockies: Placed RHP Adam Ottavino on the 10-day DL with right shoulder inflammation and recalled RHP Carlos

Estevez from Triple-A Albuquerque. Ottavino said the move was to prevent the injury from becoming a long-term problem.

“The last time I tried to pitch through something, I was out for a month,” he said. “The idea is to be out for days.” …

Manager Bud Black said C Ryan Hanigan should be fine after twisting his left ankle blocking the plate in the seventh

inning. He was lifted for a pinch hitter in the bottom half.

LEADING MAN

Colorado outfielder and leadoff man Charlie Blackmon was chosen the NL player of the week. Blackmon hit .400 with

three home runs and 12 RBIs to help the Rockies go 5-2 last week. He leads the majors in hits (72) and triples (eight),

and entered Tuesday tops in RBIs with 46.

UP NEXT

Mariners: LHP James Paxton (3-0, 1.43 ERA) is expected to be activated from the disabled list to start when these teams

meet in Seattle on Wednesday. Paxton has missed four weeks with a left forearm strain.

Rockies: Rookie RHP Antonio Senzatela (7-1, 3.19) is tied for the NL lead in wins after pitching eight shutout innings

against St. Louis on Friday night.