Los Angeles Dodgers Series Preview: Conversations With The Enemy – Rocky Mountain Edition

Of all the Dodger’s NL West opponents, I think I hate the Rockies the least. They seem to be the club that is the least despicable. They are not our bitter hated rivals like the Giants. They don’t annoy and disgust us like Arizona and San Diego. They do have an irritating ball park, but otherwise the Rockies have normally been pretty harmless in comparison to the other clubs.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

It’s been a while since the Rockies were relevant in the National League West. They have never won a division title in franchise history, and have made the postseason three times, all as wild cards. The last time they made the postseason was in 2009 when they won 92 games, finishing three games behind the Dodgers that season.

Of course we all remember their remarkable run in 2007 that vaulted them into the World Series. They won 19 of their last 20 games I believed, and then swept both the NLDS and NLCS, before being swept by the Red Sox in the World Series. Colorado fans affectionately termed that season as “Roxtober”. The club had gotten off to a fast start this season, posting a 7-2 record to put them a game in front of the Dodgers in first place.

This season the Rockies have been trying furiously to rebuild after finishing with losing records the last four seasons. They still have Carlos Gonzalez, also known as Cargo, and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki who we refer to as Mullet man. Although Tulo has since cut his trademark mullet. Gone is Career Rockie Todd Helton, who destroyed Dodger pitching. We are all glad that he retired. Please stay retired Todd. Colorado also has a young star in the making at third base, Nolan Arenado. They also have other solid players like Charlie Blackmon, and Dj Lemahieu. There is talent there. 

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Call to the Pen

I sat down virtually with Roxpile editor Bobby DeMuro to ask some questions and talk about the Rockie’s season. Bobby also asked us some questions as well, and you can check those out here.

LL: How is Eddie Butler performing?, and what can you expect from him in the rotation going forward?

Eddie Butler is doing…. OK. He’s living dangerously, allowing quite a few walks and hits, but thus far he hasn’t been burned and he’s been able to strand runners. That won’t last. He needs to keep getting ground balls (which he’s doing), but he also needs to start missing bats. He’s been, at least so far, unable to strikeout hitters with any consistently in the big leagues. I’m very worried that Sunday at Dodger Stadium will be the day a big league opponent finally gets to him and knocks him out of a game early. Third time’s the charm…

LL: The Rockies have gotten off to a fast start again. It seems like they get off to hot starts every year in April, and then injuries derail them. What can you attribute to the hot starts?

The hot start can be attributed to a lot of things – first and foremost, everyone is fresh and healthy. Tulo and CarGo, obviously, but also the starting rotation and the bullpen. In Colorado, across a six month season, it’s not so much that relievers do poorly as much as they get overused thanks to starters being knocked out of games early; Colorado bullpens have typically faded due to overuse (especially in the past few years), and this year will hopefully be an exception considering the depth in the ‘pen is much greater than it’s been in recent memory. 

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Other than the bullpen, the hot start on offense probably has something to do with the mile high/sea level changes, and how Rockies hitters have yet to experience a hot home stand followed by a long road trip in which pitches break far differently than they’ve been seeing. Considering now nine of the Rockies first 12 games are on the road, they haven’t had to make that adjustment yet, and once they come home for a sustained stretch (as they do after the see the Dodgers) and then go back out on the road, it’ll be interesting to see if the hitters can adjust to sea-level pitching after crushing it in mile high air.

Last point – April has almost always been kind to the Rockies, for the reasons listed above or just some other issue. May is the month that’s brutal. If the Rockies do decently in May, and if they’re sitting at or above .500 by the end of May, then I’ll take them seriously in the NL West.

LL: If Carlos Gonzalez, and Tulowitzki stay healthy, but the Rockies are out of it later in the season, do you expect for the Rockies to trade one or both of them? Why?

Oooof. That’s a tough question. You can make a case for a firesale trade of everyone, you can make a case to keep everyone and pick up better pitchers, and you can make a case for trading the pieces around Tulo and CarGo, and keeping those two as cornerstones of the franchise.

Dodger fans will disagree, but Tulo is one of the best – in my mind, the best – player in all of baseball. **When Healthy.** If he can stay healthy, the Rockies must build around him, because they’ll never get his value back in a trade package. I could see CarGo’s trade as potentially being more realistic. But either one would be tough to stomach, especially with the young nucleus of DJ LeMahieu, Nolan Arenado, Corey Dickerson, and Charlie Blackmon that can build with Tulo/CarGo, too. Improve the pitching (a lot) and you can have an elite team!

LL: Is there any way pitchers can learn how to pitch consistently at Coors Field?

Well, consistently? Yes. Effectively? Ehhhh…. that depends on your definition of “effective.” It comes down to getting ahead of hitters, not being afraid of giving up hits, pitching to contact, not allowing free passes like walks and hit batters, and relying on the Rockies’ defense which, comprised of four Gold Glove winners, is arguably the strongest in baseball (especially the infield, which now has an official nickname, “Coors Shield.”) 

Nolan Arenado-Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports

If pitchers are ok with giving up 4 runs in 6 innings, and they leave a hypothetical game in the seventh losing 4-2, hey, that’s a manageable task for the Rockies offense. 4 runs in 6 innings in Dodger Stadium isn’t consistently good enough, but in Denver, it’s a whole different story. The bottom line, though – and Rockies relievers have been brilliant at this while the starters have been very bad thus far – is throwing strikes and not allowing walks or hit batters. The less free passes you give up, the better, because it’s easier to overcome a solo home run than a three-run shot.

LL: What the heck is up with Dinger? He kind of creeps me out, and dinosaurs have nothing to do with the Rocky Mountains. Your thoughts?

Well, Denver and the state of Colorado both have big dinosaur fossil stories, so the dinosaur kind of makes sense, I guess. And obviously his name is, well, purposeful. But other than that, Dinger is a disaster, and I’ve only met one or two people who honestly like him. We have a hashtag, #StopDinger2015. Join it. He sucks. He’s awful. He’s creepy. And that thing he does when he gets behind home plates at home games in the ninth inning, just, no, Dinger. No. BAD DINOSAUR!

Dinger is pretty lame, and I am glad to hear that even Rockies fans can agree that that ugly dinosaur needs to go.

Can the Dodgers contain Mullet man and Cargo? Can the Rockies hit Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke? Will the Dodgers unveil some more of their come from behind magic? It is going to be a good series. Stick around and watch with us.

Thanks to Bobby, and the rest of the guys at Rox Pile!

Go Blue!