1

Reynolds homers, but Rockies fall to Braves

By Thomas Harding and Mark Bowman / MLB.com | August 26th

ATLANTA -- The Braves used home runs from Matt Kemp and Kurt Suzuki in the first two innings off starting

pitcher Chad Bettis to send the contending, but reeling Rockies to a 5-2 loss at SunTrust Park on Friday night.

Kemp's 15th homer this season was a two-run shot after Bettis had walked Freddie Freeman with two down in the first

inning. Suzuki led off the Braves' three-run second with his 15th homer.

The Rockies are in the second National League Wild Card position, but have lost 12 of their last 17, and have scored

fewer than four runs in 12 of those games.

"We've talked about that for a while now, that a guy here or there has a good night and has a couple hits, but we can't

bunch them together," Rockies manager Bud Black said. "At least in one inning, get multiple hits and good at-bats. That's

hard to come by."

Friday's run-suppression came from Braves starter Julio Teheran (aka "JT" for Players Weekend), who went 7 1/3

innings, struck out four and held the Rockies to two runs on five hits, including Mark Reynolds' 27th homer, a solo shot in

the seventh. Teheran threw 69 of his 88 pitches for strikes and exited partly because his legs began to cramp in the

eighth. He earned his first home win since April 14, in the first game ever played at the Braves' new park.

"It was nice for [Teheran] to get some early runs," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "Tonight was really good with how

efficient he was. He kept the ball down and his breaking ball was good. He did a really good job of being aggressive."

MEDIA CLIPS – August 26, 2017

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Before giving up a run in the third, Teheran had held the Rockies scoreless for 20 straight innings.

"He's been terrific against the Rockies his entire career," Rockies right fielder Carlos Gonzalez said. "He's got great

pitches, knows how to mix it."

Also, Rockies center fielder and Atlanta-area native Charlie Blackmon (aka "Chuck Nasty,") left after an apparent leg

injury he sustained while fouling off a pitch in the seventh. Blackmon, who leads the National League in batting, went 1-

for-4 with an RBI to finish the night at .337.

"To get those two runs on the board, I think that was a big step because we've been chasing a little bit the past couple

days," Suzuki said. "To get on top and have Julio throw the way he did, he was pretty much identical to what he was in

Colorado [on Aug. 14], it made for a nice win tonight."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Command arrived too late: On Aug. 14, Bettis held the Braves scoreless for seven innings in his first appearance of this

season, after a long recovery from testicular cancer. But he wasn't sharp in the beginning in this one, and Kemp made him

pay by swatting a first-pitch, 90 mph fastball over the center-field wall.

"Their whole approach the first three innings was different from what I saw the last game, and I had to flip-flop the game

plan there," Bettis said. "Even if they were hunting fastballs, those need to be a little bit better executed, anyway."

In his final three innings, before being removed in a grasp at offense, Bettis saw his fastball reach the 92 mph range -- his

average before his illness. He left with five runs and six hits (four in the first two innings) in five innings.

'JT' gets 'DJ' to DP: Trevor Story doubled and scored on Blackmon's one-out single in the third, but Teheran -- who also

threw seven scoreless innings against Bettis and the Rockies but got a no-decision in that Aug. 14 game -- snuffed out the

threat. Teheran forced Rockies second baseman DJ LeMahieu into his 20th double-play grounder this season.

JT's slider wasn't as effective as it was two weeks ago in Colorado, but as he's regained more confidence in the pitch, it

has at least again become another valuable weapon within his arsenal.

"It's working, I know I made a couple mistakes today with it," Teheran said. "But that's normal. I'm not throwing [the slider]

that hard, but I think it's keeping them off-balance and that's why we won."

3

QUOTABLE

"When he hit that first one, I was thinking that would be an unbelievable shot in the arm to get him going. He's getting

some consistent at-bats now and we could sure use him." -- Snitker, on Kemp, who notched his 10th three-hit game of the

season and improved to 7-for-19 since ending a three-week stint on the disabled list

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Suzuki has tallied 11 of his career-best 15 homers within 81 at-bats dating back to July 1. His 7.36 AB/HR ratio within this

span would have ranked as MLB's third best among all players who have compiled at least 80 at-bats.

WHAT'S NEXT

Rockies: Lefty Kyle Freeland (11-8, 3.71 ERA), the Majors' leader in rookie wins, is coming off a loss in his last start,

when he gave up three runs (two earned) in a home loss to the Brewers. A problem was walks -- a career-high five. He'll

look for better control Saturday, when he faces the Braves at SunTrust Park at 5:10 p.m. MT.

Braves: Sean Newcomb (2-7, 4.13 ERA), will take the mound when this series resumes Saturday at 7:10 p.m. ET.

Newcomb allowed three earned runs over six innings against the Rockies on Aug. 15.

4

Blackmon exits with left hamgstring cramp

By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | August 26th

ATLANTA -- The hamstring cramp that forced Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon to leave Friday night's 5-2 loss to

the Braves is familiar, and might not be serious.

And the Rockies, who are in the third week of feeling their grip on a playoff position slipping, don't need even a hint of

injury to their most consistent performer.

Blackmon, who leads the National League with a .337 batting average, crumpled to the batter's box dirt after fouling off

a Sam Freeman pitch in the eighth inning. On July 19, Blackmon left a game under similar circumstances, but didn't miss

a game. It helped that the Rockies were off the following day.

"Same thing," said Blackmon, who said he would "expect to" play Saturday. He has played in all but two of the Rockies'

128 games this season.

Blackmon also leads the NL in hits (174), total bases (320) and runs (116), and has 30 home runs -- the first time a player

has hit that many from the leadoff spot since the Angels' Mike Trout in 2012 and in the NL since Hanley Ramirez in

2008. He is a key reason the Rockies are in position for the second NL Wild Card spot, but the race has tightened.

Manager Bud Black said, "Hopefully, we'll get some fluids in him, get the cramping to subside, and we'll see how he is

tomorrow."

After Blackmon left, Pat Valaika replaced him and swung through a Freeman pitch to complete a strikeout, which was

charged to Blackmon.

Since the last time they won consecutive games, the Rockies have dropped 12 of 17 and scored three or fewer runs in 12

of them.

"We've just got to get more hits, score more runs, get more hits with guys on base -- all those offensive things that we

haven't been doing lately," Blackmon said.

Teammate Carlos Gonzalez said, "Hopefully, he's better, because he's been one of the best players in the game, the

best leadoff [hitter] in the game. You don't want to lose him. Hopefully he's healthy and shows up to play tomorrow, or the

next couple of games."

5

Blackmon exits with left hamgstring cramp

By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | August 26th

ATLANTA -- The Rockies' Ian Desmond went 1-for-2 with a double and a walk, and played first base until he left in the

seventh inning for Triple-A Albuquerque on Thursday -- the first of at least three injury rehab games.

Desmond has been on the disabled list since suffering, for the second time this season, a right calf strain on July 25.

"I love playing this game and it felt good to be back out there," Desmond told the Purple Row blog. "The calf felt good. The

double was a pretty clear double, no real chance for a triple. It felt good covering the bag. I was a little hesitant early, but

as the game went on I got a better feel of it."

Rockies manager Bud Black said Desmond was scheduled to play left field on Friday, have Saturday off, and possibly

start at shortstop on Sunday before being evaluated for a possible return to the Majors.

6

‘Free’, Rockies look to even set in Atlanta

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | August 26th

The Rockies can thank their early-season road success as one of the primary reasons they currently own one of the

National League's two Wild Card spots. But to ensure a postseason berth, they may have to start winning more frequently

away from Coors Field.

The Rockies have lost 24 of their past 31 road games. They will make another attempt to turn the tide on Saturday night,

when they send Kyle Freeland to the mound to oppose the Braves' Sean Newcomb.

This will be a matchup of "Free" against "Newk" as these two rookie hurlers will be displaying a nickname on the back of

their respective jerseys during Players Weekend.

When these two hurlers matched up at Coors Field on Aug. 15, they both allowed three earned runs over six innings and

got a no-decision. Freeland has allowed three earned runs or fewer in each of his past six starts and like the Rockies, he

has recently struggled away from Coors Field, posting a 5.61 ERA over his past four road starts.

"The season, for me, has just kind of swayed that way," Freeland said. "I've had a great deal of success at home, and

also in day games, which if you ask anybody, aren't the easiest thing to play in -- especially after a night game, getting up

early and getting going. I don't think there's too much difference whether it's at home or on the road. You've still got to

pitch your game and get things done."

"Newk" has also allowed three earned runs or fewer in each of his past six starts. His command has improved over his

past three starts. When he issued four unintentional walks over five scoreless innings against the Reds Saturday, catcher

Tyler Flowers said the lefty's misses were not nearly as concerning as they had been in July and early August.

Three things to know about this game

• Newcomb will be wearing red, white and blue cleats that include images of Hank Aaron, Phil Niekro, John Smoltz, Greg

Maddux, Tom Glavine and other Braves legends.

• Matt Kemp's home run in the first inning of Friday's game was his first extra-base hit since he returned from the disabled

list on Saturday.

• Before acquiring Jonathan Lucroy from the Rangers, the Rockies showed some interest in Atlanta's Kurt Suzuki, who

has tallied 11 of his 15 homers since July 1.

7

Rockies fall to Braves as August continues to be full of dog days Only a vanilla National League Wild Card race can prop up the Rockies

By Nick Groke / The Denver Post | August 26th

ATLANTA — Already trending toward their worst month this season, an annual June Swoon delayed two months into the

dog days of August, the Rockies on Friday flubbed through a 5-2 loss to the Braves that typified malaise.

Colorado right-hander Chad Bettis threw 76 pitches before he was pulled after five innings. Most of his pitches were

adequate. Two of his fastballs floated to the plate on a slugger’s path for home runs.

Rockies hitters strung together as many as two hits in an inning just once, when a double and a single sent a run in. Only

one batter in a lavender uniform finished with more than one hit.

A couple of sour pitches and a handful of hits and another loss. As the Rockies lost a 24th road game in their past 31

since June, the formula was hardly complex. Nothing about Colorado’s loss at SunTrust Park was exceptionally horrid or

impressive. Just like their August.

“Those two right there, that was it,” Bettis said.

Only a vanilla National League wild-card race can prop up the Rockies. They traveled to Georgia 21 1/2 games behind the

Los Angeles Dodgers in the West. But they still held a wild-card spot, the second of two and only a half-game behind the

Arizona Diamondbacks. Colorado stood 3 1/2 games ahead of Milwaukee before the Brewers played a late game in L.A.

“We didn’t put any traffic on the bases. It’s hard to win that way,” right fielder Carlos Gonzalez said. “It’s hard to score a lot

of runs when you only hit solo home runs. We have to do a better job.”

Dog days, indeed. For five years without even a sniff of contention, the Rockies tanked in June, averaging an 11-18

record before essentially losing control for the remainder of the season. But they plowed into summer this season on a

roll, finishing every calendar month with a winning record, including a 15-12 June.

That streak could end in August, as a hitting prowess and a bolstered bullpen, two powerhouse Rockies facets in April

and May, have disappeared. They are 9-13 this month.

“We’re trying to put runs on the board. But we can’t be desperate,” Gonzalez said, suggesting perhaps his team is too

eager for the long ball and too quick to overlook a simple single. “We have to play for each other, just like we have all

year. That’s how we win, we win together.”

In his last outing against the Rockies, on Aug. 14, Atlanta right-hander Julio Teheran nearly spoiled Bettis’ comeback from

cancer, pitching seven scoreless innings before the Rockies teed off on the Braves’ bullpen. Colorado manager Bud Black

said Teheran “has been a thorn in the Rockies’ side for a long time.”

8

Friday was Teheran’s second chance. He pitched 7 1/3 innings that confounded Colorado, with four strikeouts, no walks,

just five hits and one string of frustration.

Mark Reynolds doubled in the second inning with one out but he was stranded. He homered in the seventh, but no other

runners were on base. Trevor Story doubled to left field to lead off the third inning and Charlie Blackmon hit a single to

center to drive him in. That and a DJ LeMahieu infield single toward third base was the sum total of Colorado’s offensive

output against Teheran.

“He stayed out of the middle of the plate. He was really efficient with his pitches,” Blackmon, who was removed mid-at bat

in the eighth inning with a left hamstring cramp, said of Teheran. Blackmon said he expects to play Saturday.

“We just have to get more hits, score more runs, get hits when there are guys on base,” Blackmon added. “All those

offensive things we haven’t done lately.”

Bettis, wearing rainbow socks with Colorado’s alternate uniform, hit more hiccups. He had quality starts without a decision

in his first two games this season, both seven-inning efforts, including a scoreless outing against Atlanta. On Friday,

Atlanta hopped on him early.

He walked Freddie Freeman in the first then threw an up-and-out fastball to Matt Kemp that the left fielder belted over the

center-field fence. Blackmon’s sprinting catch of a flyball from Ender Inciarte and Story’s leaping grab of Brandon Phillips’

liner toward shortstop at least limited the damage of Kemp’s homer.

Then Kurt Suzuki homered on Bettis’ first pitch of the second, another flat fastball that landed in the left-center seats. A

run-scoring weak grounder from Inciarte and a soft single to left from Phillips helped score two more and the Braves had a

5-0 lead.

“Even if they were hunting fastballs, those need to be better executed,” Bettis said of his home run pitches. “Both those

were left middle-middle. Whether they were ambushing me or not, if you execute a pitch, it usually goes in your favor. I’d

like those back.”

As the Rockies lost a 12th game in their past 17, that sneaky feeling of a menacing swoon crawled up their spines again.

9

“I hope he hits you in the face,” Bud Black said, as Rockies get unique with players weekend, uniforms MLB brainstormed the idea to allow the players some fun outside their routine

By Nick Groke / The Denver Post | August 26th

ATLANTA — Bud Black called over Carlos Gonzalez to the middle of the dugout for a look-see. What is that painted on

his bat?

“Let me see your bat, bro,” the Rockies manager said to his right fielder Friday before the Rockies took batting practice at

SunTrust Park. Emblazoned on the barrel of his 31.5 ounce bat was Gonzalez’s face in full color.

“That’s a three-hit night,” Black said. “I hope he hits you in the face. Right?”

“I’m aiming for the nose,” Gonzalez said, pointing to the sweet spot.

The Rockies on Friday kicked off a weekend of lackadaisical equipment regulations as Major League Baseball redesigned

the uniforms, let players wear mix-and-match socks, put nicknames on their backs. Even paint their bats.

Several Rockies used a red-white-and-blue bat. Pitcher Chad Bettis wore rainbow socks. The Rockies wore V-neck two-

tone tops with the purple faded toward something like lavender.

Trevor Story changed the name on his uniform to “Joe” because, as a minor-leaguer in camp two years ago, first

baseman Mark Reynolds did not learn Story’s real name, so he called him Joe. Reynolds’s jersey said “Sheriff.”

Black used an anti-nickname. “Harry” was printed on his jersey.

“Even though it’s my real name, I’m gonna use it as my nickname,” Black said. “It’s sorta fun.”

MLB brainstormed the idea to allow the players some fun outside their routine. They also did it to promote the game with

kids, a kind of anti-authoritarian nod in the opposite direction or other leagues. Some fans and players have tagged he

NFL, for instance, as the “No Fun League.

“We gotta keep those kids involved in baseball,” Black said. “Because there are kids out there playing other sports. Don’t

get me wrong. I like lacrosse, I like soccer. I like other spring sports. I like football and basketball. But let’s get some

ballplayers.”

Desmond in action. Outfielder Ian Desmond (strained right calf) went 1-for-2 at the plate Thursday in his first rehab

game with Triple-A Albuquerque.

“The at-bats were good,” Black said. “He came out of it fine. A good first step for Desi. It’s good news. He’s just got to get

his stamina back and feel confident about the calf.”

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More noteworthy, perhaps, was Desmond’s position. He played first base. On Friday, in his second game, he played left

field. After a rest Saturday, Desmond will play shortstop Sunday for the Isotopes. The Rockies are solidifying a plan to use

Desmond as a utility player around the field on his return.

Hoffman troubled. Right-handed rookie Jeff Hoffman, after he was sent down from the Rockies on Aug. 18, started

Thursday for Albuquerque and it did not go well. He gave up six runs on four hits and two walks after recording just two

outs. He was pulled in the first inning.

Looking ahead

Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (11-8, 3.71 ERA) at Braves LHP Sean Newcomb (2-7, 4.13), Saturday 5:10 p.m., AT&T

SportsNet, 630-AM

In his past two starts since a minor hamstring injury put him on the disabled list, Freeland has allowed five earned runs in

11 2/3 innings for a 3.86 ERA. Both of those starts came at Coors Field, where he has been significantly better this

season (3.30 ERA vs. 4.22 on the road). Saturday’s start will be the Denver native’s 12th away from Colorado. But the last

time he faced the Braves, on Aug. 15, he gave up three runs on four hits over six innings, with five strikeouts and two

walks. Atlanta’s Newcomb gave up solo homers to Nolan Arenado, Mark Reynolds and Trevor Story in his last start

against the Rox, and the Braves won 4-3.

Sunday: Rockies RHP Jon Gray (5-3, 4.54) at Braves RHP Mike Foltynewicz (10-9, 4.95), 11:35 a.m., AT&T SportsNet

Monday: Tigers RHP Jordan Zimmermann (7-11, 6.11) at Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (10-4, 4.52), 6:40 p.m., AT&T

SportsNet

Tuesday: Tigers TBA at Rockies RHP German Marquez (10-5, 4.18), 6:40 p.m., AT&T SportsNet

11

Rockies’ trade deadline acquisitions paying off It has yet to fully manifest itself in terms of wins, but the acquisitions of Pat Neshek and Jonathan Lucroy look good so far

By Bryan Kilpatrick / Purple Row | August 25th

Since acquiring Pat Neshek on July 26, the Colorado Rockies are just 11-13. They’ve stumbled through a fairly easy part

of their schedule, largely because of an offense that—outside of a couple of MVP candidates and a handful of others—

has failed to get going.

It could be argued that the team didn’t do enough at the deadline to improve its chances. The Rockies sorely lack

consistent corner outfield production and depth issues in the bullpen have been brought to light with the recent meltdowns

from closer Greg Holland.

The two players the Rockies did acquire at the deadline only enhance the feeling that more could have been done, but not

in the way one might think. Neshek and Jonathan Lucroy, to this point, have proven to be strong acquisitions, leaving one

to wonder whether Colorado general manager Jeff Bridich could’ve used his magic touch to add a couple more players to

that category.

At any rate, the Rockies’ 24-game stretch can’t be blamed on the new guys. Neshek, acquired from the Philadelphia

Phillies in exchange for a prospect package led by top-20 PuRP Jose Gomez, has yet to walk a batter in 13 appearances

while racking up 11 strikeouts. Neshek has given up a few more hits (12 in 9 1⁄3 innings) than he’d like, but his FIP sits at

just 2.17—well below his 3.86 ERA—and the .379 BABIP he’s allowed is likely to go down, as evidenced by hitters’ well-

below-average line drive and hard-hit rates against him.

Lucroy, a two-time All Star picked up by the Rockies on July 30 for a player to be named later who turned out to be top-15

PuRP Pedro Gonzalez, has given a much-needed boost to the offensive black hole that was the catching position. Prior to

Lucroy’s arrival, Rockies backstops were quite easily the worst in the National League at the plate, posting a wRC+ in the

low 40s. In 65 plate appearances, Lucroy has been markedly better, producing a 116 wRC+ on the back of a

.294/.431/.431 batting line and more walks (13) than strikeouts (nine).

Defensively, though, Lucroy is still lagging behind, which maybe helps paint the picture of part of the Rockies’ struggles

since his acquisition. He’s in the negative in terms of Defensive Runs Saved since joining the Rox and has been exactly

as poor of a framer with Colorado as he was with Texas, according to Baseball Prospectus’ pitch framing metrics.

However, since none of the other catchers on staff were giving the Rockies a positive contribution in that area either, it’s

12

likely that Lucroy’s offense alone has been a net gain for the team; in fact his 0.5 fWAR, which far exceeds the -0.7 fWAR

put up by the rest of the group, all but confirms that assessment.

Sitting at 69-58 and 3 1⁄2 games in front of the Milwaukee Brewers for the second NL Wild Card spot, the Rockies are in

good shape—especially when looking at FanGraphs’ playoff odds, which currently have Colorado at 75 percent—to reach

the postseason. Though perhaps more could have been done to give the Rockies the best chance of winning the Wild

Card game and competing in the Division Series, the additions of Neshek and Lucroy have, to this point, ensured a larger

August free fall hasn’t taken place.

13

Rockies lose 5-2; Blackmon leaves game Another dull offensive performance, with a potential injury to boot

By Ted Chalfen / Purple Row | August 25th

Even in a new ballpark located in the suburbs, the Rockies had a very typical Atlanta evening on Friday night. They

made Julio Teheran, the man with the worst home ERA in all of baseball (6.98!), look like Greg Maddux. Teheran hurled

71⁄3 innings of two-run baseball. He threw only 88 pitches, 69 for strikes, and walked no one. It was yet another example in

a long line of struggling pitchers who have suddenly righted the ship when facing the Rockies.

Matt Kemp gave the Braves a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning with a homer to left-center because of course he

did. Kurt Suzuki hit a solo shot in the bottom of the second and the Braves added two more runs before the end of the

inning to give themselves a 5-run lead and essentially wrap the game up.

This was Chad Bettis’s worst performance since his return. He frequently left the ball up, his velocity was unimpressive

and the Braves got hard contact off him frequently.

The Rockies got a run in the third when Trevor Story doubled and Charlie Blackmon knocked him in with a single, and

another in the top of the seventh when Mark Reynolds hit a solo home run, his 27th. That was all they could muster.

Tyler Chatwood pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh for the Rockies. In the eighth Adam Ottavino gave up a double to

Kemp that was nearly his second home run but didn’t allow the Braves to pad their lead, despite loading the bases and

throwing 30 pitches.

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, Charlie Blackmon had to leave the game after he appeared to injure

himself on a swing in the eighth inning. He landed awkwardly and grabbed his left hamstring before walking off under his

own power. If the Rockies lose him for any period of time the offense will be in even deeper trouble.

Gerardo Parra reached with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and then Mark Reynolds hit a ball to the track that would

have cut it to a one-run game if it had gone over the wall, but it stayed in the park and the game was over.

Maybe things will get better. Maybe they won’t. Tomorrow it’s Kyle Freeland vs. Sean Newcomb at 5:10 MDT.

14

Missing In Action: If you know the location of Rockies offense, please contact authorities Another dull offensive performance, with a potential injury to boot

By Drew Creasman / BSN Denver | August 25th

The Colorado Rockies managed a brief respite from their losing ways on Thursday but returned to the exact formula that

has so plagued them in recent days and weeks. In their first game in Atlanta against the Braves, they once again could

not build anything resembling a consistent offensive threat. They fell 5-2 in another lackluster, listless, lethargic,

lamentable losing effort.

Unlike in most of their other frustrating losses of late, the Rockies didn’t get much from their starting pitcher. Chad

Bettis was tagged for five runs in the first three innings and while he was able to recover and shut it down from there, it

wouldn’t matter with the lack of output from the ever-so-struggling Colorado offense.

Julio Teheran, as he always is against the Rockies, was excellent in 7.1 innings of work, scattering five hits and allowing

just two runs without walking a batter. He and Matt Kemp continue to be players that haunt Colorado no matter what

uniform they wear.

Speaking of Kemp, we went a predictable 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. He came a triple shy of the cycle. He

must just light up whenever he sees purple uniforms.

The Rockies scored a run in the third on a single from Charlie Blackmon who now leads MLB in the hit category, though it

may short-lived with Houston’s Jose Altuve just starting play.

Their only other run came in the seventh on a solo home run from Mark Reynolds, his 27th of the season. Reynolds was

also the only Rockie to record more than one hit in the game. They finished with six total.

Tyler Chatwood pitched two scoreless innings and Adam Ottavino, while he did issue two walks, worked another clean

inning himself, giving Colorado six shutout frames of baseball to finish the night on. But the early damage was done and

the offenses’ continued lack of ability to score more than two or three runs once again led to their downfall.

The Rockies fell to 69-60. Their exact place in the Wild Card race remains a question with the other teams in question still

playing.

15

Quick Hits: Desmond Versatility Tested

By Tracy Ringsolby / Inside The Seams | August 26th

Ian Desmond is on a medical rehab assignment at Triple-A Albuquerque. The plan is for him to rejoin the Rockies when

they return home to host the Tigers in a three-game series on Tuesday. When he shows up the versatility that was the

critical factor in the Rockies willingness to sign him to a five-year deal should be on display.

Desmond is 2-for-5 with a walk in his first two games with the Isotopes. He is expected to work out Saturday, and then

play a final rehab game on Sunday. The interesting part of the rehab assignment is he played first base on Thursday, left

field on Friday and is scheduled to play shortstop, his original position, on Sunday.

Primarily a shortstop in his career, Desmond also has played first base, second base and all three outfield positions in the

big leagues.

Desmond by Position

First Base

Year G GS INN TC PO A E DP FPCT RF ZR

Totals 15 13 111.1 120 116 4 0 9 1 9.7 0.91

Second Base

Year G GS INN TC PO A E DP FPCT RF ZR

Totals 5 5 39.2 26 12 12 2 2 0.92 5.5 0.67

Shortstop

Year G GS INN TC PO A E DP FPCT RF ZR

Totals 913 889 7938 3912 1318 2447 147 523 0.96 4.3 0.82

Outfield

Year G GS INN TC PO A E DP FPCT RF ZR

16

Totals 209 205 1796 440 416 9 15 2 0.97 2.1 0.9

Left Field

Year G GS INN TC PO A E DP FPCT RF ZR

Totals 80 76 680.1 129 120 3 6 0 0.95 1.6 0.88

Center Field

Year G GS INN TC PO A E DP FPCT RF ZR

Totals 130 128 1109 308 293 6 9 2 0.97 2.4 0.92

Right Field

Year G GS INN TC PO A E DP FPCT RF ZR

Totals 2 1 7.1 3 3 0 0 0 1 3.7 0.75

KID’S STUFF

Kyle Freeland starts Saturday for the Rockies, looking for his 12th victory. He already leads MLB rookie pitchers with 11

wins. The Rockies — and Rocky Mountains — have an impact among rookie pitchers. The Rockies have the three

rookies with the most wins, and four of the top 12. Add in Giants pitcher Ty Blanch, a graduate of Regis High School, and

the Mile High City accounts for five of the top 12 rookies in terms of victories.

With Freeland, Senzatela and Marquez the Rockies have three rookies with at least 10 wins for the first time in franchise

history. The last time an MLB team had three rookies with 10 wins was 2006 when the Marlins had Josh Johnson (12-7),

Scott Olsen (12-10), Ricky Nolasco (11-11) and Anibel Sanchez (10-3).

Player Team W L Pct ERA AVG

Kyle Freeland Col 11 8 .579 3.71 .264

German Marquez Col 10 5 .667 4.18 .259

Antonio Senzatela Col 10 4 .714 4.52 .252

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Ty Blach SF 8 10 .444 4.68 .287

Parker Bridwell LAA 7 2 .778 2.89 .251

Dinelson Lamet SD 7 5 .583 4.84 .204

Jordan Montgomery NYY 7 6 .538 4,00 .237

Jose M. Torres SD 7 3 .700 4.62 .24

Jharel Cotton Oak 6 10 .375 5.63 .271

Jeff Hoffman Col 6 5 .545 5.3 .266

Austin Pruitt TB 6 4 .600 5.76 .308

Tony Zych Sea 6 3 .667 2.66 .208

ROAD WARRIORS

Much is made about the hitting environment of Coors Field, but it is worth nothing that since the start of the 2015 season,

Nolan Arenado ranks third among NL hitters with 52 road home runs, and Charlie Blackmon is tied for 15th with 38.

Player HR

Anthony Rizzo 55

Giancarlo Stanton 53

Nolan Arenado 52

Bryce Harper 48

Jay Bruce 47

Curtis Granderson 47

Freddie Freeman 46

Paul Goldschmidt 44

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Joey Votto 43

Yoenis Cespedes 41

Matt Kemp 41

Andrew McCutchen 40

Ryan Braun 39

Charlie Blackmon 38

Adam Duvall 38

DEBUT DISAPPOINTMENT

The Rockies loss to the Braves in their Sun Trust Park debut on Friday night left the Rockies with an all-time record of 22-

25 when they were visitors to a ballpark for the first time.

Team W-L Park 1 Park 2 Park 3

Braves 0-3 Atlanta-Fulton Turner Sun Trust

Nationals 2-1 Olympic (loss) JFK (win) Nationals (win)

Padres 2-1 Qualcom (loss) Monterey (win) Petco (win)

Mets 0-2 Shea Citi Field

Giants 0-2 Candelstick AT&T

Mariners 0-2 Kingdome Safeco

Phillies 2-0 Veterans Citizens Bank

Astros 2-0 Astrodome Minute Maid

Pirates 2-0 Three Rives PNC

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Marlins 1-1 Joe Robbie (loss) Marlins (win)

Reds 1-1 Riverfront (loss) Great American (win)

Brewers 1-1 County (loss) Miller (win)

Cardinals 1-1 Busch 2 (loss) Busch 3 (win)

Yankees 1-1 Yankee (loss) New Yankee (win)

Twins 1-1 Metrodome (win) Target (loss)

Dodgers 0-1 Dodger

Red Sox 0-1 Fenway

Rays 0-1 Tropicana

Blue Jays 0-1 Rogers Centre

White Sox 0-1 Guaranteed Rate

Royals 0-1 Kauffman

Angels 0-1 Angels

Rangers 0-1 Globe Life

Cubs 1-0 Wrigley

D-Backs 1-0 Chase

Orioles 1-0 Camden

Indians 1-0 Progressive

Tigers 1-0 Comerica

A’s 1-0 Coliseum

20

Rockies: Wild Card Wacky Ways

By Tracy Ringsolby / Inside The Seams | August 26th

The Rockies remain a key factor in the wild-card race despite a growing road nightmare that has eroded what had been

the best start in history. The good news for the Rockies is despite all they have endured in the last 10 weeks they woke up

Saturday morning still in control of their post-season destiny.

Despite a 5-2 loss to the Braves in their Sun Trust Park debut on Friday night the Rockies maintained a 3 1/2-game lead

on the Brewers for the second wild-card spot. And while the Cardinals are fading, falling five games back of the Rockies,

the Marlins have slipped into the midst of the wild-card race and are now just 4 1/2 games back of the Rockies, one

behind the Brewers.

Team W L Pct GB Home Road L10 Streak

D-Backs 71 58 .550 40 – 23 31 – 35 5 – 5 Won 2

Rockies 69 59 .540 – 38 – 25 31 – 34 3 – 7 Lost 1

Brewers 66 63 .510 3.5 35 – 30 31 – 33 6 – 4 Lost 2

Marlins 64 63 .500 4.5 33 – 29 31 – 34 7 – 3 Won 2

Cardinals 64 64 .500 5 36 – 30 28 – 34 3 – 7 Lost 2

Pirates 61 68 .470 8.5 35 – 31 26 – 37 3 – 7 Lost 2

The key is just claiming a wild-card spot. Finishing first does not really have a major benefit over finishing second,

although the No. 1 wild-card team does host the one-game wild-card showdown with the winner advancing to the Division

Series and the loser going home.

In the five previous years there has been a wild-card playoff, however, only three of the 10 teams that hosted the game

won the wild-card play-in game — only one of the five NL teams, the 2013 Pirates.

Wild-Card Play-In Results

Year AL NL

2016 Blue Jays 5 Orioles 2 Giants 3 Mets 0

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2015 Astros 3 Yankees 0 Cubs 4 Pirates 0

2014 Royals 9 A’s 8 (12) Giants 8 Pirates 0

2013 Rays 4 Indians 0 Pirates 6 Reds 2

2012 Orioles 5 Rangers 1 Cardinals 6 Braves 3

Team with the home-field advantage in bold

What has undercut the Rockies success from the first 11 weeks of the season is a team that was once 24-10 on the road

has now lost 24 of its last 31 road games. They still technically share the best road record among NL wild-card contenders

with the Marlins at 31-34. And they are faced with the challenge of needing to win their five remaining games in August —

two at Atlanta and three at home with the Tigers — to avoid their first losing month of the season. They have won only

nine of their 22 games in August.

The most glaring shortcoming has been the Rockies inability to produce offensively in the clutch. Their average with

runners in scoring position has dropped dramatically in the month of August.

The Rockies month-by-month

Split W L W-L% ERA BA OBP SLG OPS HR RBI RISP

April 16 10 .615 4.58 .247 0.31 .440 .750 36 116 .268

May 17 12 .586 3.91 .278 0.33 .437 .767 33 150 .360

June 15 12 .556 5.05 .276 0.342 .413 .755 24 133 .302

July 12 12 .500 5.38 .297 0.35 .490 .840 32 141 .335

August 9 13 .409 4.36 .267 0.349 .443 .792 27 94 .234

The only three players who have shown an increase in offensive numbers in August are Charlie Blackmon, Carlos

Gonzalez and Pat Valaika. The biggest drops among the regulars are Gerardo Parra (38 points) and Trevor Story (90

points).

August April through July

Player AB H BB SO AVG AB H BB SO AVG Diff

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Blackmon 87 33 16 15 .379 430 141 32 93 .328 51

Parra 79 25 6 14 .316 209 74 9 34 .354 -38

LeMahieu 88 26 9 14 .295 390 123 37 53 .315 -20

Arenado 80 23 11 11 .288 410 129 31 76 .315 -27

Gonzalez 79 22 6 20 .278 307 70 33 74 .228 50

Lucroy 54 15 9 7 .278 xx xx xx xx xx DNA

Valaika 29 8 1 10 .276 124 32 5 33 .258 18

Reynolds 68 18 9 22 .265 358 100 50 119 .279 -14

McMahon 9 2 2 1 .222 xx xx xx xx xx DNA

Hanigan 15 3 2 3 .200 81 21 6 22 .259 -59

Story 68 13 9 28 .191 308 71 33 123 .231 -40

Amarista 22 3 2 4 .136 127 32 4 27 .252 -116

Tapia 23 3 1 8 .130 111 34 7 23 .306 -176

Tauchman 2 0 1 2 .000 9 2 3 1 .222 -222

Wolters 3 0 1 0 .000 202 50 28 49 .248 -248

Desmond xx xx xx xx xxxx 242 69 14 65 .285 DNA

Team 197 46 33 50 .234 869 275 98 202 .316 -82

Source: Stats, Inc.

The Rockies have a challenging schedule remaining. They play 18 of their final 34 games at Coors Field, but 17 of the 34

games are against teams with winning record, including seven each with the Dodgers, who have the best record in

baseball, and the D-Backs, who have a better record than any teams in the NL except the Dodgers and Nationals.

23

What’s Left

Team Home Road

Braves 2

Tigers 3

D-Backs 3 4

Giants 3 2

Dodgers 3 4

Padres 3 4

Marlins 3

Total 18 16

Bold denotes teams with a winning record

24

Rockies: Wild Card Wacky Ways

By STATS/TSX | August 26th

ATLANTA -- As a Denver native, Colorado Rockies rookie left-hander Kyle Freeland was accustomed to pitching at high

elevation well before he got to the majors.

That why his unusual home-road split for a Rockies starter isn't as surprising as it might seem.

Freeland (11-8) goes into his start in Atlanta on Saturday night against the Braves with a home ERA (3.30) nearly a full

run lower than his road ERA (4.22).

"You can't discount that," Rockies manager Bud Black said of Freeland's home-altitude advantage. "I think is really cool is

that he is pitching in his hometown. You don't see that very much."

Atlanta has the highest elevation of any other major league city, so maybe Freeland will feel at home on the road as the

Rockies (69-59) play the Braves (57-69) in the middle contest of a three-game set.

Colorado, which lost 5-2 Friday, has dropped 12 of its past 17 games and is 7-24 on the road after a 24-10 start. The

Rockies, however, still hold the second wild-card spot in the National League.

Braves rookie left-hander Sean Newcomb (2-7) will start opposite Freeland in a rematch from Aug. 15 in Colorado in

which neither pitcher got a decision in the 4-3 Atlanta victory.

Freeland was taken by the Rockies as the eighth overall pick in the 2014, while Newcomb went 15th that year to the Los

Angeles Angels. He was traded to Atlanta the winter before last season in the Andrelton Simmons deal.

Freeland and Newcomb each gave up three runs in six innings. The Braves' winning run in the eighth innings was

courtesy of a rare error by Colorado third baseman Nolan Arenado.

The runs against Newcombe came on solo homers by Arenado, Mark Reynolds and Trevor Story. Nick Markakis had a

bases-empty homer off Freeland.

The start against the Braves in Colorado was the first for Freeland since a 10-day disabled list stint because of a groin

strain suffered in the first inning of a home start against Philadelphia on Aug. 4.

Freeland took a loss at Milwaukee on Sunday, snapping a three-game winning streak. He worked 5 2/3 innings and gave

three runs, one unearned because of his own error.

The Rookies have three rookies in the rotation and Freeland leads first-year major leaders with his 11 victories -- one

more than teammates German Marquez and Antonio Senzatela.

"Kyle wanted to make a statement about wanting to be a major league pitcher right from spring training and he did," Black

said. "He's done a nice job for us for sure.

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Newcomb pitched five scoreless innings Sunday against Cincinnati, picking up his first home victory and snapping a five-

game losing streak.

Newcomb allowed five hits and five walks, but kept battling.

"He's got a knack of staying in there and not allowing things to get out of hand," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "I

love how he competes. He's not perfect, but he never gives in. His stuff is live. It's just stuff he's going to have to work his

way through and experience. But you look and there's a lot there to like."

26

The Rockies need to get their act together

By Aniello Piro / Mile High Sports | August 26th

The Colorado Rockies are in the midst of their best season in a decade. With a record of 69-58, Colorado is in a strong

position to make the postseason this year, but they need to get their act together quickly in order to solidify their chances

at doing so.

The 2017 season has warranted much praise for the new-look Rockies. Their blazing start, young starting rotation and

onslaught of offensive production legitimized them in the sport and the state of Colorado.

All summer long, the Rockies have been the story of the city. From Kyle Freeland‘s opening day start in front of his

home crowd, to Nolan Arenado‘s magical walk-off home run to complete the cycle, the Rockies have done a tremendous

job at demanding the eyes of people in their city and around the country; however, after an extended period of poor play,

Colorado is in jeopardy of losing everything they’ve worked so hard to attain this season.

For a majority of the year, the Arizona Diamondbacks and Rockies flip-flopped between the first and second National

League Wild Card spots. While Arizona and Colorado are still penciled in as the Wild Card, two teams are starting to

breathe down their necks.

As it stands, the Rockies lead the Milwaukee Brewers by just 3.5 games in the standings and the St. Loius Cardinals by 5

games for the second spot in the National League Wild Card.

While any lead is welcomed, the Rockies have watched theirs shrink by the day.

After losing a three-game series to the Brewers last weekend, the Rockies saw their lead dip to below five games. That,in

addition to the fact that they were nearly swept by the Kansas City Royals, should have the organization beginning to

panic.

The Rockies have struggled in recent time. Losers in 10 of their last 16 ballgames, Colorado has hit some speed bumps in

just about every aspect.

The starting rotation has been off their mark, and closer Greg Holland has hit a wall at the worst time, having blown

three saves and earning four losses in his last seven outings.

On the offensive side of things, the bats have scaled back for the Rockies. They’ve plated just 90 runs in the month of

August, which ranks 22nd in the Majors.

All teams go through peaks and valleys throughout the course of a 162 game season, but with the schedule beginning to

narrow and pressure ramping up, the Rockies need to buckle down or else may be in for an epic collapse.

27

“Yeah, maybe we do have to come together and figure this out,” Arenado said during the teams series against the Royals.

“But like I said, it’s just not good enough. We are not good enough as a group. We have the right people. It’s just a matter

of going out there and doing it, and we are not.”

Luckily, Colorado was able to squeeze out a victory in their series finale with the Royals. Greg Holland earned the save

and the Rockies were able to salvage something from the set.

That said there are still plenty of tests ahead the Rockies need to sharpen up for.

After working so hard to get to where they are in the present, it would be devastating to see the Rockies collapse this

close to the finish line. They have had to deal with adversity all season long, and with over a month left to play there is

time to iron out some issues; however, things need to happen rather quickly with other teams in hot pursuit or else 2017

could evolve into a big strikeout for the Colorado Rockies.

28

Rockies’ road woes continue, stymied by Teheran in Atlanta

By MHS Staff / Mile High Sports | August 26th

The last time Julio Teheran faced the Colorado Rockies, he pitched seven scoreless innings and watched his team lose.

He faced those same Rockies on Friday night, allowing two runs over 7.1 innings but picking up the win. The Colorado

bats again had no answer for the right-hander, falling 5-2 to open their series with the Braves in Atlanta. Colorado is now

6-21 on the road since June 23.

Teheran (8-11, 4.90 ERA) scattered five hits and walked none in the win. Two of those hits came in the third inning,

when Trevor Story doubled and Charlie Blackmon singled him home. Another was Mark Reynolds‘ 27th home run of the

year, a solo shot with one out in the seventh. Sam Freeman picked up the final two outs in the eighth. Arodys

Vizcaino allowed a two-out single in the ninth to Gerardo Parra, but struck out Reynolds to close things out.

Chad Bettis (0-1, 3.79), who himself pitched seven scoreless innings against Teheran on Monday, Aug. 14, was not so

fortunate this time around. The right-hander walked Freddie Freeman with two outs in the bottom of the first, only to give

up a two-run home run to Matt Kemp. The home run bit him again in the second inning when Kurt Suzuki led off the inning

with a solo shot. The Braves manufactured another two runs in the inning to jump out to an early 5-0 lead.

Tyler Chatwood had a strong outing in relief. He allowed just one walk over two scoreless innings. Adam Ottavino walked

the bases by way of a base hit and a pair of walks in the eighth, but escaped unscathed.

The loss is now Colorado’s seventh in their last 10 games and their fourth consecutive loss to open a road series. Kyle

Freeland (11-8, 3.71) will try and pick up his first win since July 30. The Rockies rookie has a loss and a pair of no

decisions in August, having spent time on the 10-day DL with a groin injury. He will face Sean Newcomb (2-7, 4.13).

29

Teheran finally wins again at home, Braves top Rockies 5-2

By Charles Odum / The Associated Press | August 26th

ATLANTA - (AP) -- All Julio Teheran needed to snap an Atlanta-record home losing streak was a visit from the Colorado

Rockies, one of his favorite opponents.

Teheran won at home for the first time in four months, Matt Kemp and Kurt Suzuki hit home runs and the Atlanta Braves

beat Chad Bettis and the Rockies 5-2 on Friday night.

Teheran (8-11) snapped his streak of nine straight home losses, the longest in Atlanta history, as he limited Colorado to

two runs and five hits with no walks in 7 1/3 innings.

"He's been tough on the Rockies for his entire career," Colorado outfielder Carlos Gonzalez said. "He did a great job

mixing his pitches."

Teheran improved to 5-1 in eight career starts against the Rockies and has sometimes been dominant even when he

hasn't won. He threw seven scoreless innings while receiving a no decision in the Braves' 3-0 loss at Colorado on Aug.

14. He took his plan from that performance into Friday night's game.

"I don't feel I have to change anything," Teheran said. "I just kept the same plan and it worked today."

Teheran, the two-time All-Star expected to be Atlanta's ace in its rebuilding phase, said "It feels pretty good" to finally win

at home. He might have lasted longer if not for problems with cramping that led to his exit in the eighth after throwing 88

pitches.

Kemp and Suzuki each hit first-pitch homers off Bettis (0-1). Kemp hit a two-run shot in the first and Suzuki led off the

second with a line-drive shot over the left-field wall. Kemp had three hits.

Mark Reynolds hit his 27th homer in the seventh for Colorado.

Bettis, making his third start since his return from surgery and treatment for testicular cancer, allowed five runs in five

innings.

Teheran beat San Diego in his first start at SunTrust Park on April 14. The right-hander was 0-9 with a 7.37 ERA in his

next 12 home starts. He is 6-2 with a 3.24 ERA in 12 road starts.

"I'm just really glad to see him go out and have an outing like that here," Braves manager Brian Snitker said.

The Rockies have lost five of six but still hold one of the two NL wild cards.

As part of Major League Baseball's first Players Weekend featuring nontraditional uniforms, Braves players wore dark

blue shirts with red sleeves, numbers and caps and white pants. The Rockies' road gray uniforms had light purple

sleeves, numbers and caps.

30

Teheran, who wore his initials "JT" for his jersey nickname, gave up Charlie Blackmon's run-scoring single in the third but

then allowed only one baserunner the next three innings.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rockies: Blackmon fell while suffering from cramping in his left leg after taking a big swing on a foul ball in the eighth. He

left the game with a trainer. Pat Valaika replaced Blackmon and struck out. Manager Bud Black said he hopes Blackmon

can play on Saturday night.

Braves: LHP Ian Krol (left oblique strain) and RHP Luke Jackson (right shoulder strain) could be ready to come off the DL

on Sept. 1, when rosters are expanded. ... INF Johan Camargo (right knee bone bruise) still is not able to make cuts in his

workouts.

EIGHT WAS ENOUGH

Craig McMurtry (1984) and Shelby Miller (2015) each lost eight straight home games for Atlanta.

COLOR THEIR WORLD

Players took advantage of the freedom to add more color. Colorado's Bettis, Reynolds, Jon Gray and Raimel Tapia and

Atlanta's Ozzie Albies were among players to wear multicolored striped socks.

Ender Inciarte wore gold cleats.

Gonzalez had his face painted on the sweet spot of his bat, which also had purple trim.

HI, I'M HARRY

Black had real name "Harry" on jersey. He noted that long-timers such as Braves executives John Schuerholz and John

Hart call him Harry.

UP NEXT

Rockies: LHP Kyle Freeland (11-8, 3.71) allowed three runs on four hits in six innings in a no-decision against Atlanta at

Coors Field in the Braves' 4-3 win on Aug. 15.

Braves: LHP Sean Newcomb (2-7, 4.13) will face Freeland in a matchup of rookie left-handers. Newcomb will try for his

second straight home win after throwing five scoreless innings in an 8-1 win over the Reds on Sunday.