Series Preview: Pirates at Rockies

Following a disappointing series loss to the Cardinals, the Pirates (57-55) embark on a western swing, beginning with a series against one of the six teams sitting between them and a National League wild card spot.

The Rockies sit 2 1/2 games back of the Braves for the second wild card, the Pirates an even five. Colorado avoided a weekend sweep at the hands of the wild card-leading Brewers with a 5-4, 11-inning victory Sunday in Milwaukee.

That’s still a lot of teams in the mix, making it hard to scoreboard-watch. But you probably knew that.

Season Series: 2-1 Rockies

At Pittsburgh

April 16: Rockies 6, Pirates 2

April 17: Rockies 2, Pirates 0

April 18: Pirates 11, Rockies 9

Schedule

Monday, 8:40 p.m. — Joe Musgrove (4-5, 3.63 ERA) vs. Kyle Freeland (9-7, 3.20); TV: AT&T SportsNet

Tuesday, 8:40 p.m. — Jameson Taillon (8-8, 3..74) vs. TBD; TV: AT&T SportsNet

Wednesday, 3:10 p.m. — Chris Archer (3-5, 4.40) vs. German Marquez (9-8, 4.70); TV: AT&T SportsNet

Rockies

59-52 (55-56 Pythag, 4.75 RS/G, 4.84 RA/G)

Offense

Nolan Arenado (.302/.386/.582, 28 HR through Saturday) is, of course, leading this group. Trevor Story (.290/.352/.551, 23 HR) is second among Rockies position players in fWAR, rebounding from some 2017 sophomore struggles. Carlos Gonzalez, now 32, had fallen so far he signed a one-year, $5 million deal to go back to Colorado. That’s paid off with a .292/.342/.503, 14 HR performance.

Pitching

Banished to Triple-A for a spell, Jon Gray (10.77 K/9, 2.69 BB/9, 4.99 ERA, 3.09 FIP) is back leading the staff with 3.1 fWAR. The two pitchers not named TBD going this week, Kyle Freeland (3.20 ERA-4.38 xFIP) and German Marquez (4.70 ERA-3.65 xFIP) are having differing experiences with the vagaries of being a professional baseball starting pitcher. The Rockies traded for Seung-Hwan Oh (10.06 K/9, 1.94 BB/9) to bolster their expensive, not very good bullpen. Adam Ottavino, however, is neither expensive nor bad (13.16 K/9, 3.54 BB/9). Currently in Triple-A, Pirates prospect deep cut Brooks Pounders has logged 15 1/3 innings of relief for Colorado.

You call yourself a baseball fan without ...

this lovely Walt Weiss “skipper” gnome?