The Colorado Rockies have opened their season by compiling a solid record of 6-4. However, in a strange reverse of fortune, Colorado’s pitching has been carrying the load as the offense has struggled to kick things into gear to start the 2017 campaign.
So far, the Rockies are hitting just .238 collectively on the season, driving in 34 runs in the process. While those stats have the Rockies slotted in the middle of the pack in the Major League’s offensively, they are certainly low compared to what the Rockies are accustomed to.
“As an offense, we haven’t got going yet,” Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado said Tuesday night. “We know that we are not hitting the way we know we can. … We are winning ballgames, and we are nowhere near what we can do.”
With the sputtering offense, the Rockies pitching staff has picked up their play. Colorado’s staff has posted an ERA of 4.05 which is good for 13th in the league. The pitching’s durability has kept the Rockies in just about every game this season, with the offense failing to produce.
“It’s not a secret; we have to get going offensively,” outfielder Carlos Gonzalez said. “We are not scoring runs. I think the pitchers are doing a tremendous job. We got to step up and put some runs (up) and make wins easier. It’s kind of hard for the pitchers when we don’t score runs, and we don’t give them a chance. They have been giving us a chance since day one.”
It’s very unusual for the Rockies offense to experience extended periods of time with this dormant of an offense. Usually, the rox can score at will, but so far this season many hitters at the top of the lineup have struggled. Charlie Blackmon is barely hitting .250 (.256), while Carlos Gonzalez is sitting with an even batting average of .200, but that’s not all. Trevor Story and D.J. LeMahieu were two of Colorado’s biggest offensive weapons last season. This season both Story and LeMahieu have struggled more than any of the Rockies everyday starters, posting batting averages of .171 and .129 respectively.
Overall, it has been a poor start to the season for a majority of the Rockies offense; however, manager Bud Black believes there is should be no cause for concern
“We’ll get it going,” manager Bud Black said of his team’s offense. “This group is too talented offensively to stay mired in a slump. … These guys are confident players. They all believe in themselves. They believe in each other. They believe in this team. This is a long haul. I don’t think there is anything to worry about offensively.
With the Rockies pitchers thriving in the early stages of the season, Colorado’s offense is in dire need of a wake-up call. If the Rockies offense can get going while the pitching continues to shine, Colorado will evolve into a lethal ballclub in all aspects of the game.
