The Colorado Rockies have scored only two runs in 19 innings through the first two games of their National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, pushing Colorado to the brink of elimination.
The Rockies offense is bad, and could get them swept in the NLDS
2 runs in the first two games has Colorado down 2-0 to Milwaukee in the best-of-5 series
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
It has been a hellish week of travel for the Rockies, who finished off a homestand Sunday at home, then had to play a NL West tiebreaker Monday against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. The Rockies lost that, which sent them to Chicago for Tuesday’s Wild Card Game against the Cubs. The series against the Brewers started Thursday against Milwaukee, meaning the Rockies played four games in five days in four different cities, something that hasn’t been done in 96 years.
The results on offense have not been good this week for the Rockies. They scored two runs on Monday, and those were a pair of solo home runs in the ninth inning after they trailed 5-0. They scored two runs in 13 innings at Wrigley Field to win the Wild Card Game. Colorado scored two runs in 10 innings in Game 1 against the Brewers, then were shut out by Jhoulys Chacin and the Milwaukee bullpen in Game 2.
Colorado’s offense in its last four games has scored six total runs in 41 innings, and is hitting just .176/.242/.254 dating back to Monday.
The pillars of production for the Rockies are Trevor Story, Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon, and those three have been limited to three singles in 23 at-bats against the Brewers (.130), with nine strikeouts and a sacrifice fly. Without those three producing, this is an easy lineup to navigate.
2018 Rockies offense
Position | wRC+ (NL rank) |
|---|---|
| C | 63 (14th) |
| 1B | 80 (15th) |
| 2B | 78 (13th) |
| 3B | 124 (4th) |
| SS | 127 (1st) |
| LF | 76 (14th) |
| CF | 109 (3rd) |
| RF | 93 (12th) |
| Overall | 87 (12th) |
The offensive struggles aren’t necessarily surprising, because the Rockies have underwhelmed at the plate all year. They were below average offensively by OPS+ and wRC+ at catcher, first base, second base, left field and right field. On the whole Colorado’s OPS+ (90) ranked 10th in a 15-team National League, and their wRC+ (87) ranked 12th.
Of all the contenders in the National League, the Rockies sure could have used a bat at one of the trade deadlines, but instead all they added was a 38-year-old Matt Holliday, who has been effective, hitting .283/.415/.434 in 25 games. And Drew Butera, a lifetime .201/.258/.299 hitter.
This is a bad offense, performing badly in October.
Pitching has been the strength of this Rockies team, which is not a phrase that is uttered very often. It has helped Colorado to consecutive playoff berths for the first time in franchise history.
The Rockies pitching staff through their hell week has a very strong 2.56 ERA in four games. But they are 1-3, and now one loss away from going home.
Going home is where the Rockies will need to salvage their season, with Sunday’s Game 3 at Coors Field, and if they are able to win then Game 4 on Monday is in Denver as well.
“Our guys are — they’re mentally in the right spot, but we’ve got to get that group a little bit more — their confidence is down just a bit because of what’s happened,” Rockies manager Bud Black told reporters. “But a day off will be good, and we’ve won three games in a row before. That’s what it’s going to take.”
They just had a 6-1 homestand to end the scheduled portion of their regular season, part of a 9-1 finish that moved them into a tie atop the NL West. The Rockies scored at least five runs in six of those seven games, and 58 in total, 8.29 runs per game. Colorado needs another surge like that or this series isn’t going back to Milwaukee.
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