Colorado @ Los Angeles preview
Angel Stadium
Last Meeting ( Jun 25, 2010 ) Colorado 4, LA Angels 3
Colorado Rockies second baseman Clint Barmes needed a break to ignite his season. He finally got one, but it came at the expense of Troy Tulowitzki’s health.
Coming off career numbers in the power department (23 home runs and 76 RBIs) in 2009, Barmes has struggled all season long. The average has rarely been above .230 and Barmes has just four home runs in 2010.
Barmes has turned it up since Tulowitzki’s broken wrist forced a move to the other side of the second-base bag.
Since taking over at shortstop on June 18, Barmes has a hit in four of six games and has an average of .297 at the position on the season.
With the NL West-leading San Diego Padres continuing to play at a high level and Tulowitzki out at least six weeks, Colorado is going to need Barmes to start being more consistent. It also helps when he comes up with stellar defensive plays, like he did to end Tuesday's game with a 2-1 win over the Boston Red Sox.
Barmes came up as a shortstop in 2003 and was inserted as the team’s starter in mid-2005 before Tulowitzki burst on the scene two years later. Barmes has filled in for Tulowitzki in years past when the latter was injured. Barmes recently told MLB.com that it is his most natural position and enjoys playing there above anywhere else.
In his career, he actually has more games at shortstop (292) than second (261) and a better average (.267 compared to .240).
He’ll look to increase those numbers in Saturday’s interleague showdown with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
The Rockies won the first game of the series at Angels Stadium in extra innings and will attempt to keep it going with the inconsistent Aaron Cook (2-4, 4.82 ERA) on the mound.
Cook is in the middle of a topsy-turvy stretch of starts and he is coming off a seven-inning, one-earned run effort in a no-decision against the Milwaukee Brewers. If this trend holds true, Cook won’t be around very long against the Angels.
In his last three stinkers, he has allowed 12 earned runs in 12 2/3 innings. Now, in the starts before and after those struggles, Cook has allowed five earned runs in 27 1/3 innings.
Hoping Cook remains on course to struggle is Angels’ starter Joe Saunders (5-8, 5.07 ERA).
The left-hander needs all the breaks he can get right now after being limited to less than nine innings in his last two combined starts, including getting knocked out in the third inning in his last outing. Saunders, who won 33 games the previous two seasons, has allowed 11 earned runs in his last 8 1/3 innings.
Like the Rockies, the Angels have had to adjust to a major injury as first baseman Kendry Morales fractured his ankle in a celebration after walk-off home run.
Getting most of the time at first base is catcher Mike Napoli as it allows fellow backstop Jeff Mathis and Napoli in the lineup at the same time.