Results tagged ‘ Ian Stewart ’

Torrealba has baseball on the mind

Rockies catcher Yorvit Torrealba was back in the clubhouse and, more importantly, in a baseball frame of mind Tuesday afternoon.

Torrealba, who last played June 1 then had toi deal with the kidnappings if his son and two other family members in Venezuela,  played four get-in-shape games for Triple-A Colorado Springs (4-for-15). He was to be looked over by the Rockies’ training staff Tuesday before the club could activate him.

“I feel good,” Torrealba said. “I’m thinking about baseball. I had my son with me down in Colorado Springs, and that was good. I’m ready to help the team in any way I can.”

The lineup card for Tuesday’s game with the Dodgers listed Paul Phillips as the reserve catcher, behind Chris Iannetta, so it woudl be at least Wednesday before Torrealba will be back on the roster.

Here are the starting lineups:

Rockies

Seth Smith, LF

Clint Barmes, 2B

Todd Helton, 1B

Brad Hawpe, RF

Troy Tulowitzki, SS

Ian Stewart, 3B

Carlos Gonzalez, CF

Chris Iannetta, C

Jason Marquis, P

Dodgers

Juan Pierre, LF

Rafael Furcal, SS

Andre Ethier, RF

Casey Blake, 3B

Mat Kemp, CF

Juan Castro, 2B

A.J. Ellis, C

Chad Billingsley, P

Bigger bat means better Smith

The Rockies’ Seth Smith entered Sunday’s start against the Athletics with a five-game hit streak. He is 3-for-8 with two home runs and six RBIs as a DH.

That coincides with Smith going to a bigger bat, from 34-inch, 31-ounce to 35-inch, 32-ounce. it makes a difference.

“This is the biggest I’ve used,” Smith said. “I tried it in batting practice and liked it.

“It makes you stay back. If you get out on your front foot at all, you’re not going to get the barrel on the baseball. Staying back is the ideal hitting position. And with a heavier bat, I can hit the ball a little bit harder.”

His new bats haven’t arrived, however. He is using Todd Helton’s.

“He’s pretty lenient,” Smith said.

Here are Sunday’s lineups:

Rockies

Dexter Fowler, CF

Clint Barmes, 2B

Todd Helton, 1B

Brad Hawpe, RF

Troy Tulowitzki, SS

Ian Stewart, 3B

Chris Iannetta, C

Carlos Gonzalez, LF

Seth Smith, DH

Starting pitcher — Aaron Cook

Athletics

Adam Kennedy, 3B

Jack Cust, RF

Matt Holliday, LF

Jason Giambi, 1B

Kurt Suzuki, DH

Orlando Cabrera, SS

Ryan Sweeney, CF

Landon Powell, C

Mark Ellis, 2B

Starting pitcher — Vin Mazzaro

 

Tracy hopes De La Rosa lets it flow

Rockies left-hander Jorge De La Rosa has experienced some wild swings this season, sometimes within the same game. But going into Saturday night’s start against the Athletics, he’s swinging the right way. He has won three of his last four starts.

“He’s a get-untracked type guy,” Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. “I don’t know that he’s the type of guy where every single time he walks out there, he’s completely untracked right from jump street. I don’t think that’s the case.

“He has special pitches. He’s got swing-and-miss type pitches that if he’s trying to get untracked, he can make a couple of those pitches and they can get him through some things.

“The biggest thing that I want to see with Jorge is tempo. I believe his tempo can get a little bit better, not only make him better but also the people that are standing behind him.”

In lineup news, Clint Barmes, who went 2-for-4 from the No. 9 slot Friday night, is back in his customary No. 2 position.

Here are the lineups as the Rockies attempt to win the series:

Rockies

Seth Smith, LF

Clint Barmes, 2B

Todd Helton, 1B

Brad Hawpe, RF

Troy Tulowitzki, SS

Ian Stewart, 3B

Garrett Atkins, 3B

Carlos Gonzalez, CF

Paul Phillips, C

Starting pitcher — Jorge De La Rosa

Athletics

Adam Kennedy, 2B

Kurt Suzuki, C

Matt Holliday, LF

Nomar Garciaparra, DH

Jason Giamba, 1B

Orlando Cabrera, SS

Jack Cust, RF

Bobby Crosby, 3B

Rajai Davis, CF

Atkins siezes chance; Time to take notice?

This could turn out well for third baseman Garrett Atkins and the Rockies.

Atkins lashed three hits, including a home run, Wednesday against the Angels, and is back in the lineip for Friday night’s opener of three against the Athletics. If this is Atkins’ showcase for a trade, then so be it.

Atkins has hit .302 (13-for-43) this month, with three home runs and six RBIs in 15 games. Also, the Athletics are starting left-hander Dallas Braden, and Atkins is 9-for-his-last-21 against lefties.

Rockies manager Jim Tracy is proud of how Atkins has worked despite being supplanted by Ian Stewart at third base.

“He has been a complete professional,” Tracy said. “And I really believe if I’m looking at this correctly, from some of the types of at-bats I’ve seen him take as of late, he’s real interested of making a statement, ‘I’m still the Garrett Atkins that drove in over 100 runs three out of the last four years.’

“If he continues to force the issue that way, then obviously he will force our hand to do something very positive for the Colorado Rockies.”

Atkins will hit cleanup and clint Barmes, who went 0-for-12 in three games against the Angels, will bat ninth. Ryan Spilborghs moves into Barmes’ No. 2 hole. Here are the full lineups for both teams:

Rockies

Dexter Fowler, CF

Ryan Spilborghs, LF

Todd Helton, 1B

Garrett Atkins, DH

Brad Hawpe, RF

Troy Tulowitzki, SS

Chris Iannetta, C

Ian Stewart, 3B

Clint Barmes, 2B

Starting pitcher — Jason Hammel

Athletics

Adam Kennedy, 2B

Jack Cust, RF

Matt Holliday, LF

Jason Giambi, DH

Kurt Suzuki, C

Orlando Cabrera, SS

Ryan Sweeney, CF

Daric Barton, 1B

Jack Hannahan, 3B

Starting pitcher — Dallas Braden

 

 

On-base machine Smith to lead off

To give Dexter Fowler a day off, the Rockies are starting Seth Smith as the leadoff man for Thursday’s deciding game of three with the Rays. Smith will play left field, and Carlos Gonzalez will play the centre field that Fowler usually roams. The numbers certainly support putting Smith atop the order.

Smith’s pinch-hit single Wednesday night improved his on-base percentage for he season to .423. He has reached in 14 of his 26 pinch-hit appearances.

“First and foremost, he knows what a strike and what a ball looks like, and he will not expand his strike zone,” Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. “He doesn’t chase a lot.”

For a young player, Smith has a veteran’s knack for pinch-hitting and situational hitting.

“I see an an awareness as to what his responsibilities are for a given situation,” Tracy said. “For example, you’re leading an inning off as a pinch-hitter off the bench, we’re down by a run. He’ll show you the presence of mind of understanding, ‘I’m here to do anything I can do to get to first base.’”

Here are today’s lineups:

Rays

B.J. Upton, CF

Carl Crawford, LF

Evan Longoria, 3B

Carlos Pena, 1B

Ben Zobrist, 2B

Gabe Gross, RF

Jason Bartlett, SS

Dioner Navarro, C

Matt Garza, P

Rockies

Seth Smith, LF

Clint Barmes, 2B

Todd Helton, 1B

Brad Hawpe, RF

Troy Tulowitzki, SS

Ian Stewart, 3B

Carlos Gonzalez, CF

Paul Phillips, C

Ubaldo Jimenez, P

 

Throwing a man a bone

Rockies right-hander Taylor Buchholz underwent Tommy John ligament transfer surgery on his right elbow on Wednesday. Rockies manager Jim Tracy discussed the surgery with Rockies head athletic trainer Keith Dugger, who told him Buchholz received a surprise.

“As to the state that the ligament was in, there was a piece of bone actually growing into the ligament,” Tracy said. “Apparently, what ‘Doogie’ had said to me was the doctor maintained the fragment and gave it to him, just so he could see it.”

– In a lineup stacked with right-handed hitters, Garrett Atkins gets the start at third base instead of left-handed hitting ian Stewart.

Atkins, in spot duty, has been on base in six of his last 12 plate appearances, and is on a 6-for-12 run against lefty pitchers.

“Here’s an opportunity to see where he’s at, and let him know something that I looked him in the eye and told him in St. Louis, ‘Unless you quit on yourself, I’m not going to quit on you,’” Tracy said. “You’ve got to find spots to put him in there.”

Tracy said he wants to play Atkins enough to get his “pilot light burning all the way up, instead of some of the flickers we see periodically.”

 

– Here are lineups for Wednesday night’s game against the Rays:

Rays

B.J. Upton, CF

Carl Crawford, LF

Evan Longoria, 3B

Carlos Pena, 1B

Ben Zobrist, 2B

Pat Burrell, RF

Jason Bartlett, SS

Michel Hernandez, C

David Price, P

Rockies

Dexter Fowler, CF

Clint Barmes, 2B

Todd Helton, 1B

Garrett Atkins, 3B

Brad Hawpe, RF

Ryan Spilborghs, LF

Troy Tulowitzki, SS

Chris Iannetta, C

Aaron Cook, P

Stewart, Barmes in, Atkins out for Cards finale

Rockies manager Jim Tracy, needing to stay with the hot bats of Ian Stewart and Clint Barmes, left third baseman Garrett Atkins out of the lineup for Monday’s finale of a four-game set with the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

Tracy insisted, however, that Atkins is not going to be buried on the bench. Tracy will look for favorable matchups, try to put him in key pinch-hit situations and see if he can make Atkins a viable lineup option. Atkins has shown life lately, but he is batting .189 with fivfe home runs and 20 RBIs.

“In no way do I want to be having people thinking or suggesting that that’s it with Garrett Atkins, but because of where we’re at right now I am in a position to pick spots for the time being that make the most sense,” Tracy said.

Here are Monday’s lineups:

Rockies

Dexter Fowler, CF

Clint Barmes, 2B

Todd Helton, 1B

Brad Hawpe, RF

Troy Tulowitzki, SS

Carlos Gonzalez, LF

Paul Phillips, C

Jason Marquis, P

Cardinals

Skip Schumaker, 2B

Colby Rasmus, CF

Albert Pujols, 1B

Ryan Ludwick, RF

Chris Duncan, LF

Yadier Molina, C

Tyler Greene, 3B

Brad Thompson, P

Brendan Ryan, SS

Helton has Sunday off

Rockies manager Jim Tracy looked at the schedule and saw, well, a lot of games. this is the seventh game of an 11-game, 11-day road trip. when the Rockies dome home, they play three with the Mariners before finally getting their first day off since May 28. So, Sunday is as good a time as any to sit first baseman Todd Helton, who was 1-for-6 in the first two games with the Cardinals. Sunday is Helton’s first game out of the starting lineup since May 17 at Pittsburgh.

Here are Sunday’s lineups:

Rockies

Dexter Fowler, CF

Clint Barmes, 2B

Brad Hawpe, RF

Garrett Atkins, 1B

Ian Stewart, 3B

Carlos Gonzalez, LF

Troy Tulowitzki, SS

Paul Phillips, C

Ubaldo Jimenez, P

Cardinals

Skip Schumaker, 2B

Colby Rasmus, CF

Albert Pujols, 1B

Rick Ankiel, RF

Chris Duncan, LF

Yadier Molina, C

Joe Thurston, 3B

Brendan Ryan, SS

Joel Piniero, P

 

 

Fowler resting calf

Rockies manager Jim Tracy gave rookie center fieler Dexter Fowler some rest time Saturday. Fowler fouled a pitch off his right calf Friday night, and had the area heavly taped Saturday. Seth Smith replaced him atop the order. It was also Carlos Gonzalez’s first start in center field for the Rockies. Here are the lineups for the Rockies-Cardinals game:

Rockies

Seth Smith, LF

Clint Barmes, SS

Todd Helton, 1B

Garrett Atkins, 3B

Brad Hawpe, RF

Ian Stewart, 2B

Carlos Gonzalez, CF

Edwin Bellorin, C

Aaron Cook, P

Cardinals

Skip Schumaker, 2B

Rick Ankiel, CF

Albert Pujols, 1B

Ryan Ludwick, RF

Chris Duncan, LF

Jason LaRue, C

Joe Thurston, 3B

Todd Wellemeyer, P

Tyler Greene, SS

 

Needing offense, or some semblance of it

The Rockies are without shortstop Troy Tulowitzki for Wednesday night’s game with the Astros. Manager Jim Tracy’s position on Tuesday night was to use Omar Quintanilla at shortstop, with Clint Barmes at second base.

But when he determined his lineup card, Tracy went with Ian Stewart at second and Barmes at short.

Manager Jim Tracy’s position was Stewart poses more of an offensive threat than Quintanilla. Even Tracy said the Astros won’t be fearing Stewart’s .177 batting average. But Stewart has three hits off the Astros this year. All are home runs.

Here are the lineups for Wednsday:

Rockies

Dexter Fowler, CF

Clint Barmes, SS

Todd Helton, 1B

Brad Hawpe, RF

Garrett Atkins, 3B

Seth Smith, LF

Ian Stewart, 2B

Paul Phillips, C

Jason Marquis, P

Astros

Michael Bourn, CF

Miguel Tejada, SS

Hunter Pence, RF

Carlos Lee, LF

Lance Berkman, 1B

Ivan Rodriguez, C

Geoff Blum, 3B

Edwin Maysonet, 2B

Brian Moehler, P

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