Can the Rockies win the N.L. West with 90 victories?
Kiz: Woke up, rubbed the sleep from my eyes and checked how the Rockies actually won a game with only three hits, by reading all the details online (only 99 cents for the first month). Then, between sips of coffee, I muttered: How in the world could this scuffling Colorado team be anywhere near first place at this point in the season? I guess the Dodgers ain’t what they used to be. Could a humble 90-72 record be good enough for the Rockies to win the first division title in their history?
Saunders: Kiz, as I quite vividly recall, you picked the Rox to win 92 games, so you are actually dissing this mighty juggernaut. I, on the other hand, picked the LoDo Boys to win 89 games. Given the state of the division, those 89 wins just might be enough for the Rockies to wear their first division crown. It’s a weird year. I mean, DBacks slumping first baseman Paul Goldschmidt is slashing .140/.321/.209 — at home.
Kiz: Here’s what a knucklehead like me has real trouble wrapping his mind around.The Rockies are as good as any team in the league when they play on the road. But, so far, they have stunk at home in LoDo. Could it be general manager Jeff Bridich has constructed a roster that’s better suited to win away from Coors Field? And can a good-pitch, no-hit club actually allow manager Bud Black and the gang to win 90 games?
Saunders: The simple answer to your question is no. The solid pitching is terrific to see, of course, but the Rockies winning games in this fashion is unsustainable. Entering Tuesday night’s game, they were 19-11 on the road, but only 7-11 at home. That means a heavy load of home games going forward, which means that the Rockies’ hibernating offense better wake up pretty soon, because there’s going to be plenty of pinball games at Coors when the weather heats up.
Kiz: Last season, the Dodgers went a mind-boggling 43-7 during a 50-game stretch of the regular season. But I did the math, and in the previous five years, the West was won with an average of 92.6 victories. So if our gritty little Rockies scrap, claw and squeeze out enough timely infield singles to win 90 times, they should stay firmly in the hunt for the NL West crown, even after the Broncos play their first game that actually counts in the NFL standings.
Saunders: You had to bring up the Broncos, didn’t you? How cool would it be if a time arrived when the Rox didn’t have to worry about playing in the NFL’s shadow. It’s never going to happen, I know, but a baseball beat writer can dream. But enough bellyaching. Black has repeatedly said that the NL West race is going to come down to the final week of the season. A pennant race in late September? I’m all in.
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