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Senzatela cruises as Rockies romp past Giants By Chris Haft and Thomas Harding / MLB.com | 1:20 AM ET DENVER -- For Rockies rookie right-hander Antonio Senzatela, facing the Giants spurs growth. On Saturday night -- for

the second time in a week -- Senzatela threw seven stellar innings while shutting down the Giants, this time in a 12-3

victory at Coors Field.

After being fastball-dominant early in Sunday's 4-3 victory at AT&T Park, Senzatela said he worked on the "chop," or the

downward break, of his slider. This time he mixed his best slider of the season early, plus he threw a small number of

effective changeups.

"As you move on as a player, there are no secrets in this game," Rockies manager Bud Black said. "He's got a nice

heartbeat, and he's a competitor, and he's got stuff. He's got to put it in the right spots."

Supported by home runs from Mark Reynolds, for two runs in the first, and Trevor Story and Charlie Blackmon, who

had solo shots in the fourth, Senzatela (3-0) held the Giants to four hits and struck out three.

It was more Coors Field misery for Giants starter Matt Moore (1-3), who coughed up all the homers while yielding nine

hits and six runs in four innings. In three starts at Coors, Moore is 0-2 with a 12.34 ERA and seven home runs in 11 2/3

innings. The Giants threatened with Brandon Belt's RBI double and Joe Panik's RBI single in the eighth. But the Rockies

answered with six runs in the bottom of the frame.

MEDIA CLIPS – April 23, 2017

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The Giants' 6-12 start matches their worst showing in their first 18 games since 1990. Manager Bruce Bochy insisted the

club's starting pitching must improve for the Giants' fortunes to turn.

"We're not doing a good job with that," Bochy said. "We're a much better staff than what's happening. We have to tighten

it up and wake up. We're not a team that goes out and pounds it with you. We have to pitch."

The Rockies had gone a club record-tying 17 games without reaching double figures in runs until Saturday. More

importantly, the big eighth inning allowed Black to not use Adam Ottavino or closer Greg Holland.

"We did a good job to bounce back, put up a crooked number and hopefully give some of those guys in the 'pen a rest,"

Blackmon said. "Those guys have been throwing so well."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

The first of many zeros: First innings had been toughest for Senzatela. In his initial start, at Milwaukee, he escaped a

bases-loaded, one-out jam with no runs scoring, but in his next he yielded a leadoff homer and against the Giants last

Sunday he allowed three first-inning runs before finishing with six scoreless frames. But after Belt doubled with one out in

the first Saturday, Senzatela coolly worked a fly ball from Panik (after throwing fastballs on most previous pitches), then

extracted a sharp, inning-ending grounder from Buster Posey. The Giants didn't score until Panik's homer with two out in

the sixth.

This dude faces a good lefty every day: To say Blackmon was ready for Moore was an understatement. Blackmon

jumped on Moore's first strike for a triple down the right-field line to open the bottom of the first. He hit a scorching fly ball

in the second that Giants center fielder Denard Span caught -- while crashing into the wall and suffering what the team

called a mild right shoulder sprain. Blackmon's third at-bat, with two down in the fourth, resulted in a 422-foot homer to

straightaway center. Turns out part of Blackmon's ritual, no matter whether the opposing starter is a lefty, is taking

batting practice off a pretty good left-hander in his own right -- Black.

QUOTABLE

"I've been doing a lot of running. I could go for less running. ... It's way better to hit it over the fence than clank it around in

the corner." -- Blackmon, who hit a two-run, inside-the-park homer Friday night and had to leg out the early triple Saturday

before hitting a traditional homer.

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SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Story's at-bats can be entitled "Feast or Famine Theater." Over his last eight games, Story is 5-for-30 with four home runs,

one double, eight RBIs and 17 strikeouts.

FINDING THE FASTBALL IN TIME

The Giants cut the deficit to 6-3 in the eighth and had two on for Brandon Crawford against righty reliever Carlos

Estevez, who put the runners at second and third with a wild fastball. Estevez, who said that as a rookie last year he

would "spend a full inning sometimes throwing those [wild] fastballs," worked his way into the count with changeups, then

struck Crawford out on a 96.6 mph fastball that grazed the bat.

"These are the big leagues," Estevez said. "You have to make adjustments quickly."

WHAT'S NEXT

Giants: San Francisco's two-city trip ends Sunday with a 12:10 p.m. PT encounter against Colorado. Right-hander Jeff

Samardzija will start for the Giants, who might load the lineup with right-handed batters against opposing left-handed

starter Kyle Freeland.

Rockies: Freeland limited runs but ran up his pitch count and lasted just four innings in a 4-3 victory over the Dodgers in

his last outing. Freeland will make his third start at Coors Field -- in his hometown -- in the finale of the three-game set

with the Giants on Sunday at 1:10 p.m. MT.

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Freeland looks to improve at Coors Field By Chris Haft / MLB.com | 5:10 AM ET

San Francisco's series against the Colorado Rockies has been a rough one for Giants starting pitchers, but Jeff

Samardzija has proven that he's capable of reversing the rotation's fortunes.

Johnny Cueto and Matt Moore each yielded six runs in the series' first two games. Next up in Sunday's series finale is

Samardzija, who owns a 2.15 ERA in six career appearances (including three starts) at Coors Field.

The Rockies will counter with rookie left-hander Kyle Freeland, who has yet to adjust to his home ballpark. Freeland has

compiled a 5.91 ERA in two Coors Field appearances.

Things to know about this game

• Colorado's Greg Holland has recorded saves in each of his first nine appearances with the Rockies. According to the

Elias Sports Bureau, the only closer to exceed that figure is Lee Smith, who picked up the save in his first 12 outings with

the Orioles in 1994.

• Giants first baseman Brandon Belt lengthened his hitting streak to seven games with his first-inning double Saturday.

• The only other occasion when the Rockies won each of their first two series of the season against San Francisco was

2002.

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Blackmon enlists Black for batting practice By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | 1:21 AM ET

DENVER -- Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon said Giants lefty pitcher Matt Moore "mixes it up pretty well and

throws a lot of strikes." To prepare for Saturday's clash with Moore, Blackmon took swings in the batting cage from a lefty

who could mix pitches with control.

That pitcher is Rockies manager Bud Black.

The preparation worked well, as evidenced by Blackmon's performance in a 12-3 victory at Coors Field. Blackmon tripled

in his first at-bat and launched a 421-foot homer to center field in his third at-bat against Moore. In between, he flied out

solidly to deep center.

Turns out this wasn't a special assignment. Blackmon and Black retreat to the cage on a regular basis. Even if the starter

is a righty, Blackmon wants to be ready for when the opponent goes to a lefty reliever.

"I just want to see some straight ones, and I always hit some sliders, too," said Blackmon, whose evening brought him to

7-for-31 (.226) with a double, two triples and a homer against lefty pitching this season.

Blackmon figures in the National League West he will see a lot of lefty pitchers. He began this last year, with advance

scout Joe Little throwing to him. Black pitched in 398 games over 15 Major League seasons, but Blackmon pointed out

there isn't a huge difference in batting practice. The key is becoming comfortable with the angle.

Black, of course, is up for anything that could help his club. Before Saturday's game, he visited the ticket windows to

help sell seats. He put on a first baseman's mitt, which means he knows what it's like to catch third baseman Nolan

Arenado's screaming throws.

In conversations with the front office before taking the Rockies' managerial job during the winter, Black learned that

Blackmon is "highly focused, highly intent on what he wants to do each and every game to help us win." Before the first

homestand, when the Rockies would face the Dodgers' Hyun-Jin Ryu and Clayton Kershaw, Black didn't hesitate when

Blackmon requested the BP. Now it's pretty much a daily date.

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"If I am a small part of his daily routine, I'm in," said Black, who said a few players in the past requested his pitching

services while he was the Angels' pitching coach and the Padres' manager.

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Marquez making case for start vs. Nationals By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | April 22nd, 2017

DENVER -- Right-hander German Marquez's nine-strikeout performance for Triple-A Albuquerque on Thursday received

strong reviews and should put him in line to start Tuesday night against the Nationals -- when the Rockies again need a

fifth starting pitcher.

Throwing under a 75-pitch limit in the Isotopes' 8-3 victory over Reno, Marquez gave up a double to open the second

inning before fanning six straight and, eventually, seven of eight. He yielded two runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings. The mix

of secondary pitches with his power fastball drew positive reactions from Rockies manager Bud Black, who was careful

not to make an announcement about Tuesday even though indications point that way.

"The curveball was effective and the fastball was located, had velocity -- hence the nine punchouts in four-plus -- that's a

good ratio," Black said.

Marquez, the Rockies' No. 4 prospect, fell short in competition for the season-opening rotation but the Rockies thought

enough of him to keep him in the bullpen. However, he wasn't needed in a game, so the Rockies optioned him April 9 so

he could rebuild his pitch count. In 10 innings over three Triple-A appearances, including two starts, he has a 2.70 ERA

and 18 strikeouts against eight hits.

Marquez, obtained from the Rays with lefty Jake McGee for outfielder Corey Dickerson and Minor League

infielder Kevin Padlo before last season, made six appearances at the end of last season. The Rockies believe he can be

a solid Major League starter if he can find consistency with the secondary pitches.

The downward-angle changeup is improving, with confidence being a key, but the curve appears to have arrived.

"He's got spin and he's got arm speed, and it's a matter of timing," Rockies pitching coach Steve Foster said. "It's an 'out'

pitch and an 'in' pitch for him, so it's a big pitch. He can start counts. He can finish counts. When he's landing that pitch,

he's dangerous."

Of the fastball, Foster said, "It's easy cheese, and incredible confidence for a young 22-year-old."

Worth noting

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Rockies outfielder David Dahl, out since early Spring Training with a stress reaction in the sixth rib, began a hitting

progression with 30 dry swings Saturday -- a day after positive news from a bone scan Friday. Dahl will stay with the club

through the Arizona trip at the end of next week, then return to the team's complex in Scottsdale, Ariz.

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Greg Holland, Adam Ottavino thriving throwing different sliders for Rockies Bud Black: “I would say Otto’s slider is more of a slurve. It’s not what I can a traditional slider.”

By Patrick Saunders / Denver Post | April 22nd, 2017

On April 11 at Coors Field, the Rockies headed into the eighth inning nursing a 3-2 lead over San Diego.

Enter Adam Ottavino, who struck out the side, whiffing Rockies menace Wil Myers to close out the inning with a sweeping

83.4 mph slider.

Closer Greg Holland took the mound in the ninth and immediately walked Yangervis Solarte. No sweat. Holland got Ryan

Schimpf to fly out to left with a 95 mph fastball, struck out Hunter Refroe with an 89.6 mph slider and closed out the victory

when Austin Hedges took a helpless swing at an 85 mph slider that seemed to fall through a trap door as it reached home

plate.

Ottavino and Holland: Two effective late-game relievers with two very different “out” pitches. Yet both call their

coldhearted strikeout pitch a slider. What gives?

“A slider is really everything between a curveball and a cutter. It’s everything in that range,” said Ottavino, who entered

Friday with a 1.23 ERA, 12 strikeouts and three walks. “Technically, you are trying to make the ball go to the glove side,

so if you are a righty, it’s goes left. But a lot of sliders drop down too.”

It’s that disappearing slider that Holland matches with his 94, 95 mph fastball to set up batters for the kill. It’s an approach

that made him an all-star with Kansas City in 2014-15, and entering Friday he had eight saves in his first eight chances

with the Rockies.

“For me, I try to keep the slider looking as close to my fastball for as long as I can,” Holland said. “That’s my thought

process: fastball, fastball, fastball, and then try to cut the ball in half.”

A nasty fastball-slider combination has landed some legendary pitchers in the Hall of Fame. Think Randy Johnson, Bob

Gibson, Steve Carlton and Dennis Eckersley, among others. Like Holland and Ottavino, all had different styles and

approaches. Eckersley slung a sidearm slider, and most of the others threw from a three-quarters arm slot, while Carlton’s

slider came from over the top.

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Holland throws more over the top, a bit like Carlton, who was left-handed, but he falls off the mound toward first base, a

bit like Gibson.

It’s worked for him.

From 2011-14, he registered 113 saves for the Royals with a 1.86 ERA and 358 strikeouts — the most among American

League relievers during that span.

“A slider is a breaking ball, and every breaking ball is unique to that pitcher, because every pitcher imparts different spin

on the ball than another guy,” said first-year Rockies manager Bud Black, who pitched in 15 big-league seasons. “It all

depends on arm speed, how they grip the ball and what seam they are using to create the spin on the baseball.”

Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado said Washington right-hander Max Scherzer, Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander

Clayton Kershaw and Miami’s Jose Fernandez, who died in a boat accident last October, are the pitchers who have

thrown him the most diabolical sliders.

“What makes it such a great pitch is that the arm comes through with the same speed as a fastball, but there is late

movement,” Arenado said. “What makes it hard for me is that late break. I mean, Kershaw’s slider looks like a fastball, but

then all of the sudden it breaks. Drives guys crazy.”

Categorizing the various types of sliders is a matter of semantics. Though Ottavino likes to call his big, sweeping breaking

pitch a “slider,” Black sticks a different label on it.

“I would say Otto’s slider is more of a slurve. It’s not what I can a traditional slider,” Black said. “A traditional slider, for me,

has more velocity with a shorter break. It travels a little bit horizontally and with a little bit of a tilt.

“Otto’s is a big, sweeping slurve. If you just tilted it a little bit, it would become a curveball.”

Holland’s slider, by contrast, comes in different shades and he throws it hard. The pitch in the mid-80s dives quickly,

making it behave like a split-finger fastball.

“Greg has the ability to manipulate the ball to where his slider can go straight down or horizontal,” Black said. “It’s all

about hand manipulation and how he releases that pitch.”

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Whereas Ottavino’s slider is most effective vs. right-handed batters because it moves away from them, Holland’s slider

baffles lefties as well as righties.

“When I’m going good, I can manipulate my slider. I can make it go a little more right to left, or I can make it break a little

shorter,” said Holland, who chuckled and added, “But that comes and goes in waves. It’s like yesterday, I could do

whatever I wanted with it and then today I wondered what the heck happened. There is a lot of feel to the pitch.”

According to Ottavino, Holland imparts less spin on his slider, allowing for more break and deception.

“His ball really grips the air,” Ottavino said. “It’s a gift and it’s a great thing, because he can throw it to both righties and

lefties.

“Because for lefties who are expecting the pitch to come in toward them, it stays true or even goes away from them as it

drops. That’s not normal. So when he gets to two strikes on a guy, they are in deep, deep trouble, because as he’s

throwing a pitch they don’t see every day.”

Ottavino’s signature pitch is his “Frisbee” slider that appears to start behind a right-handed hitter. He can throw that pitch

for a strike, and then gradually work it well off the outside corner when he gets ahead in the count. But he actually throws

three sliders.

“One’s more of an up and down, one more of a slurve, and one with more of a straight lateral break,” he said. “I do that

with different grips. I throw a lot of breaking balls, so I don’t want to make them all exactly the same, Even if the hitter

reads slider out of my hand, he can’t be totally sure where it will end up.”

During spring training, Ottavino worked hard on diversifying his pitch portfolio.

“Everybody knows me for the sweeping slider that goes way left,” he said. “I think maybe I got a little happy throwing that

pitch over the last three years. Sometimes on my sweeper … a guy can kind of track it and get a little piece of it.

“So, this year I made more of a commitment to throwing a slider with more downward action, especially with two strikes. It

looks like it gets into a more hittable area, but it’s not, because it’s in the dirt. That’s a pretty tough pitch to hit.”

Sizing up the slider

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Backdoor slider: A slider designed to look like it’s going outside of the strike zone but crosses over the back corner of

the plate.

Back-foot slider: A slider that starts over the middle of the plate and then breaks down and in, toward the back foot of the

batter. It is thrown by a right-handed pitcher to a left-handed batter, and vice versa.

Hanging slider: A pitch that fails to break and hangs over the middle of the plate and, in essence, becomes a slow

fastball waiting to be hit out of the ballpark.

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Suddenly slugging Rockies rout the Giants at Coors Field with a season-high hit mark Victory marks Colorado’s fifth win in six games

By Patrick Saunders / Denver Post | April 22nd, 2017

Walk-up Rockies fans on Saturday afternoon found an odd sight — Bud Black scanning their credit cards and tearing off

receipts in the Coors Field ticket booth. Colorado’s first-year manager has his hands all over a club turnaround. He even

sells seats.

Black can afford the time for small chat. Inside the gates, his team is playing on cruise control. The Rockies streaked past

the San Francisco Giants again Saturday night, this time a 12-3 blowout behind home runs from Mark Reynolds, Trevor

Story and Charlie Blackmon.

“That’s more like it,” Black said of his team’s suddenly surging offense.

Their victory — a fifth win in six games — guaranteed consecutive series wins over the Giants to start a season for the

first time since 2002. Colorado (12-6) is tied for the most wins in baseball.

But they sprinted to the top of the National League West with sparse hitting and a shutdown bullpen. That mode is

beginning to flip. They pounded new Giants pitcher Matt Moore for nine hits, six runs and three homers in his four brief

innings on the mound.

The Rockies’ 14 hits were a season-high — and half of them went for extra bases, with three home runs, a triple and three

doubles.

“It’s a long season, but we feel good about where we’re at right now,” Black said. “We even lead the NL in double plays on

defense.”

BOXSCORE: Rockies 12, Giants 3

Blackmon’s leadoff triple seemed almost a relief. His inside-the-park home run Friday helped bury a Giants team still

reeling from the loss of Madison Bumgarner to a shoulder sprain from an off-day dirt-bike crash in Colorado. Stopping

Blackmon at third base was a minor victory.

“I’ve been doing a lot of running,” Blackmon said. His fifth home run this season extended a hit streak to seven games.

“It’s way better to hit it over the fence than to clank it around the corner.”

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Nolan Arenado, though, quickly singled him home and Reynolds followed with a two-run rocket to left field that flew 433

feet. A rout was on.

In the fourth, they rounded the bases again, with solo homers from Blackmon and Story and an RBI double from

catcher Dustin Garneau. Four of Story’s past five hits have been home runs, the other was a double.

And while the Giants started an outfield trio Saturday hitting a combined .150 with one home run, the Rox are quickly

getting a hitting groove back.

“Our offense isn’t where it’s going to be,” Black said. “Wherever we are statistically in the league for hitting, that will climb.”

If this is a struggling Rockies offense, it is working. They are 8-3 against the giants of the West: 5-1 against the actual

Giants and 3-2 with the Dodgers.

Their sudden swatting surge Saturday was well-timed. Antonio Senzatela, a 22-year-old right-hander who never pitched

above Double-A before this season, never flinched with an early lead. He blew through seven innings on just four hits and

one run, a solo homer to Joe Panik in the sixth. Senzatela struck out three and made the Giants earn hits, with no walks.

Colorado’s bullpen — the primary reason for the Rockies’ early-season streaking, Blackmon said — flashed an anxious

inning for the first time this season. They needed three relievers to finish the eighth, but not until the Giants scored twice

on consecutive two-out run-scoring hits from Brandon Belt and Panik off right-hander Mike Dunn.

Carlos Estevez struck out Brandon Crawford to end the eighth. The Rockies hit around their order in a six-run bottom half,

with two more hits and two more RBIs from Reynolds.

The 39,239 fans at Coors Field included at least a handful who were upsold by the Rockies manager. But Black’s sales

pitch is on the field. The Rockies continue to win and now they are finally slugging.

“We had some triples and doubles and some homers and some timely hitting, some good swings, we took walks,” he said.

“That’s what I’m talking about.”

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German Marquez surfacing as top candidate to fill Rockies rotation for Jon Gray; David Dahl starts swinging Marquez has 18 strikeouts and no walks in 10 innings in Triple-A Albuquerque

By Nick Groke / Denver Post | April 22nd, 2017

Bud Black does not get to see many of the candidates he is considering to fill an empty spot in the Rockies’ pitching

rotation, at least up close. But he can see the numbers. And he likes how German Marquez adds up.

“You saw the nine punch in four-plus,” Black said Saturday. “That’s a good ratio.”

Marquez, a 22-year-old right-hander who debuted last season, is the leading candidate to fill out Colorado’s rotation in the

spot left vacant by Jon Gray. Marquez started the season on the Rockies roster, in the bullpen, but never appeared. He

could be back as soon as Tuesday after Gray broke his foot April 13 at San Francisco.

In three starts for Triple-A Albuquerque, Marquez breezed through his assignments, steadily building back his pitch count.

He has 18 strikeouts and no walks in 10 innings. Against Reno on Thursday, he struck out nine and gave up two runs in 4

2/3 innings.

“Good reports,” Black said of Marquez. “Threw the ball well. Used the curveball. It was effective.”

Marquez is lined up to pitch Tuesday on regular rest, not coincidentally the same day the Rockies need a starter to face

the Nationals at Coors Field. And Marquez’s competition for the spot seems to be dwindling.

Jeff Hoffman, the tall 24-year-old right hander, pitched to mixed results Friday against Reno, giving up six runs on eight

hits in six innings. He is 0-2 with a 5.14 ERA with the Isotopes this season over 31 1/3 innings.

“Jeff needs innings. He needs to have a good outing from first inning to last,” Black said. “The curveball has been a little

inconsistent. We worked on some delivery stuff in spring and really made a point to get a handle on it, which he did. Now

it’s a matter of repetition. He needs reps and starts and innings to continue to fine-tune his game.”

Dahl back in action. Outfielder David Dahl returned to Colorado’s clubhouse late Friday night, arriving at Coors Field in

the eighth inning of the Rockies’ 6-5 victory over the Giants. He was eager to be back. A positive MRI scan earlier in the

day showed his injured rib, on the right side near his back, had healed.

“I start to get to be more of a real baseball player,” Dahl said. He will start to throw and lift weights, and will soon hit off a

tee, then take batting practice.

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Story’s grand hit. Black hopes Trevor Story‘s grand slam Friday will help him out of an early-season slump (.143

average, 26 strikeouts in 56 at-bats before Saturday). “That pitch was down and out over the plate,” Black said. “He went

down and got it, nice swing, didn’t pull off it, stayed on it, got underneath it and squared it up. It looks like he’s seeing the

ball really well.”

Giants RHP Jeff Samardzija (0-3, 6,16) at Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (1-1, 4.91), Sunday 1:10 p.m., ROOT, 850 AM

Three of Freeeland’s first four major-league starts will come at Coors Field, a tough assignment to begin a career. But

he’s making it work. The Denver native won his debut in the Rockies’ home-opening win over the Dodgers. Then they won

behind Freeland last week in Los Angeles (he got a no-decision). But his pitch count ran high in that last outing, hitting 87

before Bud Black pulled him before the fifth inning. His strikeout-to-walk ratio is nearly one for one (11 Ks, 9 BBs) and

remains something the 23-year-old lefty needs to improve. Nick Groke, The Denver Post

Monday: Nationals RHP Joe Ross (1-0, 3.86) at Rockies LHP Tyler Anderson (1-3, 7.32), 6:40 p.m., ROOT

Tuesday: Nationals RHP Stephen Strasburg (2-0, 2.89) at Rockies TBA, 6:40 p.m., ROOT

Wednesday: Nationals RHP Tanner Roark (2-0, 3.65) at Rockies RHP Tyler Chatwood (2-2, 4.10), 6:40 p.m., ROOT

17

Colorado Rockies offense comes to life in 12-3 win over San Francisco Giants The Rockies scored in double digits for the first time in 2017 and took the series win against San Francisco.

By Jordan Freemyer / Purple Row | @jfreemyer | Apr 22, 2017, 9:13pm MDT

Another strong start from Antonio Senzatela and a trio of home runs led the Colorado Rockies to a 12-3 win over

the San Francisco Giants.

Senzatela pitched seven innings, allowing just one run on four hits with no walks and three strikeouts to earn the win for

the Rockies. It was the third straight start in which Senzatela has gotten through the seventh.

The Rockies’ offense staked Senzatela to an early lead as Charlie Blackmon led off the first inning with a triple and

scored on an RBI single from Nolan Arenado. Arenado then came home thanks to a two-run home run by Mark

Reynolds, giving the Rockies a quick 3-0 lead against Giants starter Matt Moore.

Colorado added more in the fourth inning, which saw solo home runs from Trevor Story and Blackmon sandwiched

around a Dustin Garneau RBI double, putting the Rockies up 6-0.

The Giants got to Senzatela for the first and only time on the night in the sixth, when Joe Panikhit his first home run of the

year, cutting the Rockies lead to 6-1.

Things got a bit hairy for the Rockies in the top of the eighth, when the Giants scored a pair of runs and brought the tying

run to the plate with two outs, but Carlos Estevez, the third Rockies reliever of the inning, struck out Brandon

Crawford to end the threat and preserve a 6-3 lead.

After giving up the pair of runs in the top half of the eighth, the Rockies offense responded in the bottom half with six runs

of their own against Giants reliever Neil Ramirez, who gave up five hits and a bases-loaded walk in 2⁄3 of an inning.

Jordan Lyles mopped things up in the ninth to secure the win in the game and the series. The Rockies are now 5-1

against the Giants this season, 12-6 overall.

The Rockies will go for the series sweep tomorrow as Denver native Kyle Freeland makes his third career Coors Field

start against Jeff Samardzija, first pitch is at 1:10 p.m. Mountain time.

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Colorado Rockies: Mark Reynolds and Ian Desmond make each other better first basemen By Ben Macaluso / Rox Pile | April 22, 2017

Before a late April game against the San Francisco Giants, Mark Reynolds and Greg Holland are sitting in the middle of

the clubhouse playing cards. They look like they could be sitting in rockers passing the time on a large ranch.

These two don’t act like they are the center of the Colorado Rockies clubhouse. They don’t act like the players who are

leading the Rockies offense and the reemergence of the bullpen. Their demeanors are similarly relaxing like their

southern drawls.

Reynolds is a bigger steal than anything the NBA has going on right now. After signing a minor-league contract in the

offseason, he is batting .339 with five homers and 16 RBIs. He went 3-for-5 against the Giants earning his seventh multi-

hit game of the season. This is tied for third in the National League. The card playing is a lens into his electric start .

“It kind of started with my first at bat of the year when I hit a home run that confidence snowball started rolling for me,”

Reynolds said. “It’s just like you saw me today staying relaxed, having fun. I think sometimes earlier in my career I would

take everything very hard. The older I get the more I realize it’s just a game go out there and have fun with it.”

Ian Desmond is primed for his new position when he comes off the disabled list soon, partly because of his study of

the way Reynolds plays.

Watching how he prepares and communicates kind of helped me learn what I need to do to be a good first baseman,”

Desmond said. “The guy is sitting on 250 career major league home runs, there are not many people out here doing that.

[I have learned by] watching his footwork around the bag and trying to pick up how he handles different throws.”

He does not see himself when he pictures the prototypical first baseman. Desmond emphasizes his athleticism, that he is

going to steal bags and utilize his arm strength and range. He said he wants to look like a ‘super athletic first baseman.’

Reynolds has noticed Desmond’s athleticism and sees Desmond’s drive for this new position.

“I would say this, he does ask me a lot of questions, about footwork positioning things like that. I can tell he wants to learn

it,” Reynolds said. “I told him anything he needs I’m always here. I think the biggest adjustment for him is going to be

knowing footwork around the bag and then knowing ground balls to your right, which ones to go get and which one’s not

to that the second baseman will get.”

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Reflexively, Desmond shared a similar sentiment that if there is something he needs or something Reynolds needs, they

both know they can rely on each other. Saying that, Reynolds can bring Desmond a unique perspective because first

base wasn’t his first position either.

“I came from third base and my reaction is to get everything,” he said. “So I had to learn when to not go and get it.

[Desmond] being a shortstop, he’s going to want and go grab everything too. So you just gotta figure it out. Know DJ

[LeMahieu’s] range. It’s a lot easier for DJ to flip it to a first baseman than hitting the pitcher on the run.”

When Bud Black was asked how he sees these two continuing to grow from one another and continuing to contribute to

this club as a duo, he said he’ll answer the question when Desmond starts playing again. He did express excitement

about what Desmond can bring to the team. Black emphasized that no matter who is playing first base, they will all

contribute.

The manager has a good problem with several outstanding options at the first. This position is in good hands regardless

of who plays because of the selflessness of Reynolds and Desmond.

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Colorado Rockies: Antonio Senzatela and offense stellar against Giants By Ben Macaluso / Rox Pile | April 22, 2017

Call off the search party. The Colorado Rockies have found their offense. Against the San Francisco Giants on Saturday,

the Rockies scored a season-high 12 runs on 14 hits and are tied for their fourth-best start through 18 games in the

history of the franchise.

The 12 runs may have not even been the most impressive part of this game. Starter Antonio Senzatela, in only his third

start ever, pitched just as dominantly at Coors Field as he did in his previous start in San Francisco. Last year he pitched

seven starts in Double-A. The righty lowered his ERA to 2.08 by only giving up one run in seven innings.

Senzatela now has three quality starts. He relies heavily on his fastball but he worked on his secondary pitches between

this start and his last.

“I was just working on my slider finishing,” he said. “Trying to get that chop, [that downward movement.]”

Bud Black also credits Senzatela’s success in this game with the use of his breaking ball and change up, saying it was a

truly a three pitch mix. Black has also been talking about his team’s offense would come around.

“This is what we are talking about,” Black said in reference to the offensive explosion. “We had some timely hitting

especially in the eighth. Also, Senzatela going seven innings giving up one run, this might be an understatement but I’ll

take that every time.”

Trevor Story hit another home run and Charlie Blackmon did the same but this time in more traditional fashion. In the first

game of the series, Blackmon hit an inside-the-park home run. On Saturday he hit a leadoff triple and hit a fence

clearing home run, extending his hitting streak to seven games. After all these reached bases, Blackmon could use a little

less of one thing.

“I’ve been doing a lot of running. I could go for ugh… less running,” Blackmon said wryly with a smile. “It’s way better to hit

it over the fence than clank it around a corner.”

More seriously Blackmon was very impressed with the debuts of Senzatela and fellow rookie Kyle Freeland.

“They’ve been really good. You know it’s hard to do well in this league and you don’t see many guys come up and

translate right away like we saw Trevor [Story] do last year and Jon Gray do really,” Blackmon said. “I’ve been very

impressed by Senzatela. He throws a lot of strikes and doesn’t get rattled. I think we have a good baseball player there.”

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The bullpen and rotation have been a big reason the Rockies are in first place. The offense will only help matters in a

tough NL West heavy opening schedule.

The Rockies try to take the series sweep as Kyle Freeland (1-1,4.91 ERA) takes the mound against Jeff Samardzija (0-3,

6.16 ERA) and the Giants.

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Trevor Story feels like he’s close to breaking out of offensive slump By Aniello Piro / Mile High Sports | April 22, 2017

Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story took the baseball world by storm in his rookie season. Known for his

towering home runs, Story busted onto the scene as a rookie; however, his sophomore season has not started in the

same fairytale manner.

With a batting average of just .143 entering Saturday’s game against San Francisco, Story has struggled immensely out

of the gate in 2017. But, in Friday’s series-opening victory over the San Francisco Giants, Story smacked a pivotal grand

slam in the fourth inning to help lead the Rockies to a 6-5 victory.

“It feels great,” Story said of the first grand slam of his professional career. “Especially the situation it happened in, to take

the lead right there, it was pretty cool.”

The grand slam was a breakthrough for Story, one that could ultimately kick things into gear for him offensively in 2017. It

was also the first of his career.

“I feel close,” Story said. “I’ve been working a lot, so I trust and believe in the work that I am putting in. Just making minor

adjustments here,”

One of Story’s biggest problems has been his strikeout rate. Story is tied for second in the majors with 27 strikeouts.

Currently, his strikeout percentage sits at 40 percent, meaning that 40 percent of his at-bats have resulted in a third strike.

Story’s at-bat/strikeout ratio is 2.2.

“It looks like he’s seeing the ball really well. That’s what I like,” Rockies manager Bud Black said of Story’s at-bats this

season. “We’ve talked a lot about seeing the ball, taking balls and swinging at strikes. Sort of fundamental, but when guys

are anxious and want to hit, get their average up and contribute, a lot of times they end up doing a little bit too much. What

happens there is the expansion of the zone, and that’s what Trev was doing for a lot of his at-bats this year.”

While the Rockies offense has sufficed so far, it has yet to produce the big numbers expected of it. The team that ranked

second in all of baseball in runs scored last year is averaging just 3.53 per game this season – good for only 24th in the

league.

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Story is a huge component to Colorado’s lineup. Last season he was a catalyst that added a new dimension to Colorado’s

offense. Story looks and feels good at the plate, leading him and the coaching staff to believe that it’s just a matter of time

before he finds his stroke.

“Control the zone, take your walks if it’s in there,” Black said of what Story needs to do moving forward. “If he’s seeing the

ball we are going to be fine.”

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Believe it or not, the Rockies bullpen is the National League’s best By Aniello Piro / Mile High Sports | April 22, 2017

Yes, you read the headline correctly.

The Colorado Rockies are off to a remarkable 11-6 start to the 2017 tour. While the outset of the season is impressive,

the formation and durability of Colorado’s bullpen through the clubs first skew of games has been impeccable.

The additions of Mike Dunn and Greg Holland have been pristine acquisitions for the Rockies thus far. A fully healthy Jake

McGee and Adam Ottavino, in addition to a developing Carlos Estevez, give the Rockies a nice unit of arms for

manager Bud Black to toy with during games.

“We have a lot of different styles,” Adam Ottavino told Mile High Sports. “Buddy’s good at putting us in positions to

succeed. I know with me he’s done a good job getting me good matchups. I think it kind of play nice when you have three

lefty’s in the pen’ and a bunch of righties. … Anytime you have different stuff out there it can only help you.”

There were a lot of question marks about just how good the bullpen can be prior to the season’s start. Well, almost 20

games into the campaign and Colorado’s bullpen has established themselves as the National League’s best. Their

combined ERA of 2.64, 10 saves, and five wins leads the NL.

“We felt good about the group,” Rockies manager Bud Black said of the bullpen. “We thought if healthy and throwing like

they are capable of these guys would perform. It’s early in the year, but so far these guys have done great work

collectively. … For the bullpen to function all of those guys have to be doing their thing, and that’s what has happened so

far.”

The chemistry between relief pitchers has been essential to the success of the Rockies. The bullpen arms have all fed off

each other’s game, and have also picked each other up when needed, something that has been critical in molding the

pen’ into a successful one out of the gate.

“I think so,” Black said of the bullpen’s chemistry. “I do believe in momentum. I do believe in contagiousness when it

comes to performance. I also believe in that players want to hold up their end of the bargain. Nobody wants to be a weak

link. I think there is something to that as well.”

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The bullpen has the right demeanor to be successful. Maybe it’s the additions of Holland and Dunn, or maybe it’s the

revamps of McGee, Ottavino, and Estevez, but whatever way you slice it Colorado’s relief pitchers have compiled to be

the best bullpen in the National League so far.

“Regardless lead, tie, behind I think this group that is assembled now does a nice job of going pitch-to-pitch, inning-to-

inning, and just recording outs. … The type of games we have been playing have been tight. There’s always that feeling

for these guys that every pitch is important. … It’s been a good blend.” Black said.

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David Dahl back with Rockies, Bud Black talks “next step” with comedy routine By Drew Creasman / BSN Denver | April 23, 2017

DENVER – It’s almost become a footnote with how well they’ve started the regular season, but the Colorado Rockies

were hammered with bad injury news this spring, losing regular contributors in Ian Desmond, Chad Bettis, Tom Murphy,

and, of course, outfield sensation David Dahl.

Dahl’s injury came with the most amount of mystery, eventually called a “stress reaction” in his rib, the club thought he

might be able to rejoin his teammates by the start of the season but that date keeps getting further and further away.

But Dahl was back in Denver today and taking some swings for the first time in a while. He appeared in good spirits and

will likely go out on a rehab assignment before too long.

Manager Bud Black, who has a penchant for imbuing his press conferences with a bit of humor, answered questions

about Dahl’s return as though he was going through a stand-up comedy routine.

“He took some swings today. In baseball terms, ‘dry swings’ … like when you’re a kid and you’re in front of the mirror and

take a couple of swings. He’s swung the bat. Which was the big thing. We talked about the rotational restriction that he

had. But he took swings. The next step, we’re gonna put that ball on the tee, and then he’s gonna hit that ball off the tee.

Then we’re gonna toss him the ball and he’s gonna hit the ball that’s tossed to him. And then a grown man is going to get

a ball and throw it. So it’s a progression. But this is a great sign. He’s been able to throw he’s been able to run, the last

component was swinging the bat and he’s there. Now it’s just a matter of getting him up to game speed and that will take

a little time.”

When Dahl does get back onto an MLB field, it will present even more interesting roster questions for the Rockies who

are already facing a tough decision regarding Desmond and Mark Reynolds.

It will be fascinating in a week or two when a team who has been winning primarily with pitching and defense suddenly

has more position players than they know what to do with.

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Cheeseburgers and Tacos, Rockies offense eats Giants By Drew Creasman / BSN Denver | April 22, 2017

DENVER – In batting practice before Saturday night’s contest between the Colorado Rockies and San Francisco

Giants, Mark Reynolds was putting on a show. Even some of his teammates stopped to watch. At one point, he hit three

straight home runs, the first and third of which landed on the concourse in left field and one-hopped into the Helton Burger

Shack. Vinny Castilla shouted out that meant Reynolds should get a free cheeseburger. For those who don’t know, the

burger joint named after the Rockies franchise first baseman, Todd Helton, sits more than 500 feet away from home plate.

Well, then what does Reynolds get for smashing one at 108 mph off the bat, parking it 431 feet away to a similar spot …

during the actual game? No, he didn’t quite get to the concourse, but this swing gave the Rockies a pair of runs and put

his ballclub up by three in the first inning. It was a two-run home run, meaning of course that the first run of the game —

the one that gave the Rockies the lead — of course came off the bat of Nolan Arenado, scoring Charlie Blackmon who led

off the game with a triple.

Of Arenado’s 12 RBI this season, 11 have either tied the game or put the Rockies in front. The other one was decisive in

a 4-3 win in Los Angeles against the Dodgers.

Rockies starter, rookie Antonio Senzatela, continues his fantastic first run in MLB. He worked quickly and efficiently

across his seven innings, throwing 57 of his 90 pitches for strikes and giving up just one earned run — a solo home run

from Joe Panik — on four hits. He struck out three and didn’t walk anyone. Senzatela became the first pitcher in franchise

history to go at least seven innings in three of his first four starts.

When you are spotting the fastball like this, you’re gonna have a good time:

The Rockies added a few more in the fourth frame.

Trevor Story hit his second home run in two days, fourth of the season, and third against the Giants. It traveled an

estimated 410 feet. So, not quite Mark Reynolds, but he’ll take it. Story has four home runs and one double in his last five

hits.

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But the Rockies weren’t done yet. Stephen Cardullo walked and scored on a Dustin Garneau double before Charlie

Blackmon hit his fifth home run of the season, also his second in the last two games; a 422-foot blast over the center field

wall to make it 6-0, Colorado.

The Giants came back in the eighth, plating a pair of runs on a big double from Brandon Belt and a single by Panik. Scott

Oberg and Mike Dunn only managed to retire a batter each, and with the tying run at the plate in the form of Brandon

Crawford, Bud Black handed the ball to Carlos Estevez, the “Wild Thing” who uncorked a wild pitch but struck out

Crawford to end the threat and keep it a 6-3 game in favor of Colorado. Estevez gave a heart fist bump as he walked off

the mound.

Colorado got plenty of insurance runs in the bottom of the inning, though. An RBI single from Alexi Amarista gave them

seven runs at home for the first time this year. It’s the first time the Rockies have scored at least seven since opening day

in Milwaukee.

Gerardo Parra added a pinch-hit RBI single two batters later and Blackmon got himself a “ribbie” on a sac fly to follow,

putting the Rockies up 9-3. Things got even crazier after a DJ LeMahieu single put a pair of runners on for Nolan

Arenado who was hit by a pitch, possibly in retribution for the Rockies plunking Gorkys Hernandez by Senzatela earlier in

the game. Though, that really seemed like an accident by the 22-year-old.

Carlos Gonzalez strode to the plate with tremendous intent to do harm in his eyes after seeing his teammate thrown at,

but he didn’t see a single strike, walking on four pitches to set the stage for Mark Reynold’s second big hit of the night; a

two-RBI single to make it 12-3 Colorado.

Reynolds is hitting .339 on the season with 16 RBI in 17 games played. (Quick reminder that Ian Desmond’s return does

not mean Reynolds has to lose his playing time.)

Of course, this means free tacos (or something?) from some chain taco place, giving the whole day a kind of food

theme. Mark Reynolds more than earned his free cheeseburger and Rockies fans more than earned their free tacos,

especially after so many close games with little-to-no offense.

Jordan Lyles came in to pitch the ninth and finished the game with a clean inning.

The Rockies moved to 12-6 on the year and maintained their half-game lead in the NL West. The win also secured the

series win, making them 4-1-1 in series’ this season.

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Bud Black discusses Rockies speedy pace of play By Drew Creasman / BSN Denver | April 22, 2017

DENVER – Pace of play has been a major discussion in MLB for the last several seasons and the debate has ramped up

since Rob Manfred took over in the commissioner’s office. He has started experimenting with pitch clocks in the minors

and other odd rules—like not having to throw actual pitches for intentional walks—all in the name of reducing game time.

And even though the Colorado Rockies have one of the youngest pitching staffs in MLB, this hasn’t prevented them from

working quickly and confidently, currently ranking at fifth (according to Fangraphs) in the National League for the fastest

pace between pitches thrown.

“We don’t talk about [it]but we as a group like the fact that our pitchers are the aggressor,” manager Bud Black said before

Saturday’s game against the Giants. “Get the ball, get your sign, and deliver your pitch. And our guys, that’s the natural

way they do it, it’s not something we talked about in spring training or y’know any points in time since I’ve been here. Now,

I can’t speak to player development, whether this happened early in the minor leagues with some of these fellas, that

might be a question, I’m not sure.

Even though it isn’t by specific design, or at least not by his, Black says he is a fan of the style.

“I do like the pace these guys work at. I think that helps them. I know it definitely helps our defense. When you’re throwing

strikes and getting outs and you’re in and out, I think that sets the tone for a good team feel about how to play a game.”

The Rockies have done a lot of tone-setting early. They are working fast, they are holding leads, they are 7-0 in one-run

games and they are playing sound fundamental and sometimes extraordinary defense.

Sometimes the first month of a baseball season is all about establishing an identity and a deeply held belief that you can

succeed based upon that identity. And that is what the Colorado Rockies feel they have done in April of 2017. There’s a

lot of baseball to play, but right now the Rockies like who they see when they look in the mirror.

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The Rockies new “weapon” off the bench may force Adames or Amarista out By Jake Shapiro / BSN Denver | April 22, 2017

DENVER – One of the biggest holes for the Colorado Rockies in 2017 has been right-handed power off the bench. With

the injury to Ian Desmond and Mark Reynolds bump into the starting lineup, the Rockies have been left with

rookie Stephen Cardullo as their main bench bat. Cardullo is nice because he can play first and the corner outfield spots

but he hasn’t and won’t blow anyone away with his bat or glove.

Cardullo is not the problem. He’s a nice bench piece just not who you want to be your primary pinch hitter.

The Rockies other issue has been filling in the spot vacated by Desmond, for which Reynolds has done a nice job but the

corresponding moves have left the team a bit short at the time. The club may have found an answer for both of those

issues, the problem is, it will most likely come at the expense of Cristhian Adames or Alexi Amarista.

Enter: Pat Valaika.

The Rockies ninth-round pick in the 2013 draft out of UCLA, now 24, is in his second stint with the big club. Last year he

joined the team at the tail end of the season for a cup of coffee, obtaining only 19 plate appearances.

But fresh off a cycle in Triple-A and a hot Spring Training Valaika could fill a much-needed role for the Rockies.

“Pat like Cristhian (Adames), can play all three infield positions and first base,” Bud Black said. “Neither have a lot of time

over there (at first) but in a pinch, we can get them over there. We like the bat he has off the bench, I liked him in Spring

Training when I first put my eyes him. He gives you a real nice at bat, came off the bench last night and lined a bullet to

second right at (Joe) Panik, that was a bummer. We like the way he swings it, gives us a weapon off the bench.”

He OPS’d .729 in 11 games with the ‘Topes this year, which is pretty good for a utility infielder.

“Got off to a good start,” Valaika said. “Carried it over in spring, I felt like I had a good spring. It was nice to go from spring

and just carry overtaking good at-bats.”

In 2016 before his call up he split time between Double-A and Triple-A where he played 136 games, 108 for Hartford. In

those contests he slashed .257/.297/.425 with 14 home runs, four triples and 41 doubles, driving in 80 runs in the process.

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“I don’t worry too much about that (separating myself,)” Valaika said. “I think each one of us has different skill sets, or are

better at different things so it depends on the situation and we have some good options off the bench.”

Indeed Valaika has flashed much higher talent than Adames and Amarista. With his ability to play the infield (at least 69

games at each spot) and the Rockies being insistent on having eight bullpen arms, something is going to give soon. That

date could be Tuesday when it is speculated the Rockies will make their rotation once more a five-man staff, replacing the

injured Jon Gray.

It is likely one of Adames, Amarista or Valaika will not be with Colorado come next week.

Adames in four years with Colorado has hit just .208 across 162 games of action (339 plate appearances.)

Meanwhile, Amarista is a career .230 hitter across his seven big league seasons. All three players have roughly the same

glove it’s a matter of whether the Rockies are willing to expose Adames or Amarista to other teams or to be

without Valaika in Colorado.

“Yeah, versatility, there is a lot of versatile guys here,” Valaika said. “You have to be ready whenever your opportunity

comes and be prepared.”

Which versatile guy will the Rockies roll without? Find out next week.

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Paul Klee: Everyone's Buddy: Colorado Rockies manager makes strong first impression By Paul Klee / The Gazette | April 22, 2017

DENVER — First names first.

Is it Bud or Buddy?

"Both," the Rockies manager said from a dugout stoop prior to a game against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field.

"Or Harry, my real name. Or Blacky. Some guys call me Blacky. Any one of them is fine, really."

The Rockies currently are the best of the Big Four teams in Colorado — 11-6 and alone in first place in the National

League West entering Saturday — so it's about time we all got better acquainted. It was on a trip through Denver

International Airport that I realized we should probably know which name Harry Ralston Black prefers. He's been here

fewer than 20 games, yet Black was asked to lend his voice to the train that connects terminals at DIA: "Welcome to

Denver. This is Buddy Black, manager of your Colorado Rockies."

So there you have it.

"How'd I sound?" Black asked.

It was all right.

"Just all right? We did 25 takes. Just all right?"

Hey, we're slow on the baseball take around here. The boys of summer who cried wolf, all that.

"I do like the little jingle that precedes it."

And I'm not the only one who likes the way these Rockies play ball. As Giants manager Bruce Bochy strolled into the

dugout on Friday, which featured a 6-5 Rockies win, he said to no one in particular, "Rockies are hot." Someone nearby

mentioned it's still early in the season. "It's a good team," Bochy countered.

Will it last? No clue. But there's something about their quick start, in part because the remade bullpen is flirting with

nickname status, in part because Charlie Blackmon's beard can vote in three states, and mostly because they've gone

about it in a very un-Rockies way.

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The big lumber is stuck in a prolonged winter slumber; Blackmon, D.J. LeMahieu, Carlos Gonzalez and Trevor Story show

a .236 average between them, the club's 60 runs rank 24th in MLB, and the Rockies went 17 games without once

erupting for 10 runs, tied for their longest such streak to open a season. They're still winning.

Top-of-the-rotation arms Jon Gray and Chad Bettis aren't available due to injury and illness, the average age of the

remaining starters is 25, and the starters show only four quality starts, the lowest number in baseball. They're still winning.

How?

"Three things," Black said. "If you go through each game I think you'll see a component of timely hitting, good defense and

a really solid bullpen. So far that's what it's been about."

So far, Bud/Buddy/Blacky/Harry has been a catch by any name.

We probably put too much stock in the impact of baseball managers. I do, at least. The Rockies didn't stink because of

Walt Weiss, and they didn't beat Clayton Kershaw, Madison Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto because of Bud Black. But

when a team plays this many close games — and wins this many close games — the subtle moves made by a manager

become major moves made by a manager. The Rockies are 7-0 in one-run games. They were 12-20 last year. That's

something.

Until the Rox start hitting, the little things are bound to be big things. It was a mild surprise around here, for example, that

hometown rookie Kyle Freeland got the nod in the home opener. (Talk about pressure.) But it looks like Black knew

Dodgers slugger Adrian Gonzalez, a Rockies bully whose 137 RBI against them are his most against any team, would sit

against a lefty. What do you know? Gonzalez did, and Freeland got the win.

"These guys who have been here a while — CarGo and Arenado and Blackmon and LeMahieu - are starting to believe

we're getting closer to where we need to be," Black said. "We're not there yet, but we're on the right track."

How much credit goes to the skipper?

"Probably very little," he said.

That deference, along with the ceaseless support of his players, has endeared Buddy to the clubhouse. When Kershaw

referred to Tyler Anderson's belated arrival as disrespectful, Black pounced: "It is not an uncommon occurrence what

(Anderson) did," he said. As Story slumped, Black relaxed: "Trevor Story's fine." When someone mentioned Tyler

Chatwood's unusual home-road splits, Black laughed and referred to the 27-year-old as "the old gray beard."

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"Yeah, we're young," Black said. "Isn't that sort of exciting, though?"

With first impressions like this, the relationship begins on a first-name basis. Nice to know the Rockies' new manager has

four to choose from.

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Senzatela, Story key Rockies' 12-3 win over Giants By Associated Press / ESPN.com | April 22, 2017

DENVER -- Rookie right-hander Antonio Senzatela expanded his pitching repertoire to stay a step ahead of the San

Francisco Giants.

Senzatela pitched seven innings of one-run ball for his third win in four major league starts, Trevor Story homered for the

second straight night and the Colorado Rockies beat the San Francisco Giants 12-3 Saturday.

"The thing about tonight that I thought was different than the previous start was the use of the breaking ball and the

changeup," Rockies manager Bud Black said. "It was a true three-pitch mix. He got some outs with the breaking ball. He

got some outs with the change and again, the fastball was live, beat some swings, and he pitched very well."

Senzatela (3-0) allowed four hits and struck out three while walking none. He also beat the Giants in a one-run decision

last week, and this time was buoyed early as the Rockies got three runs in the first inning, capped by Mark Reynolds' fifth

homer of the season.

Senzatela also benefited from season highs in hits (14) and runs by the Rockies, who have beaten the Giants in five of six

meetings this season, primarily exploiting San Francisco's shoddy pitching.

"We're a much better staff than what's happened," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "We got to tighten it up here and

wake up. We're not a team that goes out and pounds it with the other club. We got to pitch."

Charlie Blackmon tripled and homered and Reynolds also homered for the Rockies, who have won five of six and can

sweep the Giants with a win Sunday. San Francisco has lost five of six and dropped to 6-12 overall, worst in the NL.

Matt Moore (1-3) went four innings and allowed six runs and nine hits, including home runs by Story and Blackmon during

a three-run fourth. Moore dropped to 0-2 with a 12.34 ERA in three appearances at Coors Field.

The Giants, whose stay in Colorado began with the loss of ace left-hander Madison Bumgarner to injuries suffered in an

off-day dirt bike accident, saw center fielder Denard Span leave the game after crashing into the wall shoulder-first while

catching Blackmon's deep drive for the final out of the second inning. Conor Gillaspie replaced him in the lineup. Span's

injury was characterized by the team as a mild shoulder sprain, and he was scheduled to undergo X-rays.

Joe Panik broke up Senzatela's shutout bid with a two-out solo home run in the sixth. The Giants added a pair of runs in

the eighth on Brandon Belt's run-scoring double and an RBI single by Panik but could not cash in further after

reliever Carlos Estevez fanned Brandon Crawford to end the inning, stranding runners at second and third.

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Colorado answered in a big way in the bottom of the eighth, tacking on six more runs and sending 11 batters to the plate.

Among the ways they scored was a bases-loaded walk to Carlos Gonzalez and a two-run single by Reynolds.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Giants: Manager Bruce Bochy said there are no indications from the preliminary medical reports that Bumgarner would

require any surgery, but he declined to rule out the possibility entirely, pending a follow-up exam in San Francisco.

Bumgarner, who has been placed on the disabled list and is out indefinitely, has yet to discuss the accident publicly but

may do so Monday after the team's return to San Francisco. ... RF Hunter Pence did not start the game after banging his

left knee in a fall Friday night while trying to field Blackmon's inside-the-park home run. Pence drew a walk in the eighth as

a pinch hitter and was expected to return to the starting lineup on Sunday.

Rockies: OF David Dahl, sidelined by a rib injury from spring training in early March, took "dry swings" with a bat Saturday

in the latest step toward a return to full baseball activities. "He's able to throw, he's able to run," Black said. "The last

component was swinging the bat and he's there. Now it's just a matter of building him up."

BEREAVEMENT LEAVE

The Giants expect to place Crawford on the bereavement list next week when he leaves the team to be with his wife and

their family as they attend funeral services for his sister in law, Bochy said. Jalynne Crawford's sister, Jennifer Dantzscher

Pippen, 38, died April 12 after suffering an asthma attack. The family, according to Jalynne Crawford's twitter feed, is

holding a visitation on Wednesday followed by a funeral on Thursday.

UP NEXT

Giants: RHP Jeff Samardzija (0-3), who pitched well in a one-run loss to the Rockies last time out, faces Colorado again

in another bid for his first win of the season.

Rockies: Rookie LHP Kyle Freeland (1-1), a Denver native playing for his hometown team, has made three of his four

career starts at Coors Field, where he's 1-1 with a 5.91 ERA.

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