The Colorado Rockies will have some struggling starters take the mound against the St. Louis Cardinals this weekend.
The Colorado Rockies’ recent homestand embodied the high and low points of a tumultuous season for the Mile High City’s Major League Baseball team.
After sweeping the Kansas City Royals in the first half of it, the Rockies were swept by the Tampa Bay Rays in the back half. Now, they will begin a three-series, nine-game road trip that begins against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.
The probable pitchers have been listed for each game against the Cardinals. Let’s review them:
Ryan Feltner vs Kyle Leahy
The first pitcher scheduled to take the mound for Colorado will be right-hander Ryan Feltner, and he will face right-hander Kyle Leahy.
It has not been a great year for Feltner. In 16 starts, he carries a 4-5 record with a 5.75 ERA.
Through 76.2 innings of work, Feltner's 57 strikeouts rank 131st among qualified starters, and he has also allowed 30 walks and 49 earned runs. We will see if the 29-year-old can produce a decent outing, but there has not been a precedent for one lately.
Leahy, on the other hand, will be challenging for the Rockies’ batting order. Through 21 starts, he is 7-4 with a 3.44 ERA.
Kyle Freeland vs Matthew Liberatore
The second game of the series will be a battle of the southpaws, as Rockies left-hander and Denver native Kyle Freeland will face Cardinals lefty Matthew Liberatore.
Even more so than Feltner, Freeland’s season has been rough. Through 20 starts, the 33-year-old is 3-10 with a 6.81 ERA. He has also given up 82 earned runs and 21 home runs over 108.1 innings of work.
Liberatore has not had the greatest season, either, so the Rockies’ batting order may have some luck with him. Through 22 starts, Liberatore is 5-8 with a 4.97 ERA.
Michael Lorenzen vs Michael McGreevy
The final game of the series will feature a battle of the right-handed Michaels, and Lorenzen’s has been a disaster.
For Lorenzen, the numbers are similarly dismal to Freeland's. Through 24 games this season (23 starts), he is 3-10 with a 6.94 ERA. In 107.2 innings pitched, he has more earned runs (83) than strikeouts (80).
McGreevy's 4-9 win-loss record is the most lacking part of his stat line. Otherwise, he has a 3.59 ERA through 22 starts and 120.1 innings of work.
Overall, the outlook is not good for the Rockies’ rotation, and it is but a mere symptom of another bad year. For Colorado to win this series, at least one of the three listed pitchers will have to find a way to step up.
