Series Preview: Colorado @ Sox

Colorado Rockies (31-32)
NL WEST: 5.5 GB
STRK: W-2 LST 10: 6-4
AVG: .265 (4th in NL) ERA: 4.58 (12th)
HRs: 42 (14th) RUNS: 268 (12th)

Probable Pitching Matchups:
GM1 Tue 7EST Cook (4-2, 4.54) vs. Wakefield (5-7, 4.22)
GM2 Wed 7EST Fogg (1-5, 5.06) vs. Schilling (6-2, 3.49)
GM3 Thu 7EST Francis (5-5, 3.81) vs. Beckett (9-0, 2.88)

KEY PLAYERS:

• Matt Holliday (.352/10/46)--this category used to belong to the next guy, but the beefy, blossoming left fielder has taken over; he smacked 34 homers last year as soph, and this season he's taken his game to a ho... nuva...level, as in leading the NL in batting while placing ninth in OBP (.390), sixth in RBIs, third in slugging % and fourth in OPS (.976); needless to say he leads the Rocks in most major categories and should be heading to the All Star game as well
• Todd Helton (.332/6/29)--not long ago this was the man who represented the Rockies in the All Star game, and even more recently Boston tried to deal for him in the off season. But Helton's aging body (he's 33) and hefty contract (he's still owed $103 mil guaranteed for the next six years) helped nix the trade, and all Helton has done is rank fourth in batting, second in on base %, second in walks (46) and and second in OPS (.949) since; his name is still be bandied about in the rumour mill
• Brad Hawpe (.297/8/38)--the rightfielder has come into his own this season; he's second on the team in ribbies and third in total bases, and can also throw the rock from the field (3 assists)
• Willy Taveras (.321/31R/15SB)-- the speedy centerfielder has been on a tear and now ranks seventh in the league in batting, and his legs have got him fifth in the NL in thefts. He has hit safely in all nine games in June (14-43, .326), and much like his counterpart Coco Crisp, he is always a threat on the bases and in the field
• Brian Fuentes (2.15 ERA/18 svs)-- the hard-throwing closer is tied for third in the NL in saves and has a terrific strikeout/walk total (20/6)

PREVIEW:
The Rockies visit Fenway for the second time in history tonight as Boston plays its fist game since completing its long 7-game West Coast road trip on Sunday.

Colorado has changed its style from the years of the Blake Street Bombers; they still have boppers on the team, like Helton and Holliday, but gone are the heydays of guys like Burks-Bichette-Cashstealer-Walker slamming 35 homers apiece. That evidence can be found in the paltry home run and runs scored departments, categories which the team used to own back in the day.

The new Rockies squad is built more on old school beliefs like (don't laugh) pitching, speed and defense. The addition of slick centerfielder Willy Taveras and New York Mets bust Kaz Matsui has energized the team on the basepaths, in the field and in the lineup, and the emergence of Matt Holliday as a big time player has coincided nicely with the (supposed) deterioration of Helton.

Plus now they don't sit around waiting for a 3-run homer all night.

The Rockies pitching staff is adequate if not spectacular. After many failed, pricey experiments (Mike Hampton, hello!), the team decided to go with youth over dollars, err experience, and the results may not be a lot better, but they're certainly not worse.

Despite being last in the league in strikeouts and fourth in earned runs allowed the quartet of Josh Fogg, Aaron Cook, Jeff Francis and Jason Hirsch has posted a decent (for them) 13-18 record, but more importantly, are only making $7 1/2 million combined this year, or roughly half of what Hampton was averaging for a year.

Anyway, the Sox should welcome the return to its home turf, and even though Colorado is playing better and riding a little high right now, so were the D-Backs, and look what Boston did to them.

Wakefield will try to shed the troubles that have plagued him recently (1-4, 7.98 ERA in last five starts) when he takes on Colorado's Aaron Cook. The knuckler has not been dancing as nicley for Wake in the past month, but it only takes one staart to get it back.

Cook, a sinkerball specialist, has been getting hammered himself of late, allowing 10 earned runs in 13 innings over his last two starts, but prior to that he had enjoyed a four game winning streak.

If Wake can bounce back and he gets some offensive support, I believe it should be a fairly easy series for Boston looking at the following pitching matchups, and I predict a sweep heading into the big Giants series this weekend.

I do know one thing: at least this series will have an official ending! (Badda Bing!)

Go Sox!