Monday Morning Shortstop: Feast or Famine

Tulo has been hot and cold. (Jeff Chiu

Baseball is a sport known for its wide spectrum of statistical categories.

But at the end of the day, only one stat really matters, and that is runs. Whoever scores more runs, wins the game. And when it comes to putting up runs, the Rockies have been as back-and-forth and as bi-polar as a game of ping-pong between Charlie Sheen and Mel Gibson. They will put up a 12-spot one night, and then not score 12 cumulative runs for an entire week. Even Charlie Sheen, who is a certified nut-job, would tell you in order to be “winning,” you need to score runs.

At times this season, the Rockies offense has feasted. But more often than not, the Rockies offense has been stuck in a famine.

Here are some examples of some successful Rockies feasts so far this year, followed by some unfortunate famines.

Feast: 4/20/11 – Rockies 10, Giants 2 – The Rockies dropped 10 runs for the first time this season and toppled the Giants, the defending World Series champions. This capped off a great start to the 2011 campaign, with the Rockies posting a 13-5 mark after 18 games.

Famine: 5/6/11 – 5/8/11 – Giants Sweep the Rockies – The next time the Rockies faced the Giants, it didn’t go so well. The Rocks were rocked, and got swept out of the building. Colorado only scored 5 runs in the entire series, half the run total of the last time the division rivals played. After the series, the Rockies record fell to 18 -14.

Feast: 5/13/11 – Rockies 12, Padres 7 – The Rockies bats exploded for 12 runs and De La Rosa picked up his fifth win, starting off the season pitching fantastic. The Rockies regained some of their swagger and scored in double digits for the second time this season.

Famine: 5/18/11 – 5/22/11 – Rockies Go 1 and 4 on Road Trip – In the ensuing road trip, the Rockies lost more ground in the standings, and dropped to 23 – 22. In the one game the Rockies won on this roadie, they scored a respectable 7 runs.  In the other four games, all losses mind you, the Rockies only mustered 10 runs.  That is 2.5 runs per game, and that is why the road trip was not a success.

Feast: 5/24/11 – Rockies 12, Diamondbacks 4 – The Rockies returned from their tough road trip and began the home stand with a bang.  They emphatically pounded their division rival and Cargo went yard twice. They became the first team all season to ratttle Diamondback pitcher Josh Collmenter.

Famine: 5/24/11 – 5/27/11 – Rockies Lose Four In a Row at Home – After scoring 12 at Coors Field, the Rox once again lost their mojo, and scored 9 cumulative runs in the next four games.  They put up run totals of 2,1,3, and 3, which led to a nasty home losing skid.

Feast: 5/28/11 – Rockies 15, Cardinals 4 – The Rockies played their Cards right, and posted their biggest run total of the season.  Everyone got into the hitting mix and the Rockies pounded out 18 total hits. They also scored 6 runs in the first inning alone.

Famine: 5/29/11 – 6/5/11 – Rockies Offense Goes Dormant, They Lose 5 of 7 – After scoring 15 runs in one inning in their last game, the Rockies only scored 13 runs in their next 7 games.  That is 13 runs in 63 innings, directly after a game where they scored 6 runs in one inning – a stark reflection of the Rockies offensive inconsistency.

The Rockies are the only team in the National League that are outscoring their opponents, but are under .500. They have scored 6 more cumulative runs than their opponents, but are 27 – 31. In contrast, the Dodgers have been outscored by their opponents by a whopping 25 runs, but are 28 – 32, which is percentage points better than the Rockies. What does this mean?  It means the Rockies are blowing out teams when they do win, and losing a lot of low-scoring close games. Sometimes, the Rockies offense is explosive.  At other times, their run production is anemic.

In other words, it’s feast or famine. Not a great recipe for success, and it has left the Rockies hungry for victories.

Contact the writer Zach Cohn at zscohn@gmail.com