Colorado Rockies Sweep Oakland

The Colorado Rockies had a forgettable June, but have moved back into the playoff picture with a better July. The Rockies swept three games in an interleague series with Oakland, another team with playoff aspirations, over the July 27-29 weekend.

The Rockies are known for their hitting, and this year is no exception. Nolan Arenado is the National League leader in home runs with 27, and his 75 RBIs are third in the league. Colorado has four players with 19 or more home runs so far this season. As a team, the Rockies lead the N.L in slugging percentage and are near the top in most offensive categories; this is generally expected as the altitude tends to favor the hitters, at the expense of pitching. So far, the pitching has been adequate, with Kyle Freeland leading the way with a 9-6 record and 3.13 ERA. Tyler Anderson (6-3, 3.57) is also having a good season, and closer Wade Davis has saved 30 out of 34 opportunities, though his ERA is high for a closer at 4.30, largely due to three bad outings where he was shelled.

As far as the Rockies chances for making the playoffs, we know they have plenty of hitting, so it will come down to how well the pitchers continue to perform. The three game sweep of the Athletics improved Colorado’s record to 57-47, just one game behind N.L West leading Los Angeles and a half game behind second place Arizona.

Here’s some highlights from Colorado’s July 27th win over Oakland: