In the Rockpile: Pitching woes plague Rockies’ ability to win

There has been a lot of head-scratching in Colorado thanks to the poor results turned in by Rockies starters. (Chris Humphreys/US Presswire)

I’m going to miss the NHL and NBA playoffs very soon with the rate of losses the Rockies continue to mount. Boasting the worst ERA in all of baseball, the Colorado baseball club is headed toward a record low in franchise history.

Granted, I can still look forward to the rest of the Euro Cup once the NBA Finals is over, but how low will the Rockies have sunk three weeks into the future? Currently, they sit 13 games back in the division. Their next set of opponents: Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers and Washington Nationals. They could easily be swept four series in a row, but I am more certain they will lose every series on the way out of June.

The lineup is being completely wasted by atrocious pitching. It speaks volumes when it comes to pointing fingers when the lineup is ranked top five or 10 in most batting categories, but pitching is dead last in every major category. Their record is 4-8 in June, and I don’t believe it will be a stretch to imagine them going 7-20 for the month.

The pitchers aren’t getting right, they’re getting worse. Jeremy Guthrie has said recently he wouldn’t be surprised if he was sent away. He knows his job is in jeopardy; his only saving grace right now is the fact there aren’t many options for replacing him. Pitching options have been exhausted until Jorge De La Rosa and/or Juan Nicasio return. Until then, the Rockies march to 100 losses is being led by Guthrie and Jeff Francis as the lineup struggles to prevent batters from beating the hell out of them day after day. Guthrie is the next man out once another pitcher is “ready” to join the rotation, be it Drew Pomeranz or one off the DL.

Troy Tulowitzki may as well just shut it down for the season after reinjuring his strained groin during his rehab stint in Colorado Springs. Things look very bleak for Colorado baseball, a sliver of a silver lining could only come through a pitching trade at this point.

Follow me on Twitter @CoryWhitmer for game thoughts and general sports talk.