One good momentum shifter for a baseball team can be as easy as a simple phone call away. Helping fuel the Rockies to a 5-4 run has been the triple-A Sky Sox call-ups: Chris Nelson and Charlie Blackmon. The two, over that same stretch, have led the team by managing to get on base a whole bunch. Blackmon and Nelson each are batting over .300 by squeezing off hits and bringing guys home.
Blackmon is active on the basepaths, legging out four stolen bases, while Nelson has managed to snag two — and neither has been caught stealing. Behind them, the rest of the line-up has made use of their on-base abilities by bringing them around and scoring runs. The Rockies have pushed themselves to a winning June behind some good outings from Juan Nicasio, Ubaldo Jimenez, Clayton Mortensen and the steady club leader, Jhoulys Chacin. He is holding it down on the mound every outing and only falls to fate due to a lack of offense, while Jimenez, unfortunately, has been victim more often than not to the same offensive shutdowns.
Even Nicasio joined in the offensive resurgence with a couple doubles. The heart and bottom of the order have been consistent in doing their job over the month. Carlos Gonzalez has been the third only to Troy Tulowitzki and Todd Helton for batting. The team has found a way to win so far this month, which has been even better because the entire month has been against division opponents. It’s been a positive stretch because the Rockies are beating the teams they’re supposed to, like Los Angeles and San Diego. They have to keep this pendulum swinging their way heading towards the All-Star break to make a run at the top of the NL West.
