Mile High Sports Rockies Podcast

Only two games over .500, the Colorado Rockies surprisingly lead the NL West, even after a 4-5 road trip that saw their offense flail away too many times in otherwise-winnable games.Host Shawn Drotar (Host, “Mornings at 5280′“) and guest Ronnie Kohrt (Mile High Sports’ “Broncos Blitz” podcast) take a look at the Rockies as they return to Colorado for Memorial Day weekend, kicking off a lengthy homestead with the Cincinnati Reds; the National League’s worst team.After discussing the team’s April/May splits at the plate – while they’re still tremendously underwhelming, they are actually improving – Shawn and Ronnie point out some of the Rockies’ more troublesome issues, as well as explain how they can be fixed.Perhaps the Reds – and a little home cooking – will cure what’s ailing the Rockies; find out what to expect on this week’s “Blake Street Irregulars”!***Brought to you by Tap XIV (tapfourteen.com) on Blake Street in Denver.Follow Shawn Drotar on Twitter: @sdrotarFollow Ronnie Kohrt on Twitter: @RonnieKRadi

After splitting two games with the Padres in San Diego, the Rockies head up the coast to San Francisco to face the Giants, their closest pursuers in the NL West.The four-game series provides the Rockies with an opportunity to reset their scattershot offense and re-establish their surprising road success.Host Shawn Drotar and guest T.J. Carpenter (Co-hosts, "Mornings at 5280'") preview the series and discuss the Rockies' free-swinging offense. T.J. thinks it's nothing to worry about -- just baseball in 2018 -- while Shawn's convinced that their 'home run or bust' approach will result in the latter.The Rockies have the starting pitching advantage in all four games (yes, really!) -- is a sweep in the offing? Check out the latest "Blake Street Irregulars"! ***Brought to you by Tap XIV (tapfourteen.com) on Blake Street in Denver.Follow Shawn Drotar on Twitter: @sdrotarFollow T.J. Carpenter on Twitter: @TJCarpenterShow

After a disappointing home stand that saw the Rockies strike out 60 times in six games -- including 13 times in the finale against a pitcher who was making his major-league debut -- there's no doubt about it: the free-swinging Rockies have a major problem.Host Shawn Drotar and guest Nate Lundy (Co-hosts, "Mornings at 5280'") debate who's responsible: the players? Manager Bud Black? GM Jeff Bridich? The truth is that it's a combination of all three -- which makes the growing problem all the more difficult to fix.The Rockies are set to hit the road, facing NL West rivals San Diego, San Francisco and Los Angeles in three of baseball's best pitchers' parks. Is that a recipe for disaster? Check out the latest "Blake Street Irregulars"!--------------------------------------------- Brought to you by Tap XIV (tapfourteen.com) on Blake Street in Denver.Follow Shawn Drotar on Twitter: @sdrotarFollow Nate Lundy on Twitter: @natelundy

The Rockies returned to Coors Field and beat the Los Angels Angels to extend their winning streak to six games before dropping the final game of their two-game set with the Halos and following that up with another ugly loss to the Brewers to open their four-game set.Host Shawn Drotar (Host, "Mornings at 5280'") and guest Benny Bash (Host, "Danny Williams & Benny Bash") discuss the Rockies' approach to the plate and take a look at how they might be able to solve their offensive woes.Brought to you by Tap XIV (http://www.tapfourteen.com) on Blake Street in Denver.Follow Shawn Drotar on Twitter: @sdrotarFollow Benny Bash on Twitter:  @TheBennyBash

The Rockies return to Coors Field as winners of their last five road games -- or as many as they've won at home all season.They'll hope to remedy that against the Angels and Brewers, tough opponents that will require quality starts and more than a few runs.Rockies starter Jon Gray has put up the best back-to-back starts of his career; has he turned the corner, or will Denver's high altitude stifle his game? Host Shawn Drotar (Host, "Mornings at 5280'") and guest Doug Ottewill (Editor-in-Chief, Mile High Sports Magazine) discuss how the Rockies' pitching staff has matured -- and how it won't matter unless the Rockies' bats heat up soon.--------------------------------------------------------------Brought to you by Tap XIV (tapfourteen.com) on Blake Street in Denver.Follow Shawn Drotar on Twitter: @sdrotarFollow Doug Ottewill on Twitter: @dottewill

After a disastrous series in Miami that saw the offense go AWOL against the Marlins, the Rockies have the National League's worst batting average (.221) while leading the circuit in home runs (37).With most of the lineup hitting under .240 and averaging nearly 10 strikeouts per game, the Rockies' inability to string hits together keeps them from putting up crooked numbers when they need them most. Host Shawn Drotar (Mile High Sports Radio) and guest Erik Trujillo (Mile High Sports Magazine) discuss how long they'll willing to wait on the bats to heat up -- and explain how it's taxing an already overused bullpen.---------------------------------------------------------------Brought to you by Tap XIV (tapfourteen.com) on Blake Street in Denver.Follow Shawn Drotar on Twitter: @sdrotar

The Rockies finally got an off day Thursday after playing 17 days in a row, including 11 of those on the road. A stretch that started in San Diego, traveled through Denver and ended on the East Coast saw the Rox go 10-7 overall, including an impressive 8-3 on the road. Casey Light doesn't take rest days, though, and uses the Rockies off day to recount all 17 games, including a nod to the top performers and a plea to step up to a couple players.

The Rockies took three of four games from the Nationals over the weekend, but some troubling trends continue. Trevor Story remains one of the NL leaders in strikeouts and is hitting just .177 on the season. The starting pitchers, Tyler Anderson in particular, are still issuing far too many walks and taxing the bullpen as a result. Still, the Rockies are above .500 as they head into a road series with red-hot Pittsburgh. Casey Light and Renaud Notaro discuss all that, plus some Nolan Ryan and Bartolo Colon comparisons, in this edition of Blake Street Irregulars presented by [Tap XIV](http://www.tapfourteen.com).

The Rockies sit at 6-7 through their first 13 games, a disappointing start by some standards. The 2-4 opening homestand didn't help, but the fact that only one team in the N.L. West has a winning record provides some relief. Casey Light and Jake Meier look at the high and lows of the first 13 games, including surprising performances and who needs to step up moving forward. Plus, a preview of the pitching matchups as the Rockies head to Washington for a big four-game series with the Nationals. It's all in this edition of the Blake Street Irregulars presented by [Tap XIV](http://www.tapfourteen.com/).

The Rockies kicked off the 2018 home slate with the second-coldest game in Coors Field history. The bats were almost as cold this weekend, scoring just 6 runs against the Braves. Casey Light and Ronnie K look back at the Atlanta series, then preview the upcoming three-game set with San Diego. That, plus a close look at new closer Wade Davis through his first five appearances, in this edition of Blake Street Irregulars presented by [Tap XIV](http://www.tapfourteen.com/).

The Rockies announced on Wednesday that they have signed Charlie Blackmon to a six-year contract (with two player options) that could keep him in Colorado through 2023. Reports put the contract value at up to $116 million dollars. Casey Light and Aniello Piro offer their instant reaction to the news, including a look into the future of the Rockies' payroll and how this signing could impact Nolan Arenado's impending free agency. That and more in this edition of the Blake Street Irregulars podcast presented by [Tap XIV](http://www.tapfourteen.com/).

The Colorado Rockies went 1-2 in their season-opening series in Arizona. The starting pitchers gave out too many free passes. Trevor Story remains a strikeout machine (while Adam Ottavino appears back to being one). And the Rockies scored all but one of their runs in the series via the home run. Casey Light examines how the three true outcomes (walks, strikeouts and home runs) dictated the series and what needs to change against San Diego. That and more are inside this edition of Blake Street Irregulars presented by [Tap XIV](http://www.tapfourteen.com/).

After months of waiting for baseball's return, it's no surprise that the internet was rife with overreaction on Opening Day. That certainly held true for Rockies fans, who saw their team fall 8-2 to the D-Backs. Among the overreactions: Get DJ LeMahieu out of the No. 2 spot... Chris Rusin will win the Cy Young... Chris Rusin is a bum... Nolan Arenado will hit 162 home runs... Jon Gray can't pitch... The Rockies are toast... and so many more.Casey Light and Aniello Piro try to separate the real concerns from the overreactions in this edition of the Blake Street Irregulars presented by [Tap XIV](http://www.tapfourteen.com/).

Through no fault of his own over the past year, Ian Desmond has been on a bit of a yo-yo in terms of what his role is with the Rockies. He'll start at first base on Opening Day, but this season could see him play all over the field and bat all over the lineup. Aniello Piro joins Casey Light to to talk about his conversations with Desmond this spring and how consistency is the key to a bounce-back year for the two-time All-Star.

The Rockies are celebrating their 25th anniversary this season, and fans would be ecstatic if that celebration culminated with the first division title in franchise history. To honor the #Rockies25th, Casey Light explores the 25 key stats that would help deliver NL West crown No. 1. It's a special extended edition of the Blake Street Irregulars presented by [Tap XIV.](http://www.tapfourteen.com/)

The cover story in [Mile High Sports Magazine](https://milehighsports.com/subscribe)'s April edition explores how the Rockies have become a team built "From the Mound Up." Editor-in-Chief Doug Ottewill, who penned the cover story, joins Casey Light to preview the issue and offer a behind-the-scenes look at his conversations with Rockies GM Jeff Bridich, Pitching Coach Steve Foster, Bullpen Coach Darren Holmes and Manager Bud Black. That, plus in-depth talk about the makeup of Colorado's pitching staff, can be found in this edition of Blake Street Irregulars presented by [Tap XIV.](http://www.tapfourteen.com/)

We're always told not to read too much into Spring Training stats, but some players who are expected to be major contributors in 2018 are having a rocky go of it so far. Ronnie K was down in Arizona last week. He joins Casey Light to break down which Rockies with ugly spring numbers are cause for concern, and which ones will be just fine come Opening Day. That, plus Bud Black's roster continues to become more clear. It's all in this edition of the Blake Street Irregulars podcast presented by [Tap XIV](http://www.tapfourteen.com/).

The Rockies open regular season play in two weeks. Jon Gray is pegged as the No. 1 starter in the rotation. How will spots 2 through 5 shake out? And how much will performances in Spring Training influence Bud Black's decision? Casey Light and Aniello Piro set their rotations, plus look at key injuries that could impact the Opening Day roster. And what the heck is wrong with Ian Desmond's swing? All that and more in the latest Blake Street Irregulars presented by [Tap XIV.](http://www.tapfourteen.com/)

Carlos Gonzalez has officially re-signed with the Colorado Rockies on a one-year contract that both sides hope will pay big dividends. (Gonzalez with equity towards a long-term deal next offseason, the Rockies with a reliable right fielder and clubhouse leader who can help deliver another postseason run).Casey Light and Renaud Notaro explore why the signing took so long, what to expect from Gonzalez in 2018 and what effect his return will have on the starting lineup and the 25-man roster. It's all about CarGo in this edition of the Blake Street Irregulars presented by [Tap XIV](http://www.tapfourteen.com/).

Bud Black seems set on moving Charlie Blackmon out of the leadoff spot. Should we be concerned with his potential replacement's slow start to Cactus League play? Is it a case of "If it ain't broke, why fix it?" Speaking of broke, Nolan Arenado recently said he doesn't want to negotiate a contract extension in 2018. Is that a sign he's going to eventually break the bank in Denver? Casey Light and Coach Les discuss all of that, plus why the Rockies aren't getting respect locally or nationally.