Cuddyer only Rockie to show in loss

Joe Saunders rules Rockies

Do you know Joe Saunders?

The Arizona lefty had a career 4.10 ERA entering Tuesday night. His peripheral numbers would indicate he's not even that good. Yet, he looked like an All Star against the Rockies, as he has before (3.32 ERA before Tuesday), allowing just two runs on three hits in seven innings with nine strikeouts.

Michael Cuddyer homered twice and the only other hit came from, yes, a pitcher - Josh Roenicke.

Edwar Cabrera, rushed back to the majors (didn't the Rockies' learn their lesson the first time with Cabrera), gave up two runs and four base on balls in 3 1/3 innings.

Rockies' Notes

Rookie shortstop Josh Rutledge has hit splendidly but struck out three times against the Diamondbacks.

Cuddyer's 14 homers tie the amount he hit two seasons ago at Minnesota (in 157 games). He still can surpass last season's total of 20 with the Twins although he needs to pick up the frequency of those yard balls.

Sometimes you have no choice but to pitch to hitters but the Rockies just don't seem to get it, as in how to waste pitches, get batters to hit bad pitches because certain players just keep hurting them, like Pittsburgh's Pedro Alvarez and Arizona's Miguel Montero. Montero drove in two runs and has 51 RBI in 57 career games against Colorado.

Trevor Cahill and Jeff Francis oppose one another Wednesday in the finale of the series. Francis has a 7.68 ERA in his last seven outing against the Diamondbacks.

Rockies' Prospects Spotlight

Kyle Parker

High-A outfielder Kyle Parker homered (#11) and finished with two hits. His average is now .327 on the season and .558 over his last 10 games. Parker, the team's no. 1 pick in 2010 is better than a year ago when he hit 21 homers and drove in 95 runs at Low-A Asheville because he's hitting for average now and defending the plate. His prospect status, even if it's the inflated-numbers' California League, is up.

Reliever Coty Woods' ERA in 38 games at Double-A Tulsa was a spectacular 0.76 but in six games at Triple-A Colorado Springs, it's 4.50. Woods was a 33rd-round pick in 2009 so his outstanding work through the minors shows excellent scouting and scouting decision making.

Kent Matthes

Outfielder Kent Matthes doubled, homered (#16) and finished with three hits at Double-A Tulsa to boost his average to .219. That's an ugly number but Matthes has not hit all season long. He certainly is now, as he's done so at a .412 clip with five homers in his last 10 games.


Tyler Chatwood allowed only two runs over seven innings for the Drillers, striking out seven. In seven games in the majors this season, Chatwood's ERA was 7.62. At Triple-A, it was 5.79 in nine contests. Now all the way down in Double-A, he has posted an ERA of 1.89 in three starts and looks like an interesting prospect again. He should spend the rest of the season where he's at working on his pitches and consistency but you know the Rockies will call him up again for another MLB beating.

Trevor Story hit his 28th double and Will Swanner (#13) homered and had three hits to raise his average to .333 at Low-A Asheville.

Ryan Arrowood

Tri-City reliever Ryan Arrowood threw four scoreless innings, striking out five, lowering his ERA to 1.01 in 26 2/3 innings. He hasn't allowed a homer this season and has a nearly 4/1 rate of strikeouts to walks (27/7).

Grand Junction reliever Shawn Stuart now has an ERA of 2.33 in 19 1/3 innings. He has a 25/3 Strikeout-to-walks ratio. The three home runs allowed show he has to miss a little more of the plate.