SB Nation Denver - Rockies Vs. Phillies: Colorado Wins Final Game Of Series

Rockies Vs. Phillies Final Score: Colorado Avoids Sweep, Defeats Philadelphia 4-1

2012-06-22T02:22:48Z

The Colorado Rockies avoided being swept by the Philadelphia Phillies as they won the third game of the series by a score of 4-1. The Rockies offense got on the board late when the scored a pair of runs in the seventh, and then two more in the ninth. All four of the Rockies runs came off of two-run home runs, the first was by third baseman Chris Nelson and the second was hit by catcher Wilin Rosario.

The pitching for the Rockies kept them in this game as they held the Phillies to only one run. Jeff Francis started the game for the Rockies and pitched six strong innings by allowing only six hits and striking out three, and the one run he did give up was a solo shot by Jimmy Rollins in the first inning.

The rest of the Rockies staff pitched scoreless baseball over the final three innings with Josh Roenicke getting his second win of the season, and Rafael Betancourt earning his 11th save by pitching a perfect ninth inning.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more in-depth coverage, visit Rockies blog Purple Row. Head over to Baseball Nation and MLB Daily Dish for more news and notes from around the league.

2012 MLB Trade Rumors: Rafael Betancourt, Matt Belisle Unlikely To Be Moved

2012-06-22T00:26:13Z

According to a report from ESPN's Buster Olney, the Colorado Rockies are not likely to trade Rafael Betancourt or Matt Belisle this season.

COL would have to be overwhelmed in any offer from other teams to swap Rafael Betancourt,Matt Belisle, so deals with either highly unlikely.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) June 21, 2012

Generally speaking, other teams don't view Rockies as a team with a lot of assets they will be willing to trade -- unlike Chicago Cubs.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) June 21, 2012

Betancourt has a 3.28 ERA and 10 saves in 24-2/3 innings pitched this season. He's struck out 24 and walked seven. Belisle has a 2.19 ERA in 32 innings.

Rockies Vs. Phillies Lineups: Dexter Fowler Returns

2012-06-21T21:21:20Z

The Colorado Rockies wrap up a three-game series in Philadelphia on Thursday night hoping to avoid their fifth loss in a row. Dexter Fowler is back in the leadoff spot for Colorado, and the full lineups for both teams are listed below.

Jeff Francis (0-1, 12.46 ERA) will be on the mound for Colorado against Vance Worley (3-3, 2.80) of the Phillies.

#Rockies lineup 6/21 at PHI: Fowler8, Scutaro6, Gonzalez7, Cuddyer3, Colvin9, Pacheco5, Nelson4, Rosario2, Francis1.
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) June 21, 2012

Philadelphia:

1. Jimmy Rollins (SS)
2. Juan Pierre (LF)
3. Hunter Pence (RF)
4. Carlos Ruiz (C)
5. Shane Victorino (CF)
6. Placido Polanco (3B)
7. John Mayberry (1B)
8. Michael Martinez (2B)
9. Vance Worley (SP)

Troy Tulowitzki Injury: Colorado Rockies Shortstop Has Successful Groin Surgery

2012-06-21T19:20:21Z

Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki underwent successful surgery on Thursday to repair an irritated nerve in his left going. The operation removed scar tissue that was bothering the Rockies' star. The timetable for Tulowitzki's return is 6-8 weeks.

The 27-year old shortstop was hitting .287/.360/.846 at the time of the injury with eight homers and 27 RBI. The Rockies have struggled immensely without their two-time All-Star in the lineup, as the team has now lost 12 of their last 13 games. Tulo hasn't played since a May 30 contest vs. the Houston Astros.

Veteran Marco Scutaro has replaced Tulowitzki as Colorado's everyday shorstop. The 36-year old Scutaro is hitting .273 with four homers and 18 RBI this season.

Rockies Vs. Phillies Preview: Colorado Tries To Avoid Sweep With Jeff Francis On The Mound

2012-06-21T12:01:14Z

The Colorado Rockies are losers of four straight and 12 of their last 13 games. On Thursday, they'll try to avoid the sweep at Citizens Bank Park when Jeff Francis takes the bump against the Philadelphia Phillies' 24-year old right-hander Vance Worley. The Rockies enter at 25-42, fourth in the N.L. West. The Phillies are in last in the five-team N.L. East at 33-37.

Francis is making his third start in his return to the Rockies. The 31-year old allowed eight runs in 3.1 innings in his first start against the Angels, and four runs over 5.1 innings in his second start vs. the Tigers.

Worley is 3-3 with a 2.80 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. He allowed only one run over seven innings in his last start vs. the Toronto Blue Jays, but still earned the loss.

Game time/date: 5:05 p.m. MT, Thursday, June 21

Location: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA

TV/Radio: ROOT/850KOA

Rockies Vs. Phillies Final Score: Colorado Loses On Error In 9th Inning

2012-06-21T02:43:00Z

The Colorado Rockies lost their fourth consecutive game on Wednesday night when the Philadelphia Phillies scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to steal a 7-6 victory at Citizens Bank Park. The Rockies lost in what could be the most Rockies way possible: on an error. With the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth, Marco Scutaro threw high to first baseman Todd Helton. As Helton pulled his foot off the bag, the winning run crossed the plate in the form of Philadelphia right fielder Hunter Pence.

Colorado finished with nine hits and three homers on the night. Catcher Wilin Rosario went deep for the ninth time this season, Michael Cuddyer hit his 11th home run, and Chris Nelson's fourth inning blast was his fourth of the year.

The Rockies took a brief lead in the ninth when pinch hitter Dexter Fowler broke a 5-5 tie by driving in Rosario. It would be short-lived as reliever Rafael Betancourt blew the save and earned the loss in the ninth.

Rockies Vs. Phillies Score Update: Colorado, Philadelphia Tied 4-4 After Three Innings

2012-06-21T00:06:00Z

The Colorado Rockies and Philadelphia Phillies are tied 4-4 after three innings of play at Citizen's Bank Park on Wednesday night. The two teams traded leads before a solo homer by Michael Cuddyer in the top of the third inning knotted up the score.

After one inning, the Phillies had a 1-0 lead after Juan Pierre scored following an RBI triple, but the Rockies responded in the top of the second inning with three runs to take the lead. After back-to-back singles by Jordan Pacheco and Chris Nelson put Joe Blanton on shaky ground, Wilin Rosario made him pay with a three-run shot in his first at-bat of the game.

Philadelphia had a three-run homer of its own in the bottom half of the inning, though, putting the Phillies back up after two frames. Rockies starter Alex White has only allowed four hits so far, but four runs have crossed the plate after Michael Martinez's bomb. Cuddyer's homer finally tied the game back up in the third inning, and now we're starting anew with six innings to go.

Troy Tulowitzki Injury: Return Isn't Expected Until August

2012-06-20T21:58:24Z

Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki will likely miss around six weeks as he recovers from upcoming groin surgery, as Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports. The team hasn't officially announced a time table yet, but Renck says that conservative estimates don't have the shortstop returning until some time in August.

Tulowitzki is scheduled to have arthroscopic surgery Thursday morning in Philadelphia, where the Rockies are playing the Phillies currently. The surgery will remove scar tissue from a nerve in his groin area, which is creating significant pain for the Rockies' star player.

Renck notes that the injury is not a sports hernia, and there's nothing wrong with Tulowitzki's hip labrum. The team believes that it has the issue figured out for the long-term, but they'll surely miss his presence in the upcoming weeks.