Despite having just two wins in their last six games, the Rockies still maintain a four-game lead in the NL West. The Rockies got off to such a great start, but how much longer will that be able to support them in first place? Right now the four-game lead is the second largest lead in any division (the Indians lead the Royals by 4.5 games, but both teams are the surprises of the season so far).
If last night was any indication, the Rockies have not yet learned to consistently hit with runners in scoring position, going 1-for-12 in the 11-inning loss. The Rockies wasted opportunities in the first and second innings that could have resulted in a larger lead; however, since baseball is not a predetermined outcome we can't accurately predict how the game would have turned out had the Rockies scored more runs early on. The best guess would be that Jason Hammel would have continued to pitch as he did in seven shutout innings and Huston Street may not have needed to enter the game.
But no team has gotten hot lately. The longest winning streak in the division belongs to the Rockies, who had a seven-game win streak in early- to mid-April. No other team has had more than a four-game winning streak, and the Padres' high is just two games.
The complete NL West standings:
The Rockies face the San Francisco Giants this weekend.