Rockies eye winning record ahead of nine-game homestand

What a month it’s been for the Colorado Rockies.

To put things into perspective, though the first 18 games of Colorado’s season, the Rockies had not won a game at Coors Field.

At one point, the club, which had been labeled by as a favorite in the National League heading into the season, sat in last place in the N.L. West with a 3-12 record.

However, after getting its first series win of the season in San Diego on April 16, the Rockies rattled off a 5-2 homestand against the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals.

And on Thursday, Colorado mustered a series split with the Milwaukee Brewers, surviving a three-game skid amid the seven-game road trip to return home with a .500 record in its sights.

The Rockies will need a sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the teams’ first meeting of the season to climb out of the deep early-season hole they dug for themselves. Here’s how:

Nolan being Nolan

While not the direst of slumps, Nolan Arenado started off the 2019 campaign relatively cold, hitting just .246 through the first 15 games of the season.

However, heading into Thursday’s series finale against the Brewers — where the All-Star third baseman went 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs — Arenado had been batting .323 across a 15-game stretch in which the Rockies were 11-4.

“I always believe that I can get better and feel better, but I’m pretty fortunate to feel like I am right now,” Arenado said after the game. “Early in the season, I wasn’t feeling good at all, so I’m just happy that I’m feeling better now, to be able to drive the ball out and hit the ball hard.”

Colorado goes as Arenado does. Staying hot as they head back to the friendly confines of Coors Field will be key.

Speaking of LoDo…

Mile High magic

Colorado kicks off a nine-game homestand on Friday, among the longest the team will have during the 2019 season. Only a 10-game stay in Denver later this month is longer.

Thus far through the season, Coors Field has been anything but friendly.

The Rockies earned back-to-back sweeps during its first two series of the year at home, and only for a 5-2 homestand earlier this month has the club managed a 5-7 record at 20th and Blake.

If Colorado wants to truly make a dent in terms of realizing their preseason aspirations of a division title, the club needs to make the most of the next week and a half.

Aces up their sleeves

The good thing about Tyler Anderson starting off the Rockies series with the Diamondbacks: He’s 2-0 all-time against Arizona.

The bad news? Anderson’s given up at least five runs in each of his first four starts this season.

But if Colorado can weather Anderson in the back end of the rotation, they’ll be able to turn to Kyle Freeland and German Marquez on Saturday and Sunday.

Thus far through 2019, Freeland hasn’t exactly followed up his stellar 2018 campaign as well as he likely would have hoped, sporting a 2-4 record with a 4.81 ERA in six starts.

Marquez, however, has fared better early this season, with a 3-2 record in seven starts with a 2.93 ERA. At Coors Field, however, Marquez’s ERA balloons to 5.29.

If Freeland and Marquez can relocate that 1-2 punch from 2018, the Rockies will likely be heading north of .500 by mid-May.