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Colorado Rockies

37-35,
3rd NL West

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Rockies Team Report

Yahoo! Sports - 7 hours, 57 minutes ago

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Right fielder Michael Cuddyer is thriving and infielder Josh Rutledge, who returned to the Rockies on Friday, is in a miserable slump.

Cuddyer singled in the seventh Tuesday in an 8-3 loss at Toronto to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 16 games. He had matched his previous career high, having hit in 15 consecutive games July 16-31, 2010 while with Minnesota.

During his current streak, which began May 28, Cuddyer is batting .379 (25-for-66) with five doubles, two home runs, nine RBIs and nine runs scored.

The Rockies recalled Rutledge from Triple-A Colorado Springs on Friday, one day after shortstop Troy Tulowitzki suffered a right rib fracture. In four games since his return to the big leagues, Rutledge, who did not play Monday at Toronto, is 1-for-18 with five strikeouts as pitchers continue to pound the inner half of the plate and exploit him there.

Rutledge's one hit was a two-run home run in the fourth inning Friday against Kyle Kendrick of the Phillies.

Rutledge has since gone hitless in 15 consecutive at-bats, including four Tuesday at Toronto that dropped his overall average to .223 (39-for-175).

Record:

37-35

Streak:

Lost two

Past 10 Games:

4-6

NEXT: Rockies (Juan Nicasio, 4-2, 4.86) at Blue Jays (Mark Buehrle, 3-4, 4.66)

Player Notes:

LHP Jeff Francis allowed eight runs and 10 hits including three home runs in Tuesday's 8-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. His rotation spot is in jeopardy after his record fell to 2-5 with an ERA of 6.58. "Those are things you deal with as they come, those are things out of my control," he said. "I prepare myself to go out on the mound and pitch. You take those things as they come to you. You try to keep your mind on your next outing and what you have to do, adjustments you have to make, which team you're going to face. I wouldn't say it's hard to keep that (his uncertain future) off to the side and concentrate on what's more important."
OF Eric Young Jr. was dealt from the Rockies to the Mets in exchange for RHP Collin McHugh. Young, 28, was designated for assignment by Colorado last week after hitting .242 with one homer and six RBIs in 56 games. His speed (70 steals in 313 major league games) makes him an interesting player, but he doesn't get on base often enough to utilize his best tool. Young has a career .329 on-base percentage.

McHugh, 26, was 0-1 with a 10.29 ERA in three games (one start) for the Mets this season. In nine starts for Triple-A Las Vegas, he was 3-2 with a 2.87 ERA. He was designated for assignment by the Mets on Sunday.
RHP Juan Nicasio will be facing the Blue Jays for the first time when he starts the finale of a three-game series at Rogers Centre on Wednesday. In his only two outings against AL East opponents, he has allowed six hits and six runs over 10 innings. He is 1-1 with a 5.53 ERA in five interleague starts. He is looking for his first win since May 19 when he pitched six innings in a 5-0 win over the San Francisco Giants. In five starts since, he is 0-1 with a 5.53 ERA.
RF Michael Cuddyer singled in the seventh inning of Tuesday's 8-3 loss to the Blue Jays for a career-best 16-game hitting streak, the longest by a Rockies player this season. His previous career best was 15 in 2010, when he was with the Minnesota Twins. He is batting .387 (24-for-62) on the streak.
RHP Roy Oswalt, 35, will make his first start for the Rockies on Thursday in Washington. "He's a nice piece to add at this point," manager Walt Weiss said Tuesday. "He always competes. He's done everything in this game. He's been an ace before. He is used to this. But we don't want him to make more of this than it is." Oswalt made five starts for Double-A Tulsa. He has a career record of 163-98 with a 3.28 ERA. The move means RHP Tyler Chatwood will have his start pushed to Friday, RHP Jhoulys Chacin will pitch Saturday, with LHP Jorge De La Rosa starting on Sunday.
3B Nolan Arenado entered Tuesday having hit in 11 of his 12 previous games with a batting average of .385 (20-for-52) in those games and had five doubles, two triples, one home run and seven RBIs. He also entered Tuesday on a five-game hit streak that ended when he went 0-for-4 with an RBI on a groundout.

Quote To Note:

"I didn't execute pitches. You leave them up like that to those guys and you know they're going to make you pay and they did. They got me early."

—LHP Jeff Francis, who allowed four runs in the first inning of Tuesday's 8-3 loss to Toronto.

Medical Watch:

SS Troy Tulowitzki (broken rib) went on the 15-day disabled list June 14. He is expected to be out until late July.
RHP Edgmer Escalona (right elbow inflammation) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to June 10.
RHP Rafael Betancourt (right groin strain) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to June 1.
LHP Edwar Cabrera (left shoulder impingement) went on the 60-day disabled list Feb. 14.