Reliving Colorado Rockies Batters in the 2017 Postseason

Today, the Colorado Rockies will play their first spring training game of 2018 vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks, their 2017 National League Wild Card playoff game foe. The game will start at 1:10 p.m. Mountain Time.

The game will still be played in Arizona, but this time, the Rockies are the designated home team. The Rockies and Diamondbacks share their spring training home games at Salt Rivers Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Arizona.

In the 2017 National League Wild Card Game, the D-backs defeated the Rockies 11-8.

JONATHAN LUCROY was the best run producer for the Colorado Rockies in that game. He scored two runs; and had one RBI, scoring Gerardo Parra. His two hits were doubles and he scored on each of them and also walked once. Lucroy in part drove in three runs. His OPS of 2.083 and his advancement percentage were the best among Rockies’ starters.

TREVOR STORY was almost just as good. He also scored two runs and had one RBI, singled in the fourth and hit a solo homer in the eighth. His single advanced Nolan Arenado to second base and both scored in the top of the fourth inning. Story contributed to three Rockies’ runs scoring. His OPS of 1.750 and his advancement percentage were second best among Colorado’s starters.

NOLAN ARENADO finished in third place in run production for Colorado. He, like Lucroy and Story scored two runs and had one RBI. Arenado reached on a fielder’s choice in the fourth and hit a solo shot in the eighth. He in part drove in two runs and tied for sixth in OPS with Ian Desmond and Gerardo Parra (tied for third amongst Colorado’s starters with Parra). Arenado finished fourth in advancement percentage among Rockies’ starters.

GERARDO PARRA was the fourth best run-producer for the Rockies. He scored one run and one RBI; and singled twice, once in the fourth scoring Arenado. Parra contributed to three runs scoring for Colorado. For Colorado’s starters, he finished third in advancement percentage.

IAN DESMOND singled in the ninth and advanced twice on defensive indifference. When he advanced to third, people could argue it should have been credited as a stolen base because initially he didn’t want to go to third. Desmond scored the game’s final run on an RBI single by Carlos Gonzalez.

Desmond may have helped Lucroy score his run in the 7th by taking a strike on the first pitch, then allowing a wild pitch, and then striking out and not hitting into a potential double play. It’s hard to say whether he should get partial credit or not for Lucroy’s run.

For Colorado, Desmond was the fifth best run producer. He was 8th for the Rockies in advancement percentage before any baserunners moved up one or more base and 9th in advancement percentage when baserunners no longer moved.

MARK REYNOLDS in part drove in two runs and had one RBI, scoring Story in the fourth on a groundout to Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, while Parra advanced to second base and later scored. Reynolds had an OPS of .000 but finished 5th in advancement percentage for Colorado’s eight starters who batted.

ALEXI AMARISTA had an RBI single, scoring Lucroy in the fourth. Among Rockies non-starters, he finished tied for 2nd (with Raimel Tapia) with a 2.000 OPS and tied for 1st in advancement percentage with Pat Valaika.

CARLOS GONZALEZ had two singles, one of which drove in Desmond with two outs in the ninth. He got the scoring table set by hitting a single in the fourth, then being put out on a fielder’s choice in which Arenado reached and scored the Rockies first run. CarGo finished 9th for Colorado with an .800 OPS and 10th in advancement percentage. Among Rockies’ starters, he finished 5th in OPS and 6th in advancement percentage.

CHARLIE BLACKMON had an RBI sacrifice bunt to D-backs second baseman Daniel Descalso, scoring Lucroy in the 7th.

DJ LEMAHIEU in the ninth inning with a runner on first and one out struck out swinging. But the strikeout helped, because it didn’t end the ballgame and one more Rockies run scored afterward.

PAT VALAIKA doubled in the 8th. On the team, he finished first with a 3.000 OPS. He tied for first with Amarista in advancement percentage.

RAIMEL TAPIA singled in the third. For the Rockies, he tied for 3rd with a 2.000 OPS (with Amarista) and finished 3rd in advancement percentage.

The D-backs defeated Arizona State 7-2 on Wednesday afternoon in their first spring training game of the year.