The Diamondbacks dropped game 2 of this set 4-2 on Saturday, so Sunday's matinee is the rubber game. Soroka has quietly been one of the best stories in Arizona's rotation — he's coming off 6.1 shutout innings against the Rangers on May 11, and the D-backs' rotation just ran a streak of 7 straight starts of 6+ innings, the longest active streak in MLB. Send that guy to Coors and you've got a real shot to steal a series on the road.
On the other side: Michael Lorenzen, who currently owns the worst ERA among qualified starters in baseball. The home/road split is the part that should make Rockies fans hide behind the couch — he's got a 9.64 ERA in 4 starts at Coors and hasn't reached the 6th inning more than 3 times all year. The peripherals (50.3% hard-hit, 9.3% barrel rate) say it's not just bad luck either.
The total being 10.5 at Pinnacle but 11.5 at DK is the spot that jumps off the page. Books clearly disagree on what a Lorenzen start at altitude looks like in May. The handle/bet split on the moneyline is also worth a glance — 85% of the money and 84% of the tickets are on Arizona at -144, which is about as one-sided as a baseball game gets.
- Day-To-DayKyle Amendt RP — Amendt was invited to major-league spring training by the Diamondbacks, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.
- 10-Day-ILCarlos Santana 1B — Santana suffered a setback with his right adductor strain Sunday while on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Reno, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.
- 60-Day-ILPavin Smith 1B — Smith (elbow ) has begun a throwing program, MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILJordan Lawlar LF — Lawlar will undergo imaging this week to determine how his broken right wrist is healing, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.
- 60-Day-ILJustin Martinez RP — Martinez (elbow) tossed a bullpen session Friday, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.
- 60-Day-ILCorbin Burnes SP — Burnes (elbow) threw a bullpen session Tuesday, Jose M. Romero of the Arizona Republic reports.
- 60-Day-ILCristian Mena RP — The Diamondbacks placed Mena (shoulder) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.
- 60-Day-ILBlake Walston SP — Arizona placed Walston (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.
- Day-To-DayBrayan Castillo RP — The Rockies announced Monday that Castillo is dealing with right lat tightness and has been shut down from throwing while undergoing treatment for the injury, TheDNVR.com reports.
- Day-To-DayCase Williams SP — Williams is currently slowed by a stress reaction in his right triceps, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.
- Day-To-DayJared Thomas CF — The Rockies announced Monday that Thomas hasn't been participating in spring training while he recovers from offseason surgery to address a fractured hamate bone in his right wrist, TheDNVR.com reports.
- paternityTyler Freeman RF — Freeman went 2-for-6 with a solo home run and a stolen base in Friday's 9-7 extra-innings win over the Phillies.
- 15-Day-ILChase Dollander SP — Dollander was lifted from Thursday's start versus the Pirates in the second inning due to right arm tightness, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILJimmy Herget RP — The Rockies reinstated Herget (personal) from the bereavement list Tuesday.
- 15-Day-ILRyan Feltner SP — Feltner (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Hartford on Tuesday, MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILRJ Petit RP — The Rockies transferred Petit (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Thursday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.
Both pitching staffs are duct-taped together. Arizona is still without Corbin Burnes, A.J. Puk, Justin Martinez and a half-dozen other arms on the 60-day. Colorado lost Chase Dollander to right arm tightness on Thursday and is still waiting on Ryan Feltner's rehab. Kris Bryant remains out indefinitely with the back issues that have basically defined his Rockies tenure.
The case for Colorado is the case Coors always gives you: weird stuff happens at 5,280 feet, balls carry, bullpens get exposed, and a 21-23 team isn't exactly a juggernaut to fade. The case against Colorado is that they're running Lorenzen out there in the spot he's been worst in all year against a starter who's been quietly excellent. Hard to talk yourself onto the home dog at this number.