Scorching Hot Rockies Host Giants
Rocky Mountain High: Rockies vs Giants Series Preview
You know that you had a tough start to the season when you go on a seven-game winning streak and are still 13 games under .500. Well, that’s the situation the Colorado Rockies are in as they take on the San Francisco Giants this weekend. Colorado just swept the San Diego Padres after sweeping the Texas Rangers, using some great pitching to climb back toward respectability.
As this Rockies vs Giants series preview will note, Colorado is still a big underdog on Friday — the Rockies are +124 on the moneyline while the Giants are -148 — yet Bud Black’s team is a decent bet either straight-up or -175 at +1.5 runs. The total is a low 7.5 runs and is juiced to go under at -120.
San Francisco took the series finale from the Los Angeles Dodgers but it is still just 20-25. It hasn’t been able to get going this season, either at the plate or on the mound. The team also received some brutal MLB injury news this week as Jung Hoo Lee, their big offseason signing from South Korea, dislocated his shoulder and will be out for a while.
He joins a host of San Francisco regulars, including Michael Conforto, Jorge Soler, and both of the Giants’ top catchers, on the injured list. The baseball stats were ugly when those guys were healthy and are bound to get worse.
The Rockies have their own injury issues, particularly in the rotation, with Kyle Freeland out (strained elbow) and Germán Marquez and Antonio Senzatela still recovering from Tommy John surgery. Nolan Jones and Kris Bryant are also out, leaving a so-so Colorado lineup without two key run producers.
Rockies at Giants
Records: Colorado Rockies (15-28), San Francisco Giants (20-25)
Day/Time: Friday, May 17th, 10:15 p.m. ET
Location: Oracle Park; San Francisco, California
Stream: MLB Network
For Rockies, Pitching Is Key
It’s baffling that a team like Colorado — playing half its games at Coors Field — can be 26th in baseball in home runs but that’s just how the Rockies have been in recent years. Their offense is below-average in scoring which is a major reason why this Rockies vs Giants series preview and the Vegas odds are pretty low on them. It’s tough to thrive in that stadium without a formidable lineup.
Unsurprisingly, however, given the nature of Coors Field as well as the Rockies’ rotation issues, the Colorado pitching staff has been a disaster this season.
In all of MLB, Colorado Rockies are dead-last in starting pitcher ERA, WHIP, K/9, and H/9 and are dead-last in bullpen WHIP and second-to-last in bullpen BB/9, K/9, and H/9. No wonder the MLB lines don’t think they have much of a chance against a Giants team with close to an entire lineup on the injured list.
It doesn’t make things any better that neither of the Rockies’ top starters — Cal Quantrill and Austin Gomber — will pitch this series. Instead, Colorado will throw Ryan Feltner, former Giant Ty Blach, and Dakota Hudson in the three games against Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks, and Keaton Winn.
Feltner’s peripheral numbers are better than his ERA and WHIP but he still has a 5+ ERA while Hudson has walked more batters than he has struck out. Not a good combination. Blach has been decent in a mixed-use role yet he has struck out just seven batters in 18 innings. It’s tough to get outs being such an extreme pitch-to-contact guy.
First career home run for Beck ✅ pic.twitter.com/oFY8VEYOzO
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) May 15, 2024
Harrison And Hicks Have Shined
Two of the Giants’ probable pitchers, Harrison and Hicks, have been San Francisco’s pitching bright spots along with staff ace Logan Webb.
Harrison is a 22-year-old lefty who showed promise in 2023 and has built upon that success in 2024, looking like a legitimate rotation mainstay. But the biggest surprise for San Francisco, as a key part of this Rockies vs Giants series preview, is Hicks. The Giants made the curious move to sign him away from the Toronto Blue Jays as a starter and he has made San Francisco feel great for taking the risk.
He had only started eight games as a Major Leaguer before joining the Giants and has taken to the rotation lifestyle. Hicks has a 2.44 ERA in nine starts and, while his strikeouts are down and H/9 is slightly up, he’s allowing fewer home runs and looks very familiar to the pitcher he was as a very reliable reliever in 2023.
The Giants might not be making it far along in the MLB bracket come September, but Hicks is a great piece to have for them going forward.
If you’re looking for an interesting value play, it might be smart to either go with the Rockies on the moneyline at +124 or the Giants -1.5 runs on the runline at +130. Colorado is the hot team while San Francisco has the pitching matchup advantage.
The Giants standings aren’t impressive yet you can’t argue with how good Harrison has been all season, even if the Rockies were scoring runs with ease in San Diego.
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