CarGo hitting third
The Rockies have been waiting for Carlos Gonzalez to bust out and hit like, well, CarGo.
They’ve waited as the threetime all-star played in 116 games and hit .243 with just eight homers in 403 at-bats and a .183 average with runners in scoring position.
Still, the Rockies never completely lost faith, which is why Gonzalez started in right field and hit third Wednesday night against San Francisco and right-hander Johnny Cueto.
“It’s about what we have seen the last week or so; the harder contact, the better takes and the better swings,” manager Bud Black said before the game. “CarGo seems to be in as good a spot as he’s been all year.”
Gonzalez, in the final year of a contract that’s paying him $20 million this season, has never taken off, though he did flash something resembling a CarGo-like stretch during a 10-game road trip in mid-May through Minnesota, Cincinnati and Philadelphia.
Over those 10 games, he hit .390 (16-for-41) with two home runs, four doubles and five RBIs.
He finished May with a .255 average for the month, but followed that up with an awful June in which he hit .172 and ended up missing nine games with a strained right shoulder.
“I have been feeling good at the plate lately, but as I continue to tell you guys, I keep working, good or bad,” Gonzalez said. “So I just have to keep moving forward. I think this is a good opportunity for me, and for the team, to start playing good baseball, especially late in the season.”
As far as batting third, Gonzalez said: “It always feels good to be back in the middle of the lineup, but we’ve had so many good hitters who have gotten the job done over the course of the year. But I’ve swung some good bats lately, so hopefully I can keep that going and help the team.”
Gonzalez drew a walk-off walk Monday night in Colorado’s 4-3 win over the Giants, and he ripped a pinch-hit, RBI double in the eighth inning of Colorado’s 9-6 win over the Giants on Tuesday night.
Gonzalez is certainly not red hot, but he has hit safely in 29 of his last 39 games, batting .303 with 13 doubles, two home runs and 23 RBIs over that span.
Entering Wednesday’s game, Gonzalez had seen limited action hitting third, batting 9-for-46 (.196).
He has batted .221 (29-for-131) from the cleanup slot, and .266 (33-for-124) from the six hole, his usual spot during the second half of the season.
The road Family ahead.
Beginning Thursday night with a game in Los Angeles against the Dodgers and ace Clayton Kershaw, the Rockies will play 14 of their next 17 games on the road. After four games in Los Angeles, the Rockies play four at Arizona against a Diamondbacks team that had won 12 consecutive games entering Wednesday night’s game.
plan.
Double-A Hartford Yard Goats third baseman Josh Fuentes was named the Eastern League player of the month for August. The 24-year-old first cousin of Nolan Arenado batted .487 with 10 doubles, three home runs, 16 RBIs, 11 runs scored, a .500 on-base percentage and a .731 slugging percentage in 19 games.