Nicasio's strong start leads Rockies to victory

Rockies right-hander Juan Nicasio quieted talk of possibly being sent down to the Minors by shutting down the Giants for six innings of a 5-0 victory at Coors Field on Sunday afternoon.

Oswalt getting sharper, set for Double-A start

Right-handed three-time All-Star Roy Oswalt is still three to four weeks from being considered for the Rockies' rotation, but his effort Saturday at extended spring training suggests he is progressing rapidly.

Confident Lopez finds pitching groove with Rockies

Offseason acquisition Wilton Lopez didn't endear himself to his new Rockies fans when he posted a 9.00 ERA in his first nine relief appearances. But since then, he has been scored on just once in 12 games and has fulfilled the right-handed setup role the Rockies envisioned when they acquired him from the Astros.

Garland, Rockies to face undefeated Corbin, D-backs

Lefty Patrick Corbin (6-0, 1.57) and the D-backs will open up a three-game set at Coors Field against Jon Garland (3-4, 4.89) and the division rival Rockies on Monday.

Chatwood impresses in solid effort vs. Giants

Right-hander Tyler Chatwood threw many good pitches over 5 2/3 innings Saturday night, but even his worst pitch worked out for the Rockies in their 10-2 victory over the Giants at Coors Field.

Torrealba to guide Nicasio in start vs. Giants

The Rockies need right-handed pitcher Juan Nicasio to take a step forward when he faces the Giants in Sunday afternoon's finale of the four-game set at Coors Field, and they hope veteran catcher Yorvit Torrealba can give him a push.

Cuddyer on track for activation from disabled list

Rockies outfielder Michael Cuddyer was happy enough with his throwing and hitting in the batting cage that he believes he will be ready to return from his neck injury Friday, the day he is eligible to return from the 15-day disabled list.

Weiss expresses confidence in Belisle

Rockies right-hander Matt Belisle has given up six runs in his last five outings, including Friday night's Buster Posey home run in the eighth inning. But manager Walt Weiss said he believes Belisle (1-2, 4.22 ERA) is in a good place.

Tulowitzki realizing value of occasional rest

Troy Tulowitzki hates sitting out of games when he's not seriously injured. But now he knows it was the right decision when the team made sure he missed three starts in a five-game stretch early this month with left groin inflammation.

Yankees add Brignac to their infield fold

Twice this month, the Yankees have traded with the Rockies for a reserve infielder. New York acquired Reid Brignac from Colorado for cash considerations on Saturday.

Pacheco's slam helps Rockies solve Giants

Jordan Pacheco's grand slam helped the Rockies end their 10-game losing streak against the San Francisco Giants on Friday night, 10-9, though they nearly squandered a five-run lead at Coors Field.

Rockies seek more of the same from Chatwood

Rockies right-hander Tyler Chatwood left a stunning last impression the last time he was in the Majors -- six scoreless innings in a 12-2 victory over the Dodgers on April 29. Now the Rockies are counting on him to do the same Saturday.

Nicasio's start bumped to Sunday

By calling up Tyler Chatwood to pitch Saturday, the Rockies will give right-hander Juan Nicasio an extra day's rest. Nicasio, who has struggled on and off this season, will start Sunday in the finale of the four-game set with the Giants.

Francis working toward swift retun

Rockies left-hander Jeff Francis, placed on the disabled list Thursday with a left groin strain, rode a stationary bike and did some throwing Friday in an effort to stay sharp and possibly shorten his time out of action.

Helton, Arrenado homers have place in MLB lore

The consecutive second-inning home runs Thursday by Rockies veteran first baseman Todd Helton and rookie third baseman Nolan Arenado produced some age-difference trivia.

Rockies come out slugging, see lead slip away

The Rockies erupted with three home runs through the first three innings, staking themselves to a 6-0 lead only to see it fade into an 8-6 defeat.

Garland seeking longer leash, increased pitch count

Starting pitcher Jon Garland was upset about coming out of the game after five innings Wednesday in Chicago, feeling that he's ready for deeper pitch counts.

Rox recall LeMahieu after hot start at Triple-A

From DJ LeMahieu's perspective, Thursday's callup from Triple-A Colorado Springs was about 40 games overdue.

Francis lands on DL with groin strain; Scahill called up

Left-hander Jeff Francis, who pitched six sterling innings of one-run ball against the Cubs on Tuesday, went on the disabled list Thursday with a left groin strain.

Rockies begin big stretch at Coors this weekend

The Rockies built their confidence with a 17-hit, 9-4 victory over the Cubs on Tuesday night, and had a chance Wednesday to finish .500 on their road trip before losing, 6-3. But the first big stretch begins this weekend with four games against the defending World Series champion Giants at Coors Field.

Club racking up quality starts in bunches this year

Count the quality start as one of baseball's most maligned measurements. The minimum standard -- six innings and three earned runs -- computes to a 4.50 ERA, which is the quality of the back of the rotation. But when a team isn't meeting that standard consistently, like the 2012 Rockies, it means a lot.

Arenado displaying defensive prowess at third

Tuesday night's 9-4 victory over the Cubs wasn't in doubt, but things could have become hairy after two errors led to a mini Cubs rally in the eighth. But Rockies rookie third baseman Nolan Arenado quieted that by diving toward the line and making a strong throw to beat Alfonso Soriano to end the inning.

Garland takes loss, wishes he could've gone deeper

Rockies right-hander Jon Garland pitched five innings and watched four Wednesday night. That was way too much time as a spectator, as far as he was concerned. He gave up three runs and two homers, including a two-run shot to Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija, and took his fourth loss in five starts, 6-3, at Wrigley Field in front of 38,083.

Oswalt sharp on journey back to Majors

Veteran right-hander Roy Oswalt's fastball and his overall pitch mix was better in his second extended spring training outing on Tuesday than it was in his first. If all goes well in his next outing on Saturday, Oswalt likely will join Double-A Tulsa

Nicasio to remain in Rockies' rotation

For now, the Rockies are still counting on right-hander Juan Nicasio in their starting rotation.

Fowler looking to regain his hitting stroke

Rockies center fielder Dexter Fowler spent a beautiful 80-degree afternoon at Wrigley Field taking easy swings, hoping to regain his effectiveness.

Arenado takes in atmosphere at Wrigley

Rockies rookie third baseman Nolan Arenado, just 22, came to town marveling at the history of Wrigley Field.

CarGo homers twice, gets five hits in Rox win

Carlos Gonzalez homered twice among his career-high five hits to back Rockies lefty Jeff Francis, who allowed one run on three hits over six innings in a 9-4 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Tuesday night.

Rockies, Tulo continuously manage groin injury

Troy Tulowitzki's three-run homer Sunday not only unlocked the Rockies' offense in an 8-2 victory against the Cardinals, but it also helped validate the team's careful approach with his left groin.

Nicasio offers improved length, but still lacks results

Juan Nicasio allowed an Alfonso Soriano two-run homer in the first and was quickly down five runs after yielding six hits in the first two innings of a 9-1 loss to the Cubs in front of 35,080 at Wrigley Field.