Read More: Jorge De La Rosa (P – COL), James Russell (P – CHC), Colorado Rockies, Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies at Chicago Cubs, Apr 26, 2011 6:05 PM MDT

The Colorado Rockies have already thanked Chicago Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro for his three errors that led to three unearned runs in Monday’s 5-3 victory, but they’ll need a different approach on Tuesday night.  Cubs outfielder Kosuke Fukudome went 5-for-5, all singles. The Rockies had four hits total. Cubs starter Matt Garza and two relievers combined to strike out 11 Rockies.

The Rockies will have Jorge De La Rosa on the mound. He didn’t pitch in the previous series with the Cubs, but he enters the game on a two-game winning streak. He kept the Giants down in his last start, allowing just two runs on four hits and two walks. He struck out six over seven innings. He has allowed just one home run so far this season.

James Russell, meanwhile, will make his first start against the Rockies, but it will be his second appearance. He pitched one inning of relief against them in an April 15 5-0 loss (the Jhoulys Chacin complete game shutout). Russell has been making relief appearances in between starts, and in his April 20 start he left in the fifth inning, having allowed four runs. The Rockies will look for his fastball that averages around 87.5 M.P.H. and a slider he uses about 30 percent of the time. He’s started to use his changeup more, but his curveball makes just rare appearances.

First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. MT. Tune into ROOT Sports for coverage.

  CHICAGO — It certainly wasn’t Esmil Rogers’ pitching that was the key to the Colorado Rockies’ 5-3 victory over the Cubs on a blustery and chilly Monday night.

 It was Rogers’ bat that helped decide the game.

 Rogers led off the fifth with the score tied at 3, and put down a near-perfect bunt that Cubs third baseman Jeff Baker charged in on and fielded, but his throw to first was too late to get the Rockies pitcher.

 ‘‘He laid down a tremendous bunt,’’ Rockies manager Jim Tracy said about Rogers, a converted infielder.

 ‘‘After the first strike, I was looking toward Baker at third and he moved back a little bit,’’ Rogers said. ‘‘I said to make sure to put it down third and don’t go foul.’’

 He helped himself after struggling on the mound. On a 43-degree night, Rogers (3-1) gave up eight hits, four walks and three earned runs in 5 innings after entering with a 6.75 ERA.

 After Rogers’ bunt single, Dexter Fowler walked and Jonathan Herrera put down a sacrifice bunt that was thrown into the stands by Cubs pitcher Matt Garza (0-3) allowing Rogers to score. Carlos Gonzalez then grounded out to second to score another run.

 Huston Street came on in the ninth to pick up his eighth save of the season. The Colorado bullpen allowed the Cubs three hits over the final 3 innings, with Matt Lindstrom and Rafael Betancourt preceding Street.

 ‘‘Our bullpen once again stepped up big time,’’ Tracy said.

 The first-place Rockies are now 15-7 with a four-game lead over Los Angeles, which lost to Florida.

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The Cubs lost game one of their three game series with the Colorado Rockies 5-3.

It was a sloppy night for the Cubs. The rain never really stopped, leading to a muddy field and slippery baseballs. Those conditions led to four Cubs’ errors and only one earned run of the Rockies total five runs scored.

The Cubs plated three runs in the first inning off of starter, Esmil Rogers. Darwin Barney hit a two run homerun after lead-off hitter Kosuke Fukudome singled to start the game. Fukudome went 5 for 5, all singles, raising his season average to .478 with an OBP of .571. The third run would come from an Alfonso Soriano sacrifice fly that scored Jeff Baker. Baker started at third for Aramis Ramirez, who had the night off. Baker continued hitting the well. He had two singles, a double, and was on base a fourth time with a walk.

After Cubs’ starter, Matt Garza, sent the Rockies down in order in the first inning, he faced clean-up hitter, Troy Tulowitzki, to begin the second inning. Tulowitzki hit an easy groundball to shortstop, Starlin Castro, who mishandled the ball allowing the runner to reach on the error. Garza then struck out Todd Helton. A single by Seth Smith and two consecutive errors by Castro gave the Rockies their third and game-tying run.

In the Rockies fifth inning, Rogers singled and lead-off hitter, Dexter Fowler walked. Jonathon Herrera laid down a sacrifice bunt that Garza fielded on the wet grass. His throw was off target and allowed Rogers to score the game winning run. Colorado would add their fifth run on a groundout by Carlos Gonzalez. Garza eventually got through six innings of work allowing five runs, but only one of those runs was earned.

Outside of the Cubs’ first inning offensively and defensively, Mike Quade said, “the rest of it was awful”. His ballclub failed to make plays in the field and couldn’t execute at the plate when needed. With no outs and two runners on base in the sixth inning, Darwin Barney was called on to sacrifice bunt. He chose instead to swing away out of the bunt because the corner infielders were “crowding” him, according to Quade. The play resulted in a pop-up to the Tulowitzki. In the clubhouse after the loss, Barney appeared to be very upset with his decision in that at-bat. “I take full responsibility”, he said, “for our team not being back in that game.”

Game two of this series is Tuesday night with a first-pitch of 7:05. The Cubs send James Russell (1-2 8.00) to the mound to face Jorge De La Rosa ( 3-0 3.00 in four starts) for the Rockies.

CBSSports.com wire reports
April 26, 2011

CHICAGO — Starlin Castro’s three errors in the second inning didn’t even quite cost the Cubs the game.

It was that fourth one, by pitcher Matt Garza, that was really costly. His errant throw opened the door for the Rockies to score the go-ahead run and Colorado beat Chicago 5-3 on a misty and windy Monday night at Wrigley Field.

“We lost tonight because I couldn’t throw the ball to first base,” Garza said. “If I throw the ball to first base, it’s still a 3-3 ballgame and we’re still playing.”

Dexter Fowler hit a triple, walk and scored a run for Colorado. Huston Street pitched the ninth for his eighth save in eight chances.

Rockies starter Esmil Rogers gave up eight hits and four walks, but just three runs in 5 1/3 innings. Matt Lindstrom and Rafael Betancourt combined for 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.

“Our bullpen once again stepped up big time,” Rockies manager Jim Tracy said.

Only one of the five runs scored against Garza were earned. He gave up three hits and a walk in six innings.

Troy Tulowitzki hit a grounder to Castro leading off the second, reaching base when he bobbled the ball while trying to transfer it to his throwing hand.

Todd Helton struck out and Seth Smith singled before Jose Lopez’s grounder popped out of Castro’s glove, letting Tulowitzki score.

Now with Smith on second and Lopez on first, Chris Iannetta hit a grounder that Castro fielded cleanly.

His throw, though, sailed past Barney at second base and into the Cubs’ bullpen along the right field line.

Smith and Lopez came all the way home to tie the game at 3.

“After I caught the ball, it was kind of wet and I tried to hurry,” Castro said through an interpreter. “It was just one of those things.”

When Castro finally fielded a grounder and threw out Rogers at first, he got a sarcastic cheer. Fowler struck out to end the inning.

“If you’re in a hurry with a wet pig, you’re in trouble,” Cubs manager Mike Quade said.

One more mistake let the Rockies take the lead.

In the fifth inning, with men on first and second, Jonathan Herrera laid down a bunt. Garza’s throw to Barney at first was wide and up the right-field line, allowing Rogers to score. Fowler reached third and later came home on Carlos Gonzalez’s groundout.

“Obviously the conditions were pretty tough to play in tonight,” Tracy said. “We handled the ball with the conditions of the field. I don’t think you can ask a group of players to handle the ball any better with the field conditions, as wet as it was.”

Castro was the first Cubs player to have three errors in an inning since Jaime Navarro did it on Aug. 18, 1996, against Houston.

The major league record for errors in an inning by a shortstop is four. It has happened three times, though not since Lennie Merullo did it Sept. 13, 1942. He later played on the last Cubs team to make the World Series, in 1945.

According to STATS, LLC, the last player to make three errors in an inning was 3B Andy Marte of Cleveland on June 10 last year. The last SS to do it was Aaron Miles of St. Louis, on July 7, 2007.

Notes

• Castro also went 0 for 5.
• Kosuke Fukudome set a career high with five hits, all singles and Darwin Barney hit a two-run homer in the first inning. “It is actually my birthday in Japan with the time difference, so it’s my day,” Fukudome said through an interpreter.
• Quade gave third baseman Aramis Ramirez the night off, starting Jeff Baker in his place.
• Quade said that injured starting pitchers Randy Wells (forearm strain) and Andrew Cashner (rotator cuff strain) were both progressing well, though no timetable has been established for their return to the Cubs’ rotation. Both pitchers, who were placed on the disabled list on April 7, are slated to be re-examined on Wednesday.
• Fowler’s seventh-inning triple gave him 25 in his career, moving him past Ellis Burks for fifth on Colorado’s career list.

It certainly wasn’t Esmil Rogers’ pitching that was the key to the Colorado Rockies’ 5-3 victory over the Cubs on a blustery and chilly Monday night.
It was Rogers’ bat that helped decide the game.
Rogers led off the fifth with the score tied at 3, and put down a near-perfect bunt that Cubs third baseman Jeff Baker charged in on and fielded, but his throw to first was too late to get the Rockies pitcher.
“He laid down a tremendous bunt,” Rockies manager Jim Tracy said about Rogers, a converted infielder.
“After the first strike, I was looking toward Baker at third and he moved back a little bit,” Rogers said. “I said to make sure to put it down third and don’t go foul.”
He helped himself after struggling on the mound. On a 43-degree night, Rogers (3-1) gave up eight hits, four walks and three earned runs in 5 1-3 innings after entering with a 6.75 ERA.
After Rogers’ bunt single, Dexter Fowler walked and Jonathan Herrera put down a sacrifice bunt that was thrown into the stands by Cubs pitcher Matt Garza (0-3) allowing Rogers to score. Carlos Gonzalez then grounded out to second to score another run.
Huston Street came on in the ninth to pick up his eighth save of the season. The Colorado bullpen allowed the Cubs three hits over the final 3 2-3 innings, with Matt Lindstrom and Rafael Betancourt preceding Street.
“Our bullpen once again stepped up big time,” Tracy said.
The first-place Rockies are now 15-7 with a four-game lead over Los Angeles, which lost to Florida.
It was a miserable night for Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro, and not just because of the weather. He committed three errors — all in the second inning — in the loss.
“Anytime you make three errors in a game, it’s definitely a tough day,” Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said. “I feel for him over there. The conditions were bad. The field isn’t the easiest on shortstops.”
Garza’s errant throw to first on a bunt was the Cubs’ fourth error of the night and opened the door to two more runs.
Only one of the five runs scored against Garza were earned. He gave up three hits and a walk in six innings.
Kosuke Fukudome set a career high with five hits, all singles and Darwin Barney hit a two-run homer in the first inning.
It all came undone for the Cubs shortly after.
Tulowitzki hit a grounder to Castro leading off the second, reaching base when he bobbled the ball.
Todd Helton struck out and Seth Smith singled before Castro misplayed Jose Lopez’s grounder, allowing Tulowitzki score.
With Smith on second and Lopez on first, Chris Iannetta hit a grounder that Castro fielded cleanly. His throw, though, sailed past Barney at second base and into the Cubs’ bullpen along the right-field line.
Smith and Lopez came all the way home to tie it at 3. When Castro finally fielded a grounder and threw out Rogers at first, he got a sarcastic cheer. Fowler struck out to end the inning.
One more mistake let the Rockies take the lead.
In the fifth inning, with men on first and second, Herrera laid down a bunt. Garza’s throw to Barney at first was off, and Rogers scored. Fowler reached third and scored later on Carlos Gonzalez’s groundout.
Castro was the first Cubs player to have three errors in an inning since Jaime Navarro did it on Aug. 18, 1996 against Houston. The major league record for errors in an inning by a shortstop is four. It’s happened three times, though not since Lennie Merullo did it Sept. 13, 1942. He later played on the last Cubs team to make the World Series, in 1945.
NOTES: According to STATS, LLC, the last player to make three errors in an inning was 3B Andy Marte of Cleveland on June 10 last year. The last SS to do it was Aaron Miles of St. Louis, on July 7, 2007. … Cubs manager Mike Quade gave third baseman Aramis Ramirez the night off, starting Baker in his place. … Quade said that injured starting pitchers Randy Wells (forearm strain) and Andrew Cashner (rotator cuff strain) were both progressing well, though no timetable has been established for their return to the Cubs’ rotation. Both pitchers, who were placed on the disabled list on April 7, are slated to be re-examined on Wednesday. … Fowler’s seventh-inning triple gave him 25 in his career, moving him past Ellis Burks for fifth on Colorado’s career list.

Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro committed three errors in the second inning and the Colorado Rockies beat Chicago 5-3 Monday night.

Matt Garza’s errant throw to first on a bunt was the Cubs’ fourth error of the night and opened the door to two more runs.

Dexter Fowler had a triple, walk and scored a run for Colorado. Huston Street pitched the ninth for his eighth save in eight chances.

Rockies starter Esmil Rogers gave up eight hits and four walks, but just three runs in 5 1-3 innings.

Only one of the five runs scored against Garza were earned. He gave up three hits and a walk in six innings.

Kosuke Fukudome set a career high with five hits, all singles and Darwin Barney hit a two-run homer in the first inning.

It all came undone shortly after.

Troy Tulowitzki hit a grounder to Castro leading off the second, reaching base when he bobbled the ball.

Todd Helton struck out and Seth Smith singled before Castro misplayed Jose Lopez’s grounder, letting Tulowitzki score.

Now with Smith on second and Lopez on first, Chris Iannetta hit a grounder that Castro fielded cleanly.

His throw, though, sailed past Barney at second base and into the Cubs’ bullpen along the right field line.

Smith and Lopez came all the way home to tie the game at 3. When Castro finally fielded a grounder and threw out Rogers at first, he got a sarcastic cheer. Fowler struck out to end the inning.

One more mistake let the Rockies take the lead.

In the fifth inning, with men on first and second, Jonathan Herrera laid down a bunt. Garza’s throw to Barney at first was off, and Rogers scored. Fowler reached third and scored later on Carlos Gonzalez’s groundout.

Castro was the first Cubs player to have three errors in an inning since Jaime Navarro did it on Aug. 18, 1996 against Houston.

The major league record for errors in an inning by a shortstop is four. It’s happened three though not since Lennie Merullo did it Sept. 13, 1942. He later played on the last Cubs team to make the World Series, in 1945.

Castro also went 0 for 5.

NOTES: Cubs manager Mike Quade gave third baseman Aramis Ramirez the night off, starting Jeff Baker in his place. … Quade said that injured starting pitchers Randy Wells (forearm strain) and Andrew Cashner (rotator cuff strain) were both progressing well, though no timetable has been established for their return to the Cubs’ rotation. Both pitchers, who were placed on the disabled list on April 7, are slated to be re-examined on Wednesday. … Fowler’s seventh-inning triple gave him 25 in his career, moving him past Ellis Burks for fifth on Colorado’s career list.