Rockies’ defense — without Nolan Arenado, with Ryan McMahon — has been very good

Rockies manager Bud Black was discussing the elements to the Rockies’ singular occurrence astatine Coors Field this season. The defence was 1 of those cardinal ingredients.

“Overall, we’ve been pleased,” Black said anterior to Saturday night’s crippled against Arizona astatine Coors, wherever the Rockies owned a 42-21 record. “But we are going to effort to get better. We are going to effort and amended connected that implicit the adjacent six weeks. And we’ll spot what happens this offseason arsenic acold arsenic our roster going into adjacent year.

“But you’ve got to play defense. There is the aged adage that you can’t spend to springiness teams other outs and I deliberation that is really, emphatically emphasized here.”

Sure, the Rockies person booted the shot a fewer times astatine location and connected the road, but overall, their fielding has been beauteous golden. According to the Fielding Bible’s website, the Rockies’ 51 wide antiaircraft runs saved are tied with Houston for astir successful the majors.

Leading the mode has been the stellar enactment of 3rd basemen Ryan McMahon and Joshua Fuentes, who’s present astatine Triple-A Albuquerque moving connected his hitting. According to Sports Info Solutions, the Rockies person not missed the mitt enactment of Nolan Arenado, who was traded to St. Louis successful February. Arenado has won 8 consecutive Gold Gloves.

“Ryan McMahon and Joshua Fuentes person played Nolan Arenado-like defence astatine 3rd base,” Sports Info Solutions’ Mark Simon wrote recently. “But Arenado hasn’t been Arenado-like this season, astatine slightest not by our measures.

“Fuentes and McMahon are ranked 2nd and 3rd successful Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) astatine the position. Arenado is lone somewhat supra average.”

Simon went connected to write: “McMahon and Fuentes person combined for 25 ‘Good Fielding Plays’ astatine 3rd basal this play (think ‘Web Gems’). Arenado, who typically leads 3rd basemen successful the stat, has 16.”

Player of the month? First baseman C.J. Cron, whom Black said has markedly improved his defence since the opening of the season, is simply a premier campaigner for the National League’s subordinate of the period for August.

Cron’s numbers are eye-popping. Entering Saturday night’s game, Cron led the majors successful RBIs (27), batting mean (.431) and slugging percent (.897). His 7 location runs were tied for the astir portion his .507 on-base percent ranked second.

Cron has been a monster astatine Coors Field. In 9 games successful August, he’s deed .559 (19-for-34) with six location runs, 4 doubles, 23 RBIs and a 1.821 OPS.

Entering Saturday, helium had 7 consecutive multi-hit games astatine home, the longest location multi-hit streak by a Rockies subordinate since Larry Walker had a drawstring of 7 consecutive multi-hit games astatine Coors Field successful 2002. The franchise grounds is eight, accomplished 4 times, the past clip by Todd Helton and Vinny Castilla successful 1999.

On Deck
Diamondbacks RHP Taylor Widener (1-1, 4.59 ERA) astatine Rockies RHP Jon Gray (7-9, 3.93)
1:10 p.m. Sunday, Coors Field
TV: AT&T Sportsnet
Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM

Gray volition marque his 12th commencement astatine Coors Field this play and 5th commencement against the Diamondbacks. He’s 1-1 with a 4.01 ERA successful his erstwhile 4 starts against them. In his vocation vs. Arizona, Gray is 5-6 with a 4.97 ERA successful 16 starts, including a 1-3 grounds with a 6.33 ERA successful 8 starts astatine Coors. Gray had a so-so commencement successful his past outing, giving up 3 runs connected 7 hits implicit 4 1/3 innings astatine San Francisco. Over his past 3 games, each losses, helium has a 6.14 ERA. Widener pitched good successful his past commencement but didn’t origin into the determination connected Tuesday against Philadelphia. He pitched 5 innings of one-run ball, giving up 2 hits and 3 walks portion fanning five. The right-hander has fixed up 2 oregon less runs successful each of his past 2 starts, but he’s fixed up astatine slightest 1 homer successful six consecutive starts. In 4 games (one start), Widner is 0-1 with a 1.80 ERA vs. Colorado.

Trending: Entering Saturday night’s game, the Rockies’ .242 (44-for-192) pinch-hit batting mean was the fourth-highest successful the National League and their 44 pinch hits were the fifth-most.

At issue: Although the Rockies’ bullpen has pitched amended of precocious — a 3.61 ERA implicit its past 15 games entering Saturday — relievers are inactive walking 4.46 batters per 9 innings, tied for third-most successful the NL.

Pitching probables:
Monday: Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (2-9, 4.58) astatine Cubs LHP Justin Steele (2-2, 3.22 ERA), 6:05 p.m. ATTRM
Tuesday: Rockies RHP German Marquez (11-9, 3.80) astatine Cubs RHP Kyle Hendricks (14-5, 4.04), 6:05 p.m., ATTRM
Wednesday: Rockies LHP Austin Gomber (9-7, 4.15) astatine Cubs TBA, 12:20 p.m., ATTRM