Series preview: Guardians vs. Rockies

The Rockies are a bad team getting worse, there is no dancing around it. Only three Rockies batters have more than 70 plate appearances and a wRC+ over 100. It’s rough out there. The team’s one bright spot over the last two years, Kris Bryant, is day-to-day with a lower back injury.

And somehow, despite losing nine of their last 10 games, they just can’t find a place to play Nolan Jones on the major-league roster.

Now, with that said, we’ve seen the Guardians play plenty of “bad” teams already this year, and they still can’t put them away with ease. This would be the perfect time to start, though. After this, they will be playing the Red Sox, Yankees, and Twins. Eventually, they have to start beating bad teams like the Rockies are things are going to get rough.

Thankfully the Rockies are only sending one lefty to the mound, Game 1 starter Austin Gomber. Supposedly the centerpiece of the Nolan Arenado trade with the Cardinals in the 2020 offseason, Gomber has not even come close to living up to it. Last year he finished with a 5.56 ERA and was relegated to the bullpen in July. He’s back in the rotation now but off to a horrendous start, allowing 22 earned runs in 16.1 innings. The Pirates rocked him for nine runs in two innings in his last time out, and he has not made it past the sixth inning in any start this year.

He’s also a lefty with a low-90s fastball, so there’s a chance he shuts down the Guardians lineup entirely.

According to The Athletic’s Zack Meisel, Xzavion Curry is expected to start the finale on Wednesday, assuming he doesn’t pitch out of the bullpen tonight or tomorrow.

Team at a glance

• Record: 6-17
• Runs scored: 59
• Run differential: -54
• Last 10: 1-9
• Slash: .243/.305/.375
• wOBA: .301
• wRC+: 71
• ERA: 5.62
• SIERA: 4.63
• K-BB%: 10%

Projected starters

Monday, April 24, 6:10 p.m. ET: LHP Austin Gomber vs. RHP Cal Quantrill
Tuesday, April 25, 6:10 p.m. ET: RHP Ryan Feltner vs. RHP Peyton Battenfield
Wednesday, April 26, 1:10 p.m. ET: RHP Noah Davis vs. TBD

Roster

• 40-man roster
• Depth chart