Rockies-Dodgers Series Grades: The best hitters, hitting the worst

The Colorado Rockies went to Los Angeles for a divisional battle and would leave standing atop the NL West despite losing two of the three games and getting nothing even resembling a consistent offensive threat.

Interestingly, the club’s three best hitters performed the worst and the guy who has been the symbol for all the team’s offensive woes was their best player at the plate.

If not for the continued excellence of the starting rotation, the Rockies simply would not be where they are.

German Marquez (A-): He pitched seven innings and gave up two hits, but just one hard-hit ball, a solo home run to Max Muncy. Otherwise, he was practically untouchable in securing the first-game win.

Kyle Freeland (B): The lefty from LoDo picked up his sixth straight quality start, pitching 6.1 innings, giving up three runs on six hits while walking three and striking out three.

Chad Bettis (B-): His five innings of two-run baseball on just three hits, was strong but a finger issue caused him to come out of the game at just 89 pitches, handing the game over to a taxed bullpen who blew a narrow lead.

Bryan Shaw (D-): It’s tough to grade someone off of just one inning of work, but what a dreadful inning it was, giving up back-to-back home runs to Chris Taylor and Yasiel Puig, swinging the second game and—in a way—the series in favor of the Dodgers.

Ian Desmond (B-): With three hits, a home run, and two RBI, Desmond was the Rockies best offensive player in the series. Which is not a good thing for the Purplers.

Gerardo Parra (B-): Parra also had three hits with a home run, his only RBI which did contribute to the win, but he also struck out five times.

Tony Wolters (C+): He only reached base once, on a walk, in his three plate appearances, but that walk led to a stolen base and eventually a game-winning run scored. He also made one of the best mental plays of the season, following Matt Kemp to first and throwing him out after an overthrow to end the first game with a win for Colorado.

Carlos Gonzalez (C-): He had just one hit in six appearances but it scored Wolters to deliver the win so he gets a few bonus context points.

David Dahl (D): His 1-for-8 with three strikeouts was pretty much par for the course for the Rockies offense in the set.

Chris Iannetta (D): He hit a double off of Kenley Jansen for his only hit in seven at-bats, catching two games in the series.

Charlie Blackmon (D): Blackmon had just two singles, a walk, and a run scored, and somehow that put him just ahead of the production of the other two members of the offense who have carried most of the load so far this year.

Trevor Story (D-): One base hit, one walk, and one run scored in 12 plate appearances is not at all good. But I guess he did only strike out two times.

Nolan Arenado (D-): The star third baseman collected just one base hit, a single, and one RBI, walking twice but striking out six times, including once in the final game with a runner at third and one out.

Weird to see those three names at the bottom.