PHILADELPHIA — Behold the power of the beard!
Sure, Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon is a leadoff hitter, but he’s belting the ball around the yard like he’s Lou Gehrig in the cleanup spot.
Consider this statistical nugget from the Elias Sports Bureau’s daily file on ESPN.com:
Charlie Blackmon went 2-for-4 with two homers and four RBIs in the Rockies’ win over the Phillies (Tuesday night).
Blackmon has reached 40 RBIs, all from the leadoff spot, in Colorado’s first 47 games of the season. It’s the fewest team games to accumulate 40 RBIs from the leadoff spot since the major leagues began recording RBIs in 1920. Ian Kinsler (2009) and Mookie Betts (2016), who both reached 40 RBIs from the leadoff spot in 52 team games, shared the previous record.
Baseball has tons of esoteric statistics, but this one illustrates just how potent Blackmon has been at the top of the lineup.
“Charlie’s locked in,” said second baseman DJ LeMahieu, Blackmon’s close friend and the Rockies’ No. 2 hitter. “He battles and always gets his hits, but when he gets hot, he doesn’t miss any mistake pitches.”
Also, credit the bottom of the Rockies’ order for setting the table for Blackmon.
“For Charlie to get the RBIs, guys at the bottom have to be on base,” manager Bud Black said. “You include the pitcher getting some bunts down along the way here. That’s been critical. If you look back at that, that’s all part of it.”
Related Articles
- May 23, 2017 Charlie Blackmon torches Philly, again, as Rockies romp, again
- May 17, 2017 Rockies’ Charlie Blackmon is one of best leadoff hitters; stats confirm it, so does Bud Black
- May 6, 2017 Charlie Blackmon’s steely hitting philosophy turned him into one of baseball’s best hitting center fielders
- February 24, 2017 On The Rox podcast: Charlie Blackmon talks about offseason hunting, spring training and the 2017 season
More fireworks could be on the way for Blackmon, who’s torched the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, where the Rockies have two more games remaining in the four-game series. In 18 career games at Citizens Bank Park, including 11 starts, Blackmon is batting .347 (16 for 46) with 13 runs, seven home runs and 12 RBIs.
Shutdown artist. Here’s another tidbit from Elias, this one regarding Colorado rookie right-hander German Marquez:
German Marquez pitched six solid innings in the Rockies’ win over the Phillies on Tuesday night. Philadelphia batters went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position against Marquez. Marquez has held opponents hitless in their last 22 at-bats with runners in scoring position, the second-longest such streak in the major leagues this season, behind Yu Darvish (0-for-30).
