Rox capitalize as Blackmon extends streak

Rockies outfielder reaches base in 31st straight game

June 6th, 2016

SAN DIEGO -- Charlie Blackmon has been setting the table for a good month now. Sunday night, the Rockies showed how good they can be when they actually arrive for the feast.
Blackmon extended his career-best on-base streak to 31 games in Sunday night's 10-3 victory over the Padres at Petco Park. Counting Sunday's 2-for-4 performance, Blackmon has hit .333 with nine doubles, six home runs, a triple, 11 walks and two hit-by-pitches during the streak.
But the Rockies are just 13-18 during Blackmon's run, and he has scored just 18 times. Blackmon isn't paying much attention to his statistical impact, simply because there are greater problems.
"My focus is just to win games," Blackmon said before Sunday's series finale. "If you're playing to win, you don't get so caught up in stuff that you can't control. Playing to win can really solve everything."
Manager Walt Weiss said the overall inconsistency of the offense has muted Blackmon's impact.
"Offensively, we haven't had our big guys all hot at the same time," Weiss said. "It's been one or two of the guys, with a couple of guys struggling."
Notably absent from Blackmon's game has been the stolen base. He finished last year with a career-best 43 in 56 attempts. This year, counting a steal Sunday, he's just 4-for-6. Part of it, he and Weiss said, is opponents paying greater attention. He also missed 13 games in April because of turf toe. He acknowledged that stolen bases and pickoff moves are wearing, but discounted health as a factor.
However, like so many problems during the Rockies' current struggles, Blackmon's plight traces back to difficulties of the Rockies' starting rotation. Because the Rockies have trailed so often early in games, Blackmon can't afford to risk losing a baserunner.
Pitcher Jon Gray's dominant seven-inning performance Sunday made running an option for Blackmon. Trevor Story successfully moved him first-to-third on a hit-and-run in the third with the Rockies up, 2-0, and he stole second in the seventh with a 6-2 lead.
"If we're losing by five runs or winning by five runs, I'm not going to run," Blackmon said. "If there's a guy out there that's slow to the plate and there's a steal situation, that situation came up more last year.
"I'm really only going to run this year when it's going to better help us try to win the game."
This illustrates the separation between Blackmon and the few hellbent runners who make the challenge of grabbing the base a key part of their decision.
"I'd rather be on base more, hit more doubles, or whatever, than necessarily just steal a base," Blackmon said. "A stolen base doesn't help you score a run. There's got to be context to it. Somebody's got to do something good around you. Being on base more is really more important than stealing bases."
Worth noting 
• After throwing one inning with one strikeout for Triple-A Albuquerque on Saturday, leftyBoone Logan (left shoulder inflammation) will join the squad in Los Angeles on Monday and could be activated. … Shortstop Jose Reyes went 0-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base and a run Sunday in the third game of his rehab assignment at Albuquerque. Reyes was given the rehab assignment after MLB suspended him through May 31 because of a domestic violence arrest during the offseason. … Catcher Tony Wolters, on his third day on the seven-game concussion disabled list, played catch and hit off a tee Sunday.