Justin Morneau, of all people, has been instrumental in the surge by High Single-A Modesto shortstop Chris Nelson.

Not that Nelson has ever met the Minnesota Twins slugger or that surge really does justice to Nelson’s output in July. He hit .368 (42-for-114) for the month with 11 doubles, 11 stolen bases, nine homers, and 41 RBI. Nelson drove in 37 runs in April through June, a figure he exceeded in July with 181 fewer at-bats than in those other months.

It was the beginning of July when Nelson, at the home of his host family, was watching a Twins game. Morneau being the reigning American League Most Valuable Player, Nelson paid more attention to his approach at the plate than he might have other players and, in particular, noticed Morneau’s hands.

"Mine were higher up, almost over my right shoulder," Nelson said. "His hands were lower. I decided to try that. I feel more relaxed, and I can see more. My left shoulder isn’t like in my view of hitting. I can see more of everything up there, when I’m at the plate."

Nelson, who turns 22 next month, is having the breakthrough season the Rockies have been waiting for since they drafted him in the first round and ninth overall in 2004. He moved up to Modesto this year after spending the past two seasons at Low Single-A Asheville and after a jaw-dropping July that spilled into August -- Nelson went 2-for-4 Wednesday and 2-for-3 Thursday -- Nelson is hitting a season-high .291 with 30 doubles, 15 homers and 79 RBI. He's also 22-for-27 in stolen-base attempts.

Modesto hitting coach Dave Hajek, who worked with Nelson as Asheville’s hitting coach in 2005 and nearly three months last year before assuming that role with the Nuts, said Nelson had a resemblance to Gary Sheffield at the plate with his elbows, more so than his hands, raised and a rather high posture to his upper body.

"He showed some hand speed with that," Hajek said, "but just not the consistency of getting the bat to the ball as we all would have liked or we all think he can. So I’ve just been stressing to him over time just to try to relax the upper body a little bit."

Using a wonderfully descriptive word that the late Charley Lau, a renowned hitting coach, was known to utter, Hajek said in the batter’s box these days, Nelson looks "hitterish."

"He covers the entire strike zone better," Hajek said. "He’s got the confidence with the quick hands to drive the ball on the inside part of the plate and the ability to sit there and wait and react to the offspeed stuff away from him.

"That’s made him a better two-strike hitter. He’s not giving himself up. He’s not becoming totally defensive. He’s just got the confidence to wait and see the ball first and then react to it. Then he’s in position whether it’s a fastball in or away for that matter, he’s still in a good position to cover the strike zone."

Hajek and Nelson, obviously, had discussed the changes that Nelson ultimately made. And Nelson had studied tape of about a half dozen major league hitters, but what made the most sense to him, what caused everything to click was one visual image, namely that of Morneau.

"He’s an MVP," Nelson said. "I was just sitting down, ‘Let me see what this guy does. What’s different from what I do?’ I watched him, and it was, ‘Let me try it in (batting practice).’ It worked in BP. ‘Let me try it in a game." I was 4-for-5 or something.

Close enough, Nelson went 3-for-5 with two homers and five RBI on July 3 at Stockton. It was the first of five three-hit games in July for Nelson, who also had closed the month with a four-hit, four-RBI game Tuesday.

One night earlier, Nelson singled home the tying run from third base with two out in the top of the ninth at Bakersfield, and outfielder Justin Nelson followed with a two-run, game-winning homer. Modesto manager Jerry Weinstein said Nelson’s single showed his growth as a hitter.

"He works the count to 3-1," Weinstein said, "and takes a bad swing, kind of an overswing. Then he steps out and regroups and gets himself under control and hits a line drive up back through the middle."

Defensively, Nelson has 23 errors, but Weinstein said Nelson’s shortstop play has been a plus.

"Most of his errors have been on throwing errors," Weinstein said, "and on routine plays where gets careless and loses his rhythm. . . . He has made a lot of routine plays and a lot of outstanding plays and has improved on defense."

If that were not the case, Weinstein wouldn’t have given Nelson the broad-brushstroke praise he did when he said, "His whole game has taken a quantum leap."

In no small measure because of Morneau and the time Nelson spent watching him. By dropping his hands a couple inches, Nelson, in turn, has caused his elbows to be below his hands rather than even with them.

"He has softened his elbows up," Weinstein said. "He’s got tremendous hand speed, so it’s not a question of bat speed. But he’s covering a lot of pitches now.

"He’s got better strike-zone discipline. He’s not swinging at everything. He’s staying off the ball that’s inside, the one you get jammed on or you end up pulling 400 feet foul. He’s getting the ball pretty much centered over the plate, and he’s hitting the ball gap-to-gap. That’s the big thing for him."



Triple-A Colorado Springs (57-55, second, 1½ games behind)

Sky Sox Web site | Sky Sox Roster



Tim Harikkala, 36, (0-0, 1.93) and left-hander Dan Serafini, 33, joined the bullpen. Harikkala, who made 55 relief appearances for the Rockies in 2004 and has allowed two runs, one earned in three appearances totaling 4 2/3 innings for the Sky Sox, had pitched in Korea in 2005, 2006 and until he was released this season. Serafini (0-0, 0.00) has pitched for five teams and has appeared in 101 major league games, the last in 2003. He had been pitching in Japan but was waived earlier this year after breaking his right (glove) hand. He worked out Saturday and Monday to prove to the Sky Sox he was healthy and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings in his debut for them Wednesday . . . Reliever Mike DeJean (0-2, 7.71) went on the disabled list retroactive to Monday with right shoulder inflammation. DeJean, 36, is 14 months out from shoulder surgery. He allowed 25 hits in 15 1/3 innings and went 0-2, 8.80 in July when he was pressed into making starts July 1 and July 14 and worked four innings in each game . . . Jorge DePaula (8-6, 6.41) went 1-3, 10.80 in July and allowed 57 hits in 28 1/3 innings . . . Before throwing one scoreless inning Thursday at Round Rock, left-hander Josh Newman (2-1, 4.07) was scored upon in four straight outings, all at home, allowing eight hits and nine runs, seven earned, in five innings with four walks and three strikeouts . . . Right fielder Seth Smith (.330-21-65) has gone 5-for-19 following his 18-game hitting streak, which ended Saturday. One night earlier, Smith extended his streak with a pinch-hit walk-off homer. Smith hit .417-7-29 in July and shared player of the month honors in the Rockies organization with Chris Nelson . . . Soreness in his upper back has hampered second baseman Jayson Nix (.281-5-36), who went 2-for-2 with two walks Thursday. He was hitting .312 after the first game of a doubleheader July 13 but has since gone 9-for-60 with four doubles and three RBI, the latter all coming Monday in one game . . . Third baseman Ian Stewart (.306-15-64) hit three homers in 179 at-bats in April and May and 12 homers in 203 at-bats in June and July. Stewart had his second two-homer game of the season Tuesday, five days after his first one. Both games came at home where Stewart is hitting .351-9-40 compared to .258-6-24 on the road.

Double-A Tulsa (52-56 overall, 17-21, third, 5 ½ games behind)

Tulsa Drillers Web site | Drillers Roster

Left-hander Franklin Morales (3-4, 3.48) earned a promotion to Colorado Springs -- he’ll start Friday for the Sky Sox at Round Rock -- by going 3-0, 2.17 in his past four starts with 10 walks, 21 strikeouts and 19 hits and seven runs allowed inn 29 innings. And that includes an outing July 24 that lasted 4 2/3 innings in which Morales gave up five of those runs and six of those walks . . . Jon Asahina (2-1, 4.30) will replace Morales in the rotation and start Saturday against Springfield. He last pitched April 26 at Arkansas when he suffered a fractured skull and ruptured eardrum after being hit with a line drive near his left temple . . . Second baseman Corey Wimberly (.268-4-28) has gone 12-for-28 during a six-game hitting streak that has raised his average to a season-high . . . Third baseman-outfielder Christian Colonel (.313-12-62) had a 12-game hitting streak end Sunday but picked up seven hits in his next three games, including four doubles to increase his Texas League-leading total to 41 . . . Samuel Deduno (4-6. 5.26) has made it through five innings in each of his past two starts, allowing 12 runs, nine earned, in 8 1/3 inning in those games with 11 walks and 11 strikeouts. Deduno, who has a four-game losing streak, is winless in eight starts dating back to June 16 and in his past five outings, is 0-3, 7.81 . . . Center fielder Chris Frey (.289-1-29) has hit safely in seven straight games, 15 of his past 16 and 18 of his past 20. Frey had two RBI in a game Wednesday for the fourth time this season and first time since May 29 . . . Right fielder Jordan Czarniecki (.291-11-45) has hit five homers in his past 11 games and has raised his average from .261 by going 27-for-67 while hitting safely in 16 of his past 18 games . . . Third baseman Matt Macri (.301-11-30) went 11-for-30 with four doubles and two homers during a seven-game hitting streak that ended Thursday.



High Single-A Modesto (60-51, 26-15 second half, first, 2 games ahead)

Modesto Nuts Web site | Nuts Roster

The Nuts went 23-6 in July and scored 10 or more runs nine times . . . First baseman Jeff Kindel (.304-11-63) hit safely in 26 straight games before going 0-for-2 with two walks Wednesday. During his streak, Kindel, who was hitting .262 when it began, went 45-for-108 (.417) with 12 doubles, five homers, 25 RBI and 20 runs scored. Kindel has developed a very good two-strike approach and has gotten much better at covering the outer half of the plate. An extremely hard worker, Kindel is adequate but improving on defense . . . In 34 games with the Nuts, left fielder Justin Nelson (.331-8-36) has a .618 slugging percentage. Nelson has had six three-hit games . . . Left-hander Xavier Cedeno (5-5, 4.15), who has allowed three homers in 91 innings this season, went 4-0, 2.90 in five July starts, limiting opponents to a .212 average in those games. Manager Jerry Weinstein said Cedeno has done a much better job of pitching inside and up with his four-seam fastball and by doing that, it prevents right-handed hitters from diving toward the outer half of the plate and being as aggressive on his two-seamer. Cedeno pitches at 86-87 mph with his fastball but can touch 90 mph. Weinstein likens Cedeno to a young Ted Lilly, with not quite as good a breaking ball . . . Right fielder Daniel Carte (.301-14-69) rebounded from a .221 June by hitting .347 in July, exactly what he hit in May. Carte, with an unfathomable nine walks and 106 strikeouts, has remarkably similar splits -- hitting .304-6-38 at home with 15 doubles, five walks and 52 strikeouts and hitting .298-8-31 on the road with 14 doubles, four walks and 54 strikeouts . . . Second baseman Eric Young Jr., (.285-6-47) whose defense has improved greatly this season, was hitting .249 at the end of June but since has gone 49-for-131 (.374). During that stretch, Young has gone 21-for-26 in stolen bases and is 58-for-73 for the season . . . Brandon Durden (8-6, 4.68) went 5-0, 3.86 in six July starts with seven walks and 34 strikeouts in 37 1/3 innings and no home runs allowed. Weinstein said Durden has done a much better job of getting his offspeed pitches over, especially early in the count, so hitters can’t sit on his fastball and by doing that, Durden is also controlling bat speed. Durden pitches at 87-88 mph with his fastball and will touch 91-92 mph.



Low Single-A Asheville (68-41 overall, 26-14 second half, first, 2 games ahead)

Asheville Tourists Web site | Tourists Roster

The Tourists season-high 10-game winning streak ended Thursday with a 5-2 loss at Lakewood . . . Reliever James Burok (4-1, 1.72) will move up to Modesto on Friday. Opponents batted .168 against Burok, who allowed one homer and 18 walks in 47 innings with 51 strikeouts. The opening in Modesto’s bullpen developed when David Patton (4-4, 5.09) sprained his left ankle and was placed on the disabled list retroactive to Monday . . . Reliever Casey Weathers (0-0, 6.75), the Rockies first-round pick and eighth player taken overall in the June draft, was 95-99 mph with his fastball and pitched at 96 mph and 88-90 mph with his slider while throwing one scoreless inning in his second professional outing Monday and struck out the side Thursday in his third appearance . . . Second baseman Daniel Mayora (.309-12-59) has two hits in his past 23 at-bats. He was hitting .332 at the end of June but has since gone 27-for-110 . . . Andrew Graham (10-7, 5.18) threw a five-hit shutout Tuesday at Lakewood with one walk and 11 strikeouts and won 6-0. Graham has allowed one run in 15 2/3 innings while winning his past two starts. He’s 88-93 mph with his fastball and has a decent curveball and usable slider . . . Josh Sullivan (3-1, 2.97) is likely to return Saturday. He has been on the disabled list twice this year with triceps tendinitis and last pitched May 28 . . . Left-hander Keith Weiser (13-5, 3.47) leads the South Atlantic league in wins and is second in innings pitched (137 1/3). He has allowed two runs in 14 innings while winning his past two starts and in his past eight starts, Weiser is 5-1, 3.29 . . . Infielder Jason Van Kooten (.154-0-1) returned to action last Friday and has played three games for the Tourists. Van Kooten began the season at Modesto but last played there April 22 before lower back problems sidelined him for more than three months. A graduate of Regis High School, Van Kooten hit .283-2-39 in 98 games for Asheville last year . . . Catcher Mike McKenry (.282-13-65) who ranks with Mayora and shortstop Hector Gomez (.290-9-47) as Asheville’s best prospects, has nearly as many walks (57) as strikeouts (61) and a .398 on-base percentage. After hitting .207 in April, McKenry, batted .316 in May, .300 in June and .301 in July. McKenry is hitting .325-10-41 at hitter-friendly McCormick Field and .238-3-24 on the road.



Short season Single-A Tri-City (18-25, third, 2 games behind)

Tri-City Dust Devils Web site | Dust Devils Roster



The Dust Devils have a season-high six-game winning streak -- they won four straight July 11-14 -- which has put them back in contention in the very forgiving East Division, led by Boise (20-23) . . . Third baseman Darin Holcomb (.292-9-27) is leading the Northwest League in home runs and has hit three in his past five games. Holcomb, who is 10-for-26 in his past seven games with four doubles, three homers and 11 RBI, is also fourth in the league with a .552 slugging percentage . . . Shortstop Helder Velazquez (.260-1-24) has five hits in his past 30 at-bats and 15 hits in his past 64 at-bats . . . Right fielder Brian Rike (.279-1-4), the Rockies second-round pick this year, dipped below .300 for the first time Wednesday and Thursday went hitless for the third consecutive game (0-for-9).

Rookie Casper 11-31 overall, 1-3 second half, third, 3 games behind)

Casper Rockies Web site | Rockies Roster



Jhoulys Chacin (3-4, 4.75) is 2-1, 1.71 in his past three starts, allowing five runs, four earned, and 11 hits in 21 innings with six walks and 16 strikeouts. Chacin, 19, is a native of Venezuela who pitched for the Rockies team in the Domincan Summer League the past two years. He was 87-94 mph with his fastball and averaged 92 mph over seven innings in his last win Friday against Ogden and his curveball and changeup are good pitches . . . Closer Don Taylor (1-2, 0.55 with three saves) has six walks and 21 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings. Drafted in the 23rd round this year out of Dallas Baptist University, Taylor was 90-93 mph with his fastball and averaged 91 mph with an 81-83 mph slider . . . After making nine relief appearances at Tri-City and going 0-1, 7.20, Brandon Miller was sent to Casper to start and pitched five scoreless innings Tuesday and won 5-0 at Orem . . . Luis Noboa (0-1, 6.48) was sent home to the Dominican Republic with hepatitis . . . The Rockies have gone 6-7 since starting the season 5-23.

etkinj@RockyMountainNews.com

Back to Top