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Final Vote: Make Story an All-Star; vote or tweet until 2 MT

By Ben Weinrib / MLB.com | July 8th, 2016

DENVER -- Rockies shortstop Trevor Story made his case to be the last member of the National League All-Star team

with two home runs in Thursday night's 11-2 win over the Phillies at Coors Field. But as of Friday's final ballot udate, he

remained ranked third in the Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote.

Story leads Major League shortstops with 21 home runs and is second with a .550 slugging percentage. With his second

homer off Phils lefty Adam Morgan, he tied Albert Pujols and Dave Kingman's NL rookie record for home runs before

the All-Star break.

"I try not to [reflect]," said Story, who hit a three-run dinger in the third and a solo homer in the fifth. "I try to stay in the

moment. On an off-day, I'll look back and enjoy it, but any time we're playing, it's good to remember the good time and

those feelings, but I try to just focus on each day."

Story, who led NL candidates in overall votes from texts, trails the Giants' Brandon Belt and the Pirates Starling Marte,

and he leads the D-backs' Jake Lamb and Brewers' Ryan Braun.

Voting ends today at 2 p.m. MT, so fans still have time to help Story (#StoryTime) pull out a comeback win. For the fifth

consecutive year, the Final Vote will include social balloting, as Twitter support for the 10 candidates over the last six

hours of balloting will count toward their vote totals. From 8 a.m.-2 p.m. MT today, any tweet that includes a designated

player hashtag will be tabulated as part of the official vote total used to determine the winners.

MEDIA CLIPS – July 8, 2016

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"I can only vote so much," said teammate Nolan Arenado, who was named to the All-Star Game along with Carlos

Gonzalez. "I'm voting every day. Every time I've got my phone I'm thinking about voting. I'm constantly voting. I've voted

over a hundred something times. I hope people out there are voting for him."

Story's three-run homer

Final Vote candidate Trevor Story snaps an 0-for-17 slump with a three-run home run to the concourse beyond the left-

field seats

The Rockies' social media department has partnered with the Astros to make a dual ticket of Story and outfielder George

Springer. Springer is second in the American League voting, trailing only Blue Jays outfielder Michael Saunders.

This is the third straight year the Rockies have had a player in the final vote following Justin Morneau in 2014 and Troy

Tulowitzki in '15. They partnered with the Indians in '14 (Corey Kluber) and the Yankees in '15 (Brett Gardner), hoping

to pick up extra votes in the online voting.

Story's second homer of the game

Trevor Story crushes a solo dinger that puts the Rockies up 6-2 in the 5th inning, his second homer of the game

"When we had Trevor, we knew that we wanted to see if there was another Texas team. Texas is a nice tie," said Rockies

assistant director of digital media and publications Julian Valentin. "They just do a really nice job with the social media,

which is a big part of the campaign. They're active, their fan base is active, and we're happy to support them."

Baseball has a wealth of young talent at shortstop with starters Addison Russell, 22, and Xander Bogaerts, 23, in their

second and third seasons, respectively. Rookies Corey Seager, 22, and Aledmys Diaz 25, are on the NL bench, and

second-year player Francisco Lindor, 22, is a backup for the AL.

for ASG

"Man, there's some really talented shortstops in the game right now," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "Talented young

players overall, but especially at that position. It reminds you of back when [Nomar] Garciaparra, Miguel Tejada, A-Rod,

and [Derek] Jeter were doing their thing.

"[Story] deserves to be in the game. We'll do what we can to make that happen."

The winner of each league's Final Vote will be added to the roster for the All-Star Game presented by MasterCard on

Tuesday at Petco Park in San Diego. Coverage begins at 5:30 p.m. MT.

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"I'm proud of it," Story said. "You grow up dreaming about maybe being an All-Star and I still have a chance. It's very

humbling."

Fans can vote for the 2016 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote until 2 p.m. MT today. The winners, as chosen

exclusively by online fan voting totals, will be announced during a Final Vote-themed telecast of "MLB Now" featuring

commentary from political analyst Jeff Greenfield, live on MLB Network and MLB.com from 2-3 p.m. MT. MLB Network will

provide extensive coverage across all of its studio programming during the Final Vote, including interviews with the

candidates, frequent updates, heat maps indicating the cities where votes are being cast for each candidate, news on

player and club campaigns and a running countdown clock leading up to the announcement.

Baseball fans have cast nearly 600 million online votes for Final Vote candidates since the program's inception in 2002. In

addition to MLB.com and the official club websites, fans can use their mobile devices to cast votes at MLB.com/vote or

via text message. To receive the ballot, text the word "VOTE" to 89269. To vote for a specific player, fans can text their

choice to 89269. EXAMPLE: Text "A3" to vote for AL Player 3 or "N3" to vote for NL Player 3. Message and data rates

may apply. Text "STOP" to end and "HELP" for information. Mobile voting in Canada also is available and fans should text

their choices to 101010.

Next Tuesday, watch the 2016 All-Star Game presented by MasterCard live on FOX, and during the game visit MLB.com

to submit your choice for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet via the 2016 MLB All-Star

Game MVP Vote. The 87th All-Star Game, in San Diego, will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers

Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 160 countries via MLB International's independent feed.

ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB.com, MLB

Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please

visit allstargame.com.

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Final Vote candidate Story leads Rox in rout

By Ben Weinrib and Todd Zolecki / MLB.com | July 8th, 2016

DENVER -- National League Final Vote candidate Trevor Story launched his 20th and 21st home runs to tie the NL

rookie record before the All-Star break, and his four RBIs led the Rockies to an 11-2 victory over the Phillies at Coors

Field on Thursday night.

Dave Kingman (1972) and Albert Pujols (2001) also hit 21 before the All-Star break as rookies. Story has three more

games against the Phillies to eclipse that number.

"It's good to see him swinging the bat," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "He really hit those two balls tonight. He had a

great at-bat with the walk. He's done that a few times here recently. Unbelievable first half. What a way to start the

career."

The Rockies jumped on the board early, scoring in four of Phillies starter Adam Morgan's five frames. Nolan Arenado hit

an RBI double in the first and Mark Reynolds homered to lead off the second before Story hit a three-run homer in the

third and a solo shot in the fifth. Colorado added five more in the seventh offEdubray Ramos on singles by DJ

LeMahieu and Brandon Barnes and a three-run double by Reynolds.

Rockies starter Chad Bettis had his best start and second quality start since May 17. He held the Phillies to two runs on

seven hits over 6 2/3 innings with five strikeouts and one walk. Ryan Howard homered off him to right-center in the

second and drove in Maikel Franco two innings later on a single to left.

"I think all-around it was a great team win," Bettis said. "Honestly, I think we got our offense back and for the most part did

our job as a pitching staff. I think I could've been a little bit better in the sense of executing a couple pitches to Howard,

but that's part of baseball."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Heating up at the right time: Before launching two home runs and driving in four runs, Story went through a rough patch

on the road trip, going 0-for-12 coming off a reaggravated right middle finger bruise. His hitless stretch went back 17 plate

appearances following being hit in the hand June 28. As of Thursday at 2 p.m. MT, he was third in the NL Final Vote

standings.

"I really don't like to blame certain things," Story said. "I was good enough to play, so I gave it my best. A little bit. I wasn't

100 percent, but I felt good. Every day it's getting better. That's good news for me." More >

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Morgan struggles in spot start: Morgan hardly had an easy assignment, rejoining the rotation at Coors as the team

skipped Aaron Nola's turn to give him a mental break. Morgan allowed nine hits, six runs and three homers in five

innings. He has allowed 16 homers in 66 1/3 innings. His 2.17 home runs per nine inning rate is second in baseball

among pitchers with at least 60 innings, behind only Kansas City's Chris Young (3.90 homers per nine innings). The

Phillies optioned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley after the game.

"Lately, it hasn't been fun," Morgan said. "I've been putting a lot of pressure on myself. And this break coming up, I feel

like will be good. And also going down there and being able to work on things and not feel so much pressure ... like I said,

it can only go up from here."

Blackmon showing off his wheels: Charlie Blackmon has attempted to steal just 13 bases after attempting 94 in the

previous two seasons. But with a stolen base in the seventh, he nabbed his third in base in four attempts in the past week,

a major uptick in attempts compared to earlier in the season.

"He has a real good feel for running and for stealing bases. He works really hard at it," Weiss said. "They're paying a lot

closer attention to him. It's tough to steal bases when the pitcher [goes] 1.1, 1.2 [seconds] to the plate. You can't outrun

that. He's being smarter about picking his spots, and he does a great job on the bases."

Get him to the plate, boys: Howard had one of his finest moments at Coors, hitting a two-out double to score two runs in

the ninth inning in Game 4 of the 2009 NL Division Series. The hit tied the game as the Phillies took the lead one batter

later. Howard homered in the second inning Thursday for his 369th career homer, moving him into 78th place on the all-

time list with Ralph Kiner and Todd Helton.

QUOTABLE

"[I'm] trying to pick some spots for 'Otto,' just to get him back in the mix and get his feet underneath him and get some

innings out there. We've had a couple opportunities. He faced a hitter in San Francisco, and we got a whole inning here.

We start to give him a little more each time. It's good to be able to work him back in there. It's awesome seeing his name

on the lineup card." -- Weiss, on Adam Ottavino, who pitched his first full inning since undergoing Tommy John surgery

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Story is the first shortstop and 10th player in history to hit at least 21 home runs through his first 78 career games. Jose

Abreu (2014) was the last one before Story, while Ryan Braun (2007) and Pujols (2001) are the other two active players.

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Back in HR Derby, CarGo seeks better fate Rockies slugger didn't advance in '12; Arenado declines, citing fatigue By Daniel Kramer / MLB.com | July 7th, 2016

DENVER -- It'll be Carlos Gonzalez, not Nolan Arenado, representing the Rockies in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby on

Monday at Petco Park in San Diego (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on ESPN and simulcast on MLB.com).

Three days after he was selected via player vote to his third All-Star Game, Gonzalez was among eight tabbed for the

annual slugfest. Gonzalez, who has 18 homers, is the No. 7 seed and will face No. 2 seed Todd Frazier, the defending

champion, in the first round.

The remaining competition includes No. 1 Mark Trumbo vs. No. 8 Corey Seager, No. 3 Adam Duvall vs. No. 6 Wil

Myers and No. 4 Robinson Cano vs. No. 5Giancarlo Stanton.

"We're all professional hitters and we know how to hit the ball out of the ballpark," Gonzalez said. "Whoever gets hot,

whoever does well, whoever feels better that day, I think is going to win it."

This is Gonzalez's second Derby appearance and first since 2012, when he didn't make it out of the first round after hitting

just four. He was also selected in 2013, but had to pull out days before after spraining his right middle finger.

Last November, Gonzalez competed in -- and won -- a Derby among Venezuelan players that included Miguel

Cabrera, Salvador Perez and Jose Altuve.

That event was under a similar format that was just installed to MLB's event last year, which features a time limit for

players to attempt as many homers in a designated period.

"It's exhausting," Gonzalez said. "You've got to take a lot of swings. I like the new thing they have going on now that you

have more time, you have more swings. I think it's all about getting in the rhythm. When I get in a rhythm, I can put the ball

in the seats for a while."

Fatigue was Arenado's decisive factor for not participating. He said MLB Players Association officials reached out to

gauge his interest last month, but he wanted to first ensure he was selected to the All-Star team before committing.

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"Once I made the team, I just focused on figuring out, I don't know, I just wasn't 100 percent sure and they needed to

know right away," Arenado said Thursday. "I didn't want to hold them or make them wait and give them like a 'No,' so I just

said: 'No, it's OK. If some other guys are ready to answer you right now, then go ahead and pick them.' I just didn't want to

delay it and then say no."

Here is the full set of rules:

• Single-elimination tournament in which the winner of each matchup advances and the loser of each matchup is

eliminated.

• If the second batter hits more home runs than the first batter in any matchup, he will be declared the winner and not

attempt to hit additional home runs.

• Four minutes per batter for each round. Clock starts with the release of the first pitch. In the first round and semifinals,

each batter is entitled to one 45-second "time out." In the finals, each batter is entitled to two 45-second "time-outs."

• Thirty seconds of bonus time will be awarded for two home runs that each equal or exceed 440 feet.

• Ties in any round will be broken by a 60-second swing-off with no stoppage of time or additional time added. If a tie

remains after the swing-off, batters will engage in successive three-swing swing-offs until there is a winner.

Distances and exit velocity during the event and in the player profiles below come courtesy of Statcast™.

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CarGo dealing with annual Deadline rumors Free agent after 2017, Rockies' All-Star focused on this year's team By Tracy Ringolsby / MLB.com | July 7th, 2016

DENVER -- Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich shrugged his shoulders.

"Tis the season, I guess," he said. Yep. The All-Star break is around the corner. The non-waiver Trade Deadline is 24

days away. And the rumor mill is heating up. Sometimes there's substance. Most times there isn't.

What was on Thursday is a story on Todays Knuckleball in which writer Jon Heyman said Gonzalez met with Rockies

officials and expressed a desire to be traded because he was frustrated with the team's lack of success. Heyman later

backtracked, saying there was not a meeting, but Gonzalez is frustrated.

Gonzalez has done a good job of masking the frustration, if there is any. He is one of the more upbeat players in the

game, and he is rarely without a smile and kind word for anyone he encounters.

And Gonzalez's denial of the report was adamant.

"I got a call this morning from Scott Boras, my agent, asking about what happened," Gonzalez said. "I don't know what

happened. Maybe I was in my sleep [for the meeting].

"It's not true. I haven't said that to anybody; not my wife, kids or mom. When I go home, I am frustrated about what I didn't

do if we didn't win. I have never said I want to go anywhere else."

With the Rockies having not finished higher than third place in the National League West in six years, and coming off a 1-

5 road trip against the Dodgers and Giants, at 39-46 after beating the Phillies on Thursday, they are ripe for speculation

as a team that will be sellers in the next couple of weeks.

"The Trade Deadline is coming and so rumors are rampant," said Bridich. "People feel a need to stir things up."

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The situation is reminiscent of a year ago when Troy Tulowitzki eventually was traded to the Blue Jays for three pitching

prospects and shortstop Jose Reyes, which touched off an emotional reaction from Tulowitzki, who said he was caught

off-guard by the trade and felt he should have been involved in the conversations.

Tulowitzki, however, was a much different situation than Gonzalez. Tulowitzki was an All-Star-caliber shortstop when

healthy, but he has been haunted by injuries in recent years, and at the time of the trade, he had more than $100 million

remaining on a contract that includes an option for 2021. Teams that could afford Tulowitzki, in terms of salary flexibility

and prospects, were limited.

There is no guarantee that Gonzalez couldn't wind up in a similar situation in the next couple of weeks, but the overall

pressure on Colorado to deal Gonzalez is nowhere near as significant as it was with Tulowitzki.

Gonzalez, 30, is in his prime. He was named an All-Star on Tuesday, having been one of the top three vote-getters

among NL outfielders in voting by players. Gonzalez went into Thursday hitting .319 with 18 home runs and 51 RBIs.

Troubled with injuries two years ago, he has put to rest any concerns in the last year.

Since the All-Star break a year ago, Gonzalez leads NL players with 45 home runs, ranks third in the NL with 113 RBIs,

fourth with a .947 OPS and ninth with a .303 average. He also has a plus throwing arm and is capable of playing all three

outfield positions.

What's more, Gonzalez has only one year remaining, at $21 million, on his contract, which expands the number of teams

who theoretically could take on his salary.

Gonzalez, however, has long shown a desire to play for the Rockies. In January 2011, a year away from being eligible for

arbitration, he agreed to a seven-year, $80 million deal with Colorado despite Boras' objections.

"I am thankful for the opportunity I have to play for this organization," Gonzalez said. "As long as I continue to do my

dream, which is playing Major League Baseball, it is a bonus. What I care about is being healthy, being a good teammate,

playing hard and help the team win."

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And Gonzalez isn't hung up over the Rockies' recent struggles. He was a part of Colorado's second-half run to the NL

Wild Card in 2009, hitting .588 in four NL Division Series games against Philadelphia, and he remembers the enthusiasm

in the Rocky Mountain region.

"Who is to say it's not possible?" Gonzalez said of the Rockies returning to the postseason. "We have good young

players, guys we hope take the next step. I have been here for a lot of bad moments and situations. I want to be here

when it happens [again]."

Will Gonzalez be around? Only time will tell.

But if Gonzalez leaves, it won't be because he forced the issue.

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Taking on Phillies, Gray seeks 4-0 start at home By Todd Zolecki / MLB.com | July 7th, 2016

Rockies shortstop Trevor Story will know if he has made the National League All-Star team as the winner of the Final Vote

a few hours before Friday night's game against the Phillies at Coors Field.

Story entered Friday narrowly in third place behind the Pirates' Starling Marte and the Giants' Brandon Belt in a close

race. Either way, Story will face Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez (7-2, 3.34 ERA). Velasquez missed much of June

because of a strained right biceps, but he has more wins this season than any Phillies pitcher had in 2015.

Velasquez duels Rockies right-hander Jon Gray (5-4, 4.81). He is 3-0 with a 5.05 ERA at home, and it's his first time

facing the Phillies.

Three things to know about this game

• The Phillies are expected to activate right-hander Andrew Bailey from the disabled list Friday. He has been on the 15-

day disabled list since June 23 with a strained left hamstring.

• Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon entered Thursday hitting .318 since coming off the DL on April 29.

• Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard homered Thursday. He entered the series hitting .306 (44-for-144) with nine

doubles, one triple, nine home runs, 31 RBIs and a .936 OPS in 36 career games, including the postseason, at Coors.

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Trevor Story ties rookie home run record as Rockies crush Phillies By Patrick Saunders / The Denver Post | July 7th, 2016

The headliner from the Rockies’ 11-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night at

Coors Field was rookie shortstop Trevor Story, who rocketed two home runs into the stratosphere and wrote another

chapter in

major-league history.

Story has hit 21 homers, tying San Francisco’s Dave Kingman (1972) and St. Louis’ Albert Pujols (2001) for the most

home runs by a rookie before the all-star break. With three more games against the Phillies before the break, Story has a

legitimate chance to break the record.

“Any time you are mentioned with guys like that, it’s an honor,” Story said. “To have done what they done, it’s pretty cool.”

Said Rockies manager Walt Weiss: “It’s good to see him swing the bat that way. Even though he hadn’t gotten any hits

the last few games, I saw better at-bats. He really hit those two balls tonight. Unbelievable first half. What a way to start a

career.”

But just as important — and perhaps even more so in the long run — was the performance of Colorado starter Chad

Bettis. Looking like the confident pitcher who went 2-1 with a 3.77 ERA in April, the right-hander pitched 6M innings,

surrendering two runs on seven hits. He walked just one and struck out five.

Deftly mixing in a curveball and changeup with his fastball, he kept Philadelphia off-balance most of the evening. And

lately, the Phillies have not been pushovers. They came into the game having won eight of their last nine games, and their

.315 average since June 21 was the best in the majors.

Bettis gave up a homer to Ryan Howard in the second inning and an RBI single to Howard in the fourth, but the Rockies’

starter never was in deep trouble. Howard’s homer was the 370th of his career, tying him with Rockies icon Todd Helton

and Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner for 78th place on the all-time list.

“He’s been doing more of that, mixing the curveball and seeing the changeup, which I think is a great pitch for him,” Weiss

said of Bettis. “It’s an equalizer for him, and it showed up tonight.”

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The Rockies got on the board in the second on a leadoff homer to right by Mark Reynolds, his ninth of the season.

Reynolds also ripped a three-run double off Philly reliever Edubray Ramos in the seventh.

But Story’s power was the narrative of the night. In the third, DJ LeMahieu and Nolan Arenado hit back-to-back singles,

setting the stage for Story. He lined Adam Morgan’s 3-2, 85 mph slider deep into the left-field bleachers. The homer left

the field in a blur and measured 430 feet.

Story’s second homer was a two-out, solo shot off Morgan in the fifth, giving the Rockies a 6-2 lead. The tale of the tape

on this one: 447 feet.

“The past couple of nights, I have felt good at the plate, but I haven’t had the results,” Story said. “I just simplified things

and kept working and trust that my preparation in the cage will translate to the field.”

The Rockies stumbled back home to Coors Field, having lost seven of their last eight, including an ugly 1-5 West Coast

road trip. But Thursday night, they looked like the team that teased fans with encouraging play in April and May. LeMahieu

made two splendid plays in the field, and the Rockies cranked out 14 hits.

“It’s fun to watch, and it’s huge for us, to have guys like DJ back there making those plays,” an appreciative Bettis said.

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Kiszla: Weary of losing with Rockies, Carlos Gonzalez must decide to stay or go CarGo: “I have only one year left on my contract, so I can decide if I want to stay here or I want to try something new” By Mark Kiszla / The Denver Post | July 7th, 2016

Don’t come crying to me if Carlos Gonzalez leaves Denver. He has held up his end of the bargain, belting home runs and

playing defense like an all-star. Now it’s up to the Rockies to prove they are worthy of keeping him in Colorado.

“I have only one year left on my contract, so I can decide if I want to stay here or I want to try something new,” Gonzalez

told me Thursday.

He can be a free agent within 18 months, and it will require more than money for the Rockies to retain Gonzalez. Weary of

losing, CarGo wants to win.

“I’ve seen a lot of players that follow the money and they’re not happy. Money isn’t everything,” Gonzalez said. “You want

to be in a place where you’re happy, your family is happy and it’s a place where you can succeed and contribute and

reach your goals. There are a lot of places where I would hate to play. My family and agent know that even if they offered

me $300 million, I wouldn’t go there, because I hate it. I would rather take $10 million and play in a place where I’d be

happy. The city where you’re at and the chance of winning are more important than anything else.”

As the Rockies crumble, slowly sliding out of playoff contention in the National League, and the trade deadline

approaches, Gonzalez isn’t worried about being dealt. And here’s why I believe him: All the leverage rests in the 30-year-

old outfielder’s hands.

Gonzalez paid dearly for the power to be a free agent at the end of the 2017 season, and he’s going to use it. CarGo can

choose where he wants to play baseball, and nothing can stop him from taking full advantage of that freedom, whether or

not the Rockies trade him before the Aug. 1 deadline.

CarGo is not the type of person to issue the Rockies a win-or-else ultimatum. It’s not his style. More important, there’s no

reason for him to pick up a hammer when he can just walk away next year.

Gonzalez is not stuck with the Rockies. That’s in stark contrast to a year ago, when summer got sticky as it became

apparent how desperately Troy Tulowitzki wanted to be traded. The divorce got messy, because Tulo felt trapped by a

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deal he cut way back in 2010, by signing a contract extension that guaranteed the shortstop more than $150 million but

also tied him to the Rockies for 10 long seasons.

Within weeks of giving Tulowitzki a “lifetime” contract nearly six years ago, the Rockies tried to do the same with

Gonzalez. He refused. Oh, CarGo cashed in on the team’s generosity. But he left millions of dollars on the table, because

he valued his freedom more than security.

“People don’t know that the Rockies wanted to do the same thing for me that they did to Troy and give me a 10-year

deal,” said Gonzalez, who instead negotiated a seven-year contract worth less than half the money paid Tulowitzki.

“But I decided if I sign a 10-year deal, you don’t know what’s going to happen in 10 years. I wanted to be able to put

myself in a position to play well and if things didn’t go well with the Rockies, I could decide: Should I stay or should I go?”

When Gonzalez walked in the Colorado clubhouse Thursday afternoon, media vultures encircled his locker.

“What did I do?” joked CarGo, laughing at the reporters looking to pounce on him with questions.

An internet report surfaced earlier in the day, suggesting Gonzalez has grown frustrated with all the losing and has let

Colorado management know he wants out.

“I’m not asking anybody to trade me,” said Gonzalez, scoffing at the notion he would try to force Rockies general manager

Jeff Bridich to deal him to a contender.

After the rest of the media drifted away, Gonzalez explained to me why he doesn’t have to coerce the Rockies to get out

of Colorado, the way Tulowitzki did.

“I have a little more control over my destiny. I’m not like Troy. I’m in a better position than him,” Gonzalez said.

With his name again destined to be whispered in trade rumors, Gonzalez casually pulled on an orange T-shirt two hours

before a game against Philadelphia.

“Look at you!” I teased him, pointing at the Broncos logo on CarGo’s chest. “There’s proof you have some real love for

Denver.”

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“I have to,” he replied. “Feels like I’ve been here my entire life.”

Then Gonzalez grinned like a cat that knows where to find a canary for lunch.

What was behind the grin? Even if the Rockies want to salvage their investment in Gonzalez by trading him for prospects,

he will rest easy, because CarGo can look forward to late 2017, when it will be his choice where to play the rest of his

major-league career.

The burden of proof is on the Rockies. If Colorado doesn’t want to lose CarGo, the only real option for the team is to start

winning and give him a darn good reason to stay.

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Carlos Gonzalez denies report saying he wants Rockies to trade him Gonzalez: “I got a call this morning from Scott Boras, my agent, asking me what happened” By Patrick Saunders / The Denver Post | July 7th, 2016

Veteran outfielder Carlos Gonzalez denied a report Thursday afternoon that said he was frustrated with the Rockies’

losing ways and was seeking a trade out of Colorado.

“I got a call this morning from Scott Boras, my agent, asking me what happened,” Gonzalez said. “I was surprised

because I didn’t know what was up. I guess there was a story in a newspaper saying that I’d ask the front office, saying I

want out.

“I don’t know when that happened. Maybe I was asleep. Obviously, it didn’t happen.”

Gonzalez, selected to his third All-Star Game this week, was hitting .319 with 18 home runs and 51 RBIs entering

Thursday.

According to a story by longtime national baseball writer Jon Heyman, who now works for the website “Today’s

Knuckleball,” Gonzalez would welcome a trade out of Colorado, even though he has a contract through 2017 and will

make $20 million next year.

Heyman originally wrote that Gonzalez and the Rockies’ front office had a meeting to discuss a possible trade. Heyman

later retracted that and said no meeting took place.

Wrote Heyman: “Gonzalez has expressed an interest in going elsewhere and people around the team are aware of it

(Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich said he would keep all those conversations “private”), and the Rockies will likely

float not one but two outfield stars, Gonzalez and also Charlie Blackmon (Carlos and Charlie seem to go together), just as

they did this winter.

“Gonzalez, it’s said, badly wants to win, and has become frustrated by the difficulties of doing that in Colorado. It won’t

necessarily be easy for the Rockies to deal him, however, as they consider him a plus in the clubhouse as well as the

field. Plus, they are showing signs of real improvement (the last week or so notwithstanding).”

Asked on Thursday if he was frustrated with the Rockies and wants out, Gonzalez replied: “Nothing is true because,

obviously, I haven’t talked to anybody and haven’t said that to anybody. Not my wife or my kids or my mom.

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“Whenever I get home, I’m frustrated because maybe I didn’t do well, or we didn’t win the game, but I never complain

about it … or say I want to go somewhere else.”

Gonzalez has hopes that the Rockies can turn this season around, or at the very least, be contenders next season in the

final year of his contract. The Rockies entered Thursday’s series opener against Philadelphia at Coors Field with a 38-46

record, having lost seven of their past eight games.

“Who says it’s not possible to win?” Gonzalez said. “We have some great players around me. We have all-stars, we have

Gold Glovers. Guys that are young and will continue to make strides. Guys like (rookie shortstop) Trevor Story, (right-

handed rookie starter) Jon Gray. Young guys, who will hopefully can take that next step.

“So hopefully we turn it around. I have been here for a lot of bad moments and tough situations, so I want to see the bright

(side). I want to be here when that happens.”

Phillies RHP Vince Velasquez (7-2, 3.34 ERA) at Rockies RHP Jon Gray (5-4, 4.81), 6:10 p.m. Friday, ROOT; 850 AM

As expected, Gray’s first full season in the majors has been uneven, but he’s learning to become a more well-rounded

pitcher and has shown an ability to escape trouble. Case in point: his last start, Colorado’s 4-1 loss at Dodger Stadium.

Gray’s second inning was a mess. He gave up a leadoff homer to Trayce Thompson, hit a batter and walked three. But he

ended up giving the Rockies six innings. Velasquez gave the Phillies a scare in his last start when his fastball failed to

reach 90 mph in the first inning. But the right-hander stayed in the game, and his velocity picked up as he notched his

seventh win. He allowed Kansas City just two runs on five hits over six innings and struck out seven.

Saturday: Phillies RHP Jerad Eickhoff (6-9, 3.30 ERA) at Rockies LHP Tyler Anderson (0-3, 3.03), 6:40 p.m., ROOT

Sunday: Phillies RHP Zach Eflin (1-2, 4.30) at Rockies RHP Tyler Chatwood (8-4, 3.08), 2:10 p.m., ROOT

Monday: Off

Tuesday: All-Star Game

19

Rockies slugger Carlos Gonzalez enters his second Home Run Derby Gonzalez is one of eight participants who will compete in a tournament-style competition By Patrick Saunders / The Denver Post | July 7th, 2016

The second half of Carlos Gonzalez’s impromptu news conference Thursday afternoon concerned the latest trade rumors

swirling around him. The first half was about his participation in the Home Run Derby on Monday night at Petco Park in

San Diego.

Gonzalez had a lot more fun with the first-half questions.

“I’m ready to go out there and try to win it, of course. That’s the whole point,” said the Rockies outfielder, who has been

selected to his third All-Star Game. “I want to go out and represent my team.”

Asked who was going to serve the pitches during the Home Run Derby, Gonzalez laughed and said: “I don’t know yet. It

doesn’t matter. What matters is who is going to hit.”

Gonzalez is among eight participants who will compete in a tournament-style competition. Each player will have five

minutes to hit as many home runs as he can. Gonzalez will face the Chicago White Sox’s Todd Frazier, the defending

champion, in the first round. The winner of the Gonzalez-Frazier battle will face the winner of Cincinnati’s Adam Duvall vs.

San Diego’s Wil Myers. The other four contestants are Seattle’s Robinson Canó, Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton, the Los

Angeles Dodgers’ Corey Seager and Baltimore’s Mark Trumbo.

It will be Gonzalez’s second time in the event, his first since 2012. It will be the 12th time a Rockies player has

participated in the Home Run Derby.

“I think it’s great for CarGo,” manager Walt Weiss said. “I think it spices up the All-Star Game, and I think it’s fun. And

CarGo will do really well. He’s got a good chance to win.”

Asked who would win a Home Run Derby among his own players, Weiss answered without hesitation.

“I think CarGo,” Weiss said. “He can hang with anybody in the game in a Home Run Derby.”

20

Arenado says no. Third baseman Nolan Arenado, headed to San Diego for his second All-Star Game, was asked to

participate in the derby. He declined, even though he entered Thursday night’s game leading the National League with 23

home runs.

“I was tempted,” he said. “Part of me wanted to do it, but I was thinking about the second half (of the season) and I’m a

little tired. So I was thinking a little break might not be a bad idea. But hopefully I’ll do it in the future. I definitely want to do

it at least one time.”

Story’s tale. Rookie shortstop Trevor Story was in third place Thursday after two full days of fan voting for the final spot

on the National League all-star team. According to Major League Baseball, Pittsburgh’s Starlin Marte had 5.3 million votes

and held a slim lead over San Francisco’s Brandon Belt and Story.

21

Trevor Story’s History-Tying Night Pads All-Star Credentials By Kevin Henry / Rox Pile | July 7th, 2016

If Trevor Story needed any more of a push to make it into this year’s All-Star Game in San Diego, the rookie shortstop for

theColorado Rockies certainly added to his credentials on Thursday night at Coors Field.

Story continued his, well, storybook season on Thursday night, bashing a pair of long home runs as the Rockies

rediscovered their offense in an 11-2 demolition of the Philadelphia Phillies.

With his 442-foot three-run homer in the third inning and 446-foot solo shot in the fifth, Story tied the National League

record for a rookie with 21 homers before the All-Star break. He’s now matched in the record books with Dave

Kingman (1972) and Albert Pujols (2001).

When Story arrived at his locker after the game, it was the first time he grasped his new place in history.

“I heard something about it. I’m not exactly sure what it is,” Story said, referring to the record.

Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post informed him and Story took a deep breath.

“Any time you’re with guys like that, it’s an honor,” Story said. “To have done what they’ve done is pretty cool.”

What Trevor Story is doing right now is pretty cool as well.

That solo shot in the fifth was not only the record-tying blast but also the longest he has hit at Coors Field this season.

Read Story’s final line for the night … 2-for-3, 2 homers, 3 runs scored, 4 RBI. Not bad for a guy who was battling for a

roster spot when spring training opened. Also not bad for a guy who is now battling to be the winner of the Final Vote

contest and be the last National Leaguer to earn a spot on the All-Star team.

And before anyone out there says Story’s power is simply a result of the thin air at Coors Field, remember this … 11 of his

homers have come in away games. It has nothing to do with altitude. It has everything to do with a player who seems to

be once again locked in.

“The past couple of nights, I’ve felt good up there,” Story said. “I haven’t had the results but I keep working and trust my

preparation and how it’s going to translate to the field. Keep working. That’s what I do.”

22

The work ethic is what has made Story become one of the Major League Baseball’s great tales of the first half. Through

the best and worst times at the plate this season, Story has refused to break from his routine, continuing to hone his craft

and work on getting better at what he does.

“It’s good to see him swinging the bat. I felt like, even though he hadn’t gotten many hits the last few games, I saw better

at-bats and better passes at the ball,” Colorado managerWalt Weiss said. “He really hit those two balls tonight and had a

great at-bat with the walk. He’s done that a few times here recently. Unbelievable first half. Quite a way to start a career.”

It was also quite a way to finally shake off the effects of a finger injury suffered late in the win over the Arizona

Diamondbacks on June 26. Since being hit in the ninth inning of that game, Story had been 0-for-16 at the plate prior to

Thursday night’s explosion.

“It’s never easy playing this game with finger/hand/wrist issues so it probably was a factor,” Weiss said. “It always makes

it tough when you have hand issues.” Story, however, refuses to blame his finger injury for his cold snap at the plate.

“I really don’t like to blame certain things. I was good enough to play so I gave it my best,” Story said. “It’s not 100 percent

but I feel good. Every day it’s getting better. That’s the good news for me. It’s close. It’s just a little nagging but not going

to prevent me from playing. I just have to limit my swings. Work smarter. That’s hard for me. I like to swing a lot. I got over

it so it’s not a problem.

“The past few games haven’t been what I wanted. I was feeling good but to see the results is always good.”

The results were not only good for Story but for the Rockies as well, who are just 3-7 in their last 10 outings and have a

39-46 mark with three games left before the All-Star break.

“It’s huge,” Story said of the win over Philadelphia. “They’re a good team. We’re trying to set a tone going into the break.

We challenged ourselves to finish strong and that was a good start tonight.”

While everyone is talking and texting about #StoryTime, Story says he’s not getting caught up in the All-Star hype. As he

told me in New York, whatever happens, happens.

“I try not to,” Story said when asked about keeping up with the Final Vote tallies. “I try to focus on the game and what I

can do to help the team win that night. We have people around here for that and they’re doing a good job.”

As good as the Rockies media relations staff might be, Story is making the best impression on voters with jaw-dropping

nights like Thursday.

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Colorado Rockies: Home Cooking the Perfect Recipe in Win By Trevor Irvine / Rox Pile | July 7th, 2016

Coming off a poor 1-5 road trip, the Colorado Rockies needed a boost from the return to the friendly confines of Coors

Field. The team responded, getting a terrific pitching performance from Chad Bettis and the bats woke up, leading to a 11-

2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

On the recent trip to Los Angeles and San Francisco, apart from one game where they scored seven runs, the

Rockies struggled to score. Indeed, in the trip to LA the bats struck out a whopping 41 times, which was one shy of the

club record.

However, tonight was a nice improvement and a total team win. The first three batters (Charlie Blackmon, DJ

LeMahieu and Nolan Arenado went a combined 6-1.

The real stars were shortstop Trevor Story and first baseman Mark Reynolds. Story Time was in full force as he

smashed two home runs over 440 feet and Reynolds joined in the party with a HR of his own, and both combined for eight

RBIs to lead the offense.

Additionally, starting pitcher Chad Bettis returned to form, looking like the guy we saw in April and May, and not the guy

we saw struggle in June. Bettis had his longest outing since May 17, going 6 2/3 innings, with 7 hits, 2 ER, 1 BB and 5 Ks,

and throwing 90 pitches (57 for strikes).

Now with the all-star break approaching, the Rockies need to finish this half of the season on a high. Tonight was a step in

the right direction, and now the team stands at 39-46, and 19-20 at home.

So what did we learn from this game?

Trevor Story is a deserving all-star candidate

Story was fantastic tonight, hitting HR numbers 20 and 21. He went 2-3 at the plate and looked as comfortable at the plate

as we have seen in many weeks.

He tied the National League record by most HRs by a rookie before the all-star break with HR No. 21, tying Albert

Pujols (2001) and Dave Kingman (1972). Each NL candidate is deserving, but when you consider Story has tied a NL

record, his candidacy seems higher at this moment.

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We just need to keep voting for Story Time! N5! N5! N5!

Bats returned to form tonight

The whole lineup had at least 1 hit, excluding Bettis. With 11 runs and 14 hits, the players agreed with the return home.

This team just looks like a whole different animal when they play at home. Despite the home record, the players exude

much more confidence when at Coors. The issue is the consistency – we see one or two good games in a row, and then a

clunker.

The Rockies need to focus on their consistency after the break. But before then, they should be shooting for a sweep

against the Phillies, who stand with a similar record of 40-47.

Defense was back tonight

The Rockies typically play good defense. There has been a few hiccups here and there, but tonight was special.

Arenado, Lemahieu and Reynolds all made highlight reel defensive stops, which led to several Phillies batters frustrations.

You can see when the Rockies are on mentally – the defense is crisp and above par. When the concentration lacks, the

defense slips as a result and errors occur.

Tonight was one of the most satisfying wins of the season for the Rockies.

The team needs to maintain this focus going into tomorrow night’s game.

Story Time!

25

Carlos Gonzalez Talks About Selection to Home Run Derby By Kevin Henry / Rox Pile | July 7th, 2016

Carlos Gonzalez walked into the Colorado Rockies clubhouse just after the announcement was made that he would be

participating in the 2016 T-Mobile Home Run Derby on Monday night inside Petco Park.

Among the eight players taking place in the Home Run Derby, CarGo was slotted as the seventh seed and will take on

defending champion Todd Frazier of the Chicago White Sox. Brackets in the first round were seeded based on 2016

home run totals through Wednesday’s games.

Like last year, players will have the opportunity to hit as many homers as they can in five minutes. As MLB.com stated in

this article explaining the rules in detail, “A running clock will begin counting down upon release of the first pitch, though it

will stop for any home run hit during the final minute. The clock will stop immediately after those home run balls land and

will not begin again until a non-home run ball lands or the batter swings and misses.”

CarGo says he likes the new format more than when he participated in the Derby in 2012.

“I like the new format now. When I did it in 2012, it was only 10 outs. In 10 swings, anything can happen,” Gonzalez said.

“I ended up hitting four home runs and I was out in the first round. When you have more time and more swings, I like that

better for me. I know I can get hot.

“It’s exhausting because you have to take all those swings. I like the new thing going on now with more time and more

swings. I think it’s about getting into a rhythm and when I get into a rhythm, I can hit the ball in the seats for a while. I like

my chances this time.”

He also feels more confident walking into Petco Park this season for his second All-Star appearance.

“I remember 2012 walking into the ballpark and that was my first All-Star Game. I was a little distracted because I wanted

to enjoy it,” Gonzalez said. “But after you’ve been there for the first time, you know what you’re going to get. I’m just ready

to compete and represent the Rockies and my country.”

Will pitcher-friendly Petco Park cause any problems for Carlos Gonzalez and the rest of the Home Run Derby

participants?

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“I don’t think BP should be a problem in any stadium,” CarGo smiled. “Petco is hard to hit when you’re facing pitchers but

BP, I don’t think it should be a problem. I have enough power to drive the ball out of the ball park. I’m just trying to put on

a good show.”

And what about facing Frazier, the defending Home Run Derby champ, in the first round?

“We both have power. Because he won it last year, he’s going to be the fan favorite. I don’t think it matters. We’re all

professional hitters and know how to hit the ball out of the ball park. Whoever gets hot, whoever feels better that day is

going to win it.”

And who will be pitching to CarGo during the Derby?

“It doesn’t matter (who’s pitching),” CarGo beamed. “What matters is who is going to hit. I don’t think people care who is

pitching.

“I’m going to go out there and try to win it. That’s the whole point is to win it and represent your team. Hopefully, I can

make that dream come true.”

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Trevor Story pushes for All-Star nod in Rockies win By Aniello Piro / Mile High Sports | July 8th, 2016

The Colorado Rockies knocked off the visiting Philadelphia Phillies 11-2 Thursday night, and rookie phenom Trevor Story

made his presence known in the victory. One of five candidates vying for a final All-Star Game roster spot, Story had the

kind of night that should resonate with voters.

In consecutive at-bats Story went yard to help kickstart a Rockies offense that combined for 14 hits on the night.

The home runs were not just little bloops that carried out, they were hard hit dingers that were gone the second they left

the bat.

The home runs were Story’s 20th and 21st on the year, putting him in a tie for ninth place in baseball.

The dingers also were also for the record books as Story tied Dave Kingman and Albert Pujols for most home runs by a

National League rookie before the All-Star break.

Manager Walt Weiss offered a glowing review his rookie’s night at the plate, as well as his first three-plus months in the

majors.

“He really hit those two balls.” said Weiss. “Unbelievable first half, what a way to start a career.”

For Story, it was just another day at the office.

“Trust my preparation in the cage, and that will transition to the field,” Story said about his work ethic. “Feeling good, and

to see the results is always good.”

Story made a strong case for himself on the final night before voting wraps up in the 2016 Esurance MLB All-Star Game

Final Vote. Story is one of five National League candidates vying for the final NL roster spot. Voting ends at 2 p.m. MDT

on Friday. Fans can vote for Story online, by texting ‘N5’ to 89269 or by using the hashtag #StoryTime on Twitter

tomorrow between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m.

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CarGo-Rockies trade meeting was news to CarGo and Scott Boras By Aniello Piro / Mile High Sports | July 7th, 2016

Colorado Rockies baseball was a bit shaken up Thursday morning as Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported that slugger

Carlos Gonzalez had “expressed an interest in going elsewhere.”

In his report Heyman said:

Gonzalez has expressed an interest in going elsewhere and people around the team are aware of it (Rockies GM Jeff

Bridich said he would keep all those conversations “private”) … Gonzalez, it’s said, badly wants to win, and has become

frustrated by the difficulties of doing that in Colorado.

When CarGo arrived at the stadium for Thursday’s game he addressed the situation at hand.

“I got a call this morning from Scott Boras, my agent, asking me about what happened.” Gonzalez said. “I was surprised

because I did not know what was up … Obviously [the reported meeting] didn’t happen.”

The general vibe surrounding the situation was confusion from Gonzalez who was still trying to puzzle everything

together.

“Nothing is true because obviously I haven’t talked to anybody, I haven’t said that to anybody. Not even my wife, or my

kids, or my mom.” Gonzalez said. “I never complain about wanting to go somewhere else.”

CarGo went on to say that he was “grateful for the opportunity to play in this organization” and said it’s his job to come to

the park and play.

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REPORT: Carlos Gonzalez has told the Colorado Rockies that he wants out By Austin Kopnitsky / Mile High Sports | July 7th, 2016

Carlos Gonzalez reportedly expressed interest in leaving Colorado during a recent meeting with team higher-ups.

Jon Heyman posted on Thursday that Gonzalez “badly wants to win” and has “become frustrated by the difficulties of

doing that in Colorado.”

The 30-year-old outfielder has a lot left in the tank. Gonzalez is currently batting .319, and he has a hefty 18 home runs so

far.

It is also reported that the Rockies may not be looking to shop just Gonzalez, but Charlie Blackmon as well. This comes

at a crucial time for Colorado, as they are now 38-46, and trailing the wild-card race by a solid eight games. The Rockies

could be looking to trade Gonzalez and Blackmon in order to get some younger talent for the future.

Gonzalez recently shot to the top of the trade prospects on the market, and it looks like he may be leaving Colorado any

day now.

Gonzalez has won three Gold Gloves in the outfield, and he has also been an All-Star for Colorado three times.

30

Rockies let out frustration on Phillies, win 11-2 in homecoming By Drew Creasman / BSN Denver | July 7th, 2016 DENVER — The Colorado Rockies got offense early and often, exploding for 11 runs after an abysmal road trip at the

plate and defeating the Philadelphia Phillies 11-2 on a warm Thursday night at Coors Field.

The Rockies got a run in the first on a Nolan Arenado double that scored DJ LeMahieu and a run in the second on Mark

Reynold’s ninth home run of 2016.

After the Phillies pulled the game to within one, the Rockies struck a huge body blow with a three-run home run in the

third off the bat of Trevor Story. It was a monster shot that nearly landed on the concourse behind the left field bleachers.

It was Story’s 20th home run of the season and came while he is still hoping that the fans will vote him into the final spot

available for the National League in the All-Star Game.

His case was helped even further when he smashed his 21st dinger on the year — this time to center field — to give the

Rockies a 6-2 lead.

Chad Bettis did his part, as the Rockies pitching has so often lately, pitching 6.2 innings while allowing just two runs on

seven hits. Both runs were scored off the bat of Ryan Howard and only one — a solo home run from Howard in the

second — was hit particularly hard. Howard grounded a single off the end of his bat through the shift for the only other run

the Phillies got against Bettis.

The Rockies, on the other hand, were not yet done exorcising the demons from a road trip that saw them completely lose

their touch on offense and lashed out for another five run on the bottom of the seventh. The highlight of the inning was a

Mark Reynolds double that cleared the previously loaded bases.

Adam Ottavino pitched his first full inning back since returning from Tommy John surgery (he pitched to one batter on the

trip) and he induced a ground ball, allowed a ground ball single, struck out a man, hit a man, and then got one final

groundout to cement one of the Rockies most comfortable wins of the season.

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Carlos Gonzalez joins 2016 Home Run Derby By Sarah Ford / BSN Denver | July 7th, 2016

On Thursday, MLB announced that Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez will be one of eight participants in this year’s

Home Run Derby.

CarGo will first face Todd Frazier in this year’s bracket. The other six participants announced are Robinson Cano, Adam

Duvall, Wil Myers, Corey Seager, Giancarlo Stanton and Mark Trumbo.

This will mark the second year of the newly revamped tournament format, in which players are given five minutes to hit as

many home runs as they can, with bonus time added for home runs of a certain distance. The winner of each contest will

move on in the tournament-style competition. The hitters are seeded according to their home run totals so far this season,

landing Gonzalez in the seventh slot with 19.

“I always want to do it, so having the opportunity is great. I’m going to go out there and try to win it, of course,” said CarGo

to the media before Thursday night’s game against the Phillies. “Because that’s the whole point. Represent your team,

and hopefully, I can make that dream come true.”

When asked who would pitch for him, CarGo responded, “I don’t know. But I know what matters is who is gonna hit.”

Here is how the rest of the bracket looks:

This will be Gonzalez’s second Home Run Derby, the first coming in 2012. Overall, this will be the twelveth time a Rockies

player has made an appearance in the derby.

This year’s Home Run Derby will take place Monday at 8 p.m. ET.

32

Story hits 20th and 21st HRs, Rockies beat Phillies 11-2 By Associated Press / ESPN.com | July 7th, 2016

DENVER -- Trevor Story broke out of a slump in grand fashion.

Story tied an NL rookie record for most home runs before the All-Star break, homering twice and boosting his total to 21

while the Colorado Rockies beat the Philadelphia Phillies 11-2 on Thursday night.

Story, one of five players on the ballot for the last NL All-Star spot, had a three-run drive in the third and a solo shot in the

fifth. He snapped an 0-for-17 skid that accompanied playing through a bruised middle finger and thumb suffered when he

was hit in the hand by a pitch June 26 against Arizona.

"The last couple of nights, I felt good out there," Story said. "I just haven't had the results. You just simplify, keep working,

trust your preparation in the cage and how it's going to translate to the field."

It translated well enough for Story to join Dave Kingman (1972) and Albert Pujols (2001) as the only NL rookies to hit 21

home runs prior to the break.

"Any time you're with guys like that, it's an honor. To have done what they've done, it's pretty cool," Story said.

Rockies manager Walt Weiss saw Story making strides at the plate as his hand injury improved.

"It's good to see him swinging the bat," Weiss said. "I felt like even though he hadn't gotten many hits the last few games,

I saw better at-bats. He really hit those two balls tonight. It's been an unbelievable first half, quite a way to start a career."

Mark Reynolds also homered and doubled to drive in four runs for the Rockies, helping to back Chad Bettis (7-6), who

kept the Phillies in check while pitching into the seventh. DJ LeMahieu added three hits, including an RBI single in the

Rockies' five-run seventh.

Ryan Howard had a home run for the Phillies in the second, his 12th of the season and 369th of his career to tie Ralph

Kiner and former Rockies first baseman Todd Helton for 78th place on the career list. Maikel Franco doubled and singled

but had his home run streak snapped at four games.

The Rockies scored runs in the first three innings, starting with Nolan Arenado's RBI double in the first off Adam

Morgan (1-7). Morgan allowed six runs on nine hits in five innings and dropped to 0-7 in his last nine starts. After the

game, Morgan was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

"You never like to send anybody out," Phillies manager Peter Mackanin said. "He knows what he has to do to improve."

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Morgan was told of his demotion during a postgame meeting with his manager.

"It was a good conversation," Morgan said. "They shot me straight. That's all you can ask for as a player. It was good, it

was the truth and I needed to hear it. My point of view right now is I can only go up from here."

Reynolds led off the second with his ninth home run, and in the third, with LeMahieu and Carlos Gonzalez aboard, Story

drove a 3-2 offering from Morgan into the left-field bleachers for his first homer of the game and a 5-1 Rockies lead.

Story put the Rockies up 6-2 in the fifth with his second homer.

Reynolds keyed Colorado's five-run burst in the seventh with his bases-loaded double.

Bettis allowed two runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings.

GET OUT THE VOTE

With fan balloting for the final NL All-Star berth nearing a close, Story made his pitch for last-minute votes with his big

night. Story leads all major league rookies in home runs (21) and RBI (55).

TRAINER'S ROOM

Phillies: RHP Andrew Bailey (left hamstring strain) should be activated Saturday when he is eligible to be reinstated from

the 15-day disabled list. ... RHP Aaron Nola, who was scratched from his scheduled start Thursday to give him a breather

before the All-Star break, was scheduled to throw a two-inning simulated game Saturday.

Rockies: With RHP Christian Bergman nearing a return from a strained left oblique that has sidelined him since May 20,

team officials are discussing whether to insert him into the rotation or use him in long relief.

UP NEXT

Phillies: RHP Vince Velasquez (7-2) has won his last two starts since being reinstated June 27 from the 15-day disabled

list. He spent time on the DL because of a right biceps strain.

Rockies: RHP Jon Gray (5-4) is slated to make his seventh start this season at Coors Field, where he has gone 3-0 with a

5.05 ERA.

---

This story has been corrected to show that Ryan Howard has hit 369 homers, not 370.

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Carlos Gonzalez Denies Interest In Being Traded

By Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors | July 7th, 2016

7:09pm: Gonzalez went on-record with Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post to deny that he is interested in being traded

by the Rockies. “Nothing is true, because, obviously I haven’t talked to anybody and haven’t said that to anybody. Not my

wife or my kids or my mom,” said Gonzalez when asked if he wanted out of Denver. “Whenever I get home, I’m frustrated

because maybe I didn’t do well, or we didn’t win the game, but I never complain about it … or say I want to go

somewhere else.”

Gonzalez went on to praise the Rockies’ emerging core of young players, mentioning Trevor Story andJon Gray by

name and saying that he wants to be a part of the next contending Rockies club. “I have been here for a lot of bad

moments and tough situations, so I want to see the bright (side),” he told Saunders. “I want to be here when that

happens.”

4:02pm: Heyman now tweets clarification that Gonzalez is amenable to a trade but hasn’t had a meeting with team

officials on the matter. Rockies GM Jeff Bridich denied that a meeting took place when asked by SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo

(links toTwitter), adding that he’s never had a strong desire to deal his star outfielder and will be “patient as it pertains to

the deadline.”

12:25pm: Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez“expressed an interest” in being dealt in a recent meeting with the Rockies’

front office, Jon Heyman of todaysknuckleball.com reports. Colorado could explore deals for both CarGo and fellow

outfielderCharlie Blackmon this summer, per the report.

Gonzalez, 30, is running up a .319/.368/.556 batting line with 18 long balls on the year. While you have to discount that

somewhat for his home-field advantage at Coors, there’s little question that he’d be a premium offensive asset on the

trade market. With a $17MM salary this year and $20MM due for 2017, Gonzalez isn’t cheap — but he does come with a

much more affordable contract than he’d command on the open market. Despite his variety of past injury problems,

Gonzalez has been healthy in 2016 and doesn’t come with a hugely lengthy contract commitment.

35

The team has received similar production from Blackmon, who is hitting .305/.371/.496 with a dozen home runs and eight

stolen bases. Though he isn’t running as much as he did last year, and is considered more of an average defensive

center fielder than a top-flight glove-man, there’s plenty of value here. That’s all the more true given Blackmon’s

reasonable $3.5MM salary and two future years of control. He’d quite likely be the premier center field-capable player

available.

It’s worth bearing in mind that the club is far from committed to a selling posture, let alone parting with either or both of

these core players. Colorado is on the outskirts of the playoff picture, but Heyman suggests that there’s some

encouragement on the team’s ability to compete.

Still, there’s a big gulf separating the Rox from the division-leading Giants, and it seems that Gonzalez isn’t sanguine

about the organization’s chances. Per Heyman, he’s increasingly frustrated at the club’s performance and wants to play

for a winning club.

Rockies GM Jeff Bridich has already shown a willingness to part with well-loved superstars, as he shipped out

shortstop Troy Tulowitzki last summer in a bid to bolster the team’s stock of young pitching. Certainly, both Gonzalez

and Blackmon would profile as major assets that should draw top-quality prospects if they follow Tulo out the door.