Rockies Pregame Rockies writers Tracy Ringolsby and Jack Etkin will be filing reports before every Rockies game this season.

Josh Fogg and Brett Tomko can be workmanlike, effective and even dazzling. And being back-end types in their respective rotations, they are just as likely to have a shaky outing.

Both have been very good lately, and they’ll start tonight. Fogg’s last two starts have been on the road at Pittsburgh and Washington. In those games, Fogg allowed two runs in 13 innings.

His ups and downs are readily apparent from his monthly totals: 1-2 with a 5.08 ERA in April, 0-3, 3.91 in May, 2-1, 6.83 in June and 2-0, 2.84 this month.

Fogg has averaged 6.19 runs of support per nine innings, the highest figure among Rockies starters. (That would rank sixth highest among all National League starters, if Fogg had enough innings to qualify). And the Rockies offense is very capable of that kind of run production against Tomko.

Then again, he’s been effective since returning to the Dodgers rotation on July 15. Tomko is 1-0 in two starts and has allowed nine hits and four runs, one earned, in 11 innings. He held the Rockies scoreless on one hit April 10 in Los Angeles but didn’t get the decision in the Dodgers 2-1 win. Fogg has lost his past four decisions to the Dodgers, whom he last faced Aug. 7, 2006, and last beat Aug. 6, 2002, while with Pittsburgh.

Jeff Kent is 13-for-27 with four doubles and five homers against Fogg. Juan Pierre is 13-for-27 with two doubles. Rafael Furcal is 5-for-18 with a double, triple and two homers. By contrast, Luis Gonzalez is 1-for-16 against Fogg.

Todd Helton is 9-for-32 with three doubles and a homer against Tomko. Matt Holliday is 5-for-19 with a double and homer. Garrett Atkins is 4-for-18 with a homer. Cory Sullivan is 5-for-14 with two doubles, and Willy Taveras is 0-for-8.

Taveras' history with Tomko, manager Clint Hurdle said, and the fact that Ryan Spilborghs has been having good at-bats are a reason Taveras was on the bench Friday.

In other news, Hurdle said Rodrigo Lopez, who came out of Friday's game in the seventh, was sore and Hurdle was "leaning toward" Lopez not making his next scheduled start Wednesday at Florida.

The lineups
Dodgers
SS Furcal (S)
CF Pierre (L)
1B Loney (L)
2B Kent (R)
LF Gonzalez (L)
3B Garciaparra (R)
RF Ethier (L)
C Lieberthal (R)
P Tomko (R)

Rockies
CF Spilborghs (R)
2B Matsui (L)
LF Holliday (R)
1B Helton (L)
3B Atkins (R)
RF Hawpe (L)
SS Tulowitzki (R)
C Torrealba (R)
P Fogg (R)

MAIL BAG
Luis Gutierrez writes, Be happy that there is a GOOD baseball team in town. Don't get me wrong I want the Rockies to win just as much as everyone else, but mediocrity is better than 5th place in the N.L. West where the Rockies have been for the past 10 years. The Rockies will probably never win a World Series, especially if they keep making atrocious transactions like they the $200 million to Neagle and Hampton come. I don't have to be a GM in the majors to realize that those two contracts were two of the worst contracts in the history of baseball In the mean time we have to re-sign Holliday, Hawpe, and keep Tulo here for a while. Helton and Fuentes need to go while we can get value for them.

Luis, the Rockies are more enjoyable to watch than they have been in the past, and as you point out they still have a ways to go to be a serious post-season factor. I think you do go a bit overboard in making your point, but the Rockies have either been in last place or next to last for 11 years and that needs to change. I think the Rockies agree with you on free-agent contracts and that's why they have not been among the big bidders since the Neagle-Hampton episode. Re-signing players is something the Rockies hope to do but it does take two sides to get a deal done. Remember, Helton does have a complete no-trade and Fuentes, right now, is on the disabled list, which impacts his value.
Regards,
Tracy