Rockies Clinch picks playoffs in 2018 with national wins | Bleacher's report

The Colorado Rockies are back in the playoffs after a 5-2 victory over the Washington Nationals on Friday night at Coors Field.

The win temporarily put the Rockies to the 1.5 Dodgers of Los Angeles for first place in the Western National League with two games remaining in the regular season.

The Rockies played in the playoffs last year as the final qualification for the wild-cards of the NL, but withdrew from the post-season after an 11-8 loss to the club. Diamondbacks from Arizona with a place in the NLDS on the line.

This season, the Rockies have kept pace in the race for a playoff spot because of the power of their training. As a club, Colorado ranks second in the NL category in terms of percentage (0.432) and OPS (0.754).

These figures were supported by the production of offensive pillars DJ LeMahieu, Trevor Story, Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon.

If there is a problem with the Rockies, that is their rotation. The starting Colorado players rank 12th among the NL clubs with an average of 4.18, and there is a notable drop in top talent, beyond Kyle Freeland and German Marquez.

On top of that, Rockies relievers rank 13th with a score of 4.61. The only clubs with the worst ratings are the New York Mets and Miami Marlins.

On the positive side, the Rockies have demonstrated their ability to stay away from the confines of Coors Field. While Colorado had more than a match to go over .500 (41-40) on the road a year ago, the team's manager, Bud Black, has demonstrated that # 39; a bit of improvement and played 44-37 this season.

Granted, that's not a huge difference, but it's clear that the Rockies will not be idle, even if they're not surrounded by darkness.

And since haymakers can count on a range of stars, a race to the NL pennant is not ruled out for a team that caught fire.