Chatwood, Cuddyer help Colorado Rockies turn the tables on San Francisco

Tyler Chatwood has forced himself into the rotation.

The Colorado Rockies made the Giants look like they didn't have a shot on Friday night.

Sure, the Rockies were able to take three-of-four from the Giants a weekend ago. That was at Coors Field. It is different at Coors Field. The Rockies have an advantage at altitude, and a team built for high-scoring affairs. The truth would come out a week later when the teams regrouped by the bay.

If that was the thought, as it was for many Rockies skeptics, the team answered in convincing fashion on Friday night, blanking the Giants in their home ballpark, 5-0.

No chance to breathe for the Colorado Rockies as tough stretch continues

Tyler Chatwood could set the tone on Friday night.

After a tough stretch in early May, the Colorado Rockies returned to Coors Field for seven games against the Giants and Diamondbacks. The homestand was a make-or-break set of games for the Rockies.

If the Rockies go on to do anything special in the 2013 season, they very well may point back to the homestand in May where they stopped the nosedive, reversed their May fortunes and put a whipping on the two teams in front of them in the standings.

Instead of going on a tailspin into oblivion, as they have in the past two May's, these Rockies altered their fate and went 5-2, climbing back into a tie for first place, and nearly putting them back to .500 for the month, despite the rough start.

The 2013 Colorado Rockies have a chance to win division

De La Rosa continued to surprise on Wednesday.

As bad as the Colorado Rockies were playing two weeks ago, they suddenly have re-emerged. On Wednesday afternoon, the Rockies rode Carlos Gonzalez and Jorge De La Rosa to a 4-1 victory, and a series win against the Diamondbacks.

It might be time for the critics to admit it, myself included. This Rockies team might be for real. The main reason this team might be able to go the full six months and stay in contention is simple. When things go bad, they respond by playing better. They don't give in. They believe that they are good.

The Rockies went 10-18 in May of 2012, effectively ending any chance they had of respectability. In May of 2011, they won just eight games, going 8-21. With that track record, it is understandable why the skepticism was at an all-time high when the Rockies started off May with a 5-9 record and seemed to be in free fall mode for the third straight May.

Wilin Rosario delivers walk-off 10th inning single as Colorado Rockies keep standings close

Wilin Rosario was the hero on Tuesday night.

From goat to hero in the matter of a night.

That is the story of Wilin Rosario on Tuesday night. The catcher laced a single down the right field line, scoring Carlos Gonzalez from second base after the Diamondbacks had walked Troy Tulowitzki in order to pitch to Rosario. The 10th inning single scored Gonzalez to give the Rockies a victory and put them a Wednesday matinee victory away from being tied for first place.

Rosario's clutch hit comes the night after being heavily criticized for his lackadaisical defense behind the plate. Jon Garland threw two wild pitches in critical moments on Monday night, however both pitches were very block-able, and ended up costing the Rockies.

Patrick Corbin shuts down Colorado Rockies in opener, Garland struggles again

Jon Garland might be the odd man out if he doesn't figure it out soon.

Jim Tracy would have loved his post game press conference on Monday night if he was still with the Colorado Rockies. It was the perfect opportunity for him to use a classic cliche line that he seemed to pull out far too often in his tenure with the Rockies.

"Sometimes you've gotta tip your cap to the other guy on the mound." Those would have been the words that Tracy would have used to describe the night that Arizona Diamondbacks lefty Patrick Corbin had on Monday night.

While Tracy overused the saying, and it came across as an excuse, Monday night would have been an extremely appropriate time to use that line. Corbin was phenomenal. His slider would have had physicists questioning if the altitude actually effects breaking balls.