Valaika’s 1-for-1 night raised his season average to .138, proof that it’s been a rough season for a player the Rockies relied so heavily upon in 2017. Last season, He drove in 16 runs for the Rockies in a pinch-hit role, going 19-for-58 (.322) with four homers and eight doubles off the bench during the 2017 regular season.
This year, however, has been a different story. Valaika has already been sent to Triple-A Albuquerque twice to work on regaining the mojo he had in 2017. Recalled on June 23, the 25-year-old utility man has gone 2-for-5 at the plate since then … but those two hits have been big.