The Rockies’ bullpen, a disaster last season, has been a revelation this season. At least so far, and despite some close calls.
For five games, all of them on the road, the relief corps has allowed just two runs over 16 2/3 innings. That’s a nifty 1.08 ERA.
In a 5-1 victory at Oakland on Wednesday, Carlos Estevez, Jairo Diaz and Yency Almonte each tossed a scoreless inning.
But there was a cliff-hanging moment in the eighth when Diaz loaded the bases by giving up a single, a walk and hitting Mark Canah. Diaz escaped by striking out Robbie Grossman, but Diaz has put himself into bases-loaded trouble twice already this season.
“Diaz, wiggling out of jams, is not surprising,” manager Bud Black said. “But if you were to ask him, he would not do it that way. But we like the results.”
True enough, but Black also knows that Diaz and the other relievers will need cleaner innings going forward, especially when the team returns home to hitter-friendly Coors Field on Friday to host San Diego.
“You don’t want to do that all of the time, believe me, because eventually, it’s going to bite you,” Black said.
Home, sweet, home. Right-hander Jon Gray gets the honor of pitching in Friday’s home opener at Coors, where he was 6-2 with a 3.46 ERA in 13 games (12 starts) last season. In his career, he’s been better at home (25-10, 4.36 ERA in 56 games) than on the road (18-23, 4.52 ERA in 60 games).
A lot of pitchers cringe at the idea of pitching at Coors, but not Gray.
“I don’t know if it’s just the way the atmosphere feels, the mound, the visuals … there are a lot of things I like about it,” Gray said. “But just knowing that I’m going to out-do the other guy, knowing that our lineup is going to hit the ball, it’s a good combination. It makes you feel confident.”
Oberg update. Right-handed set-up man Scott Oberg, on the 10-day injured list with a lower-back strain, threw a bullpen session Monday. Although Black did not say when Oberg might return, he was pleased with how Oberg threw the ball.
“He threw great,” Black said. “He came out of that bullpen in a good spot (and) very confident.”
On Deck
Trending: Rockies relievers have allowed just three runs in 16 2/3 innings this season, the fewest runs allowed in the majors.
At issue: Rockies relievers have been living on the edge but they have made big pitches in big moments. As manager Bud Black has noted, that high-wire act can’t continue indefinitely.
Pitching probables
Thursday: Off
Friday: Padres RHP Garrett Richards (0-0, 0.00 ERA) at Rockies RHP Jon Gray (0-0, 1.93), 6:10 p.m., ATTRM
Saturday: Padres LHP Joey Lucchesi (10-10, 4.18 in 2019) at Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (1-0, 3.00), 6:10 p.m., ATTRM
Sunday: Padres RHP Zach Davies (1-0, 3.60) at Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (1-0, 3.60), 1:10 p.m., ATTRM
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July 30, 2020 at 08:29AM
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Rockies’ bullpen delivering in early going, despite some high-wire moments - The Denver Post
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