3 years ago
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Daniel Bard’s splits are truthful melodramatic they mightiness warrant an Oscar nomination.
And aft a mates unsavory homers allowed successful the Rockies’ astir caller bid against the Cubs, manager Bud Black said it was clip to code his August struggles.
Black said helium and Bard met Friday, 2 days aft helium conceded a (wind-aided) three-run homer successful alleviation against the Cubs. On Monday, helium served up a walk-off, two-run homer astatine Wrigley Field.
“You look astatine each closer, each late-inning reliever, determination are astatine times a slump — I don’t privation to accidental peaks and valleys due to the fact that you don’t privation that retired of your closer, but this is simply a small spot of a downturn for him,” Black said anterior to Friday’s crippled against the Dodgers. “I deliberation we truly gotta get a grip connected the splits betwixt the left-handed batters and the right-handed batters. I deliberation a small spot of that is transportation enactment and his pitches and however to onslaught the hitters. That’s gonna beryllium addressed a small spot much thoroughly.”
Against righties, Bard’s kept hitters to a paltry .221 batting average, allowing lone 1 homer successful 95 astatine bats. But that fig is .345 against left-handed hitters, including 7 homers successful 110 astatine bats.
“We talked contiguous astir a fewer things,” Black said. “… It’s not uncommon for pitchers to spell into slumps conscionable similar hitters. We’ve talked astir Daniel’s outings each and each nighttime based connected the benignant of games that helium pitches in, the precise high-leverage games. Save opportunities … adjacent games. Those are pugnacious innings.”
In dissecting the issues, Black said it boils down to command. His slider, successful particular, has wounded him precocious arsenic has the placement of immoderate of his pitches.
“Now I deliberation it’s possibly clip to excavation successful a small deeper and get immoderate of his thoughts, combined with our thoughts of teaching,” Black said.
The bully part, according to Black, is however receptive Bard is to feedback. He called it “refreshing” to enactment with a subordinate arsenic unfastened and communicative arsenic Bard has been. The interest stems from his 9 appearances successful August, a play that has seen Bard station a 9.39 ERA and an hostile batting mean of .371.
“There’s a wide-variety of angles to sermon with Daniel,” Black said.
Story connected the mend: The Rockies held shortstop Trevor Story retired for Friday’s bid opener against the Dodgers, apparently, for precautionary reasons.
He injured his near limb moving the bases precocious successful Wednesday’s triumph implicit Chicago and was getting attraction Friday night. Following Thursday’s disconnected day, the Rockies saw nary harm successful giving him an other day’s rest. There is hope, Black said, that helium could beryllium successful the starting lineup Saturday.
On Deck
Rockies RHP Jon Gray (7-10, 4.13 ERA) astatine Dodgers LHP David Price (4-2, 3.82)
7:10 p.m., Saturday, Dodger Stadium
TV: AT&T SportsNet
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM
After a fantastic July, Gray’s struggled mightily successful August. He’s mislaid each 4 of his starts and ran up an ERA of 6.75. If you were looking for a silver-lining, Gray’s strikeouts haven’t abandoned him. He’s averaged 7 strikeouts per contest. In 2 starts against the Dodgers successful precocious July, Gray conceded conscionable 4 earned runs successful 12 innings but caught nary decisions successful some appearances. Price, not astir arsenic ascendant arsenic helium erstwhile was, has picked up conscionable 1 nonaccomplishment successful August, and that’s it. His longest outing was 5 1/3 innings, with nary different starts adjacent getting done the 5th inning. His past commencement against the Rockies came connected July 23, wherever Price gave up 3 earned runs and 2 homers successful 5 2/3 innings. At home, wherever Price has appeared 18 times with 8 starts, the lefty has a 3.47 ERA.
Trending: Connor Joe has knocked successful 19 runs successful his past 16 games. Joe deed his archetypal vocation expansive slam successful the nightcap of Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Cubs. It was the 2nd clip successful his vocation he’s knocked successful 4 runs.
At issue: Entering Friday night’s game, the Rockies are 3-10 against the Dodgers this twelvemonth and 10-32 against them since 2019.
Pitching probables:
Sunday: Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (2-9, 4.42) astatine Dodgers TBD, 2:10 p.m. ATTRM
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