Anaheim, Calif. – Ray King has become a ghost in a uniform, his contribution amounting to funny wisecracks and clever T-shirts.
One of the bullpen’s best performers during the first two months, King lost his late-inning role last week in favor of Tom Martin, undermined by a difficult June. Even more telling, before working Tuesday’s game, King hadn’t pitched since last Wednesday, when he absorbed a defeat against the Oakland Athletics.
“I guess after a slow start around here, you get in the doghouse. I’m just glad the gate was open tonight,” said King, who worked two innings, allowing a solo home run to Robb Quinlan in the eighth and one other hit.
Pitching coach Bob Apodaca explained that King is rushing his delivery, causing his command to suffer. King’s high school coach called last Friday, telling him the same thing, that he wasn’t loading properly before releasing the ball.
“I will get it back,” King said.
King’s lack of activity can be traced in part to a terrific run of starting pitching. However, manager Clint Hurdle tries never to let a reliever go more than three days without an appearance, which indicates how far King has fallen on the depth chart. The Rockies haven’t considered trading King, but his salary makes that a possibility. He’s guaranteed $2.625 million when figuring in a prorated $125,000 buyout.
Stumping for Holliday
During batting practice, Matt Holliday put on a pyrotechnic display worthy of an E-Ticket. He repeatedly launched balls off the rock waterfalls 450 feet away. He didn’t stop once the game started, rifling doubles to left field in his first two at-bats. That left him with 43 extra-base hits, his most glowing statistic in making a case for his first all-star berth.
“He’s always been a great competitor ever since I have known him. He deserves to be there,” Angels super utilityman Chone Figgins said. “He always wanted to be one of the best, and he was never afraid to work hard.”
Mesa moves forward
The trip was going great until Jose Mesa stepped on the mound Monday. He spent the day with his son, hit him groundballs before batting practice. Then he watched a 3-0 lead evaporate in the eighth inning after two soft base hits and a crushed double by catcher Mike Napoli on a poorly located cut fastball.
“That was a bad pitch. You move on and do better the next time,” said Mesa, speaking for the first time about the blown save.
Anytime Mesa struggles, a rarity this season, his workload comes into question. Hurdle said he will attempt to keep Mesa to fewer than 70 appearances, but the 40-year-old is on pace for 87.
Footnote
It’s beginning to look less likely that reliever Chin-Hui Tsao will contribute in the big leagues this season. Bullpen sessions have been shut down this week as he continues to feel soreness in his surgically repaired shoulder. If he responds to playing catch, Tsao, who is 13 months removed from surgery, will begin throwing off a mound again next week.
Rockies recap
Clint Barmes continued crawling out of his offensive crevice. Hitting from the ninth spot Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Angels – “Because we are in an AL park, we can try this,” Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said – the shortstop plated three runs in his first three at-bats.
As painful as Barmes’ season-long slump has been, his hits have been effective. With his first 55 this season, he has driven in 41 runs.
JIMENEZ, CORPAS PROMOTED: Tulsa’s Ubaldo Jimenez, who could provide the Rockies’ rotation a jolt at some point this season, and reliever Manuel Corpas will travel to Colorado Springs today to join the Triple-A Sky Sox. Jimenez’s delivery has become more repeatable as he embarks on some altitude training. He could start as soon as Thursday. There was some discussion of moving Sun-Woo Kim out of the Sky Sox’s rotation in a transaction to make room, but those talks died Tuesday.
ORLANDO BOOM: Angels shortstop Orlando Cabrera is stalking history. With his first-inning single Tuesday, Cabrera reached base for the 55th consecutive game, the fourth-longest streak since 1960.
