Doug Davis doesn’t light up radar guns, he struggles with his command and, from the press box, he appears hittable. But he changes speeds well and will challenge the Rockies’ discipline.
Normally, that wouldn’t be a big factor, but it becomes huge in the playoffs, where hitters often try to do too much. Davis pitched well against the Rockies this season, his first in Arizona after being acquired from Milwaukee for Claudio Vargas and catcher Johnny Estrada. Davis went 1-2 against Colorado, posting a 3.18 ERA.
However, Davis hasn’t faced the Rockies since May 23, when he allowed two runs in seven innings but was outdueled by Jeff Francis in a game that helped turn around Colorado’s season.
Davis is not going to the mound with a black hat, a rabbit or smoke and mirrors. He throws a four-seam fastball at 88 mph, along with a cutter. His best pitch is a big curveball that looks inviting out of his hand and leaves hitters starving. Opponents’ batting average against the hook is just .163, which shows how often he gets guys to chase.
An interesting note about Davis: Although he won eight games at Chase Field, he was vulnerable. Of his 21 home runs, 14 came at home, where his ERA was a lofty 4.75 ERA.
