PHOENIX – Sports Illustrated cover boy Jeff Francis is a 6-foot-5 contradiction.
On the surface, he’s as cool as an October morning in the mountains. He’s smart, too, soaking up knowledge about major-league batters as if preparing his master’s thesis.
And he’s humble to the point of being ridiculous.
“I don’t have anything electric or dominating to light up the radar gun,” he said Wednesday on the eve of Game 1 of the National League Championship Series. “I just try to command my fastball, change speeds and keep hitters off balance. No secrets. I just try to keep guys guessing.”
Rockies manager Clint Hurdle smiles when he hears Francis downplay his abilities, citing Francis’ effective curveball and baffling changeup.
“Jeff studies very well, he prepares very well, he reads swings very well,” Hurdle said. “And he has the ability to win a ballgame without his best stuff.”
And Rockies pitching coach Bob Apodaca knows a fiery side to the composed left-hander.
“You don’t see it from the outside, but Jeff is one of the most competitive people on this team,” Apodaca said recently.
The Diamondbacks know through experience. In 14 career starts against Arizona, Francis is 7-2 with a 3.54 ERA. This season, he started three games against the Diamondbacks, going 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA. On May 23 at Chase Field, he pitched one of the best games of his career, shutting out the Diamondbacks for seven innings in a 2-0 victory.
“He’s matured as a pitcher,” Arizona manager Bob Melvin said. “You can see that confidence-wise, he’s taken it to a new level.”
Francis finished 17-9. He lost to Arizona ace Brandon Webb on Sept. 28, 4-2, the Rockies’ only defeat in their past 18 games.
“That was one of those games where mistakes were magnified,” Francis said. “I made a couple, and it ended up costing us the game.”
In the opener of the division series in Philadelphia, he picked up the win, giving up two runs on four hits and striking out eight in Colorado’s 4-2 victory. Francis struck out the first four Phillies he faced, setting the tone for the rest of the series.
And while Francis might personify calm on the outside, he is definitely jazzed for tonight’s big start.
“Your nerves are a little higher,” he said. “It’s just about trying to do things to calm yourself down and concentrate on execution.”LHP Jeff Francis
