DENVER—Taylor Buchholz used to fret between starts, worrying about pitches he had yet to even throw.
He found a solution for all his anxious energy—the bullpen. The Colorado Rockies starter turned reliever now doesn’t have time to agonize over pitches or overanalyze poor performances.
“Being in the bullpen, you can have that one bad outing, but you get back out there the next day,” Buchholz said.
Not that he’s had many bad outings this season. Buchholz has been a highly dependable member of the Rockies’ relief corps, becoming their eighth-inning specialist.
The right hander has not allowed a run in 11 of his last 12 appearances, and leads all Colorado relievers with 11 holds.
What’s more, left-handed batters are hitting just .115 off him, a stat that staggers manager Clint Hurdle.
“It’s big,” Hurdle said. “He’s had a way to continue to send lefties back to the bench. It’s all started with his fastball command.”
He doesn’t mess around when he’s out there, going right after hitters. Buchholz ranks among the best relievers in baseball in pitch efficiency, needing an average of just 12.6 pitches to escape an inning. He’s allowed just two walks in his last 15 outings.
In addition to his spot-on command with his fastball, Buchholz also possesses a nasty breaking pitch.
“It’s a tough combination to hit,” Hurdle said.
Buchholz was acquired, along with outfielder Willy Taveras and pitcher Jason Hirsh, in a trade with Houston in December 2006.
He spent the early portion of last season bouncing between the starting rotation and the bullpen, before finally settling into a role as a long reliever. He was 6-5 with a 4.23 ERA in 41 games, including eight starts.
Coming into this season, he was pegged to be a middle-inning reliever for the defending NL champs. However, Luis Vizcaino got hurt early and then Brian Fuentes replaced the struggling Manny Corpas as closer, leading to Buchholz’s promotion to his late-inning role.
Even Buchholz is amazed at his quick ascension, not to mention how much he enjoys being a reliever.
“I like being in that eighth inning kind of role, but if they need me for two or three innings, I’m always available to do that,” he said.
How about a start from time to time?
“I don’t think we’re going to do that right now, because everything is going well,” said Buchholz, who’s 2-2 with a 1.67 ERA in 28 appearances this season. “Never say never, I guess. Right now, I’m very happy and we’ll just try to keep it like that.”
The 26-year-old used to be a bundle of nerves as he waited for his next start to roll around.
As a reliever, though, he’s more relaxed. He doesn’t have to wait as long to remedy a bad performance, should one occur.
“I’m not as nervous anymore,” said Buchholz, who’s from Springfield, Pa. “That’s something I’ve been able to overcome a little bit.”
Fuentes has helped with that, keeping things loose and light in the bullpen.
“It’s a lot of fun with all the guys. We have a good time down there,” Buchholz said. “It’s a good thing to have when things are getting real tense. He (Fuentes) can take it down a notch.”
Buchholz said his habits haven’t changed that much since switching roles. The only difference is that when the fifth inning rolls around, he begins his ritual of stretches and then starts to retreat into his mind, focusing on what he has to do that night on the mound.
“I’m working on trying to stay as calm as I can out there,” Buchholz said. “I used to be a lot worse. I think I’ve gotten a little better.”
