Greg Reynolds lost the war but won a small battle Sunday afternoon, and in the long run he thinks he will be a better pitcher for it.
“I think I proved to myself that I can get by without my best stuff, and that’s a big step for me,” the Rockies’ rookie right-hander said after allowing three runs in a career-high seven innings. “I felt like I kept us in the game, but I could have been better.”
His one big mistake was serving up a home run pitch to Mets cleanup hitter Carlos Beltran in the third inning. Beltran whacked it into the second deck in right field for a two-run homer.
“It was a fastball that was supposed to be up and in, but I left it up and over the middle, and he made me pay for it,” Reynolds said.
“There is no shame in that outing,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “He made some pitches and mixed things up. He had 10 groundball outs and took a step forward.”
Reynolds fell to 2-5, but he owns a 2.77 ERA over his last two starts.
Willy is rolling.
The Rockies have cut leadoff man Willy Taveras loose, and he’s making the most of it. He stole his career- high 35th base Saturday night, he’s hitting better and bunting with more precision. He never used to consider stealing third base, but this season he’s a perfect 12-for-12.
“He is making great strides, from first to second and from second to third,” Hurdle said. “His feel of the game is growing. It’s been a good fit for our club and when he gets rolling, it’s a different dynamic.”
Taveras has stolen 15 straight without getting caught.
“As long as I’ve got an opportunity, I’m going to try to go,” Taveras said. “I’ve been going in some good counts. There have been some good throws, but my speed has been great.”
Footnotes.
As expected, Clint Barmes has been activated from the disabled list and will likely start at second base tonight in Kansas City. To make room on the roster, Ian Stewart was sent back to Triple-A. “I feel 100 percent, no pain at all,” said Barmes, who is coming back from a sprained right knee that cost him 27 games. Barmes’ .343 batting average is still the highest on the team. He had five home runs and 20 RBIs before his injury. . . . Hurdle is returning to Kansas City, where he made his big-league debut in 1977. He hasn’t been back to K.C. in 27 years, so he’s not sure what to expect. “I’ve been gone so long,” said Hurdle, who was traded from the Royals to Cincinnati at the end of the 1981 season. “I’ve gotten a flood of calls from people that want to see me, and it’s nice, but the multitude of calls, there’s not enough time.”
Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post
