If the Rockies need to send out an SOS for a pitcher, help might not be far away.
Veteran right-hander Adam Eaton is mowing them down in Triple-A for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox and giving every indication he still can throw major-league pitches.
With nine-plus seasons of big-league pitching experience, Eaton has become somewhat of a stopper for the Sky Sox. With victories in three of his four starts since signing with the Rockies on June 6, Eaton has supplied critical help in the Sky Sox’s bid to maintain first place in the Pacific Coast League’s Pacific North Division.
“I know where I want to be,” Eaton said. “To get there, I had to take a step back, but I definitely think I can pitch effectively in the big leagues.”
Eaton’s step back was signing a minor-league contract with the Rockies. His trip away from the major leagues came after a May 21 loss to the New York Yankees that lowered his record with Baltimore to 2-5.
“The American League East is a tough division,” Eaton said. “There are a lot of good offensive teams. Getting a third out or a third strike sometimes is tough to do.”
Even with the slow start with the Orioles, Eaton has a winning big-league record at 70-68 during stops with the San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies and the Orioles. He’s been superb with the Sky Sox, posting a 0.95 ERA in 19 innings, with 12 strikeouts and three walks.
Sky Sox pitching coach Chuck Kniffin credited Eaton’s work for the Rockies’ Triple-A affiliate as the best performance over a short period in several years.
“He needs a few more starts, but there’s no reason why at some point this season he couldn’t help the big-league club,” Kniffin said. “He needs to build up his pitch count, but he’s responding well and commanding both sides of the plate with his fastball.”
In the estimation of Marc Gustafson, Rockies director of player development, Eaton has been dominant.
“He really has added to the balance this Sky Sox team has shown,” Gustafson said.
Gustafson noted the Sky Sox have lost some players and a manager to the Rockies, but have remained at the top of the division standings.
Eaton is finding his time in Triple-A as interesting. In one of his starts, he didn’t throw a single curveball, his best off-speed pitch. In another, he didn’t have to pitch from the stretch until the eighth inning.
“Dan O’Dowd (Rockies general manager) said there would be opportunity here,” Eaton said. “It’s a good fit for me. I like being back in the National League. I’ll go wherever they want to put me.”
With Eaton’s pitching potential and the performance of outfielder Matt Murton, the Sky Sox offer a bundle of potential help for the Rockies. Murton, hitting .385 in his first 37 games, has a 29-game hitting streak under his belt and has been on base in 35 straight games, missing only his second game of the season.
Around the organization.
Second baseman Eric Young Jr., hitting .292 with 43 stolen bases for the Sky Sox, and right-handed pitcher Jhoulys Chacin off the Tulsa Drillers roster have been named to play in the 11th annual All-Star Futures Game at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. The game is July 12, part of All-Star Game week. Young will play for the United States team, and Chacin, who won 18 games in the organization last season, will play for the World team.
Minor-league spotlight
Jordan Pacheco, C, Asheville Tourists
Pacheco had a more difficult time finding his place in the field than he did at the plate.
Hitting comes easy for Pacheco, as shown in a nine-game span for the Asheville Tourists, the Rockies’ affiliate in the Single-A South Atlantic League.
Over the nine games, Pacheco hit .394 with three home runs and 12 RBIs. The surge hiked his season’s batting average up to .335, with eight home runs and 40 RBIs.
But there’s even a more remarkable story on how Pacheco found his way to being a catcher. The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder was drafted in the ninth round of the 2007 June draft out of the University of New Mexico, primarily as a middle infielder.
He became a catcher last season in his second year with the organization.
“You would think he’s been catching all his life,” Rockies director of player development Mark Gustafson said. “Marv Foley has put in a lot of time working with him. We saw a lot of leadership ability, an important quality for a catcher.”
Foley is the Rockies’ roving catching instructor.
Irv Moss, The Denver Post
Organizational leaders
(Through Thursday)
HITTING: (60 games) Mike McCoy, Colorado Springs, .338; Jordan Pacheco, Asheville, .335.
RUNS: Eric Young Jr., Colorado Springs, 64; McCoy, Colorado Springs, 59.
HITS: Matt Miller, Colorado Springs, 90; Scott Robinson, Asheville, 83.
DOUBLES: Miller, Colorado Springs, 23; Radames Nazario, Modesto, 23.
TRIPLES: Jeffrey Cunningham, Modesto, 6; David Christensen, Asheville, 6.
HOME RUNS: Ryan Harvey, Tulsa, 10; Christensen, Asheville, 10.
RBIs: Miller, Colorado Springs, 60; Pacheco, Asheville, 40.
STOLEN BASES: Young, Colorado Springs, 43; McCoy, Colorado Springs, 23.
PITCHING VICTORIES: Alan Johnson, Colorado Springs, 7; Esmil Rogers, Tulsa, 7; Joey Williamson, Asheville/Modesto, 7.
LOSSES: Bruce Billings, Modesto, 7; Dan Houston, Asheville, 6.
SAVES: Andrew Johnston, Tulsa, 21; Craig Baker, Modesto, 20.
INNINGS: Rogers, Tulsa, 87 1/3; Jhoulys Chacin, Tulsa, 83 1/3.
WALKS: Samuel Deduno, Tulsa, 30; Dan Houston, Asheville, 30.
STRIKEOUTS: Christian Friedrich, Asheville/Modesto, 86; Bruce Billings, Modesto, 85.
ERA: (starters) Adam Eaton, Colorado Springs, 0.95; Juan Nicasio, Asheville, 1.86; (relievers) Matt Reynolds, Modesto, 1.35; Edgmer Escalona, Modesto, 2.48.
