Jorge De La Rosa’s evolution from thrower to pitcher continues.
The Rockies left-hander has added a two-seam, sinking fastball that has become his weapon of choice with runners on base. He used it extensively Wednesday, including in the second inning when he got Washington’s Austin Kearns to ground into a double play.
“Aaron Cook showed me,” De La Rosa said. “He taught me the grip. It’s a good pitch.”
Cook instructed De La Rosa in the fine art of the sinker three starts ago in Oakland. De La Rosa has caught on. He entered Wednesday’s game at Coors Field with 11 consecutive scoreless innings. He extended the streak to 17 with six scoreless innings in which he allowed just four hits, helping the Rockies win 10-4.
“In the first six innings, his mechanics were maybe as good as I have ever seen from him,” manager Jim Tracy said. “That’s how smooth he was, how fluid he was.”
De La Rosa faltered in the seventh, walking two and yielding a single to Josh Willingham to leave the bases loaded for reliever Josh Fogg, who allowed all three inherited runners to score. “I think my fastball command has been really good,” De La Rosa said. “That’s the biggest thing.”
Footnotes.
Left fielder Carlos Gonzalez finished just a home run shy of the cycle. . . . Tracy said that with the all-star break coming up next week, he won’t hesitate to use De La Rosa out of the bullpen in the upcoming four-game set with the Braves. . . . Reliever Manny Corpas, beginning a rehab assignment with Triple-A Colorado Springs, allowed a hit and a walk in a scoreless inning of work in a 6-1 loss to Salt Lake. . . . The Nationals showed why they are the worst team in baseball. They committed three more errors, giving them seven in the three-game series.
Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post
