PHOENIX — The Rockies’ failures on the road will make for an uncertain future for several players. But this much they know: Jhoulys Chacin is a legitimate major-league pitcher, if not a star in the making.
He’s young (22) and learning on the job, but Chacin at times resembles a top-of-the-rotation starter. Sunday’s 1-0 win over Arizona, in which he pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings and struck out nine, was one of those times.
“When he commands the fastball like he did today, you’re in big trouble,” Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. “This kid obviously has a brilliant future.”
The Rockies’ 2011 rotation is in flux because Jorge De La Rosa is a free agent, and Aaron Cook and Jeff Francis have struggled with injuries and a lack of productivity. Ubaldo Jimenez and Jason Hammel project into two spots, and know this: Barring a trade, Chacin will be there too.
There were other flashes of brilliance before Sunday. The 7 1/3 scoreless innings at Dodger Stadium. The 12 strikeouts against the Angels. The one hit allowed at San Francisco.
Chacin has compiled a 3.98 ERA in 95 innings, allowing 78 hits and striking out 102. That 6-9 record? It’s easy to explain. He has received 16 runs of support in his last 11 starts.
“They keep telling me, ‘If you command your fastball, you’ll be fine,’ ” Chacin said. “That’s what I wanted to do, be focused and throw my fastball for strikes, then mix in my other pitches.
“Next year, when I get to spring training, I want to make sure I’m in good shape and do what I did this year.”
Footnotes.
Dexter Fowler on his diving, backhanded catch of Adam LaRoche’s sinking liner, after which he lay on the ground for several minutes with a nasty strawberry: “I’m surprised the grass isn’t on fire. I was running for the ball, and the ball was running away from me.” . . . Outfielder Carlos Gonzalez was back in the lineup after missing three games with a bruised knee. . . . Tracy on being seven games out of the wild card: “We’re not done. . . . It’s about going out on the road and playing not good, but great baseball. If we don’t, it’s not going to happen. Mediocrity will not get it done at this point.”
Jim Armstrong, The Denver Post
Looking ahead
TODAY: Braves at Rockies, 6:40 p.m., FSN
Jason Hammel (8-7, 4.36 ERA) will have to bring his “A” game to beat Tim Hudson (14-5, 2.15), who has worked his way into the Cy Young conversation. Hammel’s worst outing of 2010 came in mid-April at Atlanta, when the Braves pummeled him for seven runs in 1 2/3 innings. Hudson is a walking advertisement for the wonders of Tommy John surgery. He’s on a roll5-1, 1.79 since the all-star break and 3-0, 0.93 in August — but has some personal speed bumps in the Rockies’ dugout: Jason Giambi (8-for-19, three home runs) and Todd Helton (6-for-10, three doubles). Jim Armstrong, The Denver Post
Upcoming pitching matchups
Tuesday: Braves’ Derek Lowe (11-11, 4.32 ERA) at Rockies’ Jorge De La Rosa (4-4, 4.74), 6:40 p.m., FSN
Wednesday: Braves’ Jair Jurrjens (5-4, 3.91) at Rockies’ Esmil Rogers (2-2, 4.53), 1:10 p.m., FSN
Thursday: Off
Friday: Dodgers’ Chad Billingsley (10-7, 3.70) at Rockies’ Ubaldo Jimenez (17-4, 2.66), 7:10 p.m., FSN
