Rex Brothers has studied Rockies setup man Matt Belisle. He has watched Belisle’s daily routine, and marveled at his concentration and ability to command pitches.
In short, the 32-year-old Belisle is the relief pitcher the 24-year-old Brothers aspires to become.
“He’s dependable. That’s the word I would pick to describe Matty,” Brothers said. “He never has those three-walk days. He never gets on a merry-go-round out there. He just keeps his focus, and it’s pretty amazing to watch.”
In a season of instability for the Rockies, Belisle has been a rock. He has been called upon often — his 29 innings pitched rank fourth in the National League among relievers. The raw numbers spell out his success:
• His 2.43 ERA is the best of his career.
• He has 24 strikeouts and just three walks, a ratio that leads all National League relievers with at least 20 appearances.
• He has retired the first batter faced 71 percent of the time.
“With Matt Belisle, it’s about the preparation and it’s about the work ethic that’s involved prior to him going out there on the mound,” Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. “He’s very steady … the consummate professional.”
In the bullpen, waiting for the phone to ring and for his name to be called, Belisle is all business.
“He sits by himself and gets into this kind of zone,” Brothers said.
Usually about the sixth inning, Belisle begins stretching his back, arms and legs. While he limbers up his body, he sharpens his mind. When the Rockies have a lead, he’s normally called upon in the eighth.
“I really start homing in and concentrating,” he said. “I’m thinking about who I might face. I start going over that in my mind and start preparing.”
When Tracy took over as manager in 2009, Belisle was a reliever without a compass. He had a good fastball and a nice slider, but he was erratic. Belisle went 3-1 with a 5.52 ERA in 24 big-league appearances that season, but also pitched 33 games at Triple-A.
“What Matt Belisle didn’t have at first was that keen focus,” Tracy said. “But he’s gained it, he’s climbed that mountain. Now he’s got that tunnel vision a late-game reliever’s got to have.”
Just as Brothers emulates Belisle, so too does Belisle emulate Rafael Betancourt, 37, the Rockies’ closer.
“Somebody who has really and truly been a mentor through all of this has been ‘Raffy,’ ” Belisle said. “He’s been a great teammate, a very close friend. He keeps me in check.”
Most of all, Betancourt taught Belisle about the importance of preparation.
“He’s helped me understand how important consistency is in your routine,” Belisle said. “That’s the thing about baseball. There are so many things in this game that you can’t control. But you can control your focus, your process and your attitude.”
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1720 or psaunders@denverpost.com
The ‘pen may be mightier than it seems
Consistent failures by Rockies starters have forced the bullpen to do a lot of dirty work this season. The overworked relievers have a cumulative 3.98 ERA (11th in the National League), but there have been bright spots, especially in the past few weeks. A closer look:
Matt Belisle: His 8-1 strikeout/walk ratio (24 strikeouts, three walks) leads all NL relievers with at least 20 appearances. Since 2009, he has appeared in more games than any other Rockies pitcher (202).
Rafael Betancourt: Is 10-for-11 in save opportunities. The 37-year-old has done his job when given the chance.
Rex Brothers: His 5.19 ERA is ugly, but the possible future closer has responded well after his demotion to Triple-A. Brothers has allowed no runs and one hit and struck out four in three appearances since his return.
Adam Ottavino: A nice addition. In 14 appearances, he has a 1.29 ERA with 17 strikeouts and just two walks.
Matt Reynolds: The lefty reliever’s 4.30 ERA is not good, but he has started to improve against left-handed hitters. Over his last nine appearances, he has limited lefties to a .179 average with one walk and 10 strikeouts.
Josh Roenicke: Meltdowns by starters have forced Roenicke to pitch 31 innings, most off all NL relievers. The long reliever has responded with a 2.27 ERA. Opponents have hit just .213 against since April 28.
Esmil Rogers: The right-hander can throw a 96 mph fastball, but he’s wildly inconsistent, as his 7.20 ERA illustrates.
Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post
FRIDAY
Angels at Rockies, 6:40 p.m., ROOT, 850 AM
Rockies right-hander Alex White gets the honor of pitching to Albert Pujols for the first time tonight. At Coors Field, no less. That would seem to be a daunting task, but Pujols, believe it or not, has not lit up Coors like a pinball machine. He has a modest .285 batting average and has hit just nine homers in 158 at-bats at 20th and Blake. Pujols, who famously didn’t hit his first homer in an Angels uniform until May 6, now has eight, but just one homer in his last 10 games. As his .244 average attests, Pujols has yet to catch fire.
Upcoming Pitching Matchups
Friday: Angels’ C.J. Wilson (6-4, 2.54 ERA) at Rockies’ Alex White (2-3, 5.60), 6:40 p.m., ROOT Saturday: Angels’ Dan Haren (3-6, 3.52) at Rockies’ Jeff Francis (2012 debut), 2:10 p.m., ROOT Sunday: Angels’ Ervin Santana (2-7, 5.33) at Rockies’ Christian Friedrich (4-1, 4.50), 1:10 p.m., ROOT
Monday: Off
