WASHINGTON — Fans were just settling into their seats at Nationals Park on Friday night when Rockies outfielder Tyler Colvin stepped to the plate to face Washington ace Stephen Strasburg for the first time in his career.
Behind in the count 0-2, Colvin rocketed Strasburg’s 97-mph fastball down the right-field line, through the heavy summer air and into the second deck. The velocity of Colvin’s homer brought a gasp from the crowd.
Colvin followed up his second-inning home run with a two-run shot to center field in the fourth, this one coming on a 3-2 changeup. Colvin became the first player to hit two homers in a game off Strasburg, leading some in the press box to wonder, “Who is this guy, and where did he come from?”
A fair question, considering how Colvin fell off the baseball map last season when he hit .150 for the Cubs and was sent down to play 80 games at Triple-A. But Colvin, whom the Rockies acquired from the Cubs as the key piece in an offseason trade for third baseman Ian Stewart, has rebounded remarkably.
His comeback has been a ray of light in the Rockies’ otherwise dismal first half of the season. Stewart, on the other hand, struggled in Chicago (.201, five homers) and is out for the season after having wrist surgery.
“Tyler has been everything we hoped he would be,” hitting coach Carney Lansford said. “He’s been a steal for us, honestly.”
Colvin was 1-for-4 on Sunday in the Rockies’ 4-3 victory over the Nationals. He hit a leadoff single in the second inning, stole second and scored on a sacrifice fly by Wil Nieves. Colvin has been on a torrid pace since June 9, batting .349 with seven doubles, two triples, 10 homers and 27 RBIs. He has hit safely in 19 of his last 23 games.
“I’m just keeping things simple, trying to look at things evenly,” the softspoken Colvin said. “It’s a long, long season, so I can’t afford to get too high or too low.”
Though primarily a right fielder, Colvin can play all three outfield positions and has filled in at first base for Todd Helton, a spot where Colvin is likely to see more playing time in the second half of the season.
“He has a chance to be a really, really good hitter, plus his versatility is a bonus,” manager Jim Tracy said. “He’s a wonderful addition to our ballclub and will be going forward. I promise you that.”
Colvin arrived in Colorado as a reclamation project. As a rookie with the Cubs in 2010, Colvin hit .254 with 20 home runs. Sending balls flying over the wall left him greedy for more. He became pull-crazy, his swing got too long and he lost his way.
“The approach just wasn’t there,” he said. “It was a mind-set that I was just going up there to hit a home run.”
Seeking to increase his power, Colvin worked with then-Cubs hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, who encouraged him to carry his hands higher in his stance to create more leverage. The experiment backfired.
Colvin, a student of hitting, knew he had to find his misplaced swing and alter his approach.
“I thought a lot about it and started talking to other hitters,” he said. “I figured out that I wasn’t going up there looking for anything. I was just going up there swinging.”
The Rockies traded Stewart and pitcher Casey Weathers to Chicago in exchange for Colvin and infielder DJ LeMahieu (now at Triple-A Colorado Springs) on Dec. 8. The first thing the Rockies did was compare video of Colvin from 2010 and 2011. Then they called Colvin and told him they wanted the 2010 version. Tracy reinforced that idea during hitting sessions in Denver. Lansford did the the same thing when Colvin reported to Scottsdale, Ariz., for some early work before spring training opened.
Lansford was already familiar with Colvin, who had played in the Cubs’ organization with Lansford’s oldest son, Josh.
“I got to watch him when he was in short-season, and I knew what kind of hitter he was,” Lansford said. “I just told him, ‘I just want to get you back to the kind of hitter that I remember you being.’ He was more than thrilled to hear what our approach was.”
The 26-year-old Colvin, the Cubs’ first-round pick from Clemson in 2006, is meticulous. Like most players, he watches a lot of video, but Colvin also keeps detailed notes about opposing pitchers in a spiral notebook.
“I write down what starters and relievers throw me, what they have, how they have approached me,” he said. “I also write down what I’ve done. It helps keep me on track.”
Colvin is not worried about losing steam over the all-star break. He welcomes the chance to get a break from baseball and indulge in his other passion.
“I’m going back to South Carolina with my fishing buddy in North Augusta,” Colvin said. “I’m going fishing for bass — big bass.”
With that, Colvin used his smartphone to display a photo of an 8-pound bass he hooked the last time he was out on the pond.
“Yeah, that’s what I love to do, get away from everything and go fishing,” he said. “I can’t wait, and I’m pretty good at it.”
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1428, psaunders@denverpost.com or
