Adam Ottavino’s slider is baseball’s equivalent to an Allen Iverson crossover, a deceptive, devious and delicious thing that makes big strong men look like little boys.
In the bottom of the ninth on Wednesday night in San Francisco, the Rockies new closer seemingly headed for a fellow’s front shoulder. The batter flinched and his knees buckled … just as the baseball glided sideways into the strike zone.
This pitch is dirty. They should air it at midnight on Cinemax. And my new favorite player Ottavino, whose jersey number is also his ERA, is the ideal closer for the hot Rockies.
Yes, of course, this means someone must take over the eighth inning for AO, which is a frightening thought considering Colorado’s bullpen history, but let’s have some hope (for now) because the Rockies (yes, the Rockies) are in first place in the National League West (wait, really?).
It’s a small sample size, sure, nine games. But let’s embrace it, shall we? Clayton Kershaw on Friday? Meh, mere batting practice for Colorado.
There’s so much Rockies stuff to get into. Here we go:
• The debate has fueled online, notably on — just should we give the Rockies infield? Every night there seems to be an immaculate grab by this golden gloved infield – Justin Morneau, DJ LeMahieu, Troy Tulowitzki and Nolan Arenado (every time I type Tulo’s name, I hear the deep-voiced Coors PA guy in my head: “Troy Tuuuu-looooow-itzki!”). Former fan-favorite Ryan Spilborghs tweeted last night: “2/3 of the earth is covered by water. The other 1/3 is covered by Rox defense.” As for the nickname, the safe answer, and the one that’ll likely win, is “Coors Shield.” Though the fans “Arrested Development” prefer
• LeMahieu has a preposterous .514 batting average. And his on-base percentage? Well it’s .528. The guy’s got one walk, but 18 hits. And here’s another interesting stat, via @Aceballstats — Arenado has four times as many extra-base hits (eight) as strikeouts (two).
• Troy E. Renck, the longtime Rockies writer for The Post, pointed this out on Twitter about the 7-2 start: Most stunning stat is that Rockies’ 6 road wins is 29 percent of total (21) last season. If the Rockies can win 35 on road, a winning record is possible.
• Meanwhile in Albuquerque, ugh. Top prospect Jon Gray pitched Wednesday in AAA and allowed four runs in five innings, walking four and striking out four. Though, he did settle down after a rocky first.
• And finally, today is April 16th, a day that will live in infamy. In 1994, the mascot Dinger was hatched from an egg and born at Mile High Stadium. Here’s
Chew on this
• The Nuggets’ season is over. So now, let’s talk draft pick! No. 7 in the NBA Draft Lottery, the Nuggets have a 15 percent chance at cracking the top-3 and a 4.3 chance at the No. 1 pick.
• Anthony Davis led New Orleans into the playoffs after a “whoa” win Wednesday against San Antonio. Be sure to read on the New Orleans star.
• Meanwhile, his Pelicans kept the Thunder from making the playoffs. But OKC’s Russell Westbrook did win the scoring title. Asked , he said: “It doesn’t mean nothing. Good job. Hooray. I’m at home. Watching other teams play. Doesn’t mean nothing.”
• So this headline grabbed my attention:
• Finally, today is YomHashoah — Holocaust Remembrance Day. Please take a few minutes and read this by Francie Swidler of The Denver Post.
Benjamin Hochman: bhochman@denverpost.com or
Visit each weekday near noontime for a serving of dish concerning Colorado’s sporting landscape from a Denver Post sports writer. Care for another helping? Scan .
