Jorge De La Rosa’s misfired start Monday for the Rockies at least gave them back their ace arm. But his delayed debut, after he recovered from a groin injury, may have been doomed before his first pitch.
For every four strikeouts Rockies starters have thrown this season, they walk three. Colorado’s rotation has a baseball-worst 1.36 strikeout-to-walk ratio. New York Mets starters, on the other end, throw nearly seven K’s for every walk.
“Walks get you in trouble,” Rockies pitching coach Steve Foster said Sunday. “You have to get into pitching counts. Strike one is imperative.”
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The Rockies needed a first-pitch strike from De La Rosa. It may be why the Padres pounced on him early. San Diego swung early and pounded De La Rosa for nine hits and nine runs (seven earned) in two innings.
Rockies manager Walt Weiss said De La Rosa’s problem wasn’t forcing a first-pitch strike but not surviving long enough to use his late-count pitches.
“With Jorge, he’s got a very good changeup. It looked to me like their approach was they didn’t want to wait for that changeup,” Weiss said. “So they ambushed him. And the fastball location wasn’t what it usually is. It was up. So they got some fastballs to hit early in counts.
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“That was their approach — to fire early and not wait around for that swing-and-miss pitch.”
Arenado out again. Nolan Arenado was kept out of the starting lineup for a second consecutive game with a sore left wrist. He took groundballs during batting practice but didn’t hit. Weiss said he wanted to rest the third baseman more, but he was available to pinch hit.
Relief corps. Weiss insisted the Rockies’ bullpen wasn’t stretched too thin Monday after De La Rosa’s abbreviated start. “All things considered, we got through that game in pretty good shape,” Weiss said. “(Christian) Friedrich helped a lot, giving us the length that he did.” Friedrich gave up four hits and three runs in 2 innings.
In an emergency. With Corey Dickerson (plantar fasciitis) out again and a bench that includes only four outfielders, the Rockies put in an emergency plan. Utility infielder Rafael Ynoa was the first backup outfielder, followed by Daniel Descalso. “(Ynoa) has taken a lot of balls, even in spring, off the bat in the outfield,” Weiss said.
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Looking ahead
Padres’ James Shields (2-0, 2.84 ERA) at Rockies’ Kyle Kendrick (1-2, 7.56), 6:40 p.m. Wednesday, ROOT; 850 AM
Kendrick’s first home start at Coors Field led to a new high for him. His eight earned runs over five innings were a career high in a 9-5 loss to the Cubs last week. Chicago jumped on the right-hander in that game. He gave up eight hits and walked five while striking out only three. The Padres counter with their newcomer, James Shields, who arrived on a four-year, $75 million free-agent deal in February. He has been every bit the ace San Diego wanted in the early going.
Thursday: Padres’ Tyson Ross (1-0, 4.08 ERA) at Rockies’ Jordan Lyles (1-1, 3.50), 1:10 p.m., no TV
Friday: Giants’ Chris Heston (2-1, 0.87) at Rockies’ Eddie Butler (1-1, 2.25), 6:40 p.m., ROOT
Saturday: Giants’ TBA at Rockies’ Jorge De La Rosa (0-1, 31.50), 6:10 p.m., ROOT
Nick Groke, The Denver Post
