Jon Gray struggled a bit in his Rockies debut against the Mariners. But Monday night against the Mets, Gray pitched one of the best games of the season for the Rockies. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)”
Jon Gray was tagged as a can’t-miss pitcher when the Rockies plucked him out of the University of Oklahoma.
The stocky right-hander was the third overall pick in the 2013 draft, and the second pitcher taken behind Stanford’s Mark Appel, who was selected by the Astros,
Monday night at Citi Field, on a big-league stage, Gray showed us what all the fuss is about. Unfortunately for the Rockies, their shaky bullpen undid Gray’s good and the Mets won on 4-2.
Here are the facts about the second start of Gray’s career:
* Pitched six innings.
* Allowed one hit (two if they take away an error charged to second baseman DJ LeMahieu).
* Gave up one run, on a home run by Travis d’Amaud in the second inning. Gray threw a 94 mph fastball that d’Amaud blasted to right-center.
* Issued two walks.
* Struck out five.
* Threw 75 pitches, 48 for strikes.
* Threw a first-pitch strike 14 of 22 times.
* His fastball topped out at 98 mph.
* His slider came in at 88-89 mph.
* He threw his changeup at 88-89 mph.
My perceptions:
* Gray had vowed to attack the strike zone, and he did exactly that. He was much better
* He was aggressive and confident on the mound. Except for a couple of occasions, he didn’t nibble the strike zone.
* He used his fastball up and down in the strike zone, keeping the Mets off-balance.
* Catcher Nick Hundley called a superb game. He allowed Gray to get comfortable with his fastball early. Then, when the Mets started looking for pure heat, Hundley crossed them up by calling for sliders.
* Gray’s presence on the mound was a mixture of focus, intensity and a sense of calm. That’s a nice combination for a rookie in just his second start.
6 IP, H, R, 2 BB, 5 K. 75 pitches, 48 strikes. 14 of 22 1st-pitch strikes. 98 mph FB, 89 mph slider, 88 mph changeup
Tags: Jon Gray, Nick Hundley
