CHICAGO — Chad Bettis pitched like an ace Friday afternoon at breezy Wrigley Field. It was exactly what the Rockies needed as they opened a six-game road trip with an impressive 6-1 victory over the Cubs.
“It was huge,” third baseman Nolan Arenado said. “Chad did a great job for us and he set the tone. He kept us in the game. He battled. That’s what your big dogs do.”
The Cubs, now 8-2, entered Friday riding a five-game winning streak and were off to their best start since 1969. They took the field averaging 7.1 runs per game, best in the majors.
But Bettis derailed the Chicago juggernaut. Moving the ball inside and out, challenging hitters and working at a brisk tempo, he pitched six scoreless innings, allowing only three singles.
“Bettis was outstanding, again,” manager Walt Weiss said. “He’s really throwing the ball well and we love the way he competes. I love the tempo he works at and the way he executes pitches. I love his makeup, and he’s got the stuff to go with it.”
True to his nature, Bettis, a 26-year-old right-hander who is quickly establishing himself as the Rockies’ best starter, was far from satisfied.
“First off, I would have liked to be a bit more efficient than I was,” said Bettis, who threw 98 pitches. “Giving up three walks in six innings is not where I want to be right now. That being said, I did feel very comfortable with my tempo and how my pitches were moving. And there were some great plays being made behind me, and that helped me.”
Gerardo Parra made a diving catch in center field in the first inning; catcher Tony Wolters threw out Kris Bryant trying to steal second base in the second; second baseman DJ LeMahieu made a nifty over-the-shoulder catch in the third; and right fielder Carlos Gonzalez robbed Bryant of a hit in the fourth with a diving catch.
After revamping his delivery during spring training last year, Bettis went 8-6 with a 4.23 ERA in 20 starts in 2015. A cleaner delivery helped his fastball command, which in turn set up a nasty curveball and changeup. He effectively worked the bottom of the strike zone in the final portion of the season, going 3-2 with a 2.97 ERA in his last seven starts.
After three starts this season, Bettis is 2-0 with a 2.95 ERA.
“We are a family here, and I truly believe that,” he said. “So I’m going to do whatever I can with my ability to help give us a chance to win.”
Bettis didn’t make his first start for the Rockies last season until May 14 because he was working on his delivery at Triple-A Albuquerque. He agreed that he is a much more polished pitcher now.
“I would say my mentality is ever progressing,” Bettis said. “I would like to not stay at one constant level. I would like to keep getting better, learning stuff from good outings and bad outings. That being said, I think at the end of last year, I really liked where I was at, and I’m close to that now.”
The Cubs played sloppy baseball, committing four errors — including a throwing error by shortstop Addison Russell that led to a run for Parra in the eighth inning.
The Rockies (6-4) had 10 hits, all singles. But with a slight breeze blowing in at Wrigley, it was plenty good enough, and the Rockies showed they could execute small ball.
The Cubs ended the Colorado pitching staff’s bid for a shutout in the seventh, when they scored off reliever Chad Qualls.
Patrick Saunders: psaunders@denverpost.com or @psaundersdp
