LOS ANGELES — Officially, is the Rockies’ fifth-string first baseman. He fielded groundballs at the corner before Saturday’s game at Dodger Stadium.
“Look at that first baseman,” Colorado manager Bud Black said, pointing to the oddity of his left-handed pitcher scooping throws in the dirt. “No. 52, Chris Rusin, our first baseman. He’s our fifth-stringer on the depth chart.”
His versatility has served Rusin well this season, but from the mound. And after he shut down the Dodgers over two crucial innings Friday in the Rockies’ 5-4 come-from-behind victory, Rusin now typifies an amplifying rivalry between the National League West rivals.
Over three seasons, Rusin and Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner have exchanged jabs in a one-on-one matchup that once nearly cleared the benches. Rusin on Friday quick-pitched Turner to strike him out looking and end the sixth inning, stranding a runner at second base in a one-run game. Rusin allowed just one hit in two innings.
Nearly three years ago, Rusin used his tricky abbreviated windup to Turner into a strikeout. Turner responded in frustration by taking out Nolan Arenado with a slide at second base in the fourth inning of what . Between innings, the umps had to break up then-managers Walt Weiss and Don Mattingly as Turner and Arenado yelled at each other from the dugouts.
Turner likes to time a leg-kick in his swing and Rusin’s quick-pitch upsets Turner’s timing. It is not illegal, if done correctly. But in a June game, Turner complained to an umpire and Rusin was forced to alter his delivery.
“It’s a fun battle. It’s a game we’re playing with each other,” Rusin said. “I don’t want him to be comfortable against me, licking his chops. So I try to get him out of his comfort zone.”
Rusin, 30, has been by some measures the Rockies’ best pitcher this season. His 1.073 WHIP (walks and hits per inning) and 215 ERA-plus (a park-adjusted ERA, according to Baseball Reference, where 100 is average) are both the best marks on the team. And his 77 1/3 innings thrown through Friday are the most in the majors among relievers.
Black has settled into using Rusin in high-leverage situations, whatever that might mean that game. On Friday, it meant facing the meat of the Dodgers lineup over two innings. At other points, it’s a singular left-on-left matchup. He is the Rockies’ version of Cleveland’s Andrew Miller, albeit without all the strikeouts.
“My goal coming into the game is to get quick outs,” Rusin said.
Turner spoke to the home-plate ump again Friday while Colorado catcher Jonathan Lucroy confabbed with Rusin at the mound. After he struck out to end the inning, Turner appeared displeased.
“They have an understanding. It’s combative. That’s a nice pitcher-hitter battle,” Black said. “It’s part of what makes this series, and future series, good. These little things that happen that start at some point, can amplify things as time goes on.”
Anderson en route. LHP Tyler Anderson (left knee surgery) pitched a side session in the bullpen Friday and will likely be activated by the Rockies on Sunday morning. He last pitched in the majors June 25, but had a successful rehab run in Triple-A late in August into September.
Anderson’s likely return would make him available to back up in a bullpen start to end a four-game series in L.A. He pitched as many as 3 1/3 innings in his rehab.
Long toil. The Rockies are involved in a difficult eight-game road swing through Los Angeles and Arizona, and radio announcer Jerry Schemmel will help call each one. He just added to the difficulty by cycling 468 miles across Colorado from Utah to Kansas last week. Schemmel, an avid cyclist, was riding in the Colorado Cycling Challenge to raise money for Paws for Purple Hearts, a organization that provides therapy dogs to veterans.
“All the soreness is gone and I think I’ve caught up on sleep,” Schemmel said. He finished the race in 33 hours and 3 minutes, helping the organization raise more than $100,000 so far at pawsforpurplehearts.org, but short of his goal.
Looking ahead
Rockies RHP Tyler Chatwood (6-12, 4.88 ERA) at Dodgers LHP Rich Hill (9-7, 3.67), Sunday 2:10 p.m., AT&T SportsNet, 850-AM
The fifth spot in the Rockies’ rotation will fall to a so-called bullpen start and likely for the final three weeks. On Sunday, that means Chatwood will start and aim for 60-70 pitches or about three innings. That’s what he reached last Tuesday in a victory over the Giants at , as Chatwood kept San Francisco scoreless over three before manager Bud Black took advantage of an extended roster and used eight relievers after him. Hill has lost each of his past three starts, but one of them, on Aug. 23, he had a no-hitter through nine, but allowed a walk-off home run to start the 10th and lost 1-0 at Pittsburgh.
Monday: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (11-10, 3.99 ERA) at Diamondbacks RHP Zack Greinke (16-6, 3.01), 7:40 p.m., AT&T SportsNet
Tuesday: Rockies RHP Jon Gray (7-4, 4.07) at Diamondbacks RHP Taijuan Walker (9-7, 3.33), 7:40 p.m., AT&T SportsNet
Wednesday: Rockies RHP German Marquez (10-6, 4.27) at Diamondbacks LHP Patrick Corbin (13-12, 4.16), 7:40 p.m., AT&T SportsNet
