With the pressure to win a divisional title amped up by a Dodgers’ win earlier in the day, the Rockies’ Jon Gray wilted in another big game.
Washington chased the Colorado right-hander from Saturday night’s game after two innings, scoring five earned runs on seven hits while getting Gray out of rhythm — as he’s often been over the past month-plus.
Things got off to an ominous start when the first batter of the game, Adam Eaton, ripped a 100.3 mph line drive back at Gray. The ball hit Gray in the back before bouncing into the outfield for a single.
From there, a Trea Turner single was followed by a Juan Soto double to left that scorched passed a diving David Dahl. Soto’s hit plated two and ballooned Gray’s first-inning ERA this season to 5.91.
Gray fared worse in the second inning. Wilmer Difo led off with a bunt single. Then Eaton singled him home two batters later, and Turner proceeded to blast a two-run home run to left to make it 5-0 Nationals.
The damage happened so fast that manager Bud Black had to scramble to the dugout phone to ring the bullpen. Chad Bettis immediately began warming up after Gray’s missed catch at first base on a Bryce Harper grounder resulted in an error.
In all, it was a disastrous start that mirrored last season’s wild-card game in Arizona, where the Diamondbacks got to Gray for four runs on seven hits in 1⅓ innings. Just like in that pressurized environment, Gray’s location was lackluster Saturday, despite saying on Friday that he felt no nerves heading into his biggest start of this season.
“This season was a tough one for me, but I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me,” Gray said. “I see this game as an opportunity (to bounce back) … I haven’t got to help this team as much as I wanted, and tomorrow is a good opportunity to do that.”
Prior to Saturday, Gray had a 5.23 ERA in his eight previous starts dating back to Aug. 16, and had surrendered a dozen homers in that time frame.
Yet as Black indicated pregame, Gray showed promise of regaining his effective form in his last start, a seven-inning, one-run performance against Philadelphia earlier this week.
“I’d like to see the repeated delivery that he brought in his last start — more up-tempo and an aggressive, building delivery,” Black said. “He’s done that a couple times in the bullpen since his last start, so I’d like to see that. That will help him make pitches with his release point, his arm slot.”
None of those positive details were on display Saturday as Black lifted Gray for pinch-hitter Raimel Tapia in the bottom of the second, with the Rockies trailing 5-1.
Bettis came on to pitch in the third, and following the 12-2 drubbing which dropped the team even with Los Angeles in the NL West, Black deflected the notion of Gray stumbling under pressure and noted his poor outing was “matter of bad location more than anything”.
And Gray himself — in a candid and somewhat emotional postgame interview — expressed his disappointment for failure under the pressurized lights of late September, but remained firm in his willingness to start again if called upon.
“It’s just been a bad year all around. I’ve tried to change that every time they give me a chance to take the ball — I take it and I think I’m going to do good,” Gray said. “Sometimes I don’t, sometimes I do. It’s really frustrating to me and I’m sure it’s more frustrating to the fans. I can’t imagine having to deal with that, but I know I can’t wait to prove everybody wrong and actually show them what I’m all about.”
Jon Gray’s poor stretch
A look at Gray’s varied performance over the critical months of August and September.
Aug. 5 at Brewers — 8.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 8 K (ND)
Aug. 10 vs. Dodgers — 5.2 IP, 4 ER, 8 H, 1BB, 4 K (ND)
Aug. 16 at Braves — 7.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 9 K (ND)
Aug. 22 vs. Padres — 6.1 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 9 K (W)
Aug. 27 at Angels — 6.2 IP, 5 ER, 7 H, 0 BB, 1 K (ND)
Sept. 1 at Padres — 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 7 H, 1 BB, 1 K (W)
Sept. 7 vs. Dodgers — 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 5 BB, 4 K (ND)
Sept. 12 vs. Diamondbacks — 4.0 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 6 K (ND)
Sept. 17 at Dodgers — 2.0 IP, 6 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 1 K (L)
Sept. 24 vs. Phillies — 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 7 K (W)
Sept. 29 vs. Nationals — 2.0 IP, 5 ER, 7 H, 0 BB, 1 K (L)
