During spring training, Rockies general manager Josh Byrnes said that Chase Dollander was “building toward the best version of himself.”
The building continued on Tuesday night at Coors Field when the hard-throwing right-hander allowed one run on three hits and struck out nine over six innings. Dollander’s metel was tested, but he never blinked.
But then, neither did Padres starter Randy Vasquez. He pitched seven scoreless innings, struck out five, and set the table for the Padres’ 1-0 victory in front of an announced crowd of 15,672.
It was just the fourth 1-0 home loss in franchise history. The last time the Rockies lost a 1-0 game at home was on Aug. 1, 2006, vs. Milwaukee when Josh Fogg was Colorado’s starter. All of the other three 1-0 losses came during the 2006 season: April 16 vs. Philadelphia, July 25 vs. St. Louis, and that Aug. 1 loss to the Brewers.
Colorado fell to 9-15, and its offense remains an enigma, but Dollander’s performance has been one of the most encouraging developments of the early season.
“I keep saying it, but all of the work I put in during the offseason is starting to show,” said the right-hander, who relied on his four-seam fastball, slider, and sweeper on a night when he couldn’t command his changeup.
Coors Field beat up Dollander last season (2-6, 9.98 ERA and 12 homers allowed in 11 starts). But he’s pitched well here thus far this season (0-2, 1.74 ERA with no homers allowed in two games).
“He’s just attacking with all he has, and he’s not even thinking about (Coors),” manager Warren Schaeffer said. “Kudos to him. He looks like a completely different guy this year. I’m very happy for Chase.”
But no matter the venue or the game’s texture, San Diego continues to own Colorado. Dating back to last season, the Padres have a 15-3 record against Colorado, and have won seven straight and 10 of the last 11 games.
In a pitcher’s duel more reminiscent of San Diego’s Petco Park than Coors, the Rockies managed just three singles all night. Schaeffer tipped his cap to Vazquez, who thrives when he pitches deep into a game. In games when he’s pitched five or more innings, he’s gone 12-3 with a 2.12 ERA, and the Padres are 23-7 in those starts
“Vazquez was awesome,” Schaeffer said. “It was the cutter. He jammed the lefties, running away from the barrel. With the righties, there was not a lot of hard contact at all. He was efficient with his pitches and attacking with that cutter. We really didn’t have an answer for it tonight.”
Dollander didn’t get the start — that honor went to opener Jimmy Herget — but Dollander’s performance this season continues to indicate that he’s Colorado’s ace of the future. After throwing a career-high 102 pitches (67 for strikes), he shaved his ERA to 2.88.
Dollander escaped potential disaster in the sixth and gave up just one run. In doing so, he displayed his growing maturity as a pitcher.
The Padres loaded the bases when Jake Cronenworth legged out a hustle double on a grounder to right-center, Fernando Tatis Jr. reached on a swinging bunt to third, and Jackson Merrill was grazed by Dollander’s inside curveball.
Dollander walked the dangerous Manny Machado on a 3-2 fastball to force in the game’s first run, but struck out Xander Bogaerts to end the inning.
Herget, who said during the offseason that he would like a chance to be a starter, got his wish. Sort of. He was the opener for Dollander and quickly shut down the Padres in the first inning. Herget fanned Ramon Laureano, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Jackson Merrill in succession, needing just 14 pitches (10 strikes) to get the job done.
Before the game, Schaeffer said Herget has the perfect makeup to be an opener.
“I love Jimmy as an opener,” Schaeffer said. “He’s got the makeup for it. He’s got the want-to — he wants to do it. Those are two big factors. And he’s really good. He’s a good pitcher. It’s tough for a right-handed lineup to start out with him because he’s kind of funky.
Through 11 appearances, including three as an opener, Herget has a 1.50 ERA with 11 strikeouts and only two walks.
Pitching probables
Wednesday: Padres RHP Walker Buehler (1-1, 4.58 ERA) at Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (1-1, 3.92), 6:40 p.m.
Thursday: Padres RHP Matt Waldron (0-1, 14.73) at Rockies TBD, 1:10 p.m.
Friday: Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (1-2, 7.48) at Mets RHP Freddy Peralta (1-2, 4.05), 5:10 p.m.
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: 850 AM & 94.1 FM
