ANAHEIM — Although starter Michael Lorenzen plays for the Rockies now, he is still a West Coast guy at heart.
“This is home for me, so I love pitching at home. I played for (the Angels) in ’22. Born and raised in Anaheim,” Lorenzen said before Tuesday night’s game. “I still live here, so it’s good to sleep in my own bed.”
Lorenzen (2-7, 7.22 ERA) is slated to start Wednesday night’s game at the Big A against the Angels.
“It’s just always nice to be home,” he said. “The weather’s incredible. Coors’ weather is nice too. It’s nicer than a lot of the places I’ve been, so I love that part of it. I like anywhere on the West Coast, personally. So anywhere like in the NL West, AL West, West of Texas, I’m like, I’m happy to be pitching in because I just feel close to home,” Lorenzen said.
For the most part, Lorenzen said he doesn’t let the intricacies of a ballpark bother him.
“I would say one time, my first time throwing in Houston, that did a little bit because I just felt like it’d be easy with breaking balls for them to just pull a ball over that wall there. And then after that, I just told myself, it doesn’t matter where you’re at. You’ve got to just pitch your game and let everything else take care of itself.”
The 19-foot-tall wall in left field at Daikin Park in Houston that Lorenzen was referring to is a notorious target for home runs.
But for Lorenzen, the big draw of the West Coast is the weather.
“It’s the weather. It’s predictable. Every time we’re on the East Coast somewhere, and we’re in a rain delay, I’m always like, think the Angels or the Padres or the Dodgers are in a rain delay right now. They’re not. They’re having a good time playing baseball,” he said
“I’m just a West Coast guy,” he said. “And the older I get, the more in love with the West Coast I get. I like the weather. I love the sun. I love being outside. I love the predictability of it, to be honest.”
Lorenzen should have perfect weather on Wednesday night at the Big A. It should be a sunny 76 degrees at first pitch.
