Daniel Bard’s splits are so dramatic they might warrant an Oscar nomination.
And after a couple unsavory homers allowed in the Rockies’ most recent series against the Cubs, manager Bud Black said it was time to address his August struggles.
Black said he and Bard met Friday, two days after he conceded a (wind-aided) three-run homer in relief against the Cubs. On Monday, he served up a walk-off, two-run homer at Wrigley Field.
“You look at every closer, every late-inning reliever, there are at times a slump — I don’t want to say peaks and valleys because you don’t want that out of your closer, but this is a little bit of a downturn for him,” Black said prior to Friday’s game against the Dodgers. “I think we really gotta get a handle on the splits between the left-handed batters and the right-handed batters. I think a little bit of that is pitch selection and his pitches and how to attack the hitters. That’s gonna be addressed a little bit more thoroughly.”
Against righties, Bard’s kept hitters to a paltry .221 batting average, allowing only one homer in 95 at bats. But that number is .345 against left-handed hitters, including seven homers in 110 at bats.
“We talked today about a few things,” Black said. “… It’s not uncommon for pitchers to go into slumps just like hitters. We’ve talked about Daniel’s outings each and every night based on the type of games that he pitches in, the very high-leverage games. Save opportunities … close games. Those are tough innings.”
In dissecting the issues, Black said it boils down to command. His slider, in particular, has hurt him recently as has the placement of some of his pitches.
“Now I think it’s maybe time to dig in a little deeper and get some of his thoughts, combined with our thoughts of teaching,” Black said.
The good part, according to Black, is how receptive Bard is to feedback. He called it “refreshing” to work with a player as open and communicative as Bard has been. The concern stems from his nine appearances in August, a period that has seen Bard post a 9.39 ERA and an opponent batting average of .371.
“There’s a wide-variety of angles to discuss with Daniel,” Black said.
Story on the mend: The Rockies held shortstop Trevor Story out for Friday’s series opener against the Dodgers, apparently, for precautionary reasons.
He injured his left leg running the bases late in Wednesday’s win over Chicago and was getting treatment Friday night. Following Thursday’s off day, the Rockies saw no harm in giving him an extra day’s rest. There is hope, Black said, that he could be in the starting lineup Saturday.
On Deck
Rockies RHP Jon Gray (7-10, 4.13 ERA) at Dodgers LHP David Price (4-2, 3.82)
7:10 p.m., Saturday, Dodger Stadium
TV: AT&T SportsNet
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM
After a fantastic July, Gray’s struggled mightily in August. He’s lost all four of his starts and ran up an ERA of 6.75. If you were looking for a silver-lining, Gray’s strikeouts haven’t abandoned him. He’s averaged seven strikeouts per contest. In two starts against the Dodgers in late July, Gray conceded just four earned runs in 12 innings but caught no decisions in both appearances. Price, not nearly as dominant as he once was, has picked up just one loss in August, and that’s it. His longest outing was 5 1/3 innings, with no other starts even getting through the fifth inning. His last start against the Rockies came on July 23, where Price gave up three earned runs and two homers in 5 2/3 innings. At home, where Price has appeared 18 times with eight starts, the lefty has a 3.47 ERA.
Trending: Connor Joe has knocked in 19 runs in his last 16 games. Joe hit his first career grand slam in the nightcap of Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Cubs. It was the second time in his career he’s knocked in four runs.
At issue: Entering Friday night’s game, the Rockies are 3-10 against the Dodgers this year and 10-32 against them since 2019.
Pitching probables:
Sunday: Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (2-9, 4.42) at Dodgers TBD, 2:10 p.m. ATTRM
The Link LonkAugust 28, 2021 at 08:09AM
https://www.denverpost.com/2021/08/27/daniel-bard-rockies-closer-august-struggles/
Rockies’ Bud Black prepared to dig “little deeper” into Daniel Bard’s struggles - The Denver Post
https://news.google.com/search?q=little&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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