If there’s a language barrier between Bud Black and Rockies rookie pitcher Antonio Senzatela, it does not extend to the word “walk.” Senzatela grew up speaking Spanish in Venezuela. But he will never need that word translated.
So Black, about an hour before Thursday’s game against the visiting Nationals, started a pointed conversation with the right-hander. The topic: Do not walk batters.
“It’s a no-no,” Black said.
The issue of free passes is not a Senzatela problem, at least alone. It’s a Rockies problem. On Tuesday, 22-year-old rookie right-hander German Marquez walked Washington’s pitcher, Joe Ross, on eight pitches. With two outs. The next seven batters in the seventh helped the Nats score five runs.
On Wednesday, Tyler Chatwood walked two batters in the second inning, including pitcher Tanner Roark. Both with two outs.
“It’s embarrassing,” Chatwood said. “I had two guys 0-2 and walked them. That should never happen. And it happened twice in one inning.”
The Rockies have issued 75 walks, ranking fifth-worst in the National League.
On Thursday, Senzatela walked three and struck out one in six innings. Then the walks crept back. Carlos Estevez walked Washington’s pitcher, Gio Gonzalez, with four pitches in the seventh. With the bases loaded. With two outs. Jordan Lyles walked the next batter, Adam Eaton, again with the bases loaded.
“It all was not good,” Black said.
Bullpen hurting. Senzatela threw 99 pitches in six innings. Colorado’s bullpen threw 97 pitches in three. And suddenly, the relief corps that carried the Rockies into first place in the National League West is cracking.
“Regardless of where you play, you have to pitch well. We went through some guys this series,” Black said.
Colorado’s bullpen ERA ballooned to 4.77, now ranked 21st in baseball. Many of runs allowed in the high-scoring series against the Nationals came late in blowouts. And while Black deftly avoided burning his brightest stars — closer Greg Holland and Adam Ottavino pitched just one inning apiece, on Monday — the middle relievers were grinding.
“The innings, for me, don’t matter,” Black said. “It’s the number of pitches certain guys threw that might tax them. There were high pitch counts and that’s a little bit of concern. We’ll keep an eye on their arms.”
Desmond ready for action. First baseman Ian Desmond flew with the Rockies to Arizona on Thursday night and while the team prepares for a three-game series against the Diamondbacks on Friday, Desmond will split off to play in extended spring training games at the club’s Scottsdale headquarters.
Desmond, recovering from surgery to repair a broken hand suffered in mid-March, will begin training for multiple positions.
“He’s ready for everything,” Black said. “He’s gonna get volume. Which is what he wants. He told me, ‘I want grounders, I want fly balls, I want swings in the cage, I want at-bats in extended games.'”
Footnotes. Catcher Tom Murphy will get a bone scan Friday in Arizona to determine how well his right broken wrist is healing… Center fielder Charlie Blackmon doubled twice Thursday and went 3-for-5 to extend a 12-game hitting streak. He has multiple hits in four of his past six games… Nolan Arenado homered in the first inning, his seventh, tying for the team lead shared by Blackmon and Mark Reynolds. Arenado is hitting .643 (9-for-14) in first innings… Rookie Pat Valaika started in left field, his first career outfield start. Right fielder Carlos Gonzalez got a planned day off and Gerardo Parra started in right… The Rockies allowed 11 or more runs in three consecutive games for just the fourth time in club history. The Nationals’ streak was their first since 1986, when they were the Montreal Expos.
Looking ahead …
Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (2-1, 3.32 ERA) at Diamondbacks LHP Robbie Ray (2-0, 3.42), Friday 7:40 p.m., ROOT, 850 AM
Freeland is coming off his best game yet in his rookie season, a scoreless seven innings against the Giants on Sunday that secured a series sweep in Colorado. The Denver native gave up just six hits and a walk in that game as the Rockies rolled to an 8-0 victory. It was also his longest outing, in large part because he limited his walks. In Freeland’s debut, in the Rockies’ home-opener against the Dodgers, he allowed just two walks. The Rox won that game too. Nick Groke, The Denver Post
Saturday: Rockies LHP Tyler Anderson (1-3, 7.11) at Diamondbacks RHP Zack Greinke (2-2, 2.93), 6:10 p.m., ROOT
Sunday: Rockies RHP German Marquez (0-1, 18.00) at Diamondbacks LHP Patrick Corbin (2-3, 3.10), 2:10 p.m., ROOT
Monday: Off
