CLEVELAND – Rookie right-handed pitcher Bradley Blalock was in no mood for a meeting over coffee, not after one of the two worst starts in Rockies history, followed by a start at Triple-A Albuquerque that was nearly equally bad.
But thus began a turnaround that has led to three strong starts since returning to the Rockies – including career bests with six scoreless innings and seven strikeouts in the Rockies’ wild 8-6 victory over the Guardians at Progressive Field on Monday night.
Blalock knew 12 runs and 13 hits in 3 2/3 innings of the Rockies’ 21-0 home loss to the Padres on May 10 just wasn’t him. And he sure didn’t find himself in his first start after being optioned: 10 runs (eight earned) over three innings against Tacoma. That was when Rockies pitching coordinator Scott Oberg invited him for coffee.
“I looked at him, like, 'No,' because I was still pissed about the outing,” said Blalock, 24, who joined the Rockies at last year’s Trade Deadline in a deal with the Brewers. “But he said, ‘OK, let’s go get a coffee.’”
The conversation over brewed beans wasn’t the only stop Blalock needed. There was also a trip to a sporting goods store, then a stop for orange duct tape.
Coffee. A rubberized home plate. And duct tape to cover the outer 3 inches of the plate.
Since his return on July 12 -- when the Rockies sent down rookie Chase Dollander -- Blalock has left opponents wishing he’d turned down Oberg’s invite. Over his three starts since then, Blalock has pitched to a 1.59 ERA in 17 innings.
Oberg, who -- as a former Rockies reliever -- lived through the rough outings that can occur at Coors Field, asked the question that got Blalock's thoughts percolating.
“He said, ‘Where do you live with your pitches?’” Blalock said. “Scott came to me and was like, ‘Stop trying to throw the ball to the corners. You’ve got a lot more plate to live with.'
“I used the plate during the offseason to play catch with. It was a really good visual, but I got away from it. Scott was like, ‘Hey, go get you a plate from Dick’s [Sporting Goods] -- go use some duct tape.’”
The plate, which Blalock now uses when playing catch with fellow pitchers and during his between-start bullpen sessions, reminds him that if he pitches for the three inches on either side, he doesn’t have to be as precise.
Facing a lineup of eight left-handed hitters, Blalock used his split-finger pitch 23 times, according to Statcast. He said he could recall using the pitch that often just once, in a Triple-A start that went awry.
Catcher Hunter Goodman hit an eighth-inning home run, after the struggles of relievers Jake Bird and Victor Vodnik had turned Blalock’s 3-0 lead into a 5-3 deficit through seven innings. But Goodman noticing during pregame warmups that Blalock’s split-finger was better than he had ever seen it was just as big as the homer.
“It was an all-lefty lineup, minus Austin Hedges, and [the pitch] looked good in the bullpen,” Goodman said. “He carried that into the game and it was working, so we leaned on it.
“You’ve seen it the last three starts he’s had. You can see confidence building. It’s been really fun to watch. It’s been fun to catch him. He looks like a different pitcher -- a more confident pitcher.”
A solid mix that also included a four-seam fastball, a changeup and two breaking pitches helped Blalock control the Guardians.
“I saw him commanding the ball -- I saw his changeup being really good against a left-handed lineup,” interim manager Warren Schaeffer said. “Bradley got after it tonight, pitched his game and had good results.”
After Goodman’s homer, the Rockies put up four runs in a ninth that started with a leadoff double by Warming Bernabel, who homered in the sixth. Former Guardian Tyler Freeman delivered the last of his three RBIs in the ninth, as well.
The rally led Blalock to smile and look into his locker at the orange and white home plate that has become his guiding light. It helped him find his way after that humiliating game in May against the Padres.
“When I got told I was being sent down, I was like, ‘Yeah, I agree -- I need to work, get better,’” Blalock said.
Turned out some hot coffee was part of the process.