SAN FRANCISCO -- During a season in which his team has faced all sorts of issues with the offense and the pitching rotation, Rockies manager Bud Black can take some solace in how well the bullpen has performed.
A 4-0 loss to the Giants on Friday night at Oracle Park was a perfect example.
After starter Antonio Senzatela yielded four runs and seven hits in five innings, three relievers -- Jimmy Herget, Tyler Kinley and Juan Mejia -- each threw a scoreless inning, retiring the final nine batters.
That came on the heels of the series opener Thursday, when Black used a different bullpen trio and got another 2 2/3 scoreless innings to preserve the Rockies’ 4-3 win.
“We like the combination of guys we have out there,” Black said. “The bullpen has been pretty stable, which is a good sign for the group. Needs to continue. We have eight guys down there; they’re all throwing the ball pretty well.”
Individually and collectively, the Rockies’ bullpen has been one of the few real positives for this year’s Colorado club.
The starting pitching has been hit-and-miss, and the offense has been on a season-long roller coaster. The bullpen, however, has been rock solid, particularly over the last three weeks.
Since April 10, Rockies relievers have a 2.13 ERA in 84 1/3 innings covering 21 games. They have not given up a home run over their past 79 innings, the longest streak in franchise history.
Colorado’s bullpen has been a nice blend of youthful exuberance and veteran leadership, a combination that allows Black to mix and match more freely when having to turn to the bullpen.
Veterans like Herget, Scott Alexander and Jake Bird have been the foundation, while rookies Zach Agnos, Seth Halvorsen and Mejia have made their impact on the ‘pen as well.
“All of us have pitched in different roles,” Herget said. “Everybody in here has big league saves, for the most part. We have Agnos come up, and he’s dominant. Halvorsen throws 100 mph. Everybody kind of knows where we fit in. When that phone rings, everybody’s ready to contribute.”
While obviously pleased with what the Rockies are getting from the bullpen, Black pointed out the cyclical nature of baseball, noting the risk of relying on relievers too much.
“When you look at the season there’s always sort of peaks and valleys of all parts of the game, whether it’s the offense, the pitching, the defense,” Black said. “The starting pitching was really good through the first couple turns, and starting pitching has been a little faltering as of late. But the bullpen’s picked it up. That’s good.
“But again, wins come from starting pitching. You don’t want to go to your bullpen too much. It’s May 2. This goes all the way to September. We don’t want to burn those guys out. I’m proud of the bullpen guys because they’re performing. They’re keeping us close; they’re putting up zeros.”