DENVER -- The newness of the Major Leagues is lessening for Rockies left-handed starting pitcher Carson Palmquist. But sometimes it grabs him.
“I haven’t been that nervous going into the games,” Palmquist said. “But then going into the scouting report meeting when you start talking about it, it’s like, ‘You’re getting ready to face … and it starts to get a little nerve-racking.
“But it’s a good type of nerve, just wanting to compete every single pitch -- and you’re happy to be out there doing it.”
Before the Rockies’ 5-3 loss to the Diamondbacks on Saturday night at Coors Field, the scouting report included hot-hitting Ketel Marte and National League home run co-leader Eugenio Suárez. They got him, with two doubles by Marte and a home run by Suárez.
Palmquist accounted for himself competitively two times through the Diamondbacks’ batting order -- four innings, three runs, four hits, four strikeouts and two walks.
Interim manager Warren Schaeffer replaced Palmquist with righty Jimmy Herget facing the top of the order, but Marte blooped a base hit and Geraldo Perdomo homered for two runs on a mistake pitch. Herget regrouped for two innings, and Jake Bird (two innings) and Victor Vodnik in the ninth held Arizona scoreless the rest of the way.
As for Palmquist, his seventh Major League start yielded more lessons, with both Marte doubles coming with him ahead in the count and the Suárez homer on an outside cutter left up.
“I’m glad he finished strong in the fourth,” Schaeffer said. “He got better as he went, there’s no doubt about that.”
Palmquist is the only starter in franchise history not to reach the sixth inning in any of his first seven starts. Saturday, he can point to reversing some of his previous work. In his first six starts, opponent slash lines were .208/.259/.313 first time through the order, .333/.453/.744 the second time and .471/.571/1.000 the third time.
“I’ve gone out into each one feeling a little bit better from the last one,” Palmquist said. “Now I’ve got to be professional about it and execute.”
Palmquist was promoted from Triple-A Albuquerque because of rotation injuries. He had been optioned to Triple-A after a June 10 start against the Giants but was recalled before pitching there because Kyle Freeland had to go to the injured list with back stiffness.
Saturday was another learning experience at the Major League level for Palmquist. However, some of the injured Rockies have taken forward steps.
Freeland, who came down with low back stiffness after his July 11 start against the Giants, will throw a bullpen session at Coors Field on Sunday -- his third since the injury. Schaeffer said if the positive trend continues, Freeland will be able to return when eligible on Friday at Milwaukee. The lefty overcame a slow start to the season and had three straight quality starts before going to the IL.
Righty Ryan Feltner, who hasn’t pitched for the Rockies since April 28 because of back spasms, threw 52 pitches over three innings for Albuquerque on Saturday at Tacoma in his second rehab start (one run, two hits, two walks and one strikeout.)
“My back feels great,” Feltner said. “My stuff felt solid. The main focus today was feeling healthy.”
Righty Tanner Gordon, who made three starts filling in for injured starters before sustaining a left oblique strain in late May, said he will join Albuquerque in Las Vegas next week for starts on Tuesday and Sunday.