Cleaning out my baseball notebook …
Kershaw’s comments: In case you missed it, Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw got upset because Rockies starter Tyler Anderson was jogging in from the bullpen, delaying the start of Wednesday’s game.
“That was one of the more disrespectful things I have been a part of in a game,” Kershaw said after the game. “I really didn’t appreciate that. The game starts at 7:10 and has started at 7:10 here for a long time. Just go around, or finish earlier. But yeah, that wasn’t appreciated for sure.”
I’ve always admired Kershaw and love watching him pitch, but Kershaw’s postgame comments sounded like a spoiled diva’s. For the record, the game was delayed by a whopping one minute.
Holland days. How big has Greg Holland been to the Rockies’ impressive start? Consider this: after Friday night’s 6-5 win over San Francisco, they are 7-0 in one-run games this season after finishing 12-20 in one-run games in 2016.
Holland, sporting a 2.00 ERA, recorded his major league-leading ninth save of the season Friday. Moreover, he’s notched nine consecutive saves, tying Darren Holmes (Aug. 8-28, 1993) for the franchise record for saves in consecutive appearances. Holmes, of course, is now the Rockies’ bullpen coach.
Anderson’s start. The major reason why I picked the Rockies to win only 84 games this season is because of their questionable starting rotation. The loss of Chad Bettis to cancer, and now Jon Gray to a stress fracture in his foot, means the young guns have to deliver.
They have the talent to pitch above their experience level, but I’ve been disappointed with Tyler Anderson’s early-season performance. I predicted he would post the lowest ERA among Colorado’s starters, but after four starts, his ERA is 7.32 and he has a 1.58 WHIP. Both marks are the highest among all of the Rockies’ pitchers.
Anderson has earned a reputation as a pitcher with excellent pitch command and poised mound presence, but neither has been on display so far. The Rockies need him to turn it around, in a hurry.
Arenado’s image. During spring training and on early-season road trips through Milwaukee and Los Angeles, I made it a point to ask other writers and various broadcasters for their thoughts about Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado. The consensus: He is one of the top-five ballplayers in baseball.
Charlie Steiner, the former ESPN anchor who is now the primary play-by-play voice for the Dodgers’ radio network, told me: “Arenado’s tremendous. I’ve been saying for a few years now that he might be the best player in the National League.”
Still, Arenado remains undervalued by many baseball writers around the country. The four-time Gold Glove winner finished eighth in NL MVP voting in 2015 and fifth in 2016.
Where are they now? Two former Rockies relievers, right-hander Jason Motte and lefty Rex Brothers, are currently on the roster for the Gwinnett (Ga.) Braves, the Atlanta Braves’ Triple-A team.
Motte, released by the Rockies this spring, has appeared in four games for Gwinnett, giving up no runs and only two hits over 4 ⅓ innings.
Brothers, who saved 19 games for the Rockies in 2015, is currently on the disabled list and hasn’t pitched this season.
Left-hander Tyler Matzek, whose struggles with performance anxiety have derailed his promising career, is not pitching right now. He was released by the Chicago White Sox organization two days before spring training ended. Matzek told me he’s hoping to field calls from other teams.
Spotlight on: Bryce Harper, OF, Nationals
What’s up: Everything about Bryce Harper screams superstar. He made his big-league debut at age 19 and has largely lived up to the hype. In this day and age of constant media scrutiny, that’s not easy. The right fielder leads the Nationals into LoDo Monday night to begin a four-game series against the Rockies. Harper entered the weekend batting .400 with six home runs and five doubles. His on-base percentage was .515 and his OPS (on-base percentage, plus slugging) was a gaudy 1.333.
Background: It seems as if Harper’s been making headlines forever, but he’s only 24 and he’s off to one of the best starts of his career. On opening day, he hit a towering drive off Miami Marlins reliever David Phelps for the fifth opening-day homer of his career. It marked the third consecutive year Harper went deep in the opener. He tends to do things with flair. He hit two homers on Easter Sunday, including a walk-off bomb. He smashed two homers again Wednesday night at Atlanta, one a grand slam.
Saunders’ take: Harper has been in the crosshairs of the media ever since he made his Major League debut while still a teenager. That’s made him less than cuddly. But I admire him. Although he’s been knocked down a few times, he keeps coming back strong. After hitting 42 home runs and winning National League MVP honors in 2015, Harper stumbled last season, hitting a career-low .243 with 24 homers. That seems to have motivated him. He worked out like a maniac during the offseason, putting on 15 pounds of muscle. He now weighs 230 pounds. Harper, along with the Angels’ Mike Trout and the Rockies’ Nolan Arenado, will define this era of baseball. Fans buy tickets to see these players up close and personal, knowing they have a good chance of seeing something extraordinary.
Three up, three down
UP
1. Orioles: Dylan Bundy emerging as staff ace with 1.37 ERA and 13 consecutive scoreless innings as O’s improved to 11-4 Friday.
2. Astros: Talented Houston was first team in majors to win 12 games, a total it didn’t reach last year until May 8.
3. Nationals. Early NL MVP candidate Bryce Harper playing key role as Nats improved to 11-5 Friday after 11-inning win over Mets.
DOWN
1. Giants: Madison Bumgarner’s dirt bike accident lands him on DL for at least two months, and Rockies shelled Johnny Cueto on Friday night.
2. Braves: Despite early-season homer barrage by first baseman Freddie Freeman, Atlanta dropped four straight games.
3. Angels: Starting rotation is weak, their bullpen is beat up and overused, and their Friday night loss to Toronto was their ninth in 10 games.
