Colorado Rockies: Pitching Looking Strong Early in Spring Training

Perhaps new Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black has gotten a message across quickly to his pitchers. Maybe Colorado’s pitching is better than many people think. Maybe all of that talk about Colorado being a potential postseason candidate this season isn’t so far off.

Sure, it’s only four games into Colorado’s spring training regimen but there’s no doubt that Rockies pitchers are looking good on the mound in Arizona. It’s a good sign for a team that has always seemed to have an offense, but never been able to stop the bleeding on the mound.

The latest case in point for Colorado’s stellar pitching came on Monday when the Rockies recorded a 7-1 decision over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Glendale. Six different Colorado pitchers scattered nine hits, including starter Jon Gray, who logged two scoreless innings in his spring training debut.

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Since opening spring training with an 8-4 decision over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday, Colorado’s higher level of pitchers allowed just one run and four hits to the D-backs on Sunday in a 6-1 split squad decision.

Back-to-back games allowing just one run is sweet music to the ears of Colorado fans. Yes, it’s early … but it’s not too early to be thinking that this new wave of Rockies pitchers could be the best the team has seen in years.

Whether it’s Zach Jemiola and Yency Almonte on Sunday or Jeff Hoffman on Monday (who allowed the only run to the Dodgers, which was unearned), Colorado has some fresh faces on the mound looking to make a difference.

“I told (Steve) Foster (Colorado’s pitching coach) that it’s early but you don’t see games in the Cactus League like that,” Black said after Sunday’s win. “That was a well-pitched game by our guys. I thought the young guys did great. Almonte and Jemiola, wow, they pitched great.

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“Four hits in the Cactus League? Wow, that’s good stuff.”