Colorado Rockies: No one is pitching better than them right now

After giving up a nine-run inning and blowing a seventh-inning lead at home against the San Diego Padres on April 23, the Colorado Rockies had dropped four of their last five games. Their pitching staff had just given up 13 runs to one of the worst teams in baseball.

Speaking to the media after the loss, Rockies manager Bud Black was quick to dismiss any concern.

"“We’ll be alright,” Black said at the time. “These guys have been through this before. The resolve of these players is solid.”"

Black’s confidence was well-founded.

Since that game, no team has pitched better than the Rockies.

Entering Sunday’s game against the Mets, the Rockies had put together a 2.07 ERA in the 10 games since the loss to San Diego.

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That is the lowest mark in all of baseball. Better than the Los Angeles Dodgers. Better than the Houston Astros. Better than the Washington Nationals.

This is no fluke, either. Rockies pitchers are simply dominating lineups.

Opposing batters are hitting a meager .186 against the Rockies over those 10 games. That’s the lowest Batting Average Against in baseball.

The only other team with a Batting Average Against below .200 is the World Champion Astros at .193.

The Rockies success has started where it needs to start … with starting pitching.

After the team gave up those 13 runs against the Padres (the majority of which were charged to Jake McGee and the since-demoted Scott Oberg), the starters allowed only 11 earned runs over the next 10 games.

That translates to a ridiculous 1.61 ERA two times through the rotation. Over Colorado’s last 11 games, starters have logged a 1.70 ERA with 10 quality starts.

Veteran Chad Bettis has led the way.

Bettis went seven innings in each of his two starts during the 10-game stretch, posting a 1.29 ERA and lowering his season ERA to 2.05, the fifth-best mark in the National League.

Not to be outdone, staff ace Jon Gray seems to have broken out of an early-season slump, giving up a single earned run through 13 innings over his last two starts for a 0.69 ERA.

Gray has also struck out 17 batters over those two games.

Speaking of strikeouts, Kyle Freeland has lasted seven innings in three consecutive starts (including Sunday), striking out 21 batters over 21 innings.

Freeland has pitched to a 2.14 ERA over those three games, improving his season ERA to 3.95.

No one has been left out, either, as German Marquez and Tyler Anderson have combined for a 2.21 ERA over their last two starts.

They say winning is contagious, and right now Rockies pitchers are feeding off each other’s success better than any staff in baseball.

Sunday’s start by Freeland was the Rockies’ eighth consecutive quality start (three or fewer runs over six-plus innings). The last time the Rockies put together eight straight quality starts was June 2-11, 2009.

Next: Colorado's best and worst moments from April

Any panic fans may have felt after the loss to San Diego on April 23, has quickly dissipated. However, one person who never panicked was Bud Black. He knew all along that his team can pitch, he believed in his young staff, and now we are watching him reap the rewards of his patience.

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