Colorado Rockies: The bullpen is nothing to worry about – yet

Since June 12, the bullpen has a FIP of 5.62 – almost a point lower than its ERA  – but the park-adjusted version (xFIP) gives us 4.87! Meanwhile, the batting average for balls in play (BABIP) is a high and unsustainable .309. This is another suggestion that Rockies relievers have had brutal luck at home while being tortured in classic Coors slugfests.

And though some individual relievers have ugly stats since June 12, one or two disastrous appearances have inflated these numbers for many pitchers.

For instance, Chad Bettis – a godsend in middle relief – has a 10.45 ERA since June 12. But the ERA is misleading. Half of the runs he’s given up in the period came against the Dodgers on June 30 – his line was six earned runs on five hits and a walk in just 1/3 of a nightmare inning. He was also part of the rough outing against the Padres on June 14 – two earned runs on a hit and two walks in 2/3 of an inning – but otherwise Bettis is still the long reliever the Rockies need him to be.

It’s been a solid bounce-back season for Bryan Shaw, yet he sports an 8.00 ERA since June 12. Coors Field came for blood on July 2 – he gave up three runs on three hits against the Astros without recording an out, helping to blow the Rockies’ three-run lead. Before that, it was a decent stretch, the exception a two-run inning against the Padres on June 16.