Colorado Rockies: Despite the record, Austin Gomber has been solid

It has been a tough start of the season for Friday night’s scheduled starter for the Colorado Rockies, Austin Gomber. His 2-4 record in eight starts would make one think that he has not been effective, but that’s not the case.

Austin Gomber’s numbers show that he has been solid, but he isn’t getting much help from the Colorado Rockies offense

In eight starts, the left-handed Gomber is 2-4 with a 4.11 ERA, 1.196 WHIP, 4.16 FIP, in 46 innings pitched, allowing 21 earned runs on 42 hits with 13 walks and 34 strikeouts.

Of course, a pitcher’s win/loss record is one of the worst stats in all of baseball. A bad pitcher can have a plus-5 ERA and a winning record because his offense backed him up while a good pitcher can have a bad record because he has received little run support. Gomber has mostly been on the side of the latter. In his four losses, the Colorado Rockies have scored a combined 10 runs.

How unlucky is Gomber this season? Entering play Thursday, he has the fourth-lowest ERA in the National League for someone who has for four or more losses, even though he is tied for ninth in the NL with five quality starts (6.0 or more innings pitched, allowing three runs or less).

However, in his two winning decisions, Gomber is has been lights out. He has a 1.42 ERA in 12.2 innings, allowing two earned runs on 11 hits, striking out 14, and issuing just one walk.

Of his eight starts, there have only been two bad outings. In his second outing of the season, he allowed four earned runs in 4.1 innings against the Chicago Cubs. Then, in San Francisco on May 9, he allowed five runs in 5.1 innings. That Giants loss was inflated by the Rockies’ bullpen as they allowed two inherited runners to score after relieving Gomber.

Despite his record, Austin Gomber has arguably the Rockies’ second starter behind the surprising Chad Kuhl. Colorado’s offense needs to start finding a way to score runs or the Rockies will continue to waste good outings by their up-and-coming starter.