Rockies squander another strong outing from pitcher in unusual role

The Rockies' lineup is struggling right now. Despite a strong outing from the opener and the bullpen as a whole, they only managed to score one run in Saturday night's loss to the Phillies.

Similar to the home opener on Friday afternoon, Colorado showcased a strong bullpen performance after a shaky first inning. Valente Bellozo closed the door on the Phillies after Colorado allowed nine runs in the first three innings. He pitched six innings, giving up just one run while striking out seven.

Another member of the Rockies bullpen took a similar path on Saturday night.

Former Rockies top prospect Chase Dollander was moved to the bullpen to work on his mechanical issues and pitch mix, rather than being thrown into the starting rotation, which could have been detrimental to his confidence.

The move allowed Colorado to get another look at Ryan Feltner, who missed most of the 2025 season due to injury, as they hope he returns to 2024 form. So far, the move seems to be paying dividends for Dollander.

Colorado's strategy to start with a clean first inning before handing the ball to Dollander in the second did not go as intended. The opener, Brennan Bernardino, struggled with his command, walking two batters and allowing one run in just 0.2 innings pitched.

This led to reliever Jimmy Herget being called upon to get the final out in the first inning, and Warren Schaeffer chose to use him for one more inning before handing it over to Chase.

Once Dollander entered the game, his confidence was evident. He was effectively locating his pitches, hitting his spots, and even threw about 6 to 7 fastballs and sinkers to begin his appearance.

In his first appearance against Toronto, he demonstrated some positives, giving up four runs on five hits over four innings, while walking two and striking out five. However, this performance was a bit different.

Dollander issued only one walk in 4.1 innings pitched, allowing four hits and striking out six batters. Despite strong performances from Jaden Hill, Juan Mejia, and Victor Vodnik, who combined to allow just two hits and one walk over 2.2 innings with two strikeouts, it wasn't enough to overcome the Phillies.

The process with Dollander is a slow and steady one that shouldn't be rushed, especially during a rebuilding year. The approach is intriguing, and the results are beginning to show. Now, it’s time for the team to support their pitching by bringing some runs across.