Gray will give his all in playoff
The Denver Post
The clock was approaching midnight Saturday, but about 30 die-hard Rockies fans congregated outside the players’ parking lot at Coors Field. Pitcher Jon Gray, his hair still wet after showering off the evening’s playoff-clinching celebration, stopped and patiently signed autographs.
The affable Gray, just 25, is not the face of the franchise. That honor is held by Nolan Arenado, or perhaps Charlie Blackmon or Carlos Gonzalez. But as the Rockies enter their first postseason since 2009, Gray is certainly the club’s player of the moment.
He’ll start Wednesday night’s National League wild-card playoff game at Arizona. It’s an all-or-nothing affair, with the winner advancing to best-of-five NL divisional series against the Dodgers.
The Diamondbacks will counter with veteran Zack Greinke, the right-hander who won the 2009 American League Cy Young Award when in Kansas City and went 17-7 with a 3.30 ERA this season. Is Gray ready to match Greinke?
“I think I’ve been taking a step forward with each game this season, so I’m ready to build on that. I’ll be ready,” Gray said Sunday before the Rockies wrapped up their regular season with a 6-3 loss to the Dodgers.
Raw numbers suggest that Gray, 10-4 with a 3.67 ERA, is on the verge of becoming a bona fide ace. He’s allowed three or fewer earned runs in 13 consecutive starts, the second-longest single-season streak by a Rockies starter. Only Ubaldo Jimenez’s 14-game streak in 2010 is better.
During that 13-game span, Gray is 7-3 with a 2.64 ERA, 80 strikeouts and 16 walks. Since his streak began on July 25, his ERA ranks second among NL starters.
“Jon’s in a good spot because he is throwing the ball well,” manager Bud Black said. “When you are confident in how you are playing, that always lends itself to feeling good about where you are.
“So I know that Jon will be ready for Wednesday. I think a couple extra days for rest will help him, but more importantly, he’s at a place in his career where I think he’s set up for this game.”
Gray admits that only a year ago he was not ready to carry the weight of a oneand-done playoff game on his broad shoulders. Now, however, pitching coach Steve Foster sees a much different pitcher.
“I think the innings and experience gained, you can’t purchase, you have to live them,” Foster said. “Jon’s had some big moments during this year already, and I’ve seen him make some big pitches at big times. I’ve seen him add to that belief and that trust in himself.
“And there will be moments in the wild-card game where he’s going to have to draw on that. He’s learned and he’s followed as well as anybody I’ve ever met. He’s picked things up, retained them, so I don’t think there is a battle that’s going to be too big for him.”
Gray has a solid track record against Arizona this season, going 2-1 with a 3.50 ERA in three starts. He’s dominated MVP candidate Paul Goldschmidt, who’s 0for-11 with five strikeouts vs. Gray.