“Now hitting, the pitcher, Mark Reynolds”: First baseman takes tough one for the team

Lost in the carnage and rubble of the Rockies’ 19-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants Monday afternoon at Coors Field came a lighter moment when veteran first baseman Mark Reynolds pitched the ninth inning in Game 1 of a doubleheader.

It was Reynolds’ second career pitching appearance, following his perfect one-third inning performance for Washington on July 8, 2018, against Miami.

“It’s still nerve-wracking, to be honest with you,” the 33-year-old Reynolds said. “But it was good to be able to save those arms in the bullpen.”

Reynolds, who had a 0.00 ERA entering the game, departed with an 18.00 ERA after giving up two runs on two hits and a walk. He faced seven batters and threw 21 pitches (10 strikes).

“My elbow is killing me,” Reynolds said.

He became just the third position player in franchise history to pitch in a game, joining Todd Zeile (Sept. 14, 2002, vs. the Dodgers) and Brent Mayne ( Aug. 22, 2000, vs. Atlanta). Reynolds threw 19 four-seam fastballs (averaging about 79 mph), one curveball and one changeup.

“I tried to throw a curveball to Buster (Posey), and it hit him in the back,” Reynolds said with a laugh. “He just texted me. He acted like he was mad at me, but he was just messing around.

“I had no idea where (the curve) was going. I tried to throw it down and away. He kind of stared me down, and I was like, ‘Bro, I didn’t do it on purpose. It was 67 (mph).’ ”

With the game already a blowout, Reynolds approached bench coach Mike Redmon in the fifth inning and said he would be available to pitch if the club wanted to save pitchers for the nightcap.

“I really don’t like to do it, but saving arms in the ’pen and knowing where we are in the season and what’s in front of us … Bullpen arms are going to be so critical in the second half, that you have to save arms when you need to,” manager Bud Black said.

On a less-serious note, Black quipped: “Going into the game, Mark said he had a zero ERA. That is no longer the case. A couple of groundballs got through, and he was upset that those were seeing-eye groundballs.”

Monday marked the second time in Black’s managerial career that he used a position player as a pitcher. Black inserted infielder Josh Wilson in the 18th inning of San Diego’s June 7, 2009, game vs. Arizona.

Guess who hit a three-run home run off Wilson to give Arizona a 9-6 lead. Yep. Reynolds.

Reynolds, who started at first base Monday and went 2-for-3 at the plate, said: “It was a little weird when I went up to hit. The (public address announcer) said, ‘Now hitting, the pitcher, Mark Reynolds.’ ”