Black hopes Marquez learns lessons from one ugly start
The Denver Post
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.» Rockies manager Bud Black is a pitching connoisseur, so when he makes bold statements, for good or for bad, you notice.
Early in spring training, he had this to say about hard-throwing right-hander German Marquez: “He’s got weapons. I like the poise he’s exhibited that last couple of years. There has been great growth in that area. There is confidence. He’s developing into one of the best pitchers in the National League, for sure, and maybe all of baseball.”
But Marquez, 24, took a step backward Tuesday night in an ugly Cactus League performance against the Los Angeles Angels, who blasted him for eight runs on 10 hits over 4L innings. Justin Upton hit a solo home run off Marquez in the third, and Taylor Ward launched a three-run shot later in the inning.
Marquez said he was simply going to forget the exhibition debacle and move on.
“It was just one of those nights when I wasn’t on with my fastball and I didn’t have my breaking pitches,” he said. “I don’t focus on (that game) at all. I don’t even look at the video. I just focus on the next start and concentrate on what I have to do to compete.”
Black, however, hopes Marquez takes something away from Tuesday night.
“There are things to be learned, no matter if you are German Marquez or Cole Hamels or Max Scherzer,” Black said Wednesday. “The fastball up in the strike zone, regardless of the velocity, will get hit — very hard. You can never take (things) for granted just because you have velocity. You still have to locate the ball. Last night it burned him.”
The Angels’ 10 hits vs. Marquez were not bloopers. They were smoked.
“I hope he learns that mistakes can cost you games, and that’s what happened last night,” Black said. “We have talked a lot about the responsibility of the starting pitcher, and I’ve said that (a pitcher’s) performance dictates, every night, the outcome of the game.
“And even though this was an exhibition game and doesn’t count in the big picture, his performance got us to a point where we couldn’t recover.” Where’s For the second consecutive game, third baseman Nolan Arenado batted third in the lineup Wednesday night when the Rockies hosted the Kansas City Royals. Black, clearly thinking too much is being made out of where Arenado will hit, described the situation as “fluid.”
“He could be two, three or four,” Black said. Footnotes. Although lefthander Kyle Freeland is on track to start at Miami on March 28, Black has yet to officially name Freeland the opening-day starter. … The big-league camp roster continues to shrink, as catcher Chris Rabago and right-hander Chi Chi Gonzalez were reassigned to minor-league camp.