Estevez better prepared as closer
Carlos Estevez has been here before, but he’s better prepared this time around.
In 2016, in his rookie season, Estevez was the Rockies’ closer, basically out of necessity, if not desperation, for part of the season. He saved 11 games in 18 chances while posting a 5.24 ERA over 55 innings.
Five years later, at age 29, the right-hander is back in the ninthinning role, at least for now. Estevez supplanted Daniel Bard, whose recent struggles prompted manager Bud Black to make the change on Friday.
Black believes that the pressure of the ninth inning makes the closer’s role a difficult one. Estevez agrees, but he thinks that the pressure can be self-induced.
“The ninth, of course, is different, but it’s still the same baseball game,” Estevez said Friday night after he gave up a hit and a wild pitch before striking out the side to secure Colorado’s 4-2 win and notch his third save of the season.
“I think sometimes that (pitchers) are the ones that change and we can’t let that happen,” he said, explain how the ninth inning can get inside a pitcher’s head. “It did happen early (Friday) but after that, I settled down and I got to where I wanted.”
Estevez, who’s mixing his 97100 fastball with an effective curveball and an increasingly dependable changeup, has been on a roll. He entered Saturday night’s game at Dodger Stadium riding an 11-game scoreless streak that was the longest of his career. Since July 6, he’s put up a 2.25 ERA, holding foes scoreless in 16 of his 20 appearances while striking out 22 and walking six.
Friday night, he threw a 3-2 changeup to strike out Max Mun
cy, caught Corey Seager looking at a strike-three changeup and wrapped up the game by striking out A.J. Pollock with a 2-2, 90 mph slider. All told, Estevez threw nine changeups in his 20 pitches.
Estevez said he went heavy with his changeup for two reasons. First, his fastball command was not great, in part because he was amped up and overthrowing. Second, he wanted to cross up L.A.
“Everyone knows I have a good fastball and I have faced these guys a lot, so I think they are aware of my fastball and they are aware of my pitches,” he said.
While Black would have liked to see better fastball command from Estevez, he liked most of what he saw Friday night.
“I was very impressed,” Black said. “I’ve said it before: within the division, there are not a lot of secrets anymore. The Dodgers know him and know his stuff, so it’s always a game of adjustments.
“I have a great deal of faith in his changeup and so does Carlos, along with his slider, and obviously his high-end velocity. It was impressive to have that feel, for a (changeup), in the most critical of moments.”
Outfield plan. Starting left fielder Raimel Tapia, who’s been on the injured list with a strained big toe, is scheduled to finish up his Triple-a rehab assignment this weekend and then rejoin the Rockies on Monday as they open a three-game series at the Texas Rangers.
That will force Black into a big decision because Connor Joe has been thriving in left field and also in Tapia’s leadoff spot. Joe entered Saturday’s play slashing .320/.400/.612 with eight home runs, six doubles and 27 RBIS in 30 games since his recall from Triple-a on July 20.
“It’s something we’ve talked about when ‘Tap’ does return,” Black said. “They could both still play, with the American League games coming up with the (designated hitter) on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.
“But Tapia has a lot of experience in center fielder as well. He was a minor-league center fielder and has played some center field with us. It probably gives us our best offensive outfield, if Tapia is swinging the bat like he can, and Connor continues to swing that bat like he can, and Charlie (Blackmon) continues his second-half surge …”
Black added the staff will discuss whether to hit Tapia in the leadoff position when he returns or stick with Joe in that spot.