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In just his second start of the season, Rockies right-hander Bradley Blalock gave Colorado exactly what it needed: a poised, effective outing from a fresh arm. Called up from Triple-A Albuquerque to replace the injured Ryan Feltner, the 24-year-old didn’t disappoint — holding the San Francisco Giants to just two hits over five solid innings in Saturday’s 6-3 loss at Oracle Park.
“He threw the ball well,” Rockies manager Bud Black said postgame. “All of his pitches were good. Fastball played today, the curveball was effective, the cutter and slider were good. Four pitches well-thrown today by Bradley.”
Blalock cruised through the first five innings, retiring the first seven batters and showing veteran-level command. The lone blemish came in the third when he left a hanging slider over the plate to Luis Matos, who launched a solo homer to left to put the Giants up 1-0. Still, Blalock bounced back quickly, retiring seven of the next eight batters.
“I left the slider up to Matos,” Blalock said. “Otherwise, I thought it was pretty good.”
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Things unraveled in the sixth when Blalock walked two of the first three batters, prompting Black to turn to the bullpen. That’s when San Francisco seized momentum. A bases-loaded single from Jung Hoo Lee tied the game, and Matt Chapman followed with a devastating 402-foot grand slam off Jake Bird — flipping the Rockies’ 3-1 lead into a 6-3 deficit.
Despite the final score, Blalock’s outing stood out. He struck out four, walked two, and allowed only the Matos home run and a single to Willy Adames.
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“He did everything he could,” Black reiterated. “He had to. Their guy was good, too. Bradley did his job.”
Blalock’s start came just days after being optioned to Triple-A following a rough outing against the Reds. He was already preparing to pitch in the Minors when the Rockies called him back up.
“I didn’t think it was going to come this fast,” Blalock said. “I went down to Albuquerque, worked on a few things there in a mid-week bullpen and I felt good coming in.”
Part of that work included improving mechanics, particularly strengthening his back leg to improve pitch command — a focus that clearly paid off. Now with Feltner expected to miss at least a couple turns, Blalock seems likely to get another shot in the rotation.
For a Rockies team that has relied heavily on its bullpen and ranks near the bottom of the league standings at 6-27, Blalock’s emergence could be a much-needed boost.
“Just go down there and be ready for anything,” Blalock said of the message he got when he was first sent down. Now, he looks more than ready.
