What’s the secret behind Colorado’s franchise-best 30-17 start under new manager Bud Black? Consistency, focus and discipline, according to the skipper. Not just talking about those attributes, but translating them to the field.
“We’ve been consistent all year,” Black said after Tuesday night’s 8-2 victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. “I think that’s been sorta the thing that’s sort of stood out to me, just the consistent day-in, day-out game that we’re playing. On the mound, in the field, at the plate. We’re just, you know, doing the things that we need to do. The focus is high. The discipline is high.”
That focus and discipline was on display in Monday night’s victory over a struggling Philadelphia squad when the Rockies scored four runs in the top of the ninth inning. Colorado led 4-1 after eight innings, and the Phillies were making things tricky just about every inning. But Colorado buckled down on the mound and then put up a big number to ease the burden on the bullpen in the ninth.
In the eighth inning, Scott Oberg and Mike Dunn, who were both coming off shaky outings their last few times out, combined to strike out the side. In the ninth, Nolan Arenado, who was hitless in the game up to that point in the game, deposited a ball in the left-field bleachers to give the Rockies a comfortable lead heading into the bottom half of the inning.
For Black, it’s the way the Rockies are bringing all three phases of the game together with a purpose that’s translating from the talk in the clubhouse to play on the diamond.
“And again, we have a combination of the pitching and the hitting and the defense all doing their thing. You know, we talk about it all the time inside these walls and it’s good to see it happen out on the field.”
