Pitcher of Rockies dazzles in unscheduled comeback to the big leagues
In his second start of the year, fresh-faced Rockies hurler Bradley Blalock showcased a calm, commanding performance against the San Francisco Giants. Stepping in for the injured Ryan Feltner, the 24-year-old delivered a remarkable outing, surrendering merely two hits across five sturdy innings in a 6-3 defeat at Oracle Park.
"He pitched his heart out," Rockies skipper Bud Black remarked post-game. "Every single one of his pitches was on-point. His fastball stood out, his curveball was deceptive, and his cutter and slider were sharp. Four solid pitches from Bradley today."
Blalock effortlessly glided through the opening four and a half innings, retiring the first seven Giants before a solo homer to Luis Matos in the third inning put San Francisco ahead 1-0. Despite this misstep, Blalock bounced back, retiring seven out of the next eight batters.
"I made an error with the slider to Matos," Blalock admitted. "Other than that, I thought I threw pretty well."
Unfortunately, things unraveled in the sixth inning. Blalock walked two batters out of the gate, leading Black to turn to the bullpen. The Giants snatched control, tying the game with a bases-loaded single from Jung Hoo Lee and taking the lead with a devastating 402-foot grand slam off Jake Bird.
Despite the disappointing final tally, Blalock's outing stood out. He notched four strikeouts, conceded two walks, and yielded only the Matos homer and a single to Willy Adames.
"He did everything he could," Black reiterated. "He needed to. Their guy was solid, too. Bradley handled his job well."
Blalock's performance came shortly after being optioned to Triple-A following a tumultuous outing against the Reds. As he prepared to pitch in the Minors, the Rockies summoned him back.
"I didn't think it'd come this fast," Blalock said. "I jetted down to Albuquerque, tweaked a few things in a mid-week bullpen session, and I felt grand coming in."
Following his time in the minors, Blalock worked on refining his mechanics, specifically focusing on strengthening his back leg to enhance pitch command. It appears this work has paid off. Now, with Feltner expected to miss a couple of starts, Blalock seems poised to fill another rotation spot.
For a Rockies team that's relied heavily on the bullpen and remains near the bottom of the league standings at 6-27, Blalock's emergence might offer a much-needed boost.
"I was just told to be ready for anything," Blalock mused. "Now, I feel more than ready."
"With Blalock's impressive performance in mind, the question of his potential in MLB betting odds arises."
"Amid the Rockies' struggles, the sharp performance from Blalock in his second start might significantly alter the sports betting odds for their upcoming games."
