Colorado Rockies pitcher Jorge De La Rosa recently was assigned to the bullpen after a sub-par performance against the Red Sox, where he pitched 3.1 innings and gave up seven runs on nine hits, bringing his season ERA to 11.41.
This was an immediate concern for the Rockies, but former Rockies pitcher Jason Hirsh joined the Afternoon Drive saying that all is not lost yet for De La Rosa. Being the franchise’s all-time winningest pitcher has earned him the right to redeem himself.
Just count on adjustments and his track record as a pitcher.
“He always has a slow start to the season with a nagging injury, but slightly before or after the All Star break he pulls it all together” Hirsh said.
De La Rosa’s history has shown that he fairs better once the second half of the season rolls around. His career totals even point to that with a 4.19 ERA in the second half compared to 5.13 in the first half. His walk totals go down, too, from 323 to 269 and earned runs from 408 to 274.
There’s a lot of work to be done, but if De La Rosa can make a few adjustments in the bullpen, maybe he can get himself back into the rotation for the stretch run; at 91 mph, his fastball is still there. Once he is able to control the strike zone with his fastball, he can go to his other array of pitches.
Listen to Jason Hirsh give more insight on the podcast below …
https://soundcloud.com/milehighsports/5-25-16-jason-hirsh-tells-afternoon-drive-how-jorge-dela-rosa-can-fix-his-struggling-season
Catch the Afternoon Drive Monday-Friday from 4p-6p on Mile High Sports AM 1340 | FM 104.7 or stream live any time for the best local coverage of Colorado sports from Denver’s biggest sports talk lineup.
