There was no tough decision to be made on Sunday afternoon when Bud Black called on Jake McGee to pick up a save for the second time in less than 24 hours.
Rockies closer Greg Holland was on the shelf, having pitched three of the four previous games. Black made that clear before Sunday’s series-clinching win over the Atlanta Braves.
When Holland is in recovery mode, McGee is the team’s de facto closer. That’s been the case pretty much the entire season.
However, the fact that McGee needed to earn a pair of saves over the last two games is a sign that Black could be nearing a very tough decision in the near future.
In 10 appearances in August, Holland is 1-4 with three blown saves (three converted) and an ERA of 15.12.
A ninth-inning home run to Matt Adams on Saturday night, bringing Atlanta to within one run, was the fourth home run Holland has surrendered this month. He had allowed just two the entire season prior. Holland gave up another base hit to follow the home run to Adams and Black had seen enough. The NL saves leader picked up his first hold of the season under inauspicious circumstances.
McGee is no stranger to the closer’s role. It’s one he held in Tampa in 2014 and in Colorado for parts of 2016. The problem is, McGee has never been able to fully pin down that role. He’s been most effective in the eighth inning and as a left-on-left specialist for Black this season. Still, he offers a tempting alternative to the struggling Holland.
Black said Sunday that the situation is a fluid one. Two good outings for McGee and rough patch for Holland is not enough to warrant McGee the closer’s job.
The problem for Black is that he can’t waste too much time making that call if Holland continues to struggle.
Currently trailing Arizona in the Wild Card and sporting only a 3.5-game lead over the Brewers for the final playoff spot, the Rockies cannot afford to give away many more games this season. Colorado is 61-5 in games when leading after six innings. As the offense has sputtered down the stretch, the plus side of the bullpen must continue to deliver. Right now, Holland isn’t delivering.
The good news is that Holland has told his manager he’s not suffering any fatigue or pain. Here in his first season after missing all of 2016 recovering from Tommy John surgery, Holland has pitched 46.2 innings over 50 appearances. He has never pitched more than 67 innings and has not pitched more than 50 innings since 2014, though.
Black has to trust his closer to shoot straight about his health. Black also has to trust his own eyes. And the eye test clearly shows that Holland isn’t right.
The walkoff home run he allowed to Eric Hosmer on Aug. 23 was on a slider that missed by nearly two feet. Over a span of five consecutive games from Aug. 8-23, Holland issued at least one walk – many of the four-pitch variety. The slider, Holland’s best pitch, has been his nemesis over this down stretch.
On Sunday, Black suggested that Holland’s issues are mechanical. That’s also good news, as mechanical issues can be pinpointed and corrected.
The bad news is, Holland’s delivery is chock full of places where things could be going awry.
From his grip to the hand pump he does ahead of his leg kick, to his landing spot, his release point and where he finishes, there are a number of possible culprits.
Holland’s delivery is a complicated endeavor.
Pitching from the far right side of the mound, he falls dramatically off the left side after delivery – creating a difficult angle for hitters, but also exaggerating even the slightest miscue in execution. Landing even an inch or two in the wrong direction, or a tiny change in arm angle could cause a pitch to miss severely.
Holland uses a timing device in his delivery to the plate as well. Pumping the clutched ball into his glove as he makes his move to the plate. If he’s rushing even slightly, that can prevent him from finishing and getting the hard downward action on the slider that made it so deadly through the first half of the season.
Black seems to think it could be something as simple as a grip problem.
That may be the most logical conclusion.
Holland suffered a cut on the index finger of throwing hand in a kitchen accident in early August. The three-time All-Star was solid in his first two outings after the injury, earning a win and a save, but has imploded since that time.
With 32 games remaining, Colorado’s magic number over Milwaukee and Miami is 29 games. They’ll need help down the stretch if they continue to play sub-.500 ball, as they’ve done since the All-Star break in part because of Holland’s struggles.
If Holland’s issue is simply that he’s been favoring that index finger (which is crucial in a hard breaking pitch like a slider), the issue may be resolved soon.
If it’s something larger, Black may not have the luxury of time to let Holland get right.
