DENVER — On an overcast Wednesday evening, with the Colorado Rockies losing momentum to the Tampa Bay Rays and suddenly clinging to a one-run lead, manager Walt Weiss pulled starter Tyler Anderson with a man on second and one out, taking the baseball and handing it to Adam Ottavino.
While the ideal scenario involves Ottavino reclaiming the Closer role, these are the situations that call for a “fireman” and “Otto” — still working his way back from Tommy John surgery — was there to put it out. He came out firing on all cylinders, getting a strikeout and a weak grounder to end the threat and preserve the lead in a game the Rockies ultimately won.
“I feel good,” he told BSN Denver. “I feel like I’m where I need to be in the process.”
“He’s getting there,” says Weiss. “I think the next step — and it’s usually the final step — would be the command of his stuff.”
Ottavino concurred: “Yeah, I could do a better job getting ahead in the count. And command early in the at-bats, especially with the first hitter.” He then went on to recount the exact at-bats that concerned him, underlining how much he hates getting behind. “I went 3-0 to Posey, I went 3-0 on a guy in Atlanta, I went 3-0 on a guy last night … that’s not me.”
For those looking for a return to 97-mph fastballs, Ottavino says it isn’t at the top of his to-do list.
“Velocity-wise, sure it’s always nice to throw harder but this where I”ve been most of my career,” he says. “Yeah, I had a little spike just before I got hurt but I’m not dying to get back to it. It is what it is. I don’t think I need it. As long as I’m in the 93-96 range, that’s me, so that’s fine.”
But when it comes to his trademark, wipeout pitch, Ottavino says at this point it’s just a matter of a few more minor adjustments.
“I feel like the slider has been there since day one. Some of it has been calibrating it a little bit. It breaks more on the road, so I’ve had a little trouble on the road figuring out where to start it from. I felt a little trap with that twice. I’ve actually thrown it a little better [at Coors Field] for whatever reason. I’ve been able to keep it smaller, and get it in there for strikes and for the chase. It’s not pinpoint perfect like I’ve had it, but I think it’s close.”
And Ottavino himself is close. Close to once again being the most trusted guy in the Colorado Rockies bullpen. He has only pitched a combined total of three innings since coming off the DL (in six appearances) but has kept the scoreboard clean, extending a streak he left before the surgery out to 13.1 innings without allowing a run. He’s allowed just four hits.
“He’s worked real hard,” says Weiss. “He’s in a good place mentally, he’s ready to take on some more higher-leverage situations.”
