BSN Exclusive: Bettis shares lesson in two-pitch loss, overcomes for first MLB save

During a brief series at Fenway Park two weeks ago, the Colorado Rockies had an opportunity to steal a two-game sweep from the reigning World Series Champion Boston Red Sox.

Colorado had taken the first game even after striking out a club record 21 times over nine innings, 17 of which came during the first seven innings against perennial Cy Young Award candidate Chris Sale. The offense would grind out two runs in the eighth and ninth to earn the improbable win in extra innings.

A similar scene would play out in the second game when the Rockies would return from a five-run deficit to tie the game and go into extras once again.

Having already used four relievers and blown through five the night before, the logical choice was to ride with long reliever Chad Bettis for as long as needed to take consecutive victories from the Red Sox. As it turned out, that ride would last all of two pitches.

After Xander Bogaerts doubled to right field on a center cut fastball, Rafael Devers was given an intentional walk to bring up Michael Chavis, who singled home Bogaerts for Boston’s walk-off winner.

Bettis reflected on his first walk-off loss since his days as a closer at Texas Tech some ten years ago.

“I had a good talk with (Mike) Dunn,” Bettis shared about his post-game conversation, “and he was asking me, ‘Were you willing to lose the game right there on two pitches?’”

When you consider all the moments that comprise a game and realize that all those plays began with the ball in the pitcher’s hand, you begin to understand the importance of a single pitch. For Bettis, the answer was simply “no.”

“You understand that each pitch is as precious as it is,” he commented. “I think that was huge for me and really helped me in my last three outings now… Everything goes into one pitch because it could mean the game. So, whether you’re up by four or down by four, it could mean the game in the long haul.”

Bettis began the season as a starter but pitched to an 8.78 ERA in three starts. Though he gave up just two runs during five innings of work in his final start, there were enough signs for manager Bud Black to opt for Antonio Senzatela as one of his best five horses in the rotation once the young Venezuelan was activated from the injured list on April 15.

The transition from being a starting pitcher that gets the ball every five days to a reliever who could be called upon at any moment has been going well as of late, but it’s still a learning process for the 30-year-old.

“It’s just taking it one day at a time, as clichéd as that is,” Bettis said of the bullpen conversion. “Talking with lots of the older guys and learning a lot. Picking up from where I left off last year. I feel good. Stuff is working the right way.”

Part of that positive direction is related to a simple adjustment in mechanics, something that’s been a part of the learning curve for the Texas native.

“I felt like I ran through a period there for a little bit where I felt like my arm was really fast and I was trying to slow it down instead of just allowing that to happen naturally,” Bettis said. “Understanding to allow my body to do what it wants to do and have my arm catch up like it normally would. I feel good right now. I’m in a good spot.”

The mentality for being the club’s long reliever – or a pitcher for any team in any inning at any level – comes down to a simple motto: ignore the score.

“You’ve got to. At least everyone that I’ve talked to over the years from picking guys brains, it’s something you have to ignore,” Bettis imparted to BSN Rockies. “If you start to let that creep in, it subconsciously dictates the way you’re going to pitch and that doesn’t need to happen. If you’re up by 10, you’re not going to go out and throw heaters to get out of the game. You still have to approach these big league guys the right way.”

What transpired at Fenway that night expedited everything Bettis needs to understand about his role in every moment, pitch and literal movements of his body for the team in which he represents.

“That’s been my mindset,” he affirmed. “Just holding precious each pitch and one of the bigger learning curves that helped cut that learning shorter was that outing in Boston. Literally, throwing two pitches and getting walked off like that.”

In each of seven relief appearances longer than an inning, Bettis has put up a zero on the scoreboard. While he’s allowed a run in each outing of an inning or less to suggest he won’t have a multi-inning appearance if he’s not good right away, it does illustrate that when Bettis finds his best stuff when getting ready in a hurry, he’s good to go for a while, a trait he displayed during his career as a starter.

“I think it’s just being able to understand what’s working that day very fast,” Bettis said. “Because you don’t have time to feel it out… I feel like if my cutter or slider is not there, I know my curveball is there or my changeup is, too… You don’t have time to work through stuff. It’s basically a jump start into the mid-game and there you go. It’s been good.”

On Tuesday, Bettis came into the game with Rockies holding onto a two-run lead against the NL West rival DBacks. He was able to work with a full compliment of his four pitches and threw 17 of 25 pitches for strikes to earn what would be his first major league save after 140 appearances.

“The last number of outings, Chad has really thrown the ball well… It’s going to be a heavy attack of pitches down and moving down.” Black said of the performance that put his club to within one game of the .500 mark. “I think with Chad’s makeup, something like today, a save situation, he’s going to be under control and poised to throw strikes. That’s a good addition to the pen if Chad can pitch like he has these last handful of games.”

Some of the early statistics through his 31.2 innings pitched suggest continued success is in store for Bettis. Batting average against is up from previous seasons along with his WHIP, but the longest reigning Rockies pitcher is getting more ground outs and less fly outs, which includes a reduced home run rate on balls hit in the air.

“I really like the role I’m in right now in the bullpen,” Bettis said after the second straight Rockies win against Arizona. “I really like staying in the bullpen. I’ve made that known to Buddy and (pitching coach Steve) Foster and (bullpen coach Darren Holmes), so I hope that stays true. I think it will. At the same time, it doesn’t matter what I do. I just want to win. I think that’s where I’m at right now. I’d like it to stay that way.”

Even with the worst team ERA among starting rotations in all of MLB as of Wednesday, its been made clear that Chad Bettis is a reliever. With contributions needed from every single player on the 25-man roster, he will remain a vital asset in helping take the Rockies to the mountaintop.