Rockies battle more than just the Giants as elements in San Francisco make for defensive challenges

The altitude of Denver is a silent killer of many athletic performances, particularly as it concerns marathon runners and pitchers.

One of the more visible variables of sport is that of the wind. Chicago may be well known for its chilly gusts, but San Francisco and it’s ballpark on the bay may be even more infamous.

According to outfielder Yonathan Daza, there is nowhere less predictable when it comes to fly balls than Oracle Park.

“This is the worst,” he said of the Giants’ home, a stadium he’s appeared in more than any other outside of Coors Field.

Speaking with players and coaches, the approach is consistent: do not make any assumptions.

“Usually with the really high, taller stadiums like Oracle Park, there’s not a ton of wind that affects the ball, unless the ball gets up really high,” veteran Charlie Blackmon explained. “So unless you see most of the flags blowing in the same direction, the ball is usually not going to consistently follow a certain flight.”

Sam Hilliard concurs with this pop-up prognosis.

“The flags lie here. You can’t rely on them,” the 28-year-old shared. “Essentially, you have to almost chase the ball around the yard. You don’t know what it’s gonna do when it gets in the air.”

Through two games at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, the breeze off the San Francisco Bay has appeared to be the same factor as the wind at Coors Field through the first month of home games.

Besides the first three games in Philadelphia, the challenges came mostly during the afternoon contest, not to mention the weekend stint in Detroit that included two otherday games.

Never say never as another matchup with the Giants is ahead for the series wrap-up on Wednesday.

“If there’s no clouds and it’s crystal clear with wind and sun… problems,” manager Bud Black said of the conditions in San Fran. “Problems.”

Starting pitcher Chad Kuhl is no stranger to Oracle Park having pitched there with the Pittsburgh Pirates last season.

“It went really well, just had a rough sixth,” Kuhl said ahead of his Wednesday start. “Had a two-run home run hit off me by Alex Dickerson that kind of ruined the night. Otherwise, fine.”

Dickerson is gone, but the rest of the Giants’ lineup that won 107 games last season remains. Kuhl struck out eight that day and were it not for two pitches that altered his final line – a double and a home run – one might think that “fine” performance was a really good one. Even despite the wind.

What also makes Oracle Park such a challenging location to defend are the different textures throughout the outfield, from the brick-facing to the unusual dimensions created by McCovey Cove.

“I do feel like right field is smaller here until you get to the gap,” Blackmon explained. “That gap is really massive. So I think it being smaller, it sort of helps make up for all the curvy angles out there.”

Considering Kuhl is a ground ball pitcher – who isn’t these days for the Rockies? – there may not be as many crises to avert.

But all it takes is one fly ball to cause chaos. 

“You’ve got to keep your eye on it everywhere because if you take your eye off it and then try to pick it back up, it’s hard,” Black has informed his men. “All players have to keep their eye on the ball until somebody calls it and you hear that person. Then you start bailing out.”

The winds of the National League West will not be kind to a Colorado club that is still above the .500 mark (16-14) despite being in last place.

Even with a win on Wednesday, the Rockies may not entirely be bailed out from a 2-4 road trip. A loss, however, means a 1-5 record between Arizona and San Francisco and a season-long record of just one game above the .500 mark.

With their next nine games back at home, Colorado may be able to course-correct until Kris Bryant returns from a back strain that has kept him out since April 25.

No one said the Rockies would breeze into the postseason with the addition of another Wild Card and the addition of a $182 million free agent All-Star. 

At Oracle Park it’s even harder to predict what will happen next.