Rockies' Gray feels right at home versus Braves (Aug 16, 2017)
DENVER -- Convinced that his slider finally is the vaunted weapon it was last season, the Colorado Rockies' Jon Gray will start Wednesday against the Atlanta Braves, seeking to remain unbeaten at Coors Field this year.
Gray (4-2, 4.92 ERA) will be opposed by Mike Foltynewicz (10-7, 4.29).
Gray is 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA in four home starts this season. He is 10-3 with a 4.70 ERA in 23 career starts at Coors Field, where he was initially uncomfortable in the final two months of 2015 when he came to the majors but is now very much at ease.
"It's something I take pride in now," the right-hander said of succeeding at Coors Field. "I know that I can do it. I know I can outpitch the other guy, no matter who it is, here."
Gray is 1-0 with an 0.64 ERA against the Braves in two career starts, both last year.
In his past four starts, Gray is 1-1 with a 3.28 ERA with four walks and 22 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings. He was not involved in the decision Friday at Miami, where he gave up three runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings with two walks and four strikeouts in Colorado's 6-3 loss.
In his side session after that outing, Gray worked on his slider, which he said hasn't broken well all year, though he anticipates it will Wednesday.
"I think sometimes I try to throw it like a curveball, and I shouldn't throw a slider like a curveball, because it's a power pitch," Gray said. "You got to make it look like a fastball, and it's something I really wanted it to do last year.
"I would think about that. 'All right, I'm going to try to make this guy think it's a fastball, no matter what. And I'm going to get the swing.' That's something I got back to after my last side session."
Gray, 25, missed 2 1/2 months with a stress fracture in his left foot. He said the sharpness of his slider was affected by some bad habits he developed when he landed on that foot while throwing his slider in a walking boot. Gray said he has had more of a finesse mentality throwing his slider this year, something he is ready to ditch.
"I got away from what the slider's all about," he said. "I was so excited the last couple days because of it. It's changed my attitude a little bit, so I'm feeling really good going into this game."
Foltynewicz, 25, is 0-2 with a 3.20 ERA in five games (three starts) against the Rockies and 0-1 with a 3.70 ERA in three games (one start) at Coors Field.
In his latest start, Friday at St. Louis, Foltynewicz gave up six runs and seven hits in 2 2/3 innings, his second-shortest outing of the season. He threw 48 of 83 pitches for strikes while walking four and striking out one in an 8-5 defeat.
However, while winning his Aug. 5 start against Miami, Foltynewicz gave up four hits and one run in 6 1/3 innings with no walks and 11 strikeouts. The Braves posted a 7-2 victory.
"He's come a long ways from a year ago," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "Stuff is really good. As much as commanding his stuff, he's commanding himself a lot better now and how he competes and not letting little things (affect him) and not making such a big deal of it.
"He's come a long way. He's not there yet. It is a process. But he's made a lot of strides in maturing, and the ceiling that we all thought about him and the stuff, you're seeing that now. It's just a matter of him staying healthy and going out there every fifth day, and then all that'll take care of itself, I think."
