Rockies lefty Austin Gomber has turned his season around. How did he do it? The words of Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux are a good place to begin.
“The best pitchers have a short-term memory and a bulletproof confidence,” Maddux once said.
And here’s another gem from Maddux’s philosophy: “It’s hard to know what people really expect of you, and I’ve never tried to live up to expectations anyway. That’s no way to play baseball.”
Gomber learned those lessons the hard way.
On April 19, in a 14-3 loss to Pittsburgh at Coors Field, Gomber experienced an afternoon nightmare. In two innings, the Pirates blasted him for nine runs on nine hits, leaving Gomber 0-4 with a 12.12 ERA. Opponents were hitting .356 against him and he had issued nine walks in just 16 1/3 innings.
The fact that Gomber had been relegated to the bullpen last season only compounded his ugly start. He looked lost.
Then came his public catharsis.
After the Pirates game, Gomber admitted that being a key piece of Colorado’s infamous 2021 Nolan Arenado trade with the Cardinals weighed heavy on his mind and was affecting his performance.
“I’m kinda searching for (my own identity) right now,” Gomber told the media. “In the past, I tried not to worry about (the trade), and I think I was better at that earlier on. When (the trade) first happened, I didn’t understand the magnitude of it here.
“So I’m trying to keep those thoughts out of my head and not trying to put pressure on myself when I don’t need to. I’m not trying to be (Arenado). I’m just trying to be myself, but I feel like I’m having a hard time staying in that lane right now.”
Now, however, Gomber is cruising.
He enters Friday night’s game against the Dodgers in Los Angeles fresh off a gem in St. Louis, pitching six innings of shutout baseball in the Rockies’ 1-0 victory. He gave up six hits, struck out two and walked three. Considering that Gomber had walked just five batters total through his previous nine starts, those three walks are an anomaly. But unlike some past games, he didn’t allow those free passes to derail him.
Over his last 19 starts, Gomber has a 4.34 ERA with a .278 average against. While there have been some hiccups along the way — a four-inning, seven-run (three-homer), seven-hit game vs. the Padres on June 9 at Coors jumps out— Gomber is in a good place and has evolved into Colorado’s best starter.
“Talking about all of that Nolan trade stuff was definitely helpful,” Gomber said. “I felt a lot of pressure to bring value to the trade. I had never really talked to anybody about it. I had never been traded before, but I think there is a difference to just being traded, compared to being traded for a franchise icon.”
Gomber not only unburdened himself with the media, he talked with teammates, especially veteran reliever Daniel Bard, as well as mental skills coach Doug Chadwick, and Steve Foster, the director of pitching operations.
“The Rockies were pretty good with me,” Gomber said. “They could have very easily given up on me and they didn’t. That helped too, having support behind me. I was able to move forward. I wanted to wipe the slate clean.”
After Gomber’s win at St. Louis, manager Bud Black reflected on Gomber’s catharsis and statement victory over the Cardinals.
“In my mind, this was significant for him in a lot of ways,” Black said. “I don’t want to overplay it, but I know he feels good about this (win).”
The adjustments Gomber has made are not just mental and emotional. He’s tweaked his mechanics, too.
‘He’s staying a little taller when he gets to his balance point,” Black said. “And there is really a concerted effort to locate his fastball, especially inside to righties. Because he’s predominantly going to face right-handed hitters. That was a point of emphasis.
“The (increased) use of the changeup was instrumental. And (he made) a minor shift on the rubber. He’s a little bit more in the middle, where (before) he was on the third-base side. There wasn’t a lot (of mechanical adjustments).”
After his disastrous outing vs. the Pirates, Gomber also simplified his approach and he quit nibbling.
“When things are going bad, you start picking at corners,” he said. “You don’t want to give up hits, so then you start walking guys and it just kind of clouds the issue.”
So Gomber studied some of his more successful stretches and derived some conclusions.
“In the past, whenever I have pitched well for a stretch, it’s usually because I eliminated walks,” he said. “And that comes from commanding my fastball better.”
That was clear during a stretch in early July when he pitched 29 2/3 consecutive innings without walking a batter, setting a franchise record.
“I’m throwing more strikes than I was at the beginning of the year and there are more quality strikes,” he explained. “So I’m getting into better counts and I’m making more quality pitches in those counts. It’s about having confidence in trusting your stuff over the plate.”
Friday’s pitching matchup
Rockies LHP Austin Gomber (9-8, 5.40 ERA) at Dodgers RHP Lance Lynn (8-9, 6.11)
8:10 p.m. Friday, Dodger Stadium
TV: AT&T SportsNet
Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM
Gomber is coming off an emotional win at St. Louis when he allowed no runs on six hits with two strikeouts and three walks over six innings in the Rockies’ 1-0 victory. Gomber was traded from the Cardinals to the Rockies in February 2021 as part of the Nolan Arenado trade. Gomber has six quality starts over his last seven outings. Gomber has not fared well vs. the Dodgers, going 0-2 with a 6.14 ERA in six games (five starts). Lynn, traded from the White Sox to the Dodgers at the deadline, is 2-0 with his new team. Last Sunday, he pitched well against the Padres, allowing one run on four hits with six strikeouts and two walks over six innings. In two starts for Los Angeles, he has 13 strikeouts vs. just three walks.
Pitching probables
Saturday: Rockies RHP Peter Lambert (2-3, 5.57) at Dodgers RHP Tony Gonsolin (7-4, 4.42), 7:10 p.m., ATTRM
Sunday: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (4-12, 4.84) at Dodgers LHP Julio Urias (9-6, 4.39), 2:10 p.m., ATTRM
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