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Daniel Bard has blown way past being just a feel-good story. The right-hander is carving out one of the best seasons by a closer in Rockies history.
“He’s been very good all year and we’ve talked about his consistency,” manager Bud Black told reporters in Chicago on Wednesday after Bard struck out the side to nail down another save in the Rockies’ 3-0 shutout of the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Entering Friday afternoon’s game against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, Bard has converted 30 of 33 save opportunities for a 90.9 save percentage that ranks as fourth-best in the majors. Bard’s .162 opponent batting average is the ninth-lowest among major league relievers and the third-lowest by a reliever in a single season in Rockies franchise history.
He converted 16 consecutive saves from May 18-Aug. 19, the longest single-season stretch for a Rockies pitcher since Greg Holland converted 23 straight in 2017.
“Daniel has pitched really well and I love the fact that he wanted to stay (with Colorado) and we signed him to that (contract) extension,” Black continued. “And he’s carried on. He’s had a really strong season and now the key for Daniel — and all of us — is to finish strong as a team and individually.”
Bard, who knew teams were interested in acquiring him at the trade deadline, signed a two-year, $19 million contract to stay with Colorado through 2024 just days before the deadline.
“The Rockies took a chance on me 2 1/2 years ago and probably looked crazy when they signed me,” Bard said at the time. “But they had faith in me and they helped me figure out how to pitch again. I had my ability back, but I still had to learn how to get big-league hitters out again. The Rockies were instrumental in that.”
Although he’s 37, Bard can still throw a fastball that consistently travels 98 mph and he has a biting slider that he throws anywhere from 88-92 mph.
Bard, as any reasonably astute Rockies fan knows, was out of the major leagues for more than seven seasons before hooking up with the Rockies for the 2020 season. This season, he’s been brilliant. But how brilliant in the landscape of Rockies history?
In terms of saves, he’s nowhere near the franchise record of 43 by right-hander Wade Davis in 2018 when the Rockies came up one game shy of winning their only National League West title. Davis appeared in 69 games that season, while Bard’s appeared in 52, with 19 games remaining on the Rockies’ schedule.
Of course, Davis pitched for a team that won 91 games, while Bard is pitching for a team that is on pace to win 70. Bard’s had fewer chances.
By other measures, however, Bard comes closer to Davis. Davis went 3-6 with a 4.13 ERA and a 1.066 WHIP. Bard is 5-4 with a 2.03 ERA and a 1.031 WHIP. Davis struck out 10.7 hitters per nine innings and walked 3.6 per nine. Bard is averaging 9.8 strikeouts per nine and 4.1 walks per nine.
In terms of saves and consistency, Huston Street’s performance for Colorado’s 2009 wild-card playoff team was excellent. Street pitched in 64 games, going 4-1 with a 3.06 ERA and 0.908 WHIP. His strikeout rate was 10.2 Ks per nine and he averaged a minuscule 1.9 walks. Street limited opponents to a .194 batting average and served up just seven homers in 61 2/3 innings. Bard has given up only three home runs in his 53 1/3 innings.
While Bard has not been tested in the heat of the pennant race, as Greg Holland was in 2017 when he posted 41 saves, or as Davis or Street were, Bard has been close to a sure thing for most of the season.
Most saves in a season by Rockies relievers
Daniel Bard is moving up the charts for most saves by a Rockies pitcher in a season.
| Pitcher | Season | Saves | ERA | WHIP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | # Wade Davis | 2018 | 43 | 4.13 | 1.066 |
| T2. | Greg Holland | 2017 | 41 | 3.71 | 1.151 |
| T2. | Jose Jimenez | 2002 | 41 | 3.56 | 1.186 |
| T4. | Shawn Chacon | 2004 | 35 | 7.11 | 1.942 |
| T4. | Houston Street | 2009 | 35 | 3.06 | 0.908 |
| T6. | Rafael Betancourt | 2012 | 31 | 2.81 | 1.127 |
| T6. | Brian Fuentes | 2005 | 31 | 2.91 | 1.251 |
| T6. | Dave Veres | 1999 | 31 | 5.14 | 1.623 |
| T9. | Daniel Bard | 2022 | 30 | 2.03 | 1.031 |
| T9. | Fuentes | 2006 | 30 | 3.44 | 1.163 |
| T9. | Fuentes | 2008 | 30 | 2.73 | 1.001 |
# Led the National League
On Deck
Rockies RHP German Marquez (8-10, 5.25 ERA) at Cubs RHP Marcus Stroman (3-7, 3.91)
12:20 p.m. Friday, Wrigley Field
TV: AT&T SportsNet
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM
Marquez’s Jekyll-and-Hyde season continues. He was pitching very well before he allowed nine earned runs through four innings in his last start vs. Arizona at Coors Field. In his nine starts prior to that frustrating performance, he was 3-3 with a 3.49 ERA. The right-hander is 6-5 with a 3.58 ERA in 12 road starts this season. In his career vs. the Cubs, he’s 1-2 with a 7.64 ERA in seven starts. In his first start against the Cubs, on May 10, 2017, he pitched eight shutout innings.
Stroman has also had a two-faced season. He’s 3-2 with a 1.84 ERA in 12 road starts, but 0-5 with a 7.11 ERA in nine starts at Wrigley Field. Stroman has allowed nine runs and 18 hits over nine innings while losing his last two in Chicago. He’s coming off a loss to the Giants at Wrigley, giving up four runs on seven hits (including a home run) in four innings. In five career starts against the Rockies, he’s 3-2 with a 2.53 ERA.
Trending: Since getting called up from Triple-A Albuquerque, shortstop Alan Trejo has hit 9-for-29 (.310) with two doubles, two home runs and six RBIs in nine games.
At Issue: The Rockies released veteran right-handed reliever Jhoulys Chacin on Thursday, but Alex Colome is also struggling. In 14 appearances since the All-Star break, he’s 0-5 with two blown saves and a 13.06 ERA.
Pitching probables:
Saturday: Rockies RHP Jose Urena (3-6, 5.81) at Cubs RHP Wade Miley (1-0, 2.89), 12:20 p.m., ATTRM
Sunday: Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (2-8, 6.12) at Cubs RHP Javier Assad (1-1, 2.53), 12:20 p.m., ATTRM
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