SAN FRANCISCO — When he grabbed a game by the throat and took over for 50-something points, Michael Jordan would say the basket looked like it was 10 feet wide. It’s what they call “The Zone.”
Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado — who took over baseball’s lead in RBIs (68) with two more home runs against the Giants on Sunday — seems like he is hitting a beach ball.
But it’s not that easy.
“When (Madison) Bumgarner is throwing, the ball doesn’t look very big,” Arenado said.
Either way, Arenado is rolling. He hit a home run Sunday off Bumgarner, a two-run rocket in the first inning, and a solo shot off Sergio Romo in the ninth.
Now in his third big-league season, Arenado has five multihomer games — and three have come in the past week. He did it once against the Diamondbacks and twice against the Giants.
“I’m just trying to do my job the best I can,” he said. “I had a good week. And it’s happened — I’ve had a good week, then the next week is not very good. As long as we win and pick each other up, that’s the key.”
With Arenado on a hot streak, pitchers are trying to avoid him. He is seeing fewer fastballs early in counts. But the results aren’t changing much.
“I’ve seen a lot of first-pitch off speed. I haven’t really been hitting them great. But whenever I get a pitch up in the zone, I’ve been hitting them,” Arenado said.
“I’m trying to take advantage of mistakes they’re throwing. That’s what you have to do when you play in the big leagues.”
Add in Arenado’s 17 doubles and three triples, and his 177 total bases this season rank second in the major leagues, behind Cincinnati third baseman Todd Frazier (183).
“He’s definitely in a zone,” manager Walt Weiss said.
Lineup switcheroo from manager Walt Weiss
Against Bumgarner, last season’s World Series MVP, Weiss got creative with a right-handed-heavy lineup. And he bumped second baseman DJ LeMahieu to leadoff, followed by Troy Tulowitzki.
“DJ strings together very competitive at-bats, one after another, every day,” Weiss said. “And he’s been getting on base. It seemed like a natural fit.”
Weiss went with Tulowitzki in the two-hole to get a “powerful right-handed bat in the second spot.”
Charlie Blackmon, the left- hitting center fielder, got a day off from the starting lineup before subbing in the eighth inning. He has played in all but one game this season.
“I was looking for a day to give Charlie,” Weiss said. “He’s been going to the post every day. I wanted to get him off his feet.”
Looking ahead
Rockies’ David Hale (2-2, 5.86 ERA) at Athletics’ Kendall Graveman (4-4, 3.86), 8:05 p.m. Monday, ROOT; 850 AM
Hale allowed a career-high five earned runs against Houston on June 18. Then he tied the mark last week against Arizona. He is looking to get back on track in the Rockies’ series opener against Oakland. In his start against Houston, Hale struck out nine and walked just one before fading. He can miss bats with his pitch mix, but he needs to gain endurance to weather middle-inning storms. This will be just the second start for Hale away from Coors Field this year. In his other Bay Area start, his season debut May 23, Hale gave up two earned runs to San Francisco in a 5-3 win for the Rockies.
Tuesday: Rockies’ Jorge De La Rosa (4-3, 5.15 ERA) at Athletics’ Sonny Gray (9-3, 2.09), 8:05 p.m., ROOT
Wednesday: Rockies’ Chad Bettis (4-2, 3.56) at Athletics’ Jesse Hahn (5-6, 3.47), 1:35 p.m., no TV
Thursday: Rockies’ Chris Rusin (3-2, 4.69) at Diamondbacks’ TBA, 7:40 p.m., ROOT
Nick Groke, The Denver Post
