Sunday, September 20

DENVER -- Having sunk into a comfy recliner, Rockies third baseman Kyle Karros made smooth, sweeping motions with his hands while describing a swing rhythm that had eluded him for much of the season until showing up over the last week-plus.

“It's just about being more relaxed in the [batter’s] box, not as tense, and just trusting my hands,” Karros said. “I feel like I have good hands, so I just want to allow them to work. When I'm all tight, my swing gets longer. But when I just have really loose hands and it feels a little more ‘whippy,’ I’m quicker and more direct to the ball.”

Karros, 23, has done much right in the batter’s box. After Tuesday night's 8-2 road win over the Angels -- during which Karros went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored -- he is leading the Rockies in walks with 26. He entered Tuesday tied for eighth in the National League in pitches seen per plate appearance at 4.28, and with his turn having gone to a full count 45 times.

Karros’ extreme stinginess convinced a new front office that wants to reverse a trend of rushing players to christen him the starting Major League third baseman at the end of Spring Training.

But the best description is that Karros has been searching for the difference between doing it right and doing it well. Just 10 games ago, he went to bed with a .200 batting average. He’s had pitchers where he should want them, but he has not come out on top at the rate he wants.

Saturday might have signaled a new direction.

Held out of the starting lineup against difficult right-handed pitching for the second time in three games, and having been lifted for a pinch-hitter after two at-bats in the game between, Karros knocked a seventh-inning, pinch-hit home run off Giants left-hander Ryan Borucki in the 8-3 Rockies victory.

Karros followed that up on Sunday by going 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored in a 19-6 loss to the Giants. In Monday’s 9-8 road victory over the Angels, Karros went 2-for-4 with a double, and scored the winning run in the top of the ninth.

There is no doubt Karros has been trying hard. But he may be seeing the benefit of trying a little softer.

“I’ve felt a lot of times in leverage counts, I would foul off my pitch,” Karros said. “And it’s because I was feeling very strong and powerful. But that’s not always quick, you know?

“Now, I’m just trying to feel very loose and just throw my hands.”

Manager Warren Schaeffer sees a player finding his Major League footing.

“He stays with it every day,” Schaeffer said. “He just looks more comfortable as the season goes on, with his first chance in the big leagues. He’s grinding, and his skills are slowly but surely coming out.”

The circumstance of Saturday’s homer might have worked in Karros’ favor.

Selected out of UCLA in the fifth round of the 2023 MLB Draft, Karros earned a Major League callup last August after just 237 Minor League games. A key reason was his defense at third base. At the Major League level, there are levels he has yet to reach; however, the Rockies’ infield defense takes a hit when he’s not in the game. 

Karros’ 58 games played are third on the team behind shortstop Ezequiel Tovar (60) and first baseman TJ Rumfield (59).

So Saturday was a rare night out of the starting lineup, and Karros took a step back from the daily grind. Study and preparation are always a part of his game, but Karros learned by pinch-hitting that he might not need to carry so much in his mind when he steps to the plate.

It was a rare comfortable victory for the Rockies, so Karros was in a good mood when he started preparing for the at-bat that became his third homer of the season. He dashed upstairs to the batting tunnel, greeted by fun-loving teammates. Outfielder Jordan Beck, currently out with a left hamstring injury, threw some balls for him to hit. Karros carried the mood with him to the batter’s box, and around the bases.

“It’s easy to press, very easy to get caught up in the numbers,” Karros said. “But he just reminded me to keep it loose, trust that I can play this game at this level and just have fun. I’m going to do my best to keep those vibes every day I take the field.

“It’s finding that balance of respecting the game and being prepared for it, because this is the highest level, but not taking it too seriously at the end of the day -- not letting it consume you as a human.”

Three of the Rockies’ four full-season affiliates entered Tuesday’s games either leading their division (Double-A Hartford) or were a close second (Triple-A Albuquerque and Single-A Fresno). The purpose of the Minors is to prepare players for the Majors individually. But the Rockies are emphasizing that learning to win as a team is part of the process.

The Major League club has played in more than its share of close games. Without an offense that can blow away many teams, the result comes down to exercising the finer points. The fundamentals are lacking in losses. But a victory like Monday’s, while imperfect, came about because hitters accepted 10 walks and manufactured the winning run in the ninth.

The talent jump between the Minors and Majors is massive, but winning habits on the way up can help lessen the adjustment. Managers in the chain won’t match up or juggle lineups and pitching the way Schaeffer does, but otherwise the game is the same.

“Winning is part of development -- learning how to finish games off, rather than just being competitive,” president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta said. “That’s not something you just figure out at the Major League level.

“We want our players to have that expectation, that at the end of the night they’re going to come out ahead if they execute.”

Right-hander and No. 16 prospect Gabriel Hughes, who sustained a torso/oblique injury at Albuquerque, pitched three scoreless innings (no hits, four strikeouts, two walks) in a rehab appearance with Spokane on Saturday. Albuquerque was discussing bringing him back either this week or next week when the team returns home. It was his first outing since April 29.

Also due back soon in Triple-A are two players with Major League experience. Infielder-outfielder Ryan Ritter (heel bone spur), who last played for the Isotopes on April 14, has played in three games in the Arizona Complex League; and lefty reliever Parker Mushinski (hamstring) had a smooth live batting practice session during the weekend.

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