SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Rockies outfielder David Dahl has found he can still hit with power when he chokes up on the bat.

Dahl, who went 1-for-3 in Tuesday’s 1-0 loss to the Brewers, uses the strategy for more bat control, usually with two strikes but sometimes against more difficult pitchers.

Choking up is encouraged at lower levels of baseball, used in an attempt to put balls in play, but it’s not seen as much at the highest levels because it can come at the cost of some power. That’s not the case with Dahl, who played 77 games last season and hit half of his 16 home runs with two strikes. Video review shows a tendency to let his bottom hand climb a little higher on the bat. Balls still flew out to all fields.

But Dahl says when the pitcher is difficult, he’ll “do it right away.” Last season, he began 0-for-14 with 10 strikeouts against left-handers. But the first of his four homers against lefty pitchers in 2018, on May 13, came when he choked up for an 0-1 pitch.

Dahl said he choked up “to an extreme” with more of the bottom of the bat showing than normal on Monday against Rangers right-hander Connor Sadzek and flied one just shy of a homer.

“I like watching Joey Votto, [Anthony] Rizzo will do it -- a lot of good hitters will do it without even knowing it,” Dahl said. “Votto, he doesn’t strike out a lot. He walks a lot. He doesn’t swing at balls off the plate. His swing’s very efficient, but choking up, he allows the ball to travel.”

Dahl said he has watched tape of Votto, and former Rockies farmhand Jordan Patterson, who is in Reds camp this year, has passed some of what he has learned. Dahl added that he watched and talks with Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon and Daniel Murphy, who don’t choke up but make notable adjustments.

Tapia showing improvement
With at-bats Sunday and Monday, outfielder Raimel Tapia demonstrated growth since last season.

After Ian Desmond’s fourth-inning triple on Sunday, Tapia chased three pitches, fouling one off, from hardthrowing Giants prospect Melvin Adon, before chopping a 99.6-mph fastball for a grounder to short that drove in the run. On Monday, Tapia drove a two-strike fastball from the Rangers’ Jeffrey Springs in a lefty-on-lefty matchup for a two-run double.

Last spring, with Dahl recovering from injury and Carlos González unsigned, Tapia had a clear shot to a starting role in the Majors but didn’t execute well enough. The Rockies signed Gonzalez in March, and then when called up from Triple-A Albuquerque, Tapia didn’t handle the high-stakes at-bats with consistency and his playing time disappeared.

“With all players, you like to see those results, even if it’s in a Spring Training game,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “because in our mind, this is competition, this is a game. The other pitcher is trying to get you out. You’re trying to succeed. This is positive for Raimel. There’s marked improvement."

Tapia doesn’t fear being out of Minor League options, meaning he would be exposed to waivers if he didn't make the Opening Day roster.

“That’s fine,” Tapia said through a translator. “I like competition and always have. That way I can show my strong points and keep working hard, which is the most important thing.”

Starters walk away happy

Rockies righty Chad Bettis’ efficiency wasn’t ideal, throwing 66 pitches over 2 2/3 innings, but he struck out four, allowing three hits and a walk, in a scoreless outing on Tuesday.

“There were a couple misses that I wasn’t happy with, but we’re getting closer," Bettis said. "Stuff is starting to get refined, and I feel like everything I’ve been working on has presented itself well in the games."

The Rockies couldn't turn a double play in the second inning because of Brendan Rodgers' high relay throw, so Bettis' pitch count was higher than it should have been.

"It's hard to believe he threw [66] pitches, as well as he throw, in only 2 2/3 innings -- a lot of pitches around the strike zone, a lot of pitches in the strike zone," said Black, who noted that he was impressed with Bettis' cutter and slider.

Lefty Tyler Anderson struck out three and walked one over two hitless innings, using his solid fastball-changeup mix.

“The first inning I was a little sloppy with my body and was rushing a little bit, so we addressed that going out for the second inning,” Anderson said.

Worth noting

• Reliever Seunghwan Oh’s neck stiffness, which marred an outing Saturday, subsided to the point that he threw a bullpen session on Tuesday.

• Catcher Tony Wolters has been ill and missed recent action, but he returned to baseball activities on Tuesday. Murphy currently is under the weather, as well, according to Black.

• The Rockies haven’t announced the squad heading to Monterrey, Mexico, for split-squad contests against the D-backs on Saturday and Sunday, but Black said right fielder Blackmon and Anderson are making the trip.

Up next

Right-hander Jon Gray will start on Wednesday against Angels starter Matt Harvey at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick at 1:10 p.m. MT.