WASHINGTON -- Rockies rookie right-hander Gabriel Hughes has established in his first eight weeks in the Majors a willingness to battle through tough patches. The next step is to make outings easier on himself.
Whether it was because of softly hit balls that became hits in the first two innings or disappearing strike zone commands, Hughes slogged through 95 pitches over five innings of the Rockies’ 7-1 loss to the Nats on a Thursday afternoon at Nationals Park.
Even with seven hits and four walks allowed, Hughes trailed just 4-1 and gave the Rockies a chance.
But the offense didn’t score with the bases loaded in the first inning, left the bases loaded in the third inning after scoring their only run on Brett Sullivan’s infield single, then came up empty again with the bases loaded in the fifth. In fact, the Rockies offense wasted the six walks from Nats starter Jake Irvin in 4 1/3 innings (nine walks overall), and left 13 on base.
With two out and two on in the seventh, with a three-run deficit and 36-homer man Hunter Goodman hitting, Troy Johnston wandered from first only to be picked off by Nats catcher Keibert Ruiz.
But Hughes, who earned a three-inning save in his July 3 Major League debut at home against the Giants but is 0-6 in the nine starts he has made sense, had enough nits to pick about his own performance.
“I was not ahead as much as I wanted, didn’t throw as many strikes as I wanted,” he said. “I got through five but really set myself behind.”
Sometimes a pitcher needs a bailout. Hughes nearly had his with no outs in the first -- after the Rockies’ first empty scoring-position change.
Rockies second baseman Connor Norby slid to backhand Dylan Crews’ grounder but could not set himself to begin a double play. Daylen Lile’s bloop to short left -- right when shortstop Ezequiel Tovar vacated the area to cover second on a steal attempt -- and Brady House’s sacrifice fly handed Hughes a 2-0 deficit.
“The first inning, it felt like broken-bat singles, 50 mph hits,” he said. “I felt like a lot of really good pitches got hit weakly for singles and allowed a couple runs to score.”
But Hughes walked the first two batters in the fourth and saw a run score, and yielded Lile's fifth-inning leadoff homer on a 1-2 changeup.
“I can control the execution of that pitch, and it just wasn’t executed, so it’s all part of the learning experience for next time,” he said.
Hughes faced the Nats at Coors Field on July 22 and held them to one run on five hits, and struck out five. He switched strategies this time, staying with his four-seam fastball primarily but using his sinker instead of his sweeper as his second-most frequent pitch.
So there is a sound thought process, coupled with a willingness to battle. Hughes, who was the 10th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft and dealt with a lengthy recovery from Tommy John right elbow surgery in 2022, now needs sharpness to stake his claim to a spot in the Rockies’ future rotation.
In his first start, July 8 at Dodger Stadium, Hughes struggled in the first but bordered on dominant while going six innings. He hasn’t pitched beyond five innings since. Some games have been better than others.
“I thought he was OK,” manager Warren Schaeffer said. “He didn’t get ahead the way he wanted to. He didn’t put guys away like he wanted to and there were a couple walks.
“Gabe’s getting better.”
Before the season, Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and general manager Josh Byrnes emphasized experience in the rotation as a way of picking up the pieces from last year’s 43-119 struggle.
But the group is turning over to newer pitchers, with righty Tanner Gordon, Wednesday night’s winner over the Nationals; Mason Adams, who showed talent in his Major League debut on Tuesday; and Hughes in the current rotation, with talented Chase Dollander expected back next season after Tommy John surgery.
“They’re young, and ‘JB’ and Paul are going to keep adding guys, so I’m very excited about the future,” Schaeffer said.
Hughes’ next step is to put his potential together for winning results.
“I’m looking forward to continuing to do that,” Hughes said. “That’s going to be the future of the team -- young guys who are able to come up and show out.”