DENVER -- When the Rockies looked to improve a struggling bullpen earlier in the summer, the answer came calling from within the house. While picking up Seunghwan Oh in July changed the dynamics of the 'pen, Scott Oberg's recall on May 28 might have been the missing piece in securing a bulletproof back of the bullpen.
The unsung right-hander leads all Rockies relievers with 200 appearances since 2015, and since rejoining the club in May after a rough April, he has gone 6-0 with a 1.24 ERA, the lowest ERA among National League relievers with a minimum of 25 innings during that span.
"His mechanics, his delivery have become really consistent," manager Bud Black said before Sunday's rubber match with the Dodgers. "You look at the release point, his arm action -- he's repeating it. When you repeat natural arm action, you're going to consistently make pitches."
Oberg is only getting better as the pennant race heats up. Over the team's last 26 games since Aug. 10, he's allowed one run on six hits and a walk while striking out 15 in 13 appearances and 13 1/3 innings. He's allowed no hits and a walk in five September appearances, pacing the bullpen to the top of the league for the month.
"Our bullpen's on a nice little run here in September," Black said. "I think we're second in the National League in ERA, we're first in opponents average against. So nice job by our guys. We're going to need our bullpen here these next three weeks, and I think our guys are going to respond. Arm-wise, they feel good about where they are physically. Mentally, they're gaining confidence as a group. It's going to take all of them, and so far here in September, it's been good."
Oberg's September numbers are even better than they were in June, when he made five scoreless appearances after his recall. Unfortunately, he spent 20 days out of commission with a back strain, and the Rockies went 6-12 during that stretch.
It's a dramatic change since Oberg stumbled out of the gate with a 6.97 ERA for April, earning an option to Triple-A Albuquerque, where he got back in synch.
"The biggest thing is he trusts the execution of his pitches and trusts his command, and Buddy trusts him to use him in the seventh," catcher Chris Iannetta said after Oberg entered a tight game Saturday with a three-run lead and first place on the line, faced four straight left-handed pinch-hitting power bats, and struck out the side. "He's done great. He's been able to get to glove side, which was something he wasn't able to do early in the year in Spring Training. He has the ability to get the glove side, work up and down on the outside part of the plate, run it in if he has to."
Of the 12 pitchers in the expanded Rockies reliever corps, Oberg is one of only four homegrown Rockies. He's having the best season of his career and proving as vital a cog as any of the big-dollar signings the Rockies have made to bolster their bullpen, finding his place at the right time.
"When he misses, the misses are where they're supposed to be," Black notes. "They're close to the strike zone. He's not missing in big ways. He's not trying to throw the ball down and away and he throws it up and in. So the misses are smaller.
"When you see a pitcher just missing, that's a really good sign. He's around the plate, he's throwing strikes with the fastball, the slider consistency has improved. You combine the velocity he has and the sharpness to his breaking pitch, you're going to have success."