Sugano dazzles in potential last start for Rockies ahead of Deadline

DENVER -- The Coors Field crowd stood and cheered in a possible -- maybe probable -- goodbye to Rockies right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano.

Friday night’s season-high matching 6 2/3 innings against the Royals displayed the best of Sugano. There was the usual strike-throwing -- 52 on 83 pitches. His pitch mix yielded nine ground balls.

And the only run Sugano yielded came on a home run by Carter Jensen to lead off the sixth. Of the 21 homers he has yielded this year, 18 were with the bases empty. And when he departed the Rockies’ eventual 3-1 win against the Royals, securing his seventh straight winning decision, Sugano had a 3.81 ERA at Coors Field -- a place that many have feared, but he didn’t when he signed for one year and $5.1 million.

But with the Trade Deadline approaching on Monday at 4 p.m. MT, Sugano seems a prime candidate to be dealt by the Rockies, who are making veteran performers available with the hopes of receiving players to build their talent base.

As important as anything else, Sugano has proven his health. Sugano missed three weeks with back spasms, but in three starts since his return he has a 2.95 ERA.