DENVER -- Rockies reliever Juan Mejia lay supine, eyes closed, splayed on the Coors Field infield dirt between first and second. He clinched in his glove the ball from his first Major League save, recorded in a 6-5 victory over the Diamondbacks.
Mejia had endured a hip-to-hip, midair collision with first baseman Warming Bernabel to make the most-unsual game-ending catch of Ketel Marte’s broken-bat loop with the potential tying run at third and go-ahead run at second. Mejia’s dramatic position on the ground sparked concern that he wouldn’t be saving any games any time soon.
A concerned Bernabel, whose own glove was dislodged in the crash, rose and checked on Mejia, and second baseman Ryan Ritter stood over him. But Mejia was merely playing possum for a reaction from Bernabel -- a fellow Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic native.
“I wanted him to panic a little bit,” Mejia admitted in Spanish, with Edwin Perez interpreting.
Figuring they were being played, his previously worried teammates began tickling his sides and underarm.
“He’s a clown, making me think that he was injured,” Bernabel said through Perez.
It was Mejia’s first career save in his first ninth-inning opportunity, after current closer Victor Vodnik had worked the ninth inning the previous two nights in wins for the Rockies -- who have won four of their last five.
Mejia, 25, said the ball will go to his parents.
His first save, however, will live in the story of a competitive inning, a tough decision from manager Warren Schaeffer to let him face Marte, and a truly unique ending.
“I don’t think that play will ever happen again,” Schaeffer said.
Trailing 4-1 to enter the seventh, the Rockies won for the third time in the four-game set with an inning of controlled plate appearances that was emblematic of the series.
They scored one run apiece in four of the first five innings of Friday night’s 4-3 victory. A six-run eighth inning, with Tyler Freeman’s home run being the loudest hit, brought home a 10-7 win on Saturday.
This time, Bernabel singled to open the seventh, Braxton Fulford and Hunter Goodman were hit by pitches, and Ryan Ritter and Mickey Moniak delivered two-run singles. Fulford’s RBI double off Jalen Beeks in the eighth gave the Rockies a two-run lead.
Mejia yielded three straight one-out singles, with Alek Thomas’ loading the bases for James McCann’s sacrifice fly.
Schaeffer was left with a decision: Pitch to Marte, or load the bases for Geraldo Perdomo. Either way, Mejia would be facing one of the game’s best offensive middle infielders.
But Mejia has engendered increasing confidence this year, and went into Sunday scoreless in six of his previous seven appearances. Mejia coughed up a one-run lead in a loss at St. Louis last Monday, but Schaeffer didn’t waver.
Mejia’s motion and natural cut to his fastball give him a striking resemblance to Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera, and he mixes a fastball that averages 94.6 mph with a slider. While leaving a base open with two out is not always ideal, Schaeffer didn’t want Mejia facing Perdomo without “wiggle room.”
For his part, Mejia said, “Like David, no matter the Goliath that’s up there, I’m going to go face it.”
Forget wiggle room. When Marte blooped the 1-1 pitch, the Rockies were happy that Mejia didn’t end up in the emergency room.
“I knew that at first base, it was my job to try to call off the pitcher -- make that play a priority,” said Bernabel, who didn’t meet Mejia until 2011 when they were teammates at Single-A Fresno. “That was my mindset, just go make the play. When I realized that Juan Mejia had jumped toward the ball, that’s when I realized, ‘Oh, this is going to be interesting.’”
Schaeffer smiled about Mejia’s enthusiasm.
“He wanted it,” said Schaeffer, who moved quickly from the dugout toward second before he realized it was all comedy after the drama.
Mejia didn’t call or hear anything.
“That was a reaction play,” Mejia said. “I just thought, ‘God, give me wings to make this play.’ Because I needed this.
”No one knew exactly who had the better play. I knew in my head I thought I had the better chance because the guys were playing a little back.”
Mejia received the lineup card from the dugout in addition to the baseball to commemorate the accomplishment. He’ll also always hold onto the smiles and laughs on the field.
“I just wanted to see his reaction, first, from that whole collision,” Mejia said. “I heard him very worried. He’s a good teammate, worrying about my health, first and foremost.”