(Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports)
The Rockies called up Eddie Butler from Double A-Tulsa to not only give a struggling starting rotation a boost, but to give a team some life while trying to get out of this funk. So much for that. He gave them absolutely nothing as the Dodgers hit him hard all night long in his major league debut last night.
Butler’s major league debut line wasn’t pretty. He gave up six runs on 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings in the Rockies’ 7-2 loss to the Dodgers at Coors Field.
To say his debut was a failure is harsh. Anyone with a brain would know he wasn’t ready to pitch in the majors, especially when he is still learning at Double-A. He is not a finished product for anyone to judge him. To expect him to pitch like Clayton Kershaw is unrealistic.
Butler did okay. This is what fans should expect. He would be hit hard, but he would show potential of what he can be one day.
He got into jams, but he pitched his way out of it. He figured out how to use his changeup, and that helped him settle down late. Everything fell apart for him in the sixth inning when he gave up a single, walk, single and walk. The Dodgers were able to score two more runs in that inning to make it a 6-0 game. His night was over after he walked Hanley Ramirez.
The Rockies hope Butler would go seven innings after doing good enough in the middle innings. It wasn’t meant to be.
Here’s what to like about Butler: He can confuse hitters with that changeup as he demonstrated that by striking out Yasiel Puig twice in the game last night. His fastball can overwhelm hitters. He works fast, and he does a good job of attacking the strike zone. He toughens up when he was in jams by getting hitters out in the first few innings of the game rather than giving in the moment.
Everything fell apart for him in the sixth inning, but let’s chalk this to him being fatigued here. He was tiring down in the fifth inning, and it was hard to believe he had anything left in the sixth inning.
Maybe he could have done better if he had runs to work with. Starters tend to pitch better when they have a decent lead to work with. The Rockies never could get anything going offensively. They couldn’t get the key hit that would score runners in home when they had men on base.
Basically, Butler had to pitch perfect for the Rockies to have a chance to win last night. That wasn’t happening. Quite frankly, it’s hard to believe he was ready to pitch in the majors. It was lunacy that the Rockies would promote him despite not pitching a game at Triple-AAA Colorado Springs. He isn’t that great to warrant a big jump yet.
What’s alarming is the Rockies think he can give them the spark that Ubaldo Jimenez did in 2007. That is not an ideal situation. They are putting a rookie in a position to fail by making him a savior.
Maybe Butler will be special this year, but that is far-fetched. Pitchers are going to have to go through ups and downs before they can be great. It wouldn’t be surprising if he is back in the minors in a few weeks if he struggles the next two starts.
For the Rockies to think Butler is giving them a spark is wrong. It won’t change that the team’s hitters can’t seem to hit on the road. It won’t mask an awful bullpen. It won’t make Walt Weiss any better as a manager. The Rockies are still going to be a bad team.
This Rockies team is unwatchable. Once Butler was gone, it was easy to turn the television off. There was no point watching them when they can’t hit and when the bullpen can’t do anything. It makes one wonder how the Rockie callup is changing his things.
It may be for the best if Butler goes to the minors after two bad starts. There’s no point ruining his development by having him in the majors while the Rockies are a lost cause. Let him improve on some new pitches in the minors, and have him up in September when he is polished.
If the Rockies have their way, they would keep Butler in the minors still. Desperate times call for desperate measures, so the Rockies called him up to show fans they are serious about winning.
With the Rockies losing eight straight and being 0-4 in the homestand, it’s hard to believe the Rockies’ great hope is making any difference anytime soon.
Contact or follow Leslie Monteiro at @LightRodWriter
Leslie Monteiro
Leslie is a contributor for Lightning Rod Sports. He covered high school sports in Bergen County out in North Jersey, and has written op-ed columns on sports such as Bleacher Report and NY Sports Digest.
