Jon Gray: Rockies keeping an eye on Jon Gray’s workload

Jon Gray’s most recent start for the Albuquerque Isotopes has turned out to be his last start at Triple-A. Two innings later, Michael McKenry’s two-run homer into the left-field seats off reliever Mayckol Guaipe gave the Rockies a 7-5, walk-off victory over the Mariners (50-59) Wednesday at Coors Field in Denver. The last Mariners pitcher to get a hit was Hector Noesi on June 12, 2012.

Felix Hernandez pitched effectively into the seventh inning and Nelson Cruz homered in a fourth consecutive game to reach 30 for the season for the Mariners, who held on in the ninth for the win.

Gray is the first Rockies starter to make his major league debut this season and the fourth in the past two seasons.

The Rockies drafted the 23-year-old Gray out of the University of Oklahoma third overall in the 2013 amateur draft.

“We got the big picture in mind when you talk about bumping innings from one year to the next”, Weiss said. “And he’s ready for this”. Though Gray had the ability to perform at the major league level upon his arrival with the Rockies’ organization, upper management wanted to allow the young starter to develop in their farm system to avoid a premature promotion. In his last six outings, he’s gone 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA and 38 strikeouts.

Seattle jumped on Eddie Butler with a four-run first highlighted by Jesus Montero’s two-run double.

Could Gray blow up and allow ten runs in his start?

The Mariners missed a chance to regain the lead in the 10th inning after Logan Morrison worked back from an 0-2 hole against Christian Friedrich for a walk.

“I wasn’t expecting it, especially on this homestand”, he said. “That was the downfall”. After third baseman Nolan Arenado singled to lead off the Rockies’ ninth, Mariners left-hander Rob Rasmussen relieved Tom Wilhelmsen. Second baseman DJ LeMahieu fielded shortstop Brad Miller’s slow roller in the sixth but dropped the ball as he was setting to throw.

“They did a great job in a very tough place to pitch”, McLendon said.

The Mariners bullpen finished strong. He is hitting. 429 (27-for-63) with four doubles, nine homers and 13 RBI over that hitting streak. “As soon as I threw the pitch, I knew I made a mistake”.

Gray then allowed an unearned run in the fourth on two singles and an error that gave the Mariners a 3-1 lead. Rusin, who is 2-1 with a 3.66 ERA in six games (five starts) at home this year, will be facing Seattle for the first time.

Although he’s done nothing to shed his reputation for streakiness, Cruz has still solidified himself as one of the top right-handed sluggers in baseball, posting a.323/.387/.597 batting line through 106 games, with 31 home runs and 67 RBI.

Rockies: LHP Jorge De La Rosa (7-4, 4.87) opens a seven-game road trip in Washington on Saturday. During spring training, Gray struck out Paul Goldschmidt on a 97 miles per hour fastball.

If the Rockies had not fought back to defeat the Mariners, 7-5, they would have been swept at home, would have lost for the eighth time in 10 games and would be in danger of challenging Philadelphia for the worst record in the major leagues. The Cardinals’ Randal Grichuk fanned five times on May 18 at the New York Mets.