New dawn for Gomber gets 'off to a good start'

CLEVELAND -- After the last of his five scoreless innings in Monday night’s 6-0 victory over the Guardians, Rockies left-hander Austin Gomber shook his fists and screamed away the bad energy.

The Rockies -- 7-17 but with three shutout wins -- needed to release the pressure valve after losing 11 of their previous 12 games. The last three defeats in a weekend set in Philadelphia were winnable, but the big hit or the shutdown inning -- or both -- never came.

But Gomber’s malaise went deeper than a bad start to this season.

Gomber gave up a deflating nine runs in two innings in his previous start against the Pirates on Wednesday to see his ERA inflate to 12.12. Afterward, he turned an inquest about pitch location into a soul-baring confessional about the pressure he felt from being a key piece to the trade that sent superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado to the Cardinals on Feb. 1, 2021.

The heavy self-assessment began a lightening of Gomber’s heart. After facing cameras and microphones, he had meaningful chats with experienced teammates Mike Moustakas, Daniel Bard and Brent Suter.

Gomber went to the coaching staff, including manager Bud Black. He also said he spent time with Rockies director of mental skills Doug Chadwick, as well as director of pitching operations Steve Foster.

On a cold Cleveland Monday morning -- it was 39 degrees by first pitch -- somehow, Gomber felt sunny.

“Honestly, the weight came off my shoulders Sunday, Sunday night, Monday,” said Gomber, who will always be linked to Arenado no matter how he performs and needs more good outings to reduce an ERA that sat at 9.28 after Monday.

“I felt I was able to have a good bullpen [session] and prepare the right way. Then I woke up today and didn’t know how I was going to feel.

“Today is game day and I felt like I had been feeling the last few days. The weight was off my shoulders. I was in a better spot. All I was trying to do was give myself a chance to compete.”

Gomber wasn’t alone in needing joy. Rookie shortstop Ezequiel Tovar added to his sink-or-swim single by stroking a single to left for two runs during a four-run fourth.

Jurickson Profar homered in the first off Cleveland starter Cal Quantrill and Mike Moustakas went 3-for-4 with a double -- both vets entered Monday, like Tovar, with sub-.200 batting averages.

A harsh saying is that most people don’t care about your problems and the others are glad you have them. The Guardians hoped Gomber’s malaise would have lasted another day.

“He comes in struggling and you hope that continues,” Guardians manager Terry Francona said. “He used his fastball to both sides and then he spun it. Kind of like [the Marlins’ Devin] Smeltzer the other day. Similar. Not the overpowering fastball, but got ahead and just started spinning it."

Black noted that if Gomber lands the fastball, especially inside to right-handed hitters, he can use his secondary pitches effectively and in the right proportion. On Monday, every single pitch type was top 18 percent or better, according to MLB Quality of Pitch.

“I'd have to really go back and look at the video, but from their swings it looked as though his location was solid,” Black said. “His stuff was good, too. The velocity was up a tick overall, but the curveball came into play and the slider. Not many changeups today, which is encouraging because the biggest strength is the four-pitch mix.”

Some of Gomber’s 2023 blemishes showed. The bottom of the first started with him yielding a double to Steven Kwan, who reached third with one out. Gomber issued three walks, including one to fifth-inning leadoff man Mike Zunino.

But with one out and two on in the fifth after Kwan’s single, pitching coach Darryl Scott and catcher Elias Díaz visited Gomber and debated the plan against Amed Rosario.

“I asked Díaz what he thought,” Gomber said. “He said, ‘Backdoor slider.’ Darryl said, ‘No, let’s go fastball, down and away, and he’s going to hit into a double play.’”

Gomber fell behind Rosario, 3-0, then made the fastball he wanted on a 3-1 pitch.

“It’s only been five days -- it’s not fixed, not by any means a done thing,” Gomber said. “But it’s off to a good start.”