Doyle having 'pretty special' experience with second homecoming to D.C.

WASHINGTON -- Noticeable on the streets and in the Navy Yard entertainment area around Nationals Park are the jerseys. Young and old are showing up in purple T-shirts and green City Connect jerseys, all with the image and/or the No. 9 of Rockies center fielder Brenton Doyle-- pride of Kettle Run High School, about 45 miles away in Nokesville, Va.

Wearing his actual road gray on Wednesday night, Doyle excited his local fans with a double and a single, and by chasing down an RBI double that got past Jordan Beck in right field, and making a throw that led to an out at the plate in the second inning.

It didn’t stop the Nationals -- the team he supported while growing up -- from taking a 6-1 victory. But with people cheering him home in seats behind the Rockies dugout, and in the center-field and right-field stands, Doyle remembered wearing jerseys of his baseball role models.

“It’s huge,” Doyle said. “I used to be that kid walking around with someone else’s jersey. Nationals-wise, it was Ryan Zimmerman and Ian Desmond [who finished his career with the Rockies]. Those were the top two. And of course, I had a Bryce Harper jersey.

“To see kids and grown adults walking in mine is very cool. It’s got a good, rewarding feeling behind it.”

Doyle was a rookie last year, and had a contingent at Nationals Park that included his grandmother, Barbara Dufrene; his mother, Andrea Dufrene-Doyle; and his father, Joe Doyle. At the time, he was headed to a National League Gold Glove Award. Doyle had the defense down, but was going through growing pains as a hitter. He went 3-for-12 as the Rockies dropped 2-of-3.

This time, Doyle is riding a career-best 10-game hit streak, during which he is slashing .375/.419/.575 -- 15-for-40 with one home run, three doubles, a triple, four RBIs and nine runs scored. Doyle has locked up a 20-20 season and seeks more.

The Rockies are as pleased as Doyle’s cheering section.

“He’s been a consistent performer all year,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “It’s good to see. He seized the opportunity last year, and hasn’t stopped. I know we -- the coaches and I, and I think his teammates -- are very proud of where he’s been the last year and a half and what lies ahead.”

But a Doyle celebration did not equal a Rockies celebration, as starting pitcher Tanner Gordon struggled with fastball command for the second straight start. A three-run homer by Luis García Jr. in the four-run third inning was problematic as Gordon gave up five runs and eight hits in four innings.

Gordon yielded four runs (three earned) and recorded just two first-inning outs in a loss at Arizona in his previous outing.

“I tend to speed up on myself and my tempo gets out of whack, so it comes down to controlling my breath and doing what I need to do,” Gordon said.

Gordon has a solid changeup, but needs a sharp fastball to get to it, and Black said he will offer coaching points that should help at the end of this season and, more importantly, next year when he competes for a rotation spot.

Interestingly, Gordon has a strong example in Doyle, who struggled with his swing last year and batted .203. He bought into coaching points toward the end of the season, and arrived with mechanics and an approach that have led to a solid .271 batting average with an .802 OPS.

He has shown those improvements in-person to family and friends as the Rockies have split the first two games of three, with the finale on Thursday afternoon.

“Last year, I remember I didn’t have too much to show for coming back here and playing,” Doyle said. “This year has been a different story. Just hearing everyone cheering for me and having everyone behind me is pretty special.”