After laboring early, Quantrill settles in to give Rockies solid start

WASHINGTON -- The goal of making sure Rockies right-handed pitcher Cal Quantrill makes it through the season healthy doesn’t always work in concert with his goals for a given start.

Quantrill felt less than sharp early against the Nationals on Thursday afternoon at Nationals Park. Still, his work over five innings -- two runs on two soft hits and two walks -- was passable. The same can’t be said for all in Colorado's 8-3 loss.

On July 9, Quantrill sustained right forearm soreness and lasted just two innings in a loss to the Reds. He didn’t pitch until 10 days later, and earlier this month, he went 12 days between starts.

Quantrill has pitched well more often than not, but there were two blips -- a road loss to the Angels on July 30, when he allowed seven runs on nine hits in 3 2/3 innings, and a loss at San Diego on Aug. 4, when he allowed three runs in 4 1/3 innings while throwing 88 pitches.

But in six starts since the injury, Quantrill has gone six innings twice and five innings two other times. Thursday, a 28-pitch third inning -- which included a leadoff walk to Joey Gallo and a two-run single from James Wood that dropped just in front of center fielder Jordan Beck -- was the main blip in his outing.

“We’ve been trying to mix in more and more rest between starts,” Quantrill said. “Unfortunately, it took me a good 40 pitches before I found the groove [today]. On the whole, I was happy with where we finished.

“I probably could have gone out there for the sixth, but we’re trying to be smart, make good decisions and be able to go 100 pitches for the rest of the way [in each start]. I was happy with the day, but the results? We just didn’t finish off.”

Not much Quantrill could do about the rest. Brenton Doyle’s solo homer with two out in the sixth was the only significant hit off Nats starter Patrick Corbin -- who struck out eight in six innings en route to his 100th career win. Jacob Stallings added a two-run shot in the ninth.

However, lefty Lucas Gilbreath, in his second appearance since returning from August 2022 Tommy John surgery, gave up four hits and three runs without retiring a batter in the sixth, and Peter Lambert yielded three runs on five hits, including Juan Yepez’s three-run homer in the eighth. Beyond Quantrill, the pitching bright spot was Justin Lawrence, who inherited two Gilbreath runners in the sixth and stranded them.

In all, it was another day for the Rockies to learn from to apply to 2025 -- like a healthy and effective, if not less-than sharp Quantrill.

“He battled,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “The first couple of innings, the pitch count was a little high. We’re watching the arm, and Cal has [gotten through] the first part of August. Hopefully, he can finish strong.

“The last couple of innings were crisper. The fastball held its velocity. The [splitter] didn’t really come into play a whole lot. He gave up two runs.”

Quantrill would like to have given up fewer and pitched longer.

“There were quality at-bats, but it’s a game of inches,” Quantrill said. “When you’re really feeling it, you bury that one pitch two inches further down and away or further up and in. That’s the difference between a foul ball and an out. I could tell I was close early in the game, but I wasn’t quite there.

“By the fourth and fifth, I was there. Hopefully, we can come out of the gates a little faster next time.”