Black delivers words of wisdom to Hoffman

DENVER -- Rockies right-hander Jeff Hoffman found himself in trouble.

In the third inning of his first Major League start of the season, Hoffman gave up four consecutive hits, all while ahead in the count. The last was a three-run double from the Nationals’ Victor Robles. Then manager Bud Black, not pitching coach Steve Foster, strode to visit him on the mound.

Usually the manager makes the second visit, when the pitcher has to leave -- unless there is a point to make. Was Hoffman in real trouble with the head guy?

“I turned around and looked to the bullpen, because I didn’t know if there was somebody warming up that quick,” Hoffman said with a smile.

The Rockies couldn’t recover from the four-run inning -- Robles would then steal third and score on a sacrifice fly -- and lost, 6-3, at Coors Field. But actually, the lengthy visit from Black and Hoffman’s response, as in retiring nine of the final 10 batters he faced while completing five innings, were forward steps.

Intrigue arose in the stands and with the television audience as Black approached Hoffman. Who can forget Kyle Freeland’s rookie year, when Black waved even the catcher away and let Freeland have it for showing negative body language? With Hoffman this time, Black let catcher Drew Butera listen.

As Black talked to Hoffman, plate umpire Jerry Layne went towards the mound in the universal signal to hurry things up. But Black kept talking and Layne let the schooling continue.

While Black didn’t relay what he said, Hoffman said it was far from a chew-out.

“He reiterated his confidence that he has in me and told me that my stuff was fine, and I just have to get the ball down a little bit,” Hoffman said. “It was a good thing to hear at the time and it got me back on track.”

Hoffman, 26, was called up from Triple-A Albuquerque for the start, which was available because Freeland was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left-middle-finger blister. Hoffman was 0-2 with a 13.89 ERA in 11 2/3 innings over three games in Triple-A.

Drafted ninth by the Blue Jays in the 2014 MLB Draft -- one choice after the Rockies picked Freeland -- and a prize when Colorado sent Troy Tulowitzki to Toronto in 2015, Hoffman has seen halting progress. In his last year of options, he needs to make his move.

But innings spinning out of control were a problem in Triple-A, and it began to look that way again when he gave up singles to pitcher Patrick Corbin, Wilmer Difo and Adam Eaton on pitches that stayed in the zone rather than biting nastily. He has the stuff for put-away pitches. He finished with four runs on six hits, but six strikeouts against no walks.

“He was pumping strikes, which is [a] treat to see,” Black said. “All night, Jeff was on the attack, which was really encouraging. He got ahead in the count to the first four guys and couldn’t put them away.”

The flaws that ruined Hoffman’s outings in Albuquerque -- collapsing the back leg, which slows the arm and costs him control, and letting his mind speed up -- can show up with traffic on the bases. Rockies Minor League co-pitching coordinator Darryl Scott, who was in the dugout on Tuesday, alerted him to the flaw before the fourth inning.

On the field, Black expressed his faith that Hoffman could make the adjustments.

“Usually, when he comes out, it’s a teaching moment,” Hoffman said. “All eyes and all ears on him. He’s been around for a long time, doing this for a long time. I’m all ears.”