With rare day as DH, McMahon thrives vs. D-backs

DENVER -- To help ease his struggles during the dog days of the schedule, the Rockies had Ryan McMahon pull a designated hitter shift on Wednesday afternoon.

With a first-pitch temperature of 95 degrees, manager Bud Black had McMahon, who has played in a team-high 116 of the 121 games, take time off from third base. Before Wednesday, McMahon was also in a 4-for-40 skid with 16 strikeouts. But in his DH shift, McMahon had a 3-for-5 performance in the Rockies’ 9-7 loss to the D-backs at Coors Field.

McMahon, however, accepted the assignment but didn’t relish it.

“I hate DH-ing,” McMahon said. “Trust me, I understand it. But, shoot, especially for me, I feel I bring a lot of value to the team defensively, so I’m always going to want to do both. I feel like half a ballplayer, and I think a lot of guys in here would say the same thing.”

The defensive numbers back McMahon, who has a legitimate shot at grabbing his first career Gold Glove Award -- and ending former teammate Nolan Arenado’s 10-year stranglehold on the award, although Arenado is having a much better defensive second half than he did the first with the Cardinals. Still, McMahon, 28, entered Wednesday tied with the Pirates’ Ke’Bryan Hayes with 15 defensive runs saved (DRS) among players at the position.

But sometimes, the bat takes precedence, and McMahon’s has not been effective lately. A career-best 17-game on-base streak ended on Aug. 7. Then he went 2-for-26 in his next seven games.

McMahon’s hitting eye is intact. He has eight walks in 14 August games, after walking eight times in 21 games in July. But on Wednesday, McMahon drilled his 20th homer of the season to right-center field in the first inning off D-backs rookie starter Slade Cecconi. McMahon, who has reached 20 homers in four seasons in his career, added two more hits, including an RBI single in the fifth.

“This week, maybe into next week, are the dog days -- the last week of July, the first three weeks of August,” Black said. “They’re the toughest on players, mentally and physically. ‘Mac’ has been an everyday player.

"There are probably 30 players in ‘Mac’s’ category. Ozzie Albies [of the Braves] played every game up until his hamstring strain. Austin Riley [of the Braves], Freddie Freeman [of the Dodgers] are guys who play every day, and ‘Mac’ is in that category.”

McMahon said he likes seeing his name among games played leaders, and is especially complimentary of the durability of the shortstop alongside him, rookie Ezequiel Tovar (114 games, two fewer than McMahon).

“It’s a super-respectable thing,” McMahon said. “We do it at elevation, and you can argue that that's a little bit tougher. And Tovar has been amazing and deserves a lot of praise for what he has done so far.”

McMahon’ severe early-season troubles forced him to address the sequence of his body movements. After listening to Rockies coaches and analysts and studying video, McMahon landed on a simple reminder: “Step. Hips. Hands.” Those were words his dad used when he taught him to hit at age 5.

The recent downturn had more to do with trying to maintain his swing through fatigue. Wednesday was a start.

The Rockies are off Thursday, but McMahon isn’t interested in resting. He’ll spend the day conducting the Ryan McMahon giveSports Baseball Camp at Regis University in Denver at 3 p.m. MT to benefit A Precious Child, which collects and distributes new and gently used sports equipment to youth athletes. He’ll return, he hopes, replenished after a good game against the D-backs, for Friday night against the White Sox.

“I’m just working through stuff -- this game is tough and it wears on your body, and different things come and go,” McMahon said. “It’s not fun when you're struggling and your team is losing games like that. I’m trying to nip it in the bud. Hopefully, today is the start of it.”