Story drills home run amid Deadline rumors

July 29th, 2021

ANAHEIM -- Somebody needs to deliver a big pack of cookies, for old times' sake -- or, at least potentially, a going-away gift.

In 2019, it came to light that Story had a Secret Santa of sorts. Every time he homered, someone -- he never revealed who -- would place a 24 pack of Oreo Double Stuf cookies in his locker.

With the Trade Deadline on Friday -- although the number of suitors appears narrow -- the cookie he crunched from Angels left-hander Andrew Heaney in the first inning of the 8-7 loss on Wednesday at Angel Stadium, deserved a pack of chocolatey and creamy goodness, assuming his confection benefactor is still around the clubhouse.

While the focus of the baseball world is on Story and the Deadline, much happened on a day that began with scheduled starter Chi Chi González being scratched for MLB COVID and contact tracing protocol. Raimel Tapia had a 4-for-5 breakout performance. The plan for a “bullpen game” didn’t work because Jesus Tinoco, called up Wednesday, gave up Shohei Ohtani’s 37th homer of the year and long balls to Justin Upton and Max Stassi. And the Rockies erased a four-run deficit before Phil Gosselin singled in the winning run in the eighth off Carlos Estévez.

But with the Rockies in fourth in the National League West, the interest centers on Story. His homer was part of a mixed night that also included a walk when Heaney avoided him in the fifth and three strikeouts -- including one against powerful closer Raisel Iglesias to end the eighth with two runners aboard.

“Still a little inconsistent,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “The good swing in the first on the changeup, then a couple of strikeouts where he was a little bit in between -- ahead of the breaker, behind on the fastball.

“So you’d like to see him get it going. He’s a middle-of-the-order bat, an integral part of our offense when he’s going great.”

Heaney’s changeup floated in at 83.7 mph and hung over the middle of the plate. Story blasted it 106.9 mph off his bat and sent it into the home bullpen in left field. It was actually the second time Story crumbled a cookie on this road trip. His homer Friday night off the Dodgers’ David Price in the Rockies’ 9-6, 10-inning win left his bat at 106.5 mph.

Whether Story stays beyond the Deadline and finishes his sixth season with the Rockies before hitting free agency, or is dealt to a narrowing potential list of teams, he needs to have better swings. He has 13 homers, but before the road trip, he had not gone deep since July 4 at Coors Field.

The lack of punch, an inconsistent average (.240) and an elbow injury that cost him 11 games have raised concerns about Story's throwing and overall strength, which could make dealing him tougher. Or not. If swings like Wednesday’s and the one at Dodger Stadium are coming, a contender could obtain some punch.

The Athletics and Brewers, however, made trades on Wednesday that likely took them out of the Story running. From discussions with various baseball sources, the Yankees and the White Sox appear to be assessing Story’s viability in their uniforms.

Whether it’s the health of the elbow or the timing lost during the injury layoff, Story hasn’t been taking advantage of pitches left over the plate. The number of what Statcast calls middle-middle “meatball” pitches -- evidently it prefers animal protein and fat over sugar -- Story has seen has risen. Those happened at a 6.9% rate in June, and a 9% rate since July 1.

Story still hasn’t found his stride, but the first-inning shot showed a dangerous bat that could belong to a contender, with the Rockies receiving impact players in return. Or he could finish helping the Rockies for the final two months of the 2021 campaign.

“It's good to see that he squared one up,” Black said. “At times, that can jump-start a player.”

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Senior Reporter Thomas Harding has covered the Rockies since 2000, and for MLB.com since 2002.