If Gabriel Hughes keeps on pitching like he did on Wednesday afternoon, then he might find himself with a regular rotation spot
Hughes has battled back from undergoing Tommy John surgery. In getting a chance to show Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer and pitching coach Alon Leichman what he can do, Hughes simply keeps showing his best stuff
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“He pitched great, gave us a chance to win,” Schaeffer said “Attacked with his heater – attack, attack, attack. Good body language. Good poise. Breaking ball for punchouts, good changeup. He did it all today.”
All Hughes did on Wednesday was give up just one earned run on five hits with five strikeouts. When he left, the Washington Nationals held a 1-0 lead
Hughes’ outing spoiled by relievers
The Rockies were still in the game. Well, that didn’t last long as Colorado relievers Jimmy Herget and Zach Agnos, after Brennan Bernardino threw a really solid sixth inning, just fell apart. Could either Herget or Agnos be involved in a trade when the MLB Trade Deadline comes up on Aug. 3?
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Herget and Agnos allowed multiple runs, even earned runs, to help the Nationals pick up an 8-0 win that also gave Washington a series victory
Despite the loss, though, Hughes, who got the defeat, pitched much better
After talking with Leichman, Hughes had talked over with him who would be in the Nationals’ lineup
“We’d just gone over everyone, and I asked him kind of offhandedly, ‘By the way, how many lefties is that?'” Hughes said. “He said, ‘That’s eight of nine, actually.’ and I said, ‘Oh, OK.’ Can’t say that happens super often, but we had a good game plan for them all.”
Hughes was the 10th overall pick by the Rockies in the 2022 MLB Draft. After working a little as a reliever, Hughes was put among the Colorado starters. So far, he’s proving that he does deserve to be in there for the rest of the 2026 season
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Hughes felt great about his outing
How did Hughes feel about his outing against the Nationals? He also has found himself pitching quite well in the altitude of the Mile High City
“What worked today was fastball-curveball-changeup, and some of those pitches, even when we’re not at altitude, are moving 20-22 inches,” Hughes said. “My fastball plays like a cutter, and I can utilize that really well. My curveball plays off that – there’s a speed difference. But the biggest thing is just attacking the zone.”
Take a look at these numbers. Hughes, in three games played at Coors Field, including two starts, has a .250 batting average against and a 2.03 ERA. Those numbers are not too shabby right there
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The Rockies lost the series opener on Monday night, then picked up a victory on Tuesday night
Colorado has Thursday, giving the Rockies a chance to dissect what just happened out there at Coors Field. The Rockies open a three-game weekend series against the Milwaukee Brewers, then take Monday off. A short, two-game series follows against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park
Let’s take a look how Hughes responds in his next start, which might come on this five-game road trip
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