Colorado’s shiniest silver lining amid the potential of a 100-loss season made club history on Tuesday at T-Mobile Park, becoming the first Rockies player to earn All-Star Game MVP by blasting a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the eighth inning.

Diaz’s dinger off Orioles right-hander Félix Bautista gave the National League a 3-2 lead and propelled the Senior Circuit to its first win over the American League since 2012, snapping a nine-game win streak for the AL in the exhibition. Diaz sent Bautista’s 2-2 hanging splitter 360 feet into the left field seats in Seattle.

“That was absolutely electric!” Ryan McMahon told The Denver Post. “I know myself and a bunch of my teammates were all screaming at the TV in excitement. It was so cool to see that homer.”

The 32-year-old Venezuelan, making his All-Star debut as the first Colorado catcher to appear in the game, was pinch-hitting for Jorge Soler. Diaz’s clutch bomb came against the best bullpen arm in baseball, as Bautista leads all relievers in ERA (1.07 in 39 games), strikeouts per nine (18.00) and WAR (2.0).

If not for the MLB rule that every team is represented in the game, Diaz might not have even been there for his decisive stroke.

Diaz’s homer was only the sixth go-ahead homer in the eighth inning or later of the All-Star Game when a team was trailing, and the first in 20 years. He joins Hank Blalock (2003), Mike Schmidt (1981), Cookie Rojas (1972), Gus Bell (1954) and Ted Williams (a walk-off to end the 1941 game at Briggs Stadium in Detroit) in accomplishing that feat. Diaz is also just the sixth catcher to win the game’s MVP, joining Brian McCann (2010), Sandy Alomar Jr. (1997), Mike Piazza (1996), Terry Steinbach (1988) and Gary Carter (1981, ’84).

The AL tried to spoil Diaz’s Ted Williams MVP Award bid in a dramatic ninth inning, but Phillies closer Craig Kimbrel worked around two walks and shut the door by striking out Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez to end the game.

Diaz’s big moment in Seattle continued his stellar season as one of the top performing players on Blake Street. At the All-Star break, Diaz is batting .277 with nine homers and 45 RBIs. Behind the dish, he’s improved vastly from 2022 while emerging as one of the more reliable backstops in the NL.

He’s under contract through next season, and even though Diaz could fetch a decent return on the trade market ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline, it’s unlikely the Rockies would deal the veteran catcher in exchange for much-needed pitching prospects. Beyond Diaz, only veteran Austin Wynns (a waiver claim earlier this season) is on the roster, while Brian Serven is the lone catcher in Triple-A with big-league experience.

Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis.

Elias Díaz just flipped this #AllStarGame on its head! pic.twitter.com/a676EZsZ53

— MLB (@MLB) July 12, 2023

Elias Diaz isn’t going to forget his first trip to the All-Star Game any time soon.

The Rockies catcher smashed a two-run, 360-foot home run in the top of the eighth inning Tuesday to give the National League a 3-2 lead in the midsummer classic.

Facing a 2-2 count against Orioles closer Felix Bautista, Diaz connected on a shot that sailed just past the left-field fence, driving in Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos.

Soak it all in, Elias! pic.twitter.com/zKeVpbESOy

— MLB (@MLB) July 12, 2023

The NL would hold on to win, 3-2, with Diaz being named the game’s MVP award. It’s the first time a Rockies player has received the honor.

Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis.

Davis, 7, and Sykes, 5, usually wear miniature Rockies jerseys, complete with No. 52 and “Bard” emblazoned on the back. But they don’t hang around their dad for very long. They make a beeline for first-time All-Star catcher Elias Diaz, whose locker is a few doors down.

“He messes with my kids every time I bring them into the clubhouse,” Bard said with a chuckle. “They call him ‘The Crazy Guy.’ They’ll ask me, ‘Is The Crazy Guy going to be there?’

“They come in looking for him every day. They get into a wrestling match and Elias usually puts them in a laundry basket or something.”

It’s not just the kids who gravitate toward Diaz. His locker is the hub of the Colorado clubhouse.

“He’s a happy guy, always smiling,” said right-hander Antonio Senzatela. “He works so hard and he cares so much, but he’s a happy guy. You need guys like that. He’s my good friend.”

Last week, when manager Bud Black announced that Diaz had been selected for Tuesday night’s All-Star Game at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park, the clubhouse erupted with cheers. Diaz shed some tears.

Díaz is an All-Star, who's cutting onions pic.twitter.com/ZKTDNjLIEB

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) July 2, 2023

“It was special for me, for sure,” said Diaz, the first catcher in Rockies history to be named to the Midsummer Classic.

Diaz, 32, from Maracaibo, Venezuela, has been toiling behind the plate for a long time. He was initially signed by the Pirates at age 17 in 2008 and played his first season of professional baseball in 2009 for the VSL Pirates in the Venezuelan Summer League.

“He’s a grinder and he’s played the game a long time and it took him a while to find his stride,” Bard said. “But it seems like he appreciates the game every day he’s at the ballpark. It’s been fun to watch him grow.”

With an appearance in Tuesday night’s game, Diaz would become one of 10 Venezuelan-born catchers to play in an All-Star Game.

This season, he’s slashed .277/.328/.435 with nine home runs and 45 RBIs. Among big-league catchers, Diaz is tied for second in games behind the plate (74), tied for third in hits (77) and is tied for second in runners caught stealing (14).

It’s been a long, tough road for Diaz. The Pirates non-tendered him after the 2019 season and the Rockies, well aware of his reputation as a tough catcher, quickly signed him. After an impressive 2021 season, Diaz signed a three-year, $14.5 million contract, but then he struggled mightily last season.

He hit .228 with nine homers and his 11 errors were the most among all major league catchers and tied with Jeff Reed (1996) for the second-most for a Rockies catcher in franchise history.

He admits now that he put too much pressure on himself. He says he got away from being himself.

“Now I try not to worry about things,” Diaz said back in May when he hit .321 with four home runs and a .896 OPS for the month. “I just go day by day. I take care of today. I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, so what matters is today.”

Behind the plate, Diaz is stoic. He wears his black-and-blue bruises like purple hearts.

“He’s really tough, he doesn’t want to quit,” Senzatela said. “He gets beat up sometimes with foul balls and everything. But he wants to be out there for every game. Nothing is going to stop him.”

Once Diaz is off the field, he lets his guard down and his smile lights up the room.

“It’s who I am,” he said. “And, baseball is baseball. I try to separate that from the rest of my life. You have to take care of your friends and your family. It’s just the way I am. I try to be happy all of the time and I mess around with everybody.”

Black understands why Diaz has become so important in the Rockies’ clubhouse.

“Players know when a guy is a good person, is invested in the team and truly cares,” Black said. ” ‘Ellie’ is one of those guys. He’s a workhorse. He’s a beast when it comes to work ethic and that’s admired by his teammates, especially at a demanding position like catcher.”

As for Davis and Sykes calling him “The Crazy Man,” Diaz is cool with that.

“That’s OK, they are my little friends,” he said with a smile.

Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis.

In this edition of the On The Rox podcast presented by BetSafe Colorado, Denver Post sportswriters Kyle Newman and Patrick Saunders break down the ever-spiraling Rockies at the all-star break.

The packed show includes discussion on Elias Diaz becoming the first all-star catcher in team history, the most surprising, most disappointing and best teams at midseason, and analysis on Futures Game participant and rising Rockies prospect Yanquiel Fernandez.

Plus, who the Rockies might take at No. 9 overall in the first round of Sunday’s MLB Draft in Seattle.

Subscribe to the podcast
SoundCloud | iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

Now he’s also an All-Star, the first catcher in the Rockies’ 31 years of existence to be so honored.

When manager Bud Black informed Diaz in the clubhouse before Sunday’s game vs. Detroit, Diaz teared up as his teammates applauded and cheered.

“I’m grateful for the way the season has gone, grateful for the team, grateful for my family’s support and truly honored,” Diaz said, with bullpen catcher Aaron Munoz interpreting.

“The guys have come to appreciate Elias in a number of ways,” Black said. “The care factor for the Rockies, the care factor for his pitchers as teammates. It’s great because it’s understated. He’s pretty quiet, but you can tell there’s a big heart in there.”

The fact that he made Rockies history wasn’t lost on Diaz.

“I was told I was the first catcher (to make it) before the game,” he said. “It’s an honor. Early on in the game, I (was thinking) this was something special. My name is going to go on in history here in Colorado. I take that as an extreme honor and it’s something special to me. Hopefully, the generations behind me can appreciate that.”

There was some speculation and hope from the Rockies that third baseman Ryan McMahon would also make his first All-Star Game, but Diaz is going solo. He will represent the National League team on July 11 at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.

Diaz, 32, has walked a long road to the Midsummer Classic. He was non-tendered after appearing in five seasons with the Pirates, from 2015-19. His career was reborn in Colorado when he joined the Rockies in 2020, but even then there were potholes in the road.

“Becoming an All-Star is always a huge honor for a guy, especially a guy who’s later in his career,” said Rockies veteran reliever Daniel Bard. “I know how hard it’s been for him. It wasn’t automatic and it wasn’t easy for him to get established to become this guy.

“I also know how hard he’s worked and he’s definitely deserved this. He’s carried us offensively and defensively, and he wears it behind the plate five or six days a week. It takes a special person, and a special type of toughness.”

Through Colorado’s 14-9 loss to the Tigers on Sunday, Diaz is slashing .284/.337/.452 with nine home runs and 45 RBIs, making him one of the most productive catchers in the majors.

But it’s also the catcher’s skills behind the plate that caused his teammates to lobby for his All-Star dream.

“He’s been fantastic,” left-hander Kyle Freeland said earlier this season. “To have that trust in your catcher, knowing that he’s going to block the ball if you throw a curveball in the dirt is huge.”

Diaz became Colorado’s primary catcher late in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He started slowly in 2021, hitting just .123  through June 1. But he caught fire, hitting .284 the remainder of the season, with 17 of his 18 homers coming after June 1.

Diaz and the Rockies avoided arbitration after the 2021 season with a three-year, $14.5 million contract. Diaz admitted that he pressed last season when he slashed just .228/.281/.368 and hit only nine home runs.

During the offseason, Diaz worked on becoming more positive with the goal of not allowing bad games or bad moments to carry over to the next day.

“I’ve been fortunate that I’ve been at this level for quite a bit now, and the game teaches you everything,” Diaz said. “I’ve been able to adjust when necessary. Being up here taught me to be a little bit more patient and take it day by day. If something didn’t happen that day, I know the next day I can be a little bit more positive and bring that energy.”

Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis.

The Rockies’ Gold Glove second baseman took live batting practice for the first time Saturday since injuring his left shoulder during spring training. He also took extensive infield practice and ran hard on the bases.

Rodgers, 26, will travel with the Rockies to Houston and San Francisco next week and then report to Arizona for extended spring after the All-Star break.

“I’m totally excited and I’m really looking forward to hitting,” Rodgers said.

Manager Bud Black said that it’s possible that Rodgers, after he works his way into games in Arizona, and after finishing a minor-league rehab assignment, could return to the Rockies for games in August and September.

“I think it’s important for him to play as much as possible, coming back for peace of mind and confidence, just so he can have as normal an offseason as possible,” Black said.

Rodgers injured his shoulder during a Cactus League game on March 6. The injury was originally announced as a dislocated shoulder and the Rockies hoped it would be a short-term injury. A follow-up examination, however, revealed that Rodgers needed surgery to repair his torn labrum. There were concerns that Rodgers would miss the entire season, but he’s worked extremely hard during rehabilitation and now could play as many as 50 or 60 games.

Rodgers underwent a similar surgery on his right (throwing) shoulder in July 2019, which ended his rookie year.

All-Star talk. Reserves for the All-Star Game in Seattle will be announced Sunday afternoon. Every team will be represented by at least one player. The Rockies’ two realistic possibilities are catcher Elias Diaz and third baseman Ryan McMahon.

“I’d like to see both of them get in; they’re deserving,” Black said.

Colorado has never had an All-Star catcher so Diaz would make some history.

“That would be great,” Black said. “I think he’s in.”

Diaz entered Saturday night’s game against Detroit hitting .286 with a .799 OPS, nine home runs, and a team-high 45 RBIs. Diaz’s 68 games at catcher were the second-most in the majors and his 13 catcher-caught stealings ranked second in the National League.

If McMahon makes the All-Star Game, it will be because of his recent surge at the plate. After a painfully slow start, the third baseman has slashed .344/.431/.624 with eight home runs, seven doubles, and two triples over his last 33 games. Over that span, McMahon ranks among the NL leaders in OPS (1.055, first), average (third), total bases (78, tied for third), and slugging (tied for fourth).

McMahon has been excellent in the field all season and his 1.2 dWAR (Baseball Reference) is the second-highest among NL third baseman, trailing Pittsburgh’s  Ke’Bryan Hayes. Hayes was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday because of inflammation in his lower back.

All-Star Game reserves are selected by player voting and selections from the commissioner’s office.

Sunday’s pitching matchup

Tigers RHP Matt Manning (1-1, 4.15 ERA) at Rockies RHP Connor Seabold (1-4, 5.98)

1:10 p.m. Sunday, Coors Field

TV: ATTRM

Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM

The learning curve has been steep for Seabold, whom the Rockies hope they can count on for the rest of the season. Seabold was charged with a loss to the Dodgers on Tuesday, allowing four runs on five hits and one walk over five innings. He struck out three. Although Seabold owns a 6.19 ERA as a starter this season. He registered a 4.50 ERA over his first eight starts before giving up a combined 13 runs across his last two appearances. Manning, 25, made a mostly solid apperance at Texas on Tuesday. He had not pitched for the Tigers since April 11 as he recovered from a fracture in his right foot and he threw 97 pitches. Through the first five innings, the right-hander stymied the Rangers’ powerful offense, holding it scoreless, but he ran into trouble in the sixth.

Pitching probables

Monday: Off day

Tuesday: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (4-8, 4.88) at Astros RHP J.P. France (3-3, 3.13), 2:10 p.m., ATTRM

Wednesday: Rockies RHP Chase Anderson (0-3, 6.50) at Astros RHP Ronel Blanco (2-0, 4.73), 12:10 p.m., ATTRM

Thursday: Off day

Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis.

Could Elias Diaz be the man to change that equation?

“Wow! Good question,” Diaz said, his eyes brightening at the thought. “For every player in the major leagues that is the dream. Everybody wants to play in the All-Star Game. I don’t know if I’ll make it but I’ll continue to play hard and we’ll see what happens.”

It’s only mid-May, so we’re a long way away from the Midsummer Classic. But through the first six weeks of the season, Diaz, 32, has been the Rockies’ best everyday player, as well as one of the best catchers in the majors.

“The thing about Elias is that he’s so capable and so willing,” manager Bud Black said. “He’s strong as a bull and he wants to play every day. There is a strong desire to do it all — and do it playing a tough position.”

As the Rockies entered a weekend series against the Phillies at Coors Field, Diaz had, indeed, done it all.

Let’s begin with defense, the top priority for any catcher worthy of his chest protector.

“He’s been fantastic,” left-hander Kyle Freeland said. “To have that trust in your catcher, knowing that he’s going to block the ball if you throw a curveball in the dirt is huge.”

Giant, too, has been Diaz’s ability to throw out would-be base thieves. His 10 caught-stealings lead the majors and he’s thrown out 53% of those who’ve attempted to swipe a bag, ranking fourth.

Monday night at Pittsburgh, Diaz threw out three would-be thieves, setting a career-high and tying the franchise record. The last Rockies catcher to record three caught-stealings in a game was Yorvit Torrealba on April 25, 2008, at Dodger Stadium. Included in Diaz’s night were two “strike-’em-out, throw-’em-out” double plays to end the first and fifth innings.

“He’s got a cannon,” Freeland said. “He’s got quick hands and he puts the ball on the money most of the time. That’s huge for us pitchers.”

Accuracy was missing from Diaz’s game last season when it was not uncommon to see him fire throws into the outfield. He finished 2022 with 11 errors, the most in the majors for a catcher, and tied with Jeff Reed (1996) for the second-most for a Rockies catcher in franchise history, trailing Wilin Rosario’s 13 in 2012.

But Diaz has worked extensively with catching/bench coach Mike Redmond on his footwork and pregame preparation. Most important, Diaz figured out speed is far less important than accuracy.

“I definitely feel like I’m in a good place,” he said. “In spring training we talked a lot about, ‘Don’t try to do too much, don’t overthrow, just be accurate.’ That’s what I’ve been doing. I mean, I don’t try to throw it 100 mph to second base.”

At the plate, Diaz has delivered, too. His .333 average leads the Rockies and he carries the best average among big-league starting catchers. Diaz’s .866 OPS is third among catchers, trailing only Atlanta’s Sean Murphy (1.040) and the Rangers’ Jonah Heim (.931).

Though Diaz would prefer to have hit more than just three home runs, he’s been Colorado’s best clutch hitter, hitting .452 (14 for 31) with runners in scoring position. Entering the weekend, his 18 RBIs led the Rockies.

Diaz is a pull hitter with power to left field. In 2021, he slashed .283/.346/.550 with 17 home runs, six doubles, one triple and 40 RBIs from June 1 through the end of the season. As a result, the Rockies signed him to a three-year, $14.5 million contract.

But word quickly got around to stay away from pitching Diaz inside or catching too much of the plate.

“When I look at the scouting reports, everybody pitches to me away,” he said. “So I had to make an adjustment and use the big part of the field. I have been able to do that so far.”

Diaz has become more adept at shooting singles up the middle or going with the pitch and dumping a hit into right field.

“We talk all of the time about hitting to the situation as the situation dictates,” Black said. “We’ve seen that from Elias. We’ve seen sacrifice flies and we’ve seen him go the other way. The approach is what’s been impressive to us. To be able to change your approach and adapt to the game situation, that’s what you want a player to do. And Elias is doing that.”

Diaz has always been a notoriously slow starter, but not this season. He’s hit .368 with four doubles, three home runs and 17 RBIs in 27 games since April 6.

“He’s getting pitches to hit, and he’s hitting them,” Black said. “The selectivity has been there. Not quite as much chase. When he’s going bad, there’s a chase in there. He’s an aggressive hitter and he’s got to be ready to hit, but he’s got to be ready to check off and stop his swing on balls out of the zone. For the most part, he’s doing that.”

If Diaz can keep it up, the Rockies just might be one for 31 come the All-Star Game.

Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis.

Well, C.J. Cron’s got that swing, and the Rockies’ 6-foot-5, 235-pound first baseman rode it all the way to Tuesday’s All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium.

His teammates have been impressed.

“Just watching him take batting practice is cool,” second baseman Brendan Rodgers said. “He’s a big guy and everybody expects him to have pop, but his swing is very effortless and fun to watch.

“What I preach to myself is to be calm, cool and relaxed in the box and let your hands do the work. That’s what I’ve noticed about C.J.”

Cron, at age 32, in his ninth season in the majors, is an all-star for the first time. He’s hitting .298 with 21 homers (fifth in the National League), 69 RBIs (fifth), and a .902 OPS (fourth). He’s been a monster at Coors Field, slashing .352/.393/.674 with 16 homers, 12 doubles, two triples, and 53 RBIs.

Cron has megawatt power. On June 17 at Coors, he launched a 486-foot homer against the Padres, the second-longest homer in the majors this season behind the Marlins’ Jesus Sanchez’s 496-foot blast at Coors on May 3. Cron’s average home run distance of 425 feet ranks first among hitters with 10 or more homers.

He comes from good stock. His father, Chris Cron, is the Athletics’ assistant hitting coach, and his brother, Kevin, plays first base for SSG Landers in Korea. Naturally, Cron can talk about hitting mechanics all day long, but he prefers to just summarize.

“My swing is a little unique but I don’t think it’s all that complicated,” Cron said. “I want to load up for power and I want to make sure and use my hands, make them central to what I’m doing. I’ve come to realize that my hands are the best part of my swing.”

Cron’s handiwork is on display during batting practice, often when manager Bud Black is pitching.

“Buddy will be out there and he’ll call out ‘hit and run,’ ” hitting coach Dave Magadan said. “And I’ll be damned if C.J. doesn’t hit a perfect line drive to right field. He’s got really good bat control, especially for such a big man.”

Cron’s swing has evolved over the years. Seeking more consistent power and improved timing, he added a higher leg kick prior to his 2020 season with Detroit, a season cut short by a knee injury. Cron’s primary goal was to see pitches better, giving him the opportunity to adjust his hands to the pitch, allowing him to pull the ball or go the other way.

“He has a really big leg kick now and that creates a lot of momentum,” said right fielder Charlie Blackmon, a four-time all-star and the 2017 NL batting champion.  “He’s able to do that while keeping his head relatively quiet. Usually, the more movement you have, the more your head moves. The more your head moves, the harder it is to hit.

“C.J. is able to have momentum and still to keep his head still, which is why he’s got that consistent contact and power.”

Third baseman Ryan McMahon said Cron’s hitting style is “very handsy and very whippy.”

“He’s a hip-hitter, that’s how I would classify him,” McMahon said. “He clears his hips and allows that momentum to carry the barrel through the zone. And he keeps the barrel in the zone for a long time and he trusts his hands to ride out those off-speed pitches.”

But Cron’s success stems from more than just brawn and swing mechanics.

“I’m not going to give any of his secrets away, but he’s not just up there wingin’ it, I’ll tell you that much,” Blackmon said. “He’s got a system, a program, and an approach that he likes to stick to. It’s certainly paying off.”

Magadan remembers an at-bat that illustrates Cron’s wily approach.

“I can’t remember the pitcher, but C.J. was in a 3-0 count and we gave him the green light to swing,” Magadan recalled. “He took a fastball right down the middle. So, on the next pitch, he got a slider and hit it out of the park.”

After the game, Magadan asked Cron about the at-bat.

“He said, ‘Well, I thought I was seeing slider really well and this guy’s fastball was a little sneaky,’ ” Magadan recalled. “So C.J. decided he would take the fastball, which he wasn’t really comfortable with and he had a pretty good idea that on 3-1 he was going to get a slider. Sure enough, he got one and he hit it out. It’s stuff like that makes him a good hitter. He’s playing chess out there.”

Then Magadan paused, chuckled and said: “C.J. tries to portray himself like an idiot but he’s the furthest thing from it. He’s dumb like a fox.”

So when Bard sat down with Rockies manager Bud Black and bullpen coach Darryl Scott at the end of the 2021 season, they had a direct message for the veteran right-hander.

“Simplify things,” said Scott, who’s now the head pitching coach. “That was more or less the gist of it. Just keep it simple, because your fastball is really hard to hit. Establish it. Use it.

“Daniel was trying an approach of, ‘I want to set him up with this pitch and then get him with this pitch.’ We told him, ‘You don’t have to do that. Just go get ’em. Make somebody beat you.’ ”

Bard has done that this season. At age 37, he’s pitched like an all-star. He entered the weekend with a 2.08 ERA, a 1.010 WHIP and 19 saves in 21 chances.  His 90.5 save percentage was tied for second-best in the majors.

“He’s really settled into what makes him successful,” Black said. “It took him a while to get there.”

Bard, struck by a crippling case of the yips, didn’t pitch in the majors for seven years before hooking up with the Rockies after a tryout prior to the 2020 spring training. He posted a 3.65 ERA over 24 2/3 innings in the pandemic-shortened season and was named the National League comeback player of the year.

But last season Bard posted a 5.21 ERA with eight blown saves, tied for the most in the majors. He lost his closer’s job in late August.

“I found a good sinker,” a grinning Bard said when asked to explain the secret to his success this season. “Seriously, it’s not anything new, just a slight tweak. Everybody in this league is searching for a pitch; a pitch you can throw pretty much down the middle and it’s still hard to hit.”

Bard throws his sinking fastball 53% of the time, with an average velocity of 98.3 mph, according to FanGraphs. He uses it to set up a sneaky slider that he throws at various speeds to confound hitters.

“It’s the same grip, but one comes out more like a cutter, one comes out more like a ‘slurvey’ curveball,” Bard said. “And I can go almost anywhere in between that. I can throw it 91-93 or 84-85 in the same at-bat and it acts like two different pitches. The hitter sees one early in the count and he sees the other one a couple of pitches later, and it’s like, ‘I thought I already saw the slider but that’s a different pitch.’ ”

But it’s the sinker that’s made Bard so good this season.

“We told Daniel: ‘Understand that you don’t have to create the movement,’ ” Scott said. “There were times last year when I felt like he tried to manipulate the movement.  No. Just let it go. It’s an elite pitch.”

Entering the weekend, the right-hander’s .148 opponents’ average was tied for fifth-lowest among big-league relievers. His opponents’ .197 batting average against was a career-best. Since May 18, across 20 outings, he had allowed just two earned runs for a 0.84 ERA.

But Bard doesn’t just grip it and rip it. He has a plan of attack. He’s come to realize that although his fastball has some horizontal movement that’s difficult to command, he doesn’t have to be too fine because there is plenty of velocity and heavy sink on the pitch.

“Say I’m picking a side of the plate,” he explained. “On the first pitch to a righty I want to go away, but I’m OK if it leaks to the middle or even all the way to the inside because at 98 or 99, it’s moving in on the hands and that’s still tough.

“If it’s down and away, it’s impossible to hit, or maybe they can hit a groundball to second. If I miss the pitch by a foot, it’s probably still a weakly hit groundball.”

Plus, hitters must be wary of Bard’s slider.

“If they feel like they have to go get the fastball, the slider plays even better,” Scott said. “If they feel like they can wait for the slider, hitters have a chance. But trying to hit a 98 mph sinker? Who can do that?”

Bard’s journey back to the majors, of course, has been about much more than harnessing his fastball. His wife, Adair, calls him “the most laid-back perfectionist I’ve ever met,” and sees her husband’s quiet inner drive as essential to what he’s accomplished.

All of the turmoil Bard has experienced is paying off when he takes the ball in the ninth inning.

“After all of his trials and tribulations, he understands himself,” Scott said. “It’s amazing. When I go to the mound in the middle of a game — I don’t have to do it very often — I can hold a conversation with him. There aren’t too many guys that have that kind of control, mentally, in-game.

“When you go out there, you’re looking to see what the heart rate is on guys, but Daniel’s never fluctuates.”

Bard remains philosophical about his odyssey.

“Everybody’s journey brings them to where they are and who they are,” he said. “I have a certain perspective. And age has something to do with it, too. I have been in these situations before and a lot of it has to do with being comfortable, even when it’s not an easy situation or the odds are stacked against you.”

Bard paused for a moment and then added: “I mean, it’s like, I might blow this game right here, but I’ll survive. I’ll still be here tomorrow.”

Then, just before he headed out for his bullpen workout, Bard paused, flashed a smile, and said: “Now, if I blow five in a row, it’s a little bit different story.”

All-Star Stuff
Only two Rockies relievers have ever been selected to the All-Star Game, though closer Daniel Bard’s numbers have been all-star-worthy this season. Here’s a look at those pitchers’ performances at the break:

LHP Brian Fuentes
2005: 2.41 ERA, 12 saves
2006: 3.89 ERA, 16 saves
2007: 4.06 ERA, 20 saves

RHP Greg Holland
2017: 1.62 ERA, 28 saves

RHP Daniel Bard
2022: 2.08 ERA, 19 saves

Manager Bud Black told him as much.

“A lot of teams didn’t want me, but the Rockies did,” Cron said recently. “But I had faith in myself and I knew what I could do if given a chance.”

Just look what he’s done with that chance.

On Sunday, at age 32 and in his ninth season in the majors, Cron was named to the National League all-star team. Cron, a first-time all-star who was voted in as a reserve, was the only Rockies player to make the team.

“Buddy got up there and kind of had a little team meeting and said that I was an all-star,” Cron told MLB.com prior to Colorado’s game against the Diamondbacks at Phoenix. “It’s a pretty cool feeling. I’m not gonna lie, it’s pretty special.

“I’ve been in the league for nine years and I’m finally getting my first one. So it’s really cool, and I’m super excited and humbled.”

Power propelled Cron to the All-Star Game on July 19 at Dodger Stadium. Cron has 20 home runs and is hitting .295. His 486-foot home run vs. San Diego on June 17 at Coors Field was the longest of his career and the second-longest in the majors this season.

Cron ranks among National League leaders in RBIs (66, second), total bases (179, third), slugging percentage (.551, fourth), extra-base hits (41, fourth), OPS (.901, fifth) and home runs (20, tied for fifth).

Cron finally got a chance to play every day with the Rockies. He took off and ran with that chance.

“Knowing that I’m going to be in the lineup and in the middle of the order, kind of took a lot of pressure off and allowed me to just kind of play my game,” Cron said.

The first baseman, and some-time designed hitter, had appeared in all 84 of the Rockies’ games, including 83 starts, prior to being held out of the lineup Saturday with an injury. Cron was hit by a pitch in the left wrist on Friday night. X-rays showed no broken bones but the wrist remains sore and swollen and Cron was out of the starting lineup again on Sunday.

Cron was on quite a streak before he was injured, having reached base in 20 consecutive games since June 17, the longest active streak in the majors. He was slashing .329/.400/.632 with five doubles, six home runs and 22 RBIs over that span.

The Rockies are Cron’s fifth big-league team in nine seasons. It’s been quite a journey to his first Midsummer Classic:

— He was drafted by the Angels in the first round (17th overall) in 2011 and played four seasons for the Angels (2014-17).

— He was traded to Tampa Bay in February 2018 and went on to hit 30 homers for the Rays.

— In November 2018, was selected off waivers by Minnesota and hit 25 homers for the Twins in 2019.

— Became a free agent in December 2019 and signed with Detroit but he appeared in only 13 games with the Tigers during the 2020 pandemic-shortened season after undergoing left knee surgery.

— Signed with the Rockies on Feb. 16, 2021, made the team, and ended up hitting .281 with 28 homers, 92 RBIs and a .905 OPS.

Cron’s Credentials

• Ninth Rockies player (19th time) to hit at least 20 home runs in the team’s first 81 games; the first since Nolan Arenado in 2016.
• First Rockies player since Todd Helton in 2001 (seventh overall) to hit at least 20 home runs, record 65 or more RBIs, and hit .295 or better through the first half of the season.
• In 113 games at Coors Field since 2021, he’s slashed 338/.407/.672 with 34 home runs, 30 doubles, and 118 RBIs. He leads the National League in batting average, home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage at home over that span.

— Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post