An ever-important reminder.
Noah Spirek | @NoahSpirek | July 28, 2023
This week, the Rockies seemed poised for victory on both Tuesday and Wednesday in Nationals Park, only to see their late leads evaporate and turn to losses following disappointing performances by two relievers. However, larger than the two losses was the harsh criticism that both faced on social media. Rather than just ignoring the hate, Justin Lawrence took the challenge as an opportunity to spread a message about mental health.
On Tuesday night, Justin Lawrence entered the game with the Rockies ahead 4-2 in the seventh inning. He came into the night as one of the Rockies’ brightest spots of the season, as the young right-hander had been as reliable as can be, carrying a 2.47 ERA over 51 innings (43 appearances). He was able to escape the seventh inning, and after the Rockies added another run in the top of the eighth, “J-Law” was sent back onto the field to pitch the bottom of the inning with the Rockies ahead 5-2.
Unfortunately, the eighth inning became Lawrence’s worst outing of the season. After he allowed a leadoff single, Lane Thomas reached on an error by Ryan McMahon, and the next batter, Jeimer Candelario roped an RBI double to make it 5-3. The next batter, Joey Meneses, launched a 1-1 sweeper into the left field seats, flipping the game into a 6-5 lead for Washington, a score they would go on to win by.
Coming off the brutal loss on Tuesday, the Rockies were looking for a bounceback performance in the rubber game of the three-game series. And up until the ninth inning, it was looking great. In the second inning, Elehuris Montero hit a two-run homer in his first at-bat back in the Majors, and in the third inning, Ryan McMahon hit a solo shot of his own to make it 3-0. After the Nats got a run in the bottom of the third, Michael Toglia hit a solo shot to make it 4-1, a score that would remain the same until the bottom of the ninth inning.
After usual closer Justin Lawrence threw 31 pitches the night prior, manager Bud Black handed the baseball to Daniel Bard to close out the victory for the Rockies. After taking the bullpen cart from the pen to the infield, Bard walked to the mound with a 2.02 ERA after 34 appearances, despite having issued 32 walks over his 35 ⅔ innings. Seemingly all season, Bard was able to escape jams by getting the big outs when he needed them. Wednesday was not the same.
Right from the outset, it was clear that Bard’s command was going to be an issue in Washington. He walked the first two batters of the inning on just ten pitches. Then, gave up a single to Meneses to load the bases with no outs. The next batter, Keibert Ruiz, swung at the first pitch and popped it up for the first out of the inning. Unfortunately, one pitch later, Dominic Smith got drilled in the thigh by a fastball, forcing in a run and re-loading the bases. Colorado’s 4-2 lead shrank to 4-3 after Stone Garrett grounded out, but there were now two outs and runners on second and third. Bud Black opted to intentionally walk Luis Garcia to set up a force out all the way around, but that plan was foiled after Bard’s wildness continued, as he issued a game-tying, four-pitch walk to Ildemaro Vargas. At this point, Buddy had seen enough and pulled Bard out of the game. After Matt Koch gave up a walkoff single to CJ Abrams, the Rockies lost, 5-4.
Ultimately, while the losses stung, I think they can serve as reminders that these athletes are more than baseball players. They are people too. For Justin Lawrence, I was super impressed, and inspired, by his maturity and strong response to the hate he received. Daniel Bard’s challenge runs much deeper than just the outside, as he has been fighting an internal struggle for years.
Skyler Timmins at PurpleRow wrote a fantastic article covering his battle with the yips, which ultimately forced the right-hander out of the big leagues in 2013. After multiple failed comeback attempts, Bard retired until he made the brave decision to come out of retirement in 2020 with the Rockies. He shined, won National League Comeback Player of the Year, and has been a staple in the bullpen ever since. Last year, he was so dominant he earned an NL MVP vote.
Bard unfortunately encountered another challenge earlier this year after he pitched in the World Baseball Classic. After having a rough outing in which his command betrayed him while playing for Team USA on national television, Daniel began the season for the Rockies on the injured list, but not with a physical injury. Bard made the choice himself to take time away from the game, as he placed himself on the IL with anxiety.
Since returning from his delayed start to the season, Bard has been a reliable reliever for the Rockies, outside of the game on Wednesday. It goes without saying that what he has battled through to get back to pitching at the highest level is extremely commendable. In a society today that has worked hard towards ending the stigma surrounding mental health, Daniel Bard is a perfect reminder that athletes are far more than just players on a TV screen, but they are humans as well that deal with the same mental challenges that we all face in our lives.
Story by Noah Spirek.
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