thedenverpost--2020-08-16--Pavel Francouz did a lot of watching in his NHL postseason debut

Avalanche goalie Pavel Francouz was called upon in a consecutive-day situation , and he certainly wasn ’ t to blame in a Game 3 loss in which he allowed two goals high over his right shoulder Saturday in Edmonton .
The top-shelf shots by Arizona forwards Derek Stepan and Brad Richardson probably would have beat any goaltender .
Francouz , who backed up Philipp Grubauer in Games 1 and 2 , stopped 11-of-12 shots in the first period but faced just nine in the latter 40 minutes as the Avs dominated offensively .
“ I didn ’ t have any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Francouz said after his NHL postseason debut .
“ It ’ s tough when you ’ re standing in there and just hoping for your teammates to score.
” Grubauer is the likely starter for Monday ’ s Game 4 , although no official announcement has been made .
Makar ’ s moments .
Avs defenseman Cale Makar logged a team-high 25:42 and tied center Nathan MacKinnon with a team-most seven shots .
Makar ’ s shot total was most by an Avalanche rookie defenseman in postseason history and second-most by an Avalanche @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) in 1999 .
But Makar , as good as he is , might have been overplayed at the end of the game .
He had two chances to gain puck possession before the Coyotes ’ empty-net goals and wasn ’ t able to do so .
Afterward , Makar was seen on the bench with his head down and trying to collect his breath .
Footnotes .
Avs winger Joonas Donskoi returned to the lineup after missing Game 2 .
Winger Vladislav Namestnikov was scratched after leaving early in Game 2 with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
… Donskoi and winger Valeri Nichushkin failed to produce a shot .
Nichushkin also didn ’ t have a shot in Game 2 and remains pointless in the postseason .
… MacKinnon assisted on Colorado ’ s second goal to extend his postseason points streak to six games .
… Winger Andre Burakovsky scored in his second straight game and third of the playoffs , matching his postseason career-high from 2017 when he was with the Washington Capitals .
… The Avs were 38-30 on faceoffs ( 56 % ) .

Avalanche goalie Pavel Francouz was called upon in a consecutive-day situation, and he certainly wasn’t to blame in a Game 3 loss in which he allowed two goals high over his right shoulder Saturday in Edmonton.
The top-shelf shots by Arizona forwards Derek Stepan and Brad Richardson probably would have beat any goaltender.
Francouz, who backed up Philipp Grubauer in Games 1 and 2, stopped 11-of-12 shots in the first period but faced just nine in the latter 40 minutes as the Avs dominated offensively.
“I didn’t have any issues staying in the game,” Francouz said after his NHL postseason debut. “It’s tough when you’re standing in there and just hoping for your teammates to score.”
Grubauer is the likely starter for Monday’s Game 4, although no official announcement has been made.
Makar’s moments. Avs defenseman Cale Makar logged a team-high 25:42 and tied center Nathan MacKinnon with a team-most seven shots. Makar’s shot total was most by an Avalanche rookie defenseman in postseason history and second-most by an Avalanche rookie since forward Chris Drury (nine) in 1999.
But Makar, as good as he is, might have been overplayed at the end of the game. He had two chances to gain puck possession before the Coyotes’ empty-net goals and wasn’t able to do so. Afterward, Makar was seen on the bench with his head down and trying to collect his breath.
Footnotes. Avs winger Joonas Donskoi returned to the lineup after missing Game 2. Winger Vladislav Namestnikov was scratched after leaving early in Game 2 with what appeared to be an upper-body injury. … Donskoi and winger Valeri Nichushkin failed to produce a shot. Nichushkin also didn’t have a shot in Game 2 and remains pointless in the postseason. … MacKinnon assisted on Colorado’s second goal to extend his postseason points streak to six games. … Winger Andre Burakovsky scored in his second straight game and third of the playoffs, matching his postseason career-high from 2017 when he was with the Washington Capitals. … The Avs were 38-30 on faceoffs (56%).


thedenverpost--2020-08-16--Will frustration hamper Jon Gray? Rockies manager Bud Black says no

Some bad luck , a dip in fastball velocity and less-than-precise pitch command has left Rockies right-hander Jon Gray with an 0-2 record and 6.41 ERA after four starts .
His frustration was apparent after his last game , a loss to Arizona at Coors Field in which he allowed eight runs on 11 hits in 3 1/3 innings at Coors Field .
Some of those hits were solid , but he got nickeled and dimed , too .
Gray is scheduled to start Sunday afternoon ’ s game against Texas , and the Rockies need him to get past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Manager Bud Black is optimistic that will happen .
“ Yes , I think Jon did get frustrated because he wants to perform and he wants to help the team win , ” Black said before Saturday night ’ s game with the Rangers .
“ He ’ s a competitor and he feels the responsibility as a starting pitcher .
“ Do I think it ’ s going to affect him moving forward ?
No .
Talking to Jon the last few days , he ’ s in a good spot .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s fine .
I think it was just a one-game frustration with the outcome.
” Gray , however , is a bit perplexed by a dip in his fastball velocity .
“ I don ’ t have any pains or anything like that , ” Gray said after his last start .
“ Nothing ’ s bothering me .
It ’ s just I reach back ( for velocity ) , and I look up and it ’ s 93 , 94 .
It ’ s not normal.
” Gray ’ s fastball @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finished 11-8 with a 3.84 ERA in 26 games ( 25 starts ) before a fractured foot ended things Aug. 21 .
This year , his fastball is averaging 93.8 mph .
Rookie raves .
Count left-hander Kyle Freeland as impressed with the start of Ryan Castellani ’ s big-league career .
“ I think Castellani ’ s done a great job in his first two starts , ” Freeland said .
“ He ’ s been electric and he ’ s been using his pitch mix extremely well .
For him to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role , with Chi Chi ( Gonzalez ) going down , and then jumping right into the fire , in a very weird season … I think he ’ s done an incredible job.
” Castellani , 0-0 with a 1.04 ERA , made his Coors Field debut Friday night , allowing one run ( on a home run by Nick Solak in the fifth inning ) on two hits with two walks and seven strikeouts over 4 2/3 inning .
He struck out the side in the first inning , the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his Coors Field debut , according to the Elias Sports Bureau .
Footnotes .
Nolan Arenado played in the 1,049th game of his career Friday night , passing Troy Tulowitzki for sixth in franchise history .
Here are the top five : Todd Helton ( 2,247 ) , Carlos Gonzalez ( 1,247 ) , Larry Walker ( 1,170 ) , Vinny Castilla ( 1,098 ) and Charlie Blackmon ( 1,060 ) .
… Although the Rockies ’ bullpen has been somewhat shaky of late ( 4.71 ERA ) , it had given up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s game , an average of just 0.57 homers per nine innings , the third-best mark in the majors .
Gray has not pitched poorly in his past two outings , and yes , he ’ s been the victim of some cheap hits , but he has not been particularly sharp either .
He lost both of those outings , allowing 11 earned runs to the tune of a 10.61 ERA .
The right-hander is 0-0 with a 5.59 ERA in two career starts vs. the Rangers , both at Texas .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ void in the rotation for the injured Corey Kluber , threw five scoreless innings vs. the Angels last Saturday , allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out six .
He ’ s faced the Rockies just once in his career , pitching one inning of relief for Atlanta , in 2018 .
His only previous start against a National League team was on Aug. 9 , 2019 , when he allowed two runs in 4 1/3 innings vs. Milwaukee .
Trending : Garrett Hampson has taken the leadoff role and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s game he had led off in seven consecutive games , slashing .345/.424/.621 with one home run , two triples , a double and two stolen bases .
At issue : Though Tony Wolters continues working well behind the plate , he ’ s struggling in the batter ’ s box .
Entering Saturday ’ s play , he was 1-for-9 in five games since his lone multi-hit game of the season on Aug. 5 vs. San Francisco .
Pitching probables Monday : Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland ( 2-0 , 245 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 1.76 ) , 7:10 p.m. , ATTRM Tuesday : Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela ( 3-0 , 3.91 ) at RHP Zack Greinke ( 1-0 , 2.53 ) , 1:10 p.m. , ATTRM Wednesday : Astros LHP Framber Valdez ( 1-2 , 1.90 ) at Rockies RHP Ryan Castellani ( 0-0 , 1.04 ) , 6:40 p.m. , ATTRM

Some bad luck, a dip in fastball velocity and less-than-precise pitch command has left Rockies right-hander Jon Gray with an 0-2 record and 6.41 ERA after four starts.
His frustration was apparent after his last game, a loss to Arizona at Coors Field in which he allowed eight runs on 11 hits in 3 1/3 innings at Coors Field. Some of those hits were solid, but he got nickeled and dimed, too.
Gray is scheduled to start Sunday afternoon’s game against Texas, and the Rockies need him to get past his frustration and provide quality innings. Manager Bud Black is optimistic that will happen.
“Yes, I think Jon did get frustrated because he wants to perform and he wants to help the team win,” Black said before Saturday night’s game with the Rangers. “He’s a competitor and he feels the responsibility as a starting pitcher.
“Do I think it’s going to affect him moving forward? No. Talking to Jon the last few days, he’s in a good spot. His arm feels healthy and he’s fine. I think it was just a one-game frustration with the outcome.”
Gray, however, is a bit perplexed by a dip in his fastball velocity.
“I don’t have any pains or anything like that,” Gray said after his last start. “Nothing’s bothering me. It’s just I reach back (for velocity), and I look up and it’s 93, 94. It’s not normal.”
Gray’s fastball averaged 96.0 mph last season when he finished 11-8 with a 3.84 ERA in 26 games (25 starts) before a fractured foot ended things Aug. 21. This year, his fastball is averaging 93.8 mph.
Rookie raves. Count left-hander Kyle Freeland as impressed with the start of Ryan Castellani’s big-league career.
“I think Castellani’s done a great job in his first two starts,” Freeland said. “He’s been electric and he’s been using his pitch mix extremely well. For him to pick up the (fifth starter) role, with Chi Chi (Gonzalez) going down, and then jumping right into the fire, in a very weird season … I think he’s done an incredible job.”
Castellani, 0-0 with a 1.04 ERA, made his Coors Field debut Friday night, allowing one run (on a home run by Nick Solak in the fifth inning) on two hits with two walks and seven strikeouts over 4 2/3 inning. He struck out the side in the first inning, the first Rockies pitcher to ever do so in his Coors Field debut, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Footnotes. Nolan Arenado played in the 1,049th game of his career Friday night, passing Troy Tulowitzki for sixth in franchise history. Here are the top five: Todd Helton (2,247), Carlos Gonzalez (1,247), Larry Walker (1,170), Vinny Castilla (1,098) and Charlie Blackmon (1,060). … Although the Rockies’ bullpen has been somewhat shaky of late (4.71 ERA), it had given up only four home runs entering Saturday’s game, an average of just 0.57 homers per nine innings, the third-best mark in the majors.
On Deck
Rangers LHP Kolby Allard (0-0, 1.00) at Rockies RHP Jon Gray (0-2, 6.41)
1:10 p.m. Sunday, Coors Field
TV: AT&T SportsNet
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM-
Gray has not pitched poorly in his past two outings, and yes, he’s been the victim of some cheap hits, but he has not been particularly sharp either. He lost both of those outings, allowing 11 earned runs to the tune of a 10.61 ERA. The right-hander is 0-0 with a 5.59 ERA in two career starts vs. the Rangers, both at Texas. Allard, who’s filling a void in the rotation for the injured Corey Kluber, threw five scoreless innings vs. the Angels last Saturday, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out six. He’s faced the Rockies just once in his career, pitching one inning of relief for Atlanta, in 2018. His only previous start against a National League team was on Aug. 9, 2019, when he allowed two runs in 4 1/3 innings vs. Milwaukee.
Trending: Garrett Hampson has taken the leadoff role and run with it. Entering Saturday night’s game he had led off in seven consecutive games, slashing .345/.424/.621 with one home run, two triples, a double and two stolen bases.
At issue: Though Tony Wolters continues working well behind the plate, he’s struggling in the batter’s box. Entering Saturday’s play, he was 1-for-9 in five games since his lone multi-hit game of the season on Aug. 5 vs. San Francisco.
Pitching probables
Monday: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (2-0, 245) at Astros RHP Brandon Bielak (2-0, 1.76), 7:10 p.m., ATTRM
Tuesday: Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (3-0, 3.91) at RHP Zack Greinke (1-0, 2.53), 1:10 p.m., ATTRM
Wednesday: Astros LHP Framber Valdez (1-2, 1.90) at Rockies RHP Ryan Castellani (0-0, 1.04), 6:40 p.m., ATTRM


thedenverpost--2020-08-15--Avalanche offense stonewalled by Arizona blocks with contrasting styles in Game 3 loss

The Avalanche got burned Saturday in a game they dominated , synthesizing what makes playing the Coyotes so frustrating .
Colorado hammered the Arizona net — 51 shots on goaltender Darcy Kuemper — but had 27 shots blocked and few clean looks .
Arizona managed only 23 shots on goal , but also got two late empty-net goals that were the direct result of grit and effort .
The contrast in playing styles resulted in a Game 3 win , 4-2 , for the wily Coyotes .
“ It definitely speaks to Arizona ’ s grittiness , the way they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sacrifice that they have in their locker room , ” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said .
“ They ’ re getting into shooting lanes all over the place .
We spent quite a bit of time in the offensive zone shooting pucks , playing hard and doing a lot of good things .
Sometimes you ’ re going to get a block .
… I didn ’ t think we shot the puck particularly well for the amount of opportunities that we had .
We probably could have done a better job there.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Avs wasn ’ t from a lack of Colorado trying .
The Avs controlled the offensive pace throughout , with 15 third-period shots representing some of their best offense all series .
That didn ’ t faze the Coyotes ’ pack-it-in defensive strategy .
Arizona center Derek Stepan and defenseman Jason Demers each self-sacrificed with four blocks apiece .
“ I thought we did a really good job of taking away their time and space , ” Kuemper said .
“ We probably spent more time on our end than we wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , we give ourselves a chance.
” What ’ s an Avalanche goal-scorer to do ?
“ When you ’ re creating a lot and playing in the o-zone quite a bit , you expect them to put their bodies on the line and get into shooting lanes , ” Colorado captain Gabe Landeskog said .
“ I think that ’ s a part of every team ’ s game plan to get in front of shots and sacrifice .
We ’ ve just got to find a way to get some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different angles to attack them.
” Added Colorado forward Mikko Rantanen : “ Everybody is blocking shots and it ’ s not an excuse for us .
We have to find a lane and get more traffic to the net .
Try to make it harder on the goalie .
He made 50-something saves today .
We just have to get in front of him more.
” The Avs will continue cracking away at the Coyotes ’ defense until the dam finally breaks .
It also calls for self-reflection .
Arizona ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game was the result of Cale Makar getting outworked , albeit , without defender or goalie help .
But Colorado must exert the same effort showcased by Arizona ’ s blockers , in all facets of the game , to ensure a first-round upset isn ’ t in the Avs ’ future .
“ We couldn ’ t find a way to put enough goals in the back of the net even though we had all those chances , ” Bednar said .

The Avalanche got burned Saturday in a game they dominated, synthesizing what makes playing the Coyotes so frustrating.
Colorado hammered the Arizona net — 51 shots on goaltender Darcy Kuemper — but had 27 shots blocked and few clean looks. Arizona managed only 23 shots on goal, but also got two late empty-net goals that were the direct result of grit and effort.
The contrast in playing styles resulted in a Game 3 win, 4-2, for the wily Coyotes.
“It definitely speaks to Arizona’s grittiness, the way they’re playing, the commitment and sacrifice that they have in their locker room,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “They’re getting into shooting lanes all over the place. We spent quite a bit of time in the offensive zone shooting pucks, playing hard and doing a lot of good things. Sometimes you’re going to get a block. … I didn’t think we shot the puck particularly well for the amount of opportunities that we had. We probably could have done a better job there.”
Arizona’s success at stonewalling the Avs wasn’t from a lack of Colorado trying. The Avs controlled the offensive pace throughout, with 15 third-period shots representing some of their best offense all series. That didn’t faze the Coyotes’ pack-it-in defensive strategy.
Arizona center Derek Stepan and defenseman Jason Demers each self-sacrificed with four blocks apiece.
“I thought we did a really good job of taking away their time and space,” Kuemper said. “We probably spent more time on our end than we wanted to, but when we defend like that, we give ourselves a chance.”
What’s an Avalanche goal-scorer to do?
“When you’re creating a lot and playing in the o-zone quite a bit, you expect them to put their bodies on the line and get into shooting lanes,” Colorado captain Gabe Landeskog said. “I think that’s a part of every team’s game plan to get in front of shots and sacrifice. We’ve just got to find a way to get some shots through and find different ways and different angles to attack them.”
Added Colorado forward Mikko Rantanen: “Everybody is blocking shots and it’s not an excuse for us. We have to find a lane and get more traffic to the net. Try to make it harder on the goalie. He made 50-something saves today. We just have to get in front of him more.”
The Avs will continue cracking away at the Coyotes’ defense until the dam finally breaks. It also calls for self-reflection.
Arizona’s pair of open-net goals late in the game was the result of Cale Makar getting outworked, albeit, without defender or goalie help. But Colorado must exert the same effort showcased by Arizona’s blockers, in all facets of the game, to ensure a first-round upset isn’t in the Avs’ future.
“We couldn’t find a way to put enough goals in the back of the net even though we had all those chances,” Bednar said.


thedenverpost--2020-08-15--UFC 252 live blog: Real-time updates from the Stipe Miocic-Daniel Cormier fight night

Live updates , tweets , photos , analysis and more from UFC 252 on Aug. 15 , 2020 .
Mobile @ @ @ @ @ ’ t see the live blog , tap here .

The Denver Post is a nine-time Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper that has covered the Rocky Mountain Empire since 1892.


thedenverpost--2020-08-15--Darcy Kuemper’s 49 saves leads Arizona to Game 3 victory over the Avalanche

Darcy Kuemper was like vintage Patrick Roy on Saturday , making 49 saves in successfully steering the Arizona Coyotes down a treacherous path at Rogers Place in Edmonton .
Outshot 31-11 in the second and third periods , No .
7-seed Arizona used Kuemper , 27 blocked shots from his teammates , and two empty-net goals to defeat the No .
2 Avalanche 4-2 in Game 3 of their first-round series at the Western Conference hub .
In their 200th game in the Stanley Cup playoffs , the Avs fell to 113-87 .
“ With a better night , finishing-wise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to win that game , ” said Avs winger Mikko Rantanen , who scored with a shot off two Coyotes ’ skates with 57 seconds remaining to trim Arizona ’ s lead to 3-2 .
“ It ’ s too late to say that .
So now we just focus on the next one.
” The winning goal was an empty-netter by Taylor Hall , who scored with 1:20 left to seemingly put the game away .
But the Avs got two lucky bounces off Rantanen ’ s shot on the ensuing shift @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goal , this one by Lawson Crouse in the final seconds , sealed Arizona ’ s victory to cut its series deficit to 2-1 .
“ We ’ re going to have to find a way to get in Kuemper ’ s eyes a little bit more because if he ’ s seeing it he ’ s stopping it , ” Avs coach Jared Bednar said .
“ He had a great night tonight .
You got to tip your cap to him and the Coyotes .
They forced us into a couple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couldn ’ t find a way to put enough goals in the back of the net — even when we had lots of chances.
” Colorado ’ s 51 shots marked the sixth time in club history it reached 50 shots in the Stanley Cup playoffs .
The Avs probably would have had 60 if the Coyotes weren ’ t so good at blocking shots and clearing rebounds after Kuemper made the initial save .
“ They ’ re a great team .
Puck-possession team .
Highly skilled , ” Arizona coach Rich @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won the first two games 3-0 and 3-2 .
“ They can make a lot of plays .
They ’ re going to get their chances .
We know it .
We ’ re lucky we have Darcy in the nets .
Terrific game by him .
The second and third chance , if you can limit them , you have a better chance at winning the game.
” The Coyotes ’ first two goals both came off Avalanche own-zone turnovers from Nazem Kadri and Andre Burakovsky , respectively .
The second goal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forward Brad Richardson , who beat goalie Pavel Francouz with a wrist shot late in the second period .
Derek Stepan scored in the first period for the Coyotes , who took their first lead of the series 6:29 into the game after Kadri couldn ’ t handle the puck up ice against the wall .
Colorado tied it 1-1 midway through the second period with a power-play goal by Burakovsky , who scored late in Game 2 to break a 2-2 tie and send the Avs to their second straight win .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 35 of them .
That ’ s not to suggest the Avs didn ’ t sacrifice their bodies .
The Coyotes simply didn ’ t have as many shot attempts .
Bednar hopes the Avs will come out in Game 4 on Monday like they finished Game 3 .
“ Our best period of the series , for sure , ( was ) in the third , ” the coach said .
“ We just couldn ’ t find a way to get one early enough in the period.
” Said Avs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll take that third period with us .
We knew it wasn ’ t going to be an easy series .
We knew this wasn ’ t going to be an easy game .
We ’ ll be ready for Monday .
We just have to stick with it .
It ’ s as simple as that .
We ’ re not going to change much .
We ’ re going to watch the video and see where we can get better and adjust certain things and just come out and be ready @ @ @ @ @

Darcy Kuemper was like vintage Patrick Roy on Saturday, making 49 saves in successfully steering the Arizona Coyotes down a treacherous path at Rogers Place in Edmonton.
Outshot 31-11 in the second and third periods, No. 7-seed Arizona used Kuemper, 27 blocked shots from his teammates, and two empty-net goals to defeat the No. 2 Avalanche 4-2 in Game 3 of their first-round series at the Western Conference hub.
In their 200th game in the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Avs fell to 113-87.
“With a better night, finishing-wise, I think we’re going to win that game,” said Avs winger Mikko Rantanen, who scored with a shot off two Coyotes’ skates with 57 seconds remaining to trim Arizona’s lead to 3-2. “It’s too late to say that. So now we just focus on the next one.”
The winning goal was an empty-netter by Taylor Hall, who scored with 1:20 left to seemingly put the game away. But the Avs got two lucky bounces off Rantanen’s shot on the ensuing shift to make it 3-2. Another empty-net goal, this one by Lawson Crouse in the final seconds, sealed Arizona’s victory to cut its series deficit to 2-1.
“We’re going to have to find a way to get in Kuemper’s eyes a little bit more because if he’s seeing it he’s stopping it,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “He had a great night tonight. You got to tip your cap to him and the Coyotes. They forced us into a couple turnovers and capitalized on them and we couldn’t find a way to put enough goals in the back of the net — even when we had lots of chances.”
Colorado’s 51 shots marked the sixth time in club history it reached 50 shots in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Avs probably would have had 60 if the Coyotes weren’t so good at blocking shots and clearing rebounds after Kuemper made the initial save.
“They’re a great team. Puck-possession team. Highly skilled,” Arizona coach Rich Tocchet said of the Avs, who won the first two games 3-0 and 3-2. “They can make a lot of plays. They’re going to get their chances. We know it. We’re lucky we have Darcy in the nets. Terrific game by him. The second and third chance, if you can limit them, you have a better chance at winning the game.”
The Coyotes’ first two goals both came off Avalanche own-zone turnovers from Nazem Kadri and Andre Burakovsky, respectively. The second goal came off the stick of former Avs forward Brad Richardson, who beat goalie Pavel Francouz with a wrist shot late in the second period.
Derek Stepan scored in the first period for the Coyotes, who took their first lead of the series 6:29 into the game after Kadri couldn’t handle the puck up ice against the wall.
Colorado tied it 1-1 midway through the second period with a power-play goal by Burakovsky, who scored late in Game 2 to break a 2-2 tie and send the Avs to their second straight win.
In blocked shots, Arizona had 27 of 35 of them. That’s not to suggest the Avs didn’t sacrifice their bodies. The Coyotes simply didn’t have as many shot attempts.
Bednar hopes the Avs will come out in Game 4 on Monday like they finished Game 3.
“Our best period of the series, for sure, (was) in the third,” the coach said. “We just couldn’t find a way to get one early enough in the period.”
Said Avs captain Gabe Landeskog: “We’ll take that third period with us. We knew it wasn’t going to be an easy series. We knew this wasn’t going to be an easy game. We’ll be ready for Monday. We just have to stick with it. It’s as simple as that. We’re not going to change much. We’re going to watch the video and see where we can get better and adjust certain things and just come out and be ready for Game 4.”


thedenverpost--2020-08-15--Kickin’ It with Kiz: Von Miller needs to produce big in 2020 if he wants to play entire career with

Kickin’ It with Kiz: Von Miller needs to produce big in 2020 if he wants to play entire career with Broncos

The Broncos ’ needs are many , but it ’ s essential for linebacker Von Miller to come back after taking a year off .
Kiz : Always follow the money .
The big bucks suggest the Broncos decided after Super Bowl 50 they could get any Paxton , Case or Joe to play quarterback , so long they paid Miller handsomely .
Well , it hasn ’ t worked out exactly as football operations director John Elway envisioned .
Nevertheless , Elway insists the plan remains to lean on Miller and the defense in 2020 until quarterback Drew Lock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rebuilt offensive line can gel .
How many games will the Broncos win ?
Well , here ’ s my fearless prediction : If they don ’ t win at least 10 times , Denver won ’ t be the place where Miller plays football in 2021 .
It matters to me that the Nuggets went 3-5 during their regular-season games in the NBA bubble .
Tanking is weak .
Kiz : With rare exceptions , the intensity of NBA games in the bubble has paled in comparison to what we ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ em-sock ’ em action .
Hockey beat hoops , because the NHL gave teams more to play for prior to the playoffs .
While tanking is a harsh word , the NBA offered most coaches every reason to make winning secondary to staying healthy .
As a result , passion on the court has often felt lukewarm , at best .
We missed sports , but if it ’ s not important for Nikola Jokic to play in the fourth quarter , why should it be important for us to watch the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beginning of the NHL season , way back in October : The Avalanche ’ s trade for Nazem Kadri was the best offseason move made by any team in the league .
Kadri grinds , which apparently is a foreign concept in Toronto .
Kiz : Kudos to Avalanche exec Joe Sakic for realizing even a very skilled team needs a little mean .
I used to like you , Kiz .
But you have no freakin ’ clue on the issue of postponing college football games until spring .
The safest place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with an incentive to be safe , wear a mask and social distance from general college students , not turned out free to go and do whatever .
Kiz : Those who argue college football players are safer in a team “ bubble ” than mingling with the general student population have a point .
But a good point ?
If college football players are isolated from campus life , it ’ s not really college .
It ’ s more like pro football .
A job .
Except without pay .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ make young men indentured servants to coach Scott Frost .
And today ’ s parting shot is a pat on the back for the C.K.O .
( Chief Knucklehead Officer ) here at Kickin ’ It Headquarters .
Was reading your column on the Broncos ’ new normal and thought : I finally need to thank this guy .
I ’ ve been reading and enjoying your takes on the Broncos for many years .
Sometimes you make me mad , sometimes you make me laugh , but you always seem to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work is read and appreciated .

The Broncos’ needs are many, but it’s essential for linebacker Von Miller to come back after taking a year off.
— Chuck B., Boulder
Kiz: Always follow the money. The big bucks suggest the Broncos decided after Super Bowl 50 they could get any Paxton, Case or Joe to play quarterback, so long they paid Miller handsomely. Well, it hasn’t worked out exactly as football operations director John Elway envisioned. Nevertheless, Elway insists the plan remains to lean on Miller and the defense in 2020 until quarterback Drew Lock, rookie receiver Jerry Jeudy and a rebuilt offensive line can gel. How many games will the Broncos win? Well, here’s my fearless prediction: If they don’t win at least 10 times, Denver won’t be the place where Miller plays football in 2021.
It matters to me that the Nuggets went 3-5 during their regular-season games in the NBA bubble. Tanking is weak.
— Kristi, Denver
Kiz: With rare exceptions, the intensity of NBA games in the bubble has paled in comparison to what we’ve seen from the NHL’s rock ’em-sock ’em action. Hockey beat hoops, because the NHL gave teams more to play for prior to the playoffs. While tanking is a harsh word, the NBA offered most coaches every reason to make winning secondary to staying healthy. As a result, passion on the court has often felt lukewarm, at best. We missed sports, but if it’s not important for Nikola Jokic to play in the fourth quarter, why should it be important for us to watch the game?
I said it at the beginning of the NHL season, way back in October: The Avalanche’s trade for Nazem Kadri was the best offseason move made by any team in the league. Kadri grinds, which apparently is a foreign concept in Toronto.
— Sean, Tempe, Ariz.
Kiz: Kudos to Avalanche exec Joe Sakic for realizing even a very skilled team needs a little mean.
I used to like you, Kiz. But you have no freakin’ clue on the issue of postponing college football games until spring. The safest place for athletes in-season is with their teammates, with an incentive to be safe, wear a mask and social distance from general college students, not turned out free to go and do whatever.
— N.K., Cornhuskers fan
Kiz: Those who argue college football players are safer in a team “bubble” than mingling with the general student population have a point. But a good point? If college football players are isolated from campus life, it’s not really college. It’s more like pro football. A job. Except without pay. Pulling on a Nebraska uniform should not make young men indentured servants to coach Scott Frost.
And today’s parting shot is a pat on the back for the C.K.O. (Chief Knucklehead Officer) here at Kickin’ It Headquarters.
Was reading your column on the Broncos’ new normal and thought: I finally need to thank this guy. I’ve been reading and enjoying your takes on the Broncos for many years. Sometimes you make me mad, sometimes you make me laugh, but you always seem to be spot on, Kiz. Your hard work is read and appreciated.
— Thomas, Ladera Ranch, Calif.


thedenverpost--2020-08-15--Nuggets enter playoff series vs. Jazz confident from last year’s growing pains: “We’re just more rel

Nuggets enter playoff series vs. Jazz confident from last year’s growing pains: “We’re just more relaxed”

Opponents are within close proximity , and it ’ s more likely than not that they ’ ll cross paths inside Disney ’ s resort .
As luck has it , Utah ’ s meal room is near where the Nuggets dine .
When the two teams spotted each other Friday , Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic made an astute point .
These would probably be the last pleasantries both parties exchanged for the next week and a half .
So be it .
The playoffs are here .
Denver is working to address its leaky 3-point defense and to find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , hasn ’ t seen before .
The biggest difference from what the Jazz saw in the regular season to the team they ’ ll face Monday in Game 1 is the emergence of Michael Porter Jr. , who on Saturday afternoon was named to the “ All-Bubble ” second team .
Utah got a sense of how Porter changes Denver ’ s geometry after he poured in 23 points and snatched 11 rebounds in the Nuggets ’ double-overtime win over the Jazz a week ago .
At that point , it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bubble .
But as exciting as Porter ’ s unconscious shooting has been , he ’ s still a rookie .
And the growing pains the Nuggets went through last year in their heartbreaking Game 7 loss to Portland in the second round should benefit them immensely this year .
“ I think last year , we were all like anxious as far as when you watch us practice and things like that , everybody was rushing things , but I think now , with that year experience , most of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re just more relaxed , ” said Nuggets point guard Monte Morris , whose role has increased as a result of injuries to Gary Harris ( hip ) and Will Barton ( knee ) .
“ I feel like it ’ s kinda like taking the exam a second time .
You study a little better.
” Morris , himself , had a miserable postseason debut — one that stung throughout the regular season .
Morris is a far better and more confident player than the one who went 0-of-13 from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ postseason .
“ It definitely ate at me , ” Morris said .
“ … I ’ m excited to get out there with that one year from last year , the few struggles I had playing out there .
Now I know what to expect.
” The same goes for Jokic , the linchpin of the Nuggets ’ offense .
Jokic ’ s primary takeaway after his sterling postseason debut last year was how valuable each possession can be .
That means no defensive lapses , as have plagued the Nuggets thus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possessions .
It ’ s far more encouraging for a deep playoff run that Jokic can speak from experience .
“ It ’ s every possession matters , ” Jokic said .
“ You can not have three , four times-in-a-row possessions that you kind of dribble the ball or just ( have ) empty possessions .
Or you can not have a lot of turnovers in a row because basketball is a game of runs , so you need to use the opportunity that you have and not kind of ( start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Denver ’ s first-round matchup is a battle of All-Star big men .
Jokic has dominated his individual matchup vs. Rudy Gobert so far this season .
“ I think it ’ s interesting because we are kind of two different type of players and we are helping our team to win games , ” Jokic said , before issuing a string of compliments about the reigning two-time Defensive Player of the Year .
Gobert should soak them up because from now on , the pleasantries are over .

There’s no hiding inside the Orlando bubble.
Opponents are within close proximity, and it’s more likely than not that they’ll cross paths inside Disney’s resort.
As luck has it, Utah’s meal room is near where the Nuggets dine. When the two teams spotted each other Friday, Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic made an astute point. These would probably be the last pleasantries both parties exchanged for the next week and a half.
So be it. The playoffs are here. Denver is working to address its leaky 3-point defense and to find offensive schemes Utah, a division rival, hasn’t seen before.
The biggest difference from what the Jazz saw in the regular season to the team they’ll face Monday in Game 1 is the emergence of Michael Porter Jr., who on Saturday afternoon was named to the “All-Bubble” second team. Utah got a sense of how Porter changes Denver’s geometry after he poured in 23 points and snatched 11 rebounds in the Nuggets’ double-overtime win over the Jazz a week ago. At that point, it was Porter’s fourth consecutive double-double in the bubble.
But as exciting as Porter’s unconscious shooting has been, he’s still a rookie. And the growing pains the Nuggets went through last year in their heartbreaking Game 7 loss to Portland in the second round should benefit them immensely this year.
“I think last year, we were all like anxious as far as when you watch us practice and things like that, everybody was rushing things, but I think now, with that year experience, most of the guys that’s out there, we’re just more relaxed,” said Nuggets point guard Monte Morris, whose role has increased as a result of injuries to Gary Harris (hip) and Will Barton (knee). “I feel like it’s kinda like taking the exam a second time. You study a little better.”
Morris, himself, had a miserable postseason debut — one that stung throughout the regular season. Morris is a far better and more confident player than the one who went 0-of-13 from 3-point range in last year’s postseason.
“It definitely ate at me,” Morris said. “… I’m excited to get out there with that one year from last year, the few struggles I had playing out there. Now I know what to expect.”
The same goes for Jokic, the linchpin of the Nuggets’ offense. Jokic’s primary takeaway after his sterling postseason debut last year was how valuable each possession can be. That means no defensive lapses, as have plagued the Nuggets thus far in Orlando, and no careless possessions.
It’s far more encouraging for a deep playoff run that Jokic can speak from experience.
“It’s every possession matters,” Jokic said. “You cannot have three, four times-in-a-row possessions that you kind of dribble the ball or just (have) empty possessions. Or you cannot have a lot of turnovers in a row because basketball is a game of runs, so you need to use the opportunity that you have and not kind of (start) forcing things.”
At the heart of Denver’s first-round matchup is a battle of All-Star big men. Jokic has dominated his individual matchup vs. Rudy Gobert so far this season.
“I think it’s interesting because we are kind of two different type of players and we are helping our team to win games,” Jokic said, before issuing a string of compliments about the reigning two-time Defensive Player of the Year.
Gobert should soak them up because from now on, the pleasantries are over.


thedenverpost--2020-08-16--Colorado nursing homes face financial challenges even as coronavirus outbreaks decline

The worst of COVID-19 seems to be over for Colorado nursing homes , but they continue to face challenges trying to cover higher costs with decreased revenue .
Nursing homes were hit hard in the first months of the pandemic , both in Colorado and around the country , with residents accounting for a disproportionate number of deaths .
Since mid-May , outbreaks in Colorado have shifted away from health care facilities to places where the general community gathers , like stores and restaurants .
Nursing homes have to continue taking extra precautions , however , because an asymptomatic employee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The American Health Care Association , a nursing home trade group , said a survey of 463 facilities around the country found 55 % were operating at a loss , and most others had thin profit margins .
About 72 % thought they couldn ’ t sustain their current pace of spending on protective equipment and extra staff time for a year , unless they receive additional funding .
Colorado nursing homes are dealing with higher costs for protective equipment and staff time , and they report anywhere from 10 % to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the pandemic , said Doug Farmer , president and CEO of the Colorado Health Care Association .
That ’ s due to a combination of families putting off the decision to find long-term care for parents and grandparents due to the virus , and fewer people getting surgeries that require a short stay for physical therapy , he said .
If the number of residents stays below normal , that creates concerns about nursing homes ’ financial viability , Farmer said .
Most have slim profit margins , and their overhead costs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have fewer residents , he said .
“ There definitely have been increased costs , and with decreased residents , that puts a squeeze on , ” he said .
Jay Moskowitz , CEO of Vivage Senior Living , said costs for protective equipment are still high , though not as bad as they were in the spring .
Vivage has 29 facilities in Colorado , and 21 had outbreaks , though all but three are over .
A few months ago , disposable gowns that normally cost 40 cents were selling for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ price has improved somewhat , but homes still have to pay about $ 2 for each gown , which staff need to wear over their scrubs when providing care to potentially infectious residents , he said .
“ We ’ re seeing supplies get a little better , but it ’ s still way above what we were paying ” before COVID-19 , he said .
Nursing homes ’ supply chains improved over the summer , but the progress could reverse as health care facilities have to compete with reopening schools and businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
The state has set up an online tool where nursing homes and assisted living facilities can report how much protective equipment they have and how much they need , to learn the scope of the issue , he said .
Three companies supply most of the nursing home market for protective equipment , and under normal circumstances homes will have about three days ’ worth of supplies on hand , Farmer said .
When the pandemic hit , all homes needed substantially more supplies , and the major manufacturers couldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ The expansion in what was needed was so great , they didn ’ t have the capacity , ” he said .
“ Everybody was trying anything they could to get their hands on masks.
” The association tried to help , but ran into frustrations along the way , Farmer said .
Federal officials stepped in and bought out the first shipment they ’ d secured , the second couldn ’ t make it through customs at the Los Angeles port , and only the third reached Denver and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Julian Hazlett , executive director of The Peaks Care Center in Longmont , said the protective equipment situation has improved since this spring , though gloves can still be hard to find .
The Peaks had 51 coronavirus cases among residents and 36 among staff before the state health department determined its outbreak was over on July 9 .
“ We have had to use different channels and vendors to obtain them , but thankfully we currently have what we need , ” he said .
Ryan Mertz , administrator of the Good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Greeley , said they still have some challenges getting enough protective equipment , but their parent company has helped with supply chains .
Weld County also has offered some for free , which is a significant help , he said .
Bonell had 33 resident cases and 27 staff cases in an outbreak that ended in June .
The Bonell home has seen fewer people moving in for long-term care or rehabilitation , Mertz said , but they ’ ve used that as an opportunity to move all residents to single rooms , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus .
All three administrators and executives said they had difficulty covering shifts at the most severe point , when many employees had to isolate themselves after testing positive .
The Bonell community had to rely on staffing agencies to fill in gaps during the spring wave , but that hasn ’ t been an issue in more recent weeks , Mertz said .
“ It ’ s our people now , ” he said .
In March and April , it was difficult to cover all shifts at some homes because so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarantine , Moskowitz said .
It ’ s eased up somewhat since then , but people still are reluctant to take jobs in a setting where they perceive their risk of getting the virus is high .
A few hundred staff members across the company chose not to return to work because of their own health concerns , he said .
Low funding has long been a concern for nursing homes , but they haven ’ t experienced anything where patient revenue is decreasing at the same time costs are going up in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Staff have done great work , but homes need more people and the money to pay them , he said .
“ This is different .
Every one of our employees who come to work every day put their life on the line , ” he said .
“ We ’ re still a hands-on profession .
We need people who are willing to be caregivers.
” Subscribe to bi-weekly newsletter to get health news sent straight to your inbox .

The worst of COVID-19 seems to be over for Colorado nursing homes, but they continue to face challenges trying to cover higher costs with decreased revenue.
Nursing homes were hit hard in the first months of the pandemic, both in Colorado and around the country, with residents accounting for a disproportionate number of deaths. Since mid-May, outbreaks in Colorado have shifted away from health care facilities to places where the general community gathers, like stores and restaurants. Nursing homes have to continue taking extra precautions, however, because an asymptomatic employee or visitor could easily ignite another outbreak.
The American Health Care Association, a nursing home trade group, said a survey of 463 facilities around the country found 55% were operating at a loss, and most others had thin profit margins. About 72% thought they couldn’t sustain their current pace of spending on protective equipment and extra staff time for a year, unless they receive additional funding.
Colorado nursing homes are dealing with higher costs for protective equipment and staff time, and they report anywhere from 10% to 40% fewer residents than they had before the pandemic, said Doug Farmer, president and CEO of the Colorado Health Care Association. That’s due to a combination of families putting off the decision to find long-term care for parents and grandparents due to the virus, and fewer people getting surgeries that require a short stay for physical therapy, he said.
If the number of residents stays below normal, that creates concerns about nursing homes’ financial viability, Farmer said. Most have slim profit margins, and their overhead costs don’t fall proportionately when they have fewer residents, he said.
“There definitely have been increased costs, and with decreased residents, that puts a squeeze on,” he said.
Jay Moskowitz, CEO of Vivage Senior Living, said costs for protective equipment are still high, though not as bad as they were in the spring. Vivage has 29 facilities in Colorado, and 21 had outbreaks, though all but three are over.
A few months ago, disposable gowns that normally cost 40 cents were selling for $5, Moskowitz said. The price has improved somewhat, but homes still have to pay about $2 for each gown, which staff need to wear over their scrubs when providing care to potentially infectious residents, he said.
“We’re seeing supplies get a little better, but it’s still way above what we were paying” before COVID-19, he said.
Nursing homes’ supply chains improved over the summer, but the progress could reverse as health care facilities have to compete with reopening schools and businesses for gloves and other supplies, Farmer said. The state has set up an online tool where nursing homes and assisted living facilities can report how much protective equipment they have and how much they need, to learn the scope of the issue, he said.
Three companies supply most of the nursing home market for protective equipment, and under normal circumstances homes will have about three days’ worth of supplies on hand, Farmer said. When the pandemic hit, all homes needed substantially more supplies, and the major manufacturers couldn’t scale up fast enough, he said.
“The expansion in what was needed was so great, they didn’t have the capacity,” he said. “Everybody was trying anything they could to get their hands on masks.”
The association tried to help, but ran into frustrations along the way, Farmer said. Federal officials stepped in and bought out the first shipment they’d secured, the second couldn’t make it through customs at the Los Angeles port, and only the third reached Denver and their member homes, he said.
Julian Hazlett, executive director of The Peaks Care Center in Longmont, said the protective equipment situation has improved since this spring, though gloves can still be hard to find. The Peaks had 51 confirmed or presumptive coronavirus cases among residents and 36 among staff before the state health department determined its outbreak was over on July 9.
“We have had to use different channels and vendors to obtain them, but thankfully we currently have what we need,” he said.
Ryan Mertz, administrator of the Good Samaritan Society’s Bonell community in Greeley, said they still have some challenges getting enough protective equipment, but their parent company has helped with supply chains. Weld County also has offered some for free, which is a significant help, he said. Bonell had 33 confirmed or presumptive resident cases and 27 staff cases in an outbreak that ended in June.
The Bonell home has seen fewer people moving in for long-term care or rehabilitation, Mertz said, but they’ve used that as an opportunity to move all residents to single rooms, to reduce the odds of spreading the virus.
All three administrators and executives said they had difficulty covering shifts at the most severe point, when many employees had to isolate themselves after testing positive. The Bonell community had to rely on staffing agencies to fill in gaps during the spring wave, but that hasn’t been an issue in more recent weeks, Mertz said.
“It’s our people now,” he said.
In March and April, it was difficult to cover all shifts at some homes because so many employees needed to go home and quarantine, Moskowitz said. It’s eased up somewhat since then, but people still are reluctant to take jobs in a setting where they perceive their risk of getting the virus is high. A few hundred staff members across the company chose not to return to work because of their own health concerns, he said.
Low funding has long been a concern for nursing homes, but they haven’t experienced anything where patient revenue is decreasing at the same time costs are going up in decades, if ever, Moskowitz said. Staff have done great work, but homes need more people and the money to pay them, he said.
“This is different. Every one of our employees who come to work every day put their life on the line,” he said. “We’re still a hands-on profession. We need people who are willing to be caregivers.”
Subscribe to bi-weekly newsletter to get health news sent straight to your inbox.


thedenverpost--2020-08-16--Colorado’s vote-by-mail ballots begin life in Washington State and end in storage. Here’s what happe

Colorado’s vote-by-mail ballots begin life in Washington State and end in storage. Here’s what happens in between.

One hand watches the other .
Bipartisan teams transport , verify , open , sort , count and store Colorado ’ s ballots — all in secure rooms with windows through which anyone can watch .
Election judges and computers check each vote and signature against state registries before they ’ re tabulated and stashed by the hundreds in cardboard boxes , numbered and dated .
No single person or party controls any portion of the process .
Checks , balances and redundancies guard against fraud , interference and innocuous errors .
Colorado ’ s mail-in voting system is as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national experts , election judges , Republicans and Democrats agree — despite efforts by President Donald Trump and others to question the security of voting by mail .
Colorado is one of just five states employing an automatic vote-by-mail election system and many now wonder how the remaining 45 and the District of Columbia will handle the November election as the coronavirus pandemic continues .
More and more eyes are turning to Denver to see how it ’ s done .
Alton Dillard nodded with apparent satisfaction as he watched a man lug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secure room inside the Denver Clerk and Recorder ’ s Office downtown during the June 30 primary .
It ’ s the kind of event for which Dillard , the office ’ s communications manager , wears a suit .
He has watched all sorts of elections roll by since 2005 and takes pride in understanding the nuances .
Each of the state ’ s 64 county clerks run elections according to guidelines set out by Secretary of State Jena Griswold and state law .
There are minor differences among counties , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same statewide .
There are thousands of different ballots for each election because school , municipal , statehouse and other political districts overlap each other in many different combinations .
Each county has different measures and candidates but also different types of paper , different colors , thicknesses and more , Griswold said .
The various details would be nearly impossible to imitate should a bad actor want to sway an election using false ballots , the elected Democrat said .
Denver ’ s ballots are printed in Washington State , Dillard said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ semis with tracking pucks .
“ That ’ s how they know the ballots didn ’ t go across the Bering Strait and into Russia , ” Dillard said .
County clerks and bipartisan teams will often arrive at their post offices to watch as the trucks are unlocked and the ballots are dumped into the mail stream to be delivered to registered voters across the state .
Who can vote , and how One of the most important security features of Colorado ’ s election system is the voter registry and its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State Wayne Williams , a Republican who led the launch of Colorado ’ s mail-in voting system in 2013 .
The Secretary of State ’ s Office checks with the post office , Colorado ’ s Department of Public Health and Environment and Department of Corrections monthly , Griswold said , to ensure that if anybody moves out of state , dies or is imprisoned , they ’ ll be removed from the registry and will no longer receive a ballot .
The frequency of the checks increases before an election , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Eligible voters receive their ballots about three weeks before a given election .
They can cast their votes and return the ballots by mail up to eight days before Election Day or they can submit them into a drop box or clerk ’ s office until 7 p.m. on Election Night .
Bipartisan teams collect votes from Denver ’ s 37 drop boxes daily , locking the boxes containing the ballots and labeling them by location before delivering them downtown .
On Election Night , the teams repeat the procedure , closing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Often voters drop their ballots in the wrong county , but Dillard said even that is manageable : “ We do have a process to swap out with other county clerks , and they get counted.
” Between 3 % and 4 % of Coloradans still prefer to vote in person , which they can do at their county clerk ’ s office and other designated voting locations , Hurlbert said .
Whether ballots are received early or on Election Night , they go through the same process , beginning with ensuring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voter to whom it was mailed .
Incoming ballots are fed through a machine that checks the signature on the envelope against each voter ’ s on-file signature .
Those signatures are collected as people register to vote , when receiving or renewing their driver ’ s licenses , when they voted in previous elections and more , said Jocelyn Bucaro , Denver ’ s director of elections .
“ We have many , many , many different signatures from you as a voter to compare your signature against , ” Bucaro said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the signatures aren ’ t close enough to those on file .
Then a bipartisan team of judges — specially trained for the task — steps up to examine the signatures further .
Those teams can either accept the signatures and approve the ballots to be counted or set aside mismatches .
The clerk ’ s office contacts voters whose signatures were not accepted — or who forgot to sign their ballots — and gives them eight days to resolve , or “ cure , ” the discrepancy .
Of the 211,626 ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the June 30 primary , only 3,862 — or 1.8 % — were rejected because of a mismatch or lack of signature .
Ballots with mismatched signatures that aren ’ t cured by voters are turned over to district attorneys to investigate further , just in case , Bucaro said .
But nearly all discrepancies come from simple issues , she said .
Sometimes people print their names rather than sign , sometimes one spouse accidentally signs the other ’ s envelope , and the signature of aging voters can deteriorate over time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — the vast majority — are sent into a different room where bipartisan teams of election judges open the envelopes and remove the ballots inside .
Each voter ’ s name and address is separated from their vote and will “ never meet again during any part of the process , ” Dillard said .
The envelopes go into storage , where they will remain for more than two years .
Moving down the line of election judges , the ballots are imprinted with a unique and random 10-digit number and fed through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Until polls close , they can be counted but not tabulated , Dillard said .
This means judges enter the votes into the counting machine , but the results aren ’ t applied to any given race .
“ We don ’ t know who ’ s leading , who ’ s behind , which election is doing what until we hit that button at 7 p.m. on Election Night , ” he said .
As the ballots are being fed , sometimes they are too garbled or mangled for the computer to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an image to bipartisan teams of adjudicating judges to review .
Those judges shuffle around the room in red vests with a party affiliation pin on their chest .
Though there are even numbers of Republicans and Democrats , the atmosphere bears no resemblance to the current national political climate .
The judges smile and joke while also taking their job seriously .
“ We ’ re making every vote count , ” said Democratic Judge MaryAnne Thompson , who said she began judging elections around 2005 .
Another judge , unaffiliated 19-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a judge before he was old enough to vote and now he ’ s hooked .
“ The people are great , and the elections never stop , ” Atkeson said with a laugh .
Regardless of party , the Denver election judges and employees The Denver Post spoke with June 30 shook their heads when asked about the doubts cast on election security at the national level .
“ That tells me these people don ’ t know or understand what the process is , ” said Steve Sharp , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office .
“ I say come down here and watch us and try to find a flaw.
” Sharp smiled as he looked toward the long table filled with computers for adjudicating judges .
Sometimes the judges will notice that a person consistently used an X to mark their preferred candidate rather than filling in circles as directed .
Or perhaps the circle for one choice is only 80 % filled while that for another candidate has what ’ s called in the business a “ hesitation mark.
” As long as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intended to vote , they can tabulate the results accordingly , Dillard said .
The judges work through ballots in batches of about 800 , and Thompson estimated between 5 % to 10 % have to be adjudicated .
The clerk ’ s office updates election results online every 90 minutes beginning when polls close at 7 p.m. , Dillard said .
The teams typically go until about midnight .
“ Then we have our crews come back with fresh eyes , fresh brains in the morning , ” he said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the number of ballots cast and how many of them arrive on the final day .
Finished ballots are filed by the teams into boxes , dated and stored securely .
Through the process , there is no real opportunity for outside actors to change the results on a single ballot , let alone enough to sway an election , Bucaro said .
The computers aren ’ t connected to the internet , for one thing .
“ So unless someone is physically here — and we have video surveillance and key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyone could interfere with the election tabulation system , ” she said .
The process is so secure , Denver County Clerk Paul López said , that not even he has access to the count rooms .
“ It ’ s safe , it ’ s secure , it ’ s transparent , it has been tested , it ’ s tried , it ’ s true and it ’ s pandemic proof , ” López said .
The voting and ballot tabulation process contains built-in redundancies and safeguards , but Colorado officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The first is a risk-limiting audit which takes place about two weeks after each election .
The Secretary of State ’ s Office requires county clerks — through bipartisan teams of election judges — to physically find a specific number of ballots and check those paper results against the votes tabulated by the computers .
The ballots that must be located are dictated by the random 10-digit numbers imprinted on them much earlier in the process , Dillard said .
“ It ’ s comparing what the humans are reading against what the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s making sure they match and that we know the machine read them correctly.
” If mistakes are found , the process is followed by additional rounds of auditing .
Too many mistakes could trigger a full hand recount .
But multiple rounds of audits are rare , Dillard said .
For the June 30 primary , Griswold ’ s office set audit standards such that if there was an error in the count there would be a 96 % chance it would be discovered during the audit .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find and check 555 ballots , more than twice the amount required by the next largest county ’ s audit , Dillard said .
“ Denver has always nailed it first round with no discrepancies , ” Dillard said .
Cases of fraud are incredibly rare , Bucaro , Dillard and López agreed .
It ’ s something clerks look for and seriously guard against , but they ’ ve never noticed a statistically significant number of fraud causes .
In 2018 , Griswold said , 0.0027 % of 2,566,784 ballots cast statewide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation .
The conservative Heritage Foundation has recorded only 14 cases of election-related offenses in Colorado since 2005 .
Williams said he recalled one study of Colorado , Oregon , Washington and two Eastern states where about 38 people were caught attempting to vote in multiple states .
But those people were caught and prosecuted , he said .
In especially tight races , those votes could make a difference , Williams said .
But that ’ s why Colorado has so many safeguards and redundancies .
“ I am confident in our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the audit , bipartisan teams return once more for what is called a canvass .
“ They literally just go through the entire election , ” Dillard said .
“ How many people turned out in this precinct ?
How many ballots did we reject because they were unsigned ?
How many unsigned ballots were fixed ?
How many ballots were disqualified ?
” After the canvass — and no more than 22 days after an election — the results are certified , meaning they ’ re accurate and set in stone , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s one more safeguard : State law requires clerks to keep the ballots and envelopes , stored and secured , for 25 months .
Just in case .

One hand watches the other.
Bipartisan teams transport, verify, open, sort, count and store Colorado’s ballots — all in secure rooms with windows through which anyone can watch.
Election judges and computers check each vote and signature against state registries before they’re tabulated and stashed by the hundreds in cardboard boxes, numbered and dated.
No single person or party controls any portion of the process. Checks, balances and redundancies guard against fraud, interference and innocuous errors.
Colorado’s mail-in voting system is as safe as it gets, local and national experts, election judges, Republicans and Democrats agree — despite efforts by President Donald Trump and others to question the security of voting by mail.
Colorado is one of just five states employing an automatic vote-by-mail election system and many now wonder how the remaining 45 and the District of Columbia will handle the November election as the coronavirus pandemic continues.
More and more eyes are turning to Denver to see how it’s done.
The ballots
Alton Dillard nodded with apparent satisfaction as he watched a man lug a red metal lock box into a secure room inside the Denver Clerk and Recorder’s Office downtown during the June 30 primary.
It’s the kind of event for which Dillard, the office’s communications manager, wears a suit. He has watched all sorts of elections roll by since 2005 and takes pride in understanding the nuances.
Each of the state’s 64 county clerks run elections according to guidelines set out by Secretary of State Jena Griswold and state law. There are minor differences among counties, but by and large the system is the same statewide.
There are thousands of different ballots for each election because school, municipal, statehouse and other political districts overlap each other in many different combinations. Each county has different measures and candidates but also different types of paper, different colors, thicknesses and more, Griswold said.
The various details would be nearly impossible to imitate should a bad actor want to sway an election using false ballots, the elected Democrat said.
Denver’s ballots are printed in Washington State, Dillard said, and trucked to Colorado in locked semis with tracking pucks.
“That’s how they know the ballots didn’t go across the Bering Strait and into Russia,” Dillard said.
County clerks and bipartisan teams will often arrive at their post offices to watch as the trucks are unlocked and the ballots are dumped into the mail stream to be delivered to registered voters across the state.
Who can vote, and how
One of the most important security features of Colorado’s election system is the voter registry and its diligent upkeep, said former Secretary of State Wayne Williams, a Republican who led the launch of Colorado’s mail-in voting system in 2013.
The Secretary of State’s Office checks with the post office, Colorado’s Department of Public Health and Environment and Department of Corrections monthly, Griswold said, to ensure that if anybody moves out of state, dies or is imprisoned, they’ll be removed from the registry and will no longer receive a ballot.
The frequency of the checks increases before an election, said Steve Hurlbert, a spokesperson for Griswold.
Eligible voters receive their ballots about three weeks before a given election. They can cast their votes and return the ballots by mail up to eight days before Election Day or they can submit them into a drop box or clerk’s office until 7 p.m. on Election Night.
Bipartisan teams collect votes from Denver’s 37 drop boxes daily, locking the boxes containing the ballots and labeling them by location before delivering them downtown. On Election Night, the teams repeat the procedure, closing the drop boxes precisely when polls close.
Often voters drop their ballots in the wrong county, but Dillard said even that is manageable: “We do have a process to swap out with other county clerks, and they get counted.”
Between 3% and 4% of Coloradans still prefer to vote in person, which they can do at their county clerk’s office and other designated voting locations, Hurlbert said.
Checking signatures
Whether ballots are received early or on Election Night, they go through the same process, beginning with ensuring that each ballot was submitted by the voter to whom it was mailed.
Incoming ballots are fed through a machine that checks the signature on the envelope against each voter’s on-file signature. Those signatures are collected as people register to vote, when receiving or renewing their driver’s licenses, when they voted in previous elections and more, said Jocelyn Bucaro, Denver’s director of elections.
“We have many, many, many different signatures from you as a voter to compare your signature against,” Bucaro said.
The machine kicks out envelopes if the signatures aren’t close enough to those on file. Then a bipartisan team of judges — specially trained for the task — steps up to examine the signatures further. Those teams can either accept the signatures and approve the ballots to be counted or set aside mismatches.
The clerk’s office contacts voters whose signatures were not accepted — or who forgot to sign their ballots — and gives them eight days to resolve, or “cure,” the discrepancy.
Of the 211,626 ballots cast by mail or drop box in the June 30 primary, only 3,862 — or 1.8% — were rejected because of a mismatch or lack of signature.
Ballots with mismatched signatures that aren’t cured by voters are turned over to district attorneys to investigate further, just in case, Bucaro said. But nearly all discrepancies come from simple issues, she said. Sometimes people print their names rather than sign, sometimes one spouse accidentally signs the other’s envelope, and the signature of aging voters can deteriorate over time.
Envelopes bearing signatures that do match — the vast majority — are sent into a different room where bipartisan teams of election judges open the envelopes and remove the ballots inside.
Each voter’s name and address is separated from their vote and will “never meet again during any part of the process,” Dillard said.
The envelopes go into storage, where they will remain for more than two years.
Counting and tabulating
Moving down the line of election judges, the ballots are imprinted with a unique and random 10-digit number and fed through another machine that tabulates the votes.
Until polls close, they can be counted but not tabulated, Dillard said. This means judges enter the votes into the counting machine, but the results aren’t applied to any given race.
“We don’t know who’s leading, who’s behind, which election is doing what until we hit that button at 7 p.m. on Election Night,” he said.
As the ballots are being fed, sometimes they are too garbled or mangled for the computer to read the votes, so it sends an image to bipartisan teams of adjudicating judges to review.
Those judges shuffle around the room in red vests with a party affiliation pin on their chest. Though there are even numbers of Republicans and Democrats, the atmosphere bears no resemblance to the current national political climate. The judges smile and joke while also taking their job seriously.
“We’re making every vote count,” said Democratic Judge MaryAnne Thompson, who said she began judging elections around 2005.
Another judge, unaffiliated 19-year-old Ulysses Atkeson, said he began work as a judge before he was old enough to vote and now he’s hooked.
“The people are great, and the elections never stop,” Atkeson said with a laugh.
Regardless of party, the Denver election judges and employees The Denver Post spoke with June 30 shook their heads when asked about the doubts cast on election security at the national level.
“That tells me these people don’t know or understand what the process is,” said Steve Sharp, a full-time employee of the clerk’s office. “I say come down here and watch us and try to find a flaw.”
Sharp smiled as he looked toward the long table filled with computers for adjudicating judges.
Sometimes the judges will notice that a person consistently used an X to mark their preferred candidate rather than filling in circles as directed. Or perhaps the circle for one choice is only 80% filled while that for another candidate has what’s called in the business a “hesitation mark.”
As long as the judges can clearly see how a person intended to vote, they can tabulate the results accordingly, Dillard said.
The judges work through ballots in batches of about 800, and Thompson estimated between 5% to 10% have to be adjudicated.
The clerk’s office updates election results online every 90 minutes beginning when polls close at 7 p.m., Dillard said. The teams typically go until about midnight.
“Then we have our crews come back with fresh eyes, fresh brains in the morning,” he said.
The process can continue for days, depending on the number of ballots cast and how many of them arrive on the final day.
Finished ballots are filed by the teams into boxes, dated and stored securely.
Through the process, there is no real opportunity for outside actors to change the results on a single ballot, let alone enough to sway an election, Bucaro said. The computers aren’t connected to the internet, for one thing.
“So unless someone is physically here — and we have video surveillance and key card access — there is no way anyone could interfere with the election tabulation system,” she said.
The process is so secure, Denver County Clerk Paul López said, that not even he has access to the count rooms.
“It’s safe, it’s secure, it’s transparent, it has been tested, it’s tried, it’s true and it’s pandemic proof,” López said.
Checking their work
The voting and ballot tabulation process contains built-in redundancies and safeguards, but Colorado officials built in at least two more.
The first is a risk-limiting audit which takes place about two weeks after each election. The Secretary of State’s Office requires county clerks — through bipartisan teams of election judges — to physically find a specific number of ballots and check those paper results against the votes tabulated by the computers.
The ballots that must be located are dictated by the random 10-digit numbers imprinted on them much earlier in the process, Dillard said.
“It’s comparing what the humans are reading against what the machine read,” Bucaro said. “It’s making sure they match and that we know the machine read them correctly.”
If mistakes are found, the process is followed by additional rounds of auditing. Too many mistakes could trigger a full hand recount. But multiple rounds of audits are rare, Dillard said.
For the June 30 primary, Griswold’s office set audit standards such that if there was an error in the count there would be a 96% chance it would be discovered during the audit.
For Denver, that meant judges had to find and check 555 ballots, more than twice the amount required by the next largest county’s audit, Dillard said.
“Denver has always nailed it first round with no discrepancies,” Dillard said.
Cases of fraud are incredibly rare, Bucaro, Dillard and López agreed. It’s something clerks look for and seriously guard against, but they’ve never noticed a statistically significant number of fraud causes.
In 2018, Griswold said, 0.0027% of 2,566,784 ballots cast statewide were referred to district attorneys for further investigation.
The conservative Heritage Foundation has recorded only 14 cases of election-related offenses in Colorado since 2005.
Williams said he recalled one study of Colorado, Oregon, Washington and two Eastern states where about 38 people were caught attempting to vote in multiple states. But those people were caught and prosecuted, he said.
In especially tight races, those votes could make a difference, Williams said. But that’s why Colorado has so many safeguards and redundancies.
“I am confident in our system,” he said.
After the audit, bipartisan teams return once more for what is called a canvass.
“They literally just go through the entire election,” Dillard said. “How many people turned out in this precinct? How many ballots did we reject because they were unsigned? How many unsigned ballots were fixed? How many ballots were disqualified?”
After the canvass — and no more than 22 days after an election — the results are certified, meaning they’re accurate and set in stone, Dillard said.
But still there’s one more safeguard: State law requires clerks to keep the ballots and envelopes, stored and secured, for 25 months. Just in case.


thedenverpost--2020-08-16--Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland embraces changeup — and thrives

Rockies starter Kyle Freeland , like so many other pitchers who ’ ve come before him , didn ’ t think he needed to throw a changeup .
He didn ’ t want to throw the pitch .
He didn ’ t trust it .
Now the changeup has become the left-hander ’ s best friend .
After four starts , Freeland is 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA .
In his previous three seasons , Freeland had never thrown the changeup more than 14 % of the time .
This season , Freeland is using it 32.5 % of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ count .
“ He went through his hard knocks with that pitch , but he ’ s put in such good work with it , that now he ’ s confident in the pitch , ” said bullpen coach Darryl Scott , who ’ s been instrumental in Freeland ’ s metamorphosis .
“ He ’ s seen it work , he feels it .
It ’ s made a huge difference .
I ’ m proud of him.
” It ’ s easy to understand Freeland ’ s resistance to change .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fine without it , thank you very much .
In 2018 , his 2.75 ERA was the lowest for a full season in franchise history .
A hard fastball , thrown inside to right-handed hitters , combined with a sharp slider and a cutter suited him just fine .
Until it didn ’ t last year .
“ His first couple of years in the league , as a young pitcher , you ’ re unknown to the league , ” manager Bud Black said .
“ And then the league adjusted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ book was out on Freeland and things got ugly in a hurry .
He went 3-11 with a 6.73 ERA a year ago and served up 25 home runs in only 104 1/3 innings .
At the end of May a year ago , his confidence admittedly shaken , Freeland was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque for an extreme makeover that included improving his changeup , retooling his fastball and developing a more useable curve .
The results were not pretty : 0-4 , 8.80 ERA and four home runs allowed in six Triple-A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got the ( crud ) beat out of it when I was in Triple-A when I was forced to throw the changeup , ” Freeland said .
“ I was giving up liners in the gaps .
I was giving up homers with it .
I was telling myself , ‘ I ’ ve got ta keep throwing this thing , ’ but at the same time , I was telling myself , ‘ I can ’ t throw it because every time it gets whacked.
’ “ It was the developmental stage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back on it , I ’ m glad I went through it .
Now it ’ s paying off with the hard work I ’ ve done with it.
” Black said Freeland has evolved from a “ thrower to a pitcher , ” and coming from Black , a former big-league pitcher , that ’ s the ultimate compliment .
The changeup , as well as throwing the curveball more often , has been the key to Freeland ’ s turnaround .
“ In pretty quick time — basically one offseason — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ league pitch , ” Black said .
“ He has the confidence to throw it in any count .
It has great action down in the strike zone.
” The keys to throwing a changeup seem simple on paper : — The pitcher ’ s arm speed should appear identical to the fastball .
— The velocity should be 8 % to 12 % slower than a fastball .
In Freeland ’ s case , his fastball is averaging 92.9 mph this season vs. 86.5 mph for his changeup , according to FanGraphs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a combination of arm-side movement , known as “ run , ” and sinking movement .
Every organization tries to teach its young pitchers to throw a changeup , now more than ever .
While big-league pitchers are throwing harder than ever before , hitters are learning how to catch up to the heat , thus requiring pitchers to vary their pitches .
As longtime Sports Illustrated baseball writer Tom Verducci wrote recently , fastball use held steady from 2010 through 2015 at between 56.8 % and 57.8 % .
“ Then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favor , slowly at first , but with stunning drops in the past two seasons , ” Verducci wrote .
“ Fastball percentage starting from 2015 : 56.8 , 56.3 , 55.3 , 54.5 , 51.9 and — drum roll , please — 49.7 at the start of ( last ) week.
” The Rockies , perhaps even more than other teams , insist that their pitchers try to work on developing a changeup because it ’ s a pitch that remains relatively effective in Denver ’ s mile-high altitude , at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ For me , of the secondary pitches , it ’ s a pitch that isn ’ t nearly as movement-dependent , ” Scott said .
“ With the changeup , you ’ re relying on the variance in velocity between your fastball and your changeup .
It ’ s so important to have something coming off your fastball ; something the hitters don ’ t pick up.
” Rookie right-hander Ryan Castellani , who made his Coors Field debut Friday night against the Texas Rangers , did not throw a changeup when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ round of the 2014 draft out of Brophy College Preparatory High School in Phoenix .
He was quickly told , however , that he needed to start throwing one .
“ Coming out of high school , I was just a fastball-breaking ball guy , ” Castellani said .
“ But as you work your way up , you realize that ’ s not going to work and the changeup almost becomes your most important edge .
“ And for me , there were years I struggled with it .
There were outings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some outings when I would .
And I just kind of got to the point where I would look back and see that if I threw about 15-20 % changeups , it was usually a good outing.
” Still , convincing young pitchers to embrace the pitch is not easy .
“ It ’ s really hard if you are used to pitching with a very aggressive mindset — like both Kyle and Ryan , who have aggressive fastballs and sliders — and then you are told to throw the ball straight and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They think , ‘ Why the hell would I do that ?
’ But you work with them in bullpens and you prepare them .
When they start seeing results — guys missing on strike three or guys getting way out in front and popping the ball up — they start to understand it.
” Still , the changeup , which requires finding a comfortable , effective grip , usually takes time to learn , and even longer to trust .
Ideally , the different grip cuts the speed of the pitch without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make the changeup difficult to control .
“ It takes a leap of faith , so to speak , ” Castellani said .
“ You work on it , you work on it , you work on it , and you try to feel comfortable with it .
And then , finally , you have to just dive off the high board and use it in a game and trust it.
” In his last start Tuesday — an 8-7 Colorado win over Arizona — he used it for two key outs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to end the first inning with the bases loaded , and he induced a groundball double play with two on and none out in the sixth against Christian Walker , who had hit a home run off a fastball two innings earlier .
Freeland is striking out fewer batters this season than last — 4.6 strikeouts per nine vs. 6.8 — but he ’ s using the changeup more to escape trouble .
After Tuesday ’ s game , he led the majors with seven groundball double plays .
The changeup has become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ahead of hitters and keep them off balance , as well as a pitch that acts as an escape hatch .
“ Throughout the minor leagues with the Rockies , everyone preaches — whether it ’ s coming from the scouting department , whether it ’ s coming from developmental guys , coaches , whoever — they preach to pitchers : learn a changeup , get that changeup down , make it a quality pitch , ” he said .
“ So that was kind of saying to me , ‘ A lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m going to go ahead and believe that this is true.
’ Which it is .
”

Rockies starter Kyle Freeland, like so many other pitchers who’ve come before him, didn’t think he needed to throw a changeup. He didn’t want to throw the pitch. He didn’t trust it.
Now the changeup has become the left-hander’s best friend.
After four starts, Freeland is 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA. In his previous three seasons, Freeland had never thrown the changeup more than 14% of the time. This season, Freeland is using it 32.5% of the time — and throwing it on any count.
“He went through his hard knocks with that pitch, but he’s put in such good work with it, that now he’s confident in the pitch,” said bullpen coach Darryl Scott, who’s been instrumental in Freeland’s metamorphosis. “He’s seen it work, he feels it. It’s made a huge difference. I’m proud of him.”
It’s easy to understand Freeland’s resistance to change. After all, he’d done fine without it, thank you very much.
In 2018, his 2.75 ERA was the lowest for a full season in franchise history. A hard fastball, thrown inside to right-handed hitters, combined with a sharp slider and a cutter suited him just fine.
Until it didn’t last year.
“His first couple of years in the league, as a young pitcher, you’re unknown to the league,” manager Bud Black said. “And then the league adjusted to Kyle.”
In other words, the book was out on Freeland and things got ugly in a hurry. He went 3-11 with a 6.73 ERA a year ago and served up 25 home runs in only 104 1/3 innings. At the end of May a year ago, his confidence admittedly shaken, Freeland was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque for an extreme makeover that included improving his changeup, retooling his fastball and developing a more useable curve. The results were not pretty: 0-4, 8.80 ERA and four home runs allowed in six Triple-A starts.
“I mean, I got the (crud) beat out of it when I was in Triple-A when I was forced to throw the changeup,” Freeland said. “I was giving up liners in the gaps. I was giving up homers with it. I was telling myself, ‘I’ve gotta keep throwing this thing,’ but at the same time, I was telling myself, ‘I can’t throw it because every time it gets whacked.’
“It was the developmental stage for me with that pitch. Looking back on it, I’m glad I went through it. Now it’s paying off with the hard work I’ve done with it.”
Black said Freeland has evolved from a “thrower to a pitcher,” and coming from Black, a former big-league pitcher, that’s the ultimate compliment. The changeup, as well as throwing the curveball more often, has been the key to Freeland’s turnaround.
“In pretty quick time — basically one offseason — this has developed into an above-average major league pitch,” Black said. “He has the confidence to throw it in any count. It has great action down in the strike zone.”
The keys to throwing a changeup seem simple on paper:
— The pitcher’s arm speed should appear identical to the fastball.
— The velocity should be 8% to 12% slower than a fastball. In Freeland’s case, his fastball is averaging 92.9 mph this season vs. 86.5 mph for his changeup, according to FanGraphs.
— Ideally, the changeup should have a combination of arm-side movement, known as “run,” and sinking movement.
Every organization tries to teach its young pitchers to throw a changeup, now more than ever. While big-league pitchers are throwing harder than ever before, hitters are learning how to catch up to the heat, thus requiring pitchers to vary their pitches.
As longtime Sports Illustrated baseball writer Tom Verducci wrote recently, fastball use held steady from 2010 through 2015 at between 56.8% and 57.8%.
“Then the fastball began to fall out of favor, slowly at first, but with stunning drops in the past two seasons,” Verducci wrote. “Fastball percentage starting from 2015: 56.8, 56.3, 55.3, 54.5, 51.9 and — drum roll, please — 49.7 at the start of (last) week.”
The Rockies, perhaps even more than other teams, insist that their pitchers try to work on developing a changeup because it’s a pitch that remains relatively effective in Denver’s mile-high altitude, at least in comparison to other offspeed pitches.
“For me, of the secondary pitches, it’s a pitch that isn’t nearly as movement-dependent,” Scott said. “With the changeup, you’re relying on the variance in velocity between your fastball and your changeup. It’s so important to have something coming off your fastball; something the hitters don’t pick up.”
Rookie right-hander Ryan Castellani, who made his Coors Field debut Friday night against the Texas Rangers, did not throw a changeup when the Rockies selected him in the second round of the 2014 draft out of Brophy College Preparatory High School in Phoenix. He was quickly told, however, that he needed to start throwing one.
“Coming out of high school, I was just a fastball-breaking ball guy,” Castellani said. “But as you work your way up, you realize that’s not going to work and the changeup almost becomes your most important edge.
“And for me, there were years I struggled with it. There were outings where I would not throw it and some outings when I would. And I just kind of got to the point where I would look back and see that if I threw about 15-20% changeups, it was usually a good outing.”
Still, convincing young pitchers to embrace the pitch is not easy.
“It’s really hard if you are used to pitching with a very aggressive mindset — like both Kyle and Ryan, who have aggressive fastballs and sliders — and then you are told to throw the ball straight and slow,” Scott said. “They think, ‘Why the hell would I do that?’ But you work with them in bullpens and you prepare them. When they start seeing results — guys missing on strike three or guys getting way out in front and popping the ball up — they start to understand it.”
Still, the changeup, which requires finding a comfortable, effective grip, usually takes time to learn, and even longer to trust. Ideally, the different grip cuts the speed of the pitch without changing arm speed, but it can make the changeup difficult to control.
“It takes a leap of faith, so to speak,” Castellani said. “You work on it, you work on it, you work on it, and you try to feel comfortable with it. And then, finally, you have to just dive off the high board and use it in a game and trust it.”
Freeland, finally, does trust it.
In his last start Tuesday — an 8-7 Colorado win over Arizona — he used it for two key outs. He got Eduardo Escobar to pop out to end the first inning with the bases loaded, and he induced a groundball double play with two on and none out in the sixth against Christian Walker, who had hit a home run off a fastball two innings earlier.
Freeland is striking out fewer batters this season than last — 4.6 strikeouts per nine vs. 6.8 — but he’s using the changeup more to escape trouble. After Tuesday’s game, he led the majors with seven groundball double plays.
The changeup has become a weapon that allows him to get ahead of hitters and keep them off balance, as well as a pitch that acts as an escape hatch.
“Throughout the minor leagues with the Rockies, everyone preaches — whether it’s coming from the scouting department, whether it’s coming from developmental guys, coaches, whoever — they preach to pitchers: learn a changeup, get that changeup down, make it a quality pitch,” he said. “So that was kind of saying to me, ‘A lot of people are saying this, and I’m going to go ahead and believe that this is true.’ Which it is.”
Change of Pace
Pitch utilization by Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland
Year Fastball Slider Cutter Curveball Changeup 2017 69.90% 4.10% 25.00% —- 7.10% 2018 52.40% 4.50% 29.30% —- 13.80% 2019 51.90% 5.60% 31.20% —- 11.30% 2020 29.60% 20.40% —- 17.50% 32.50%
Source: FanGraphs and Baseball Solutions