DENVER -- As far as experience goes, Rockies reliever Jairo Diaz is near the bottom when it comes to the bullpen. But the beefy, six-foot, 200-pound right-hander is getting a chance to prove himself in high-pressure situations down the stretch.
Since being recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque on Aug. 23, Diaz has surrendered just one run in seven appearances. Six of those outings have come in the seventh inning or later.
That's a long way from where he was early in the year. Diaz, acquired from the Angels last December in a trade for infielder Josh Rutledge, has a high-90s fastball and a swing-and-miss slider, but he struggled with control.