Ross allowing too many home runs in first three starts

With the unusual conditions in Denver, a start where your breaking ball doesn't break and your velocity is a tick off might be brushed aside.

But when you can't go six or seven innings for the second straight start, is that cause for concern?

Right-hander Joe Ross was held back at Triple-A Syracuse a couple of weeks before a fifth starter was needed in the Nationals rotation. Was that strategy simply meant to lessen Ross' work load? Or was it also a red flag concerning where his stamina is at this point in the young season?

April 25 at Colorado, Ross went 4 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts. He threw 90 pitches, 57 for strikes. Carlos González and Mark Reynolds hit home runs. The Rockies scored in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings.

April 30 in D.C., Ross lasted four innings, allowing five runs on seven hits with one walk and five strikeouts. He threw 76 pitches, 50 for strikes. René Rivera and Jay Bruce hit homers and José Reyes connected on a long triple. The Mets scored in every inning he pitched.

"I felt good early on," Ross said Sunday postgame. "I feel like I kind of fell off towards the end in sharpness. Tried to battle my way through the game. Fortunately, we came out on top, so that's all that really matters. To me, at least."

Ross spoke last week in Denver about the high-altitude conditions and how his breaking stuff was flat and wasn't breaking as it normally does. Did he see any similar patterns this time around back home?

"The last start wasn't really an ideal game," Ross said. "Today, I feel like I gave up a few hits and didn't execute my pitches in certain situations. I gave up a double to the pitcher. That's never going to be good. They just capitalized and I think Dusty (Baker) went with the (fresh arm in bullpen) -- he wanted a shutdown inning after we had scored runs. That's one of the major things he talks about, so I think he made the decision he thought was smart, and we ended up scoring 20 runs or so. We won. That's all that matters."

Another identical theme to Ross' last start was the Nationals offense helping out the pitching. Ross got a no-decision in both games because the Nationals outscored their opponents: 15-12 over the Rockies and 23-5 over the Mets.

"It's impressive. It's like every inning you expect us to throw up one or two on the board," Ross said. "It definitely makes it easier on the starting pitchers to go out there. You don't have to worry about throwing a perfect game or a shutout or anything like that. Everybody's hitting. A team that hits is a pretty happy team, I think. I think we're in a good groove and, hopefully, we can keep it rolling."

Baker explains what he saw from Ross and the decision to have Matt Albers pitch the fifth inning Sunday.

"I don't know, just some balls, sliders, were up in the zone and fastballs were in the middle of the plate," Baker said.

No word from Ross about whether his stamina is a problem, or why his velocity is not quite what it usually is. His fastball usually touches the mid-90's. Today it was hitting 92-93-94 mph in the first three innings only. In the fourth, he never got above 91.6 mph.

In Colorado April 25, Ross got to 91.5 mph early and touched 92 or 93 mph only once, that against Trevor Story in the bottom of the second inning, according to MLB.com. But for the most part, his stuff was around 88 and 89 mph, way off his normal velocity averages.

His home runs allowed per nine innings is way up early in 2017: 2.9 per game after averaging 0.8 HR/9 in 2015 and 2016. Ross has allowed five homers in three starts this season after allowing nine homers in 19 starts in 2016. His 11.5 hits per nine innings is the highest of his young career as well.

According to Baseball-Reference.com, Ross's FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) - which measures a pitcher's ability to prevent homers, walks and hit-by-pitches and cause strikeouts and is similar to a pitcher's ERA - is way up early in 2017, to 6.15. His career average coming in was just 3.45.

Last season he reached at least six innings in five of his first six starts. This season, he has lasted into the fifth inning only once in his first three starts: seven innings against the Braves in his season debut April 19.

Ross didn't seem too concerned the last two post games about these unusual results. Let's see how it plays out in his next few starts. Are the recent struggles an aberration, a mechanical issue or something else?