I’ve been extremely hard on Jon Rauch this year. So much so that I really hope I never run into him in a dark alley somewhere (not that he reads, but you get the point). At one point this season I even wondered out loud if he was the Devil.

Something funny has started to happen, however. Jon Rauch has pitched decent as of late. His numbers this year are no longer terrible, in fact they seem pretty average. As of today he has a 4.31 ERA and opponents are only hitting .263 off of him. When Rauch comes into the game I no longer scream “Dear God No” and shiver uncontrollably. I don’t leap for the remote and instantly change the channel because I am too scared to watch him pitch (and there was a point this season were I would turn the channel if he entered the game). Now when Rauch comes in I think, well actually I don’t think anything, which is a remarkable improvement.

In fact, in his last 21 games Jon Rauch has a 1.71 ERA and batters are only hitting .205 off of him. With the trade of Tony Pena he has regained the 8th inning role and has been the D-Backs most effective reliever the past month.

To that I say kudos, Jon Rauch. Your awful start may have helped sink the season but at least you managed to turn it around.

I am fully aware of the extreme jinx potential of this post.