Ottavino out to solve struggles vs. lefty hitters

DENVER — Sunday afternoon, like most games this time of year against teams with expanded rosters, was another chance for Rockies closer Adam Ottavino to address his greatest weakness.

The right-handed Ottavino faced four Padres batters in the bottom of the ninth inning. What’s instructive is he defeated the three left-handed hitters he faced — two on strikeouts — to earn his fifth save of the season in the Rockies’ 6-3 victory at Coors Field.

Ottavino extracted a groundout from leadoff man Oswaldo Arcia, struck out Hector Sanchez and, after the right-handed Adam Rosales singled, fanned Luis Sardinas with the count full. Before setting down Arcia, Sanchez and Sardinas, lefties were batting .281 and had a .410 on-base percentage against him in 39 plate appearances.

To be an effective closer, Ottavino will have to improve those numbers. But the 30-year-old doesn’t care what inning he pitches — after all, the three-year, $10.4 million contract he signed last winter does not include any incentives for saves. Still, he knows he needs to perform better against lefties.

“Yes,” Ottavino answered in the …

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