The Sports Xchange
Jun 20, 2017
DENVER -- Nolan Arenado picked up where he left off, providing more late-inning slugging heroics Tuesday night for the Colorado Rockies in their 4-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Arenado, who hit a three-run, walk-off homer Sunday to complete a cycle and give the Rockies a 7-5 victory, tripled home two runs in the eighth Tuesday after Arizona stunned the Rockies with home runs on back-to-back pitches in the top of the inning.
The Diamondbacks tied the game 2-2 when Daniel Peralta hit his seventh homer, a leadoff blast on reliever Chris Rusin's 2-1 changeup that traveled an estimated 455 feet and well into the second deck in right field.
Adam Ottavino (1-1) relieved Rusin and Paul Goldschmidt drove his first-pitch fastball into the right field stands. It was Goldschmidt's 17th home run.
The homers gave Diamondbacks starter Zack Greinke (8-4) his first lead of the game, but he couldn't hold it.
Greinke gave up consecutive one-out singles in the eighth to Charlie Blackmon and DJ LeMahieu and Arenado followed with a triple off the wall in right on Greinke's 1-0 slider.
Greg Holland worked the ninth and earned his 25th save in 26 chances. He issued a one-out walk and struck out Jeremy Hazelbaker. While facing Gregor Blanco, Holland put the tying run in scoring position with a wild pitch, but Holland came off the mound to field Blanco's nubber and threw him out to end the game.
The win was the sixth straight for the Rockies -- one shy of their season high -- and their 13th victory in the past 16 games.
The Diamondbacks' season-high seven game winning streak ended as they lost for only second time in 12 games. Arizona's five-game winning streak on the road also ended.
The Rockies improved to 11-2 in one-run games while the Diamondbacks fell to 15-7 in such contests.
Chris Owings' sacrifice fly cut Colorado's lead to 2-1 in the sixth, but that could have been a bigger inning for Arizona. Rockies starter German Marquez hit Goldschmidt with a pitch to open the inning, and Jake Lamb sent him to third with a single. Catcher Tony Wolters nailed Lamb trying to steal just ahead of Owings' sacrifice fly to deep right-center.
That was the only run allowed by Marquez, who gave up four hits in six innings with two walks and three strikeouts. It was the first time in five starts that Marquez has pitched six innings.
Carlos Gonzalez, steadily putting a prolonged slump behind him, drove a homer an estimated 449 feet, over the fence in center with one out in the fifth, putting the Rockies ahead 2-0. It was his sixth homer of the season and his first homer, RBI or extra-base hit since June 6.
The homer came on a 2-1 slider from Greinke, whom Gonzalez has hit well. He entered the game 13-for-36 with four homers and six RBIs against Greinke.
The Diamondbacks gift-wrapped a run for Colorado in the second. With one out, Ian Desmond was safe on a slow roller that third baseman Lamb barehanded but threw the ball past first base.
Catcher Jeff Mathis retrieved Greinke's wild pitch, tried to get Desmond at third but made an errant throw that allowed Desmond to score the first run.
NOTES: Rockies RHP Jon Gray (left foot stress fracture) makes his third rehab start Saturday and second for Triple-A Albuquerque. ... Rockies LHP Tyler Anderson (left knee inflammation) made a rehab start Sunday for Triple-A Albuquerque and will be re-evaluated this week. ... Diamondbacks OF AJ Pollock (strained right groin) felt right quadriceps tightness before a rehab game Monday with Triple-A Reno and will not play in a game before Friday. ... Diamondbacks RHP Zack Godley will start the series finale Thursday, and LHP Patrick Corbin will be pushed back one day and start Friday at home against Philadelphia. ... Joe West worked home plate as he umpired his 5,000th major league game. He joined Bill Klem (5,375) and Gerry Davis (5,163) as the only umpires to reach the 5,000-game plateau.