[June 06, 2014]DENVER -- The Arizona Diamondbacks
limped into Coors Field on Tuesday but they're leaving with confidence
and momentum after another convincing victory.
Chris Owings homered and drove in four runs, Paul Goldschmidt and
Miguel Montero also homered and the Diamondbacks beat the Colorado
Rockies 12-7 on Thursday night to sweep the three-game series.
Owings, Montero and Martin Prado had three hits each for the
Diamondbacks, who are 18-14 since May 1.
The Diamondbacks finished with 18 hits. In the final two games of
the series, they scored 28 runs on 39 hits.
"We swung the bats really good," Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said.
"We got on a bit of a roll and I'd like to continue that."
The Rockies want to stop what has become a season-turning slide.
They have lost seven straight and 10 of their last 12 after staying
close to San Francisco in the National League West for the first
seven weeks of the season.
"Have we hit rock bottom? Who knows," shortstop Troy Tulowitzki
said. "All I know is it's still June and we're only three games
under .500."
Arizona starter Bronson Arroyo (5-4) pitched 6 1/3 innings to get
the win. He left with one out in the seventh and allowed four runs
on six hits.
Brandon Barnes hit an inside-the-park home run and Charlie Blackmon
and Tulowitzki also homered for the Rockies, but it wasn't nearly
enough against the hot-hitting Diamondbacks.
"Overall, we had good at-bats and put the ball in play," Montero
said. "We had a good approach and we battled on every pitch of the
game. Not every game is going to be 18 hits.
It was the first time the Rockies have lost a home series this
season after a late rally fell short. They scored three runs in the
seventh to make it 7-6 and had the bases loaded with two outs when
reliever Oliver Perez got pinch-hitter Justin Morneau to ground out
to first to end the threat.
"It was the biggest pitch of the game," Montero said. "Morneau, he
can change the game with one swing and Perez threw a heck of a
pitch."
Owings gave Arizona a cushion again with a two-run homer off
reliever Chris Martin in the eighth. It was his third hit of the
night and fifth homer of the season.
The Diamondbacks scored three more times in the ninth to put it
away.
"You can't fault these guys in the locker room. We come to play
every single day," said Tulowitzki, who just missed hitting his
second home run on a drive to the wall in the ninth. "It's just not
happening right now."
Barnes pinch-hit in the bottom of the inning and hit a drive deep to
center that bounced off the wall and rolled away from center fielder
Ender Inciarte. The speedy Barnes easily raced home for the 14th
inside-the-park homer in franchise history.
It wasn't enough to rescue Colorado right-hander Juan Nicasio, who
had his second straight rough start. Nicasio (5-4) allowed a season
high in hits (11) and runs (seven) and put his team in a hole early.
The Diamondbacks, who scored 12 runs in the last three innings of
Wednesday's win, got two in the first inning Thursday after the
first four batters reached. Gerardo Parra led off with a double,
moved to third on a single by Chris Owings and scored on a single by
Goldschmidt. Right fielder Martin Prado made it 2-0 with a sacrifice
fly.
Colorado got one run back when Blackmon homered in the bottom of the
first, his 11th homer of the season. It was the third time he has
led off a game with a home run this season. All of his homers in
2014 have come from the leadoff spot in the order, a franchise
record.
Montero made it 3-1 with a two-out solo homer in the third, and
Owings' RBI double in the fourth gave Arizona a 4-1 lead. Colorado
escaped further damage when Parra tried to score from first on the
double but was thrown out by Tulowitzki.
The play was reviewed to ensure Rockies catcher Wilin Rosario gave
Parra a clear path to home plate, and it was held up after a brief
look.
Goldschmidt made it 5-1 with his 11th home run of the season leading
off the fifth, but Colorado got the run back on an RBI single by
second baseman DJ LeMahieu in the bottom of the inning.
NOTES: The Rockies placed RHP Jordan Lyles on the 15-day disabled
list with a broken left hand and recalled RHP Chris Martin from
Triple-A Colorado Springs. Lyles suffered the injury in the first
inning of Wednesday's loss to the Diamondbacks. ... Arizona's
bullpen is carrying a 2.28 ERA since May 16. It ranks third in the
National League behind Chicago (1.78) and Washington (1.87) during
that span. ... Colorado placed LHP Boone Logan on the 15-day DL with
left elbow inflammation. A corresponding move with be announced at a
later time. ... The Diamondbacks' No. 1 and 2 hitters are batting
.431 in the last seven games. ... Rockies 1B Justin Morneau was
given the day off. ... A rainstorm moved through the Denver area,
forcing the cancellation of Arizona's batting practice.
