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 Arizona scored six runs in the eighth inning and five more in the
ninth Wednesday to wallop the Colorado Rockies 16-8.
The loss was costly as well as bitter for the Rockies. Starting
pitcher Jordan Lyles, who worked four innings, broke his left hand
on a tag play at the plate in the first.
Colorado lost its season-high sixth game a row. With Arizona taking
the first two games of the three-game set, the Rockies are assured
of losing a series at Coors Field for the first time this year.
Colorado was 7-0-1 in its previous seven previous home series,
pending the result of a suspended game May 22.
Arizona catcher Miguel Montero had a career-high six RBIs, three on
a homer in the ninth when the Diamondbacks strung together five
consecutive two-out hits against reliever Matt Belisle.
"It was awesome. It was great," Montero said. "It's funny because
today in batting practice, I told Henry (Blanco, a coach), 'When am
I going to get one of those crazy days when you get six or seven
RBIs?' Boom, here it goes today -- six. So I guess I called it."
The 16 runs were the most the Rockies allowed in a game this season.
Colorado also used a season-high seven pitchers.
The Diamondbacks' late surge began against left-hander Rex Brothers
in the eighth, right after the Rockies had mounted their second
four-run inning to go ahead 8-5.
Colorado's seventh-inning rally stayed alive when second baseman
Didi Gregorius, who was just moved to that position from shortstop
on a double switch, stumbled coming across second base while trying
to take a throw from shortstop Chris Owings, who had just entered
the game and made a diving stop on DJ LeMahieu's single in the hole.
Two runs scored on the play, followed by two more on pinch hitter
Drew Stubbs' single.
Asked how deflating that inning was, Montero said, "We can't give
up. We got no room to give up. It was hard, but we still got two
chances to go up and hit again, and we did."
Arizona right fielder Gerardo Parra scored a career-high four runs.
Paul Goldschmidt hit a three-run double in the eighth after Brothers
left and added an RBI single in the ninth for the Diamondbacks, who
tied their season high with 21 hits.
Brothers (2-4) saw his ERA rocket from 3.76 to 5.47 as he gave up
four consecutive singles and a walk to the five batters he faced.
Left-handed hitters David Peralta and Ender Inciarte started the
rally with hits, and right-handed-hitting Owings singled home a run.
Gregorius, another left-handed hitter, singled home the second run
of the inning, and Brothers issued a bases-loaded walk to Parra.
Brothers has been scored upon in four of his past six outings, and
he has 16 walks and 24 strikeouts in 26 1/3 innings this season.
Manager Walt Weiss refused to discuss the possibility of Brothers
being demoted to Triple-A Colorado Springs to regroup, which
successfully happened early in the 2012 season.
"Just got to keep working through it, like all of us do," Weiss
said. "It's up to us to turn this thing around, each guy. Nobody is
going to do it for us. Up to each individual to get this thing
turned around."
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Right-hander Nick Masset relieved Brothers, and Goldschmidt lined
his first pitch inside third base for a three-run double.
"You've got a lot of opportunity to get guys in there, bases loaded
and no outs," Goldschmidt said. "Obviously you don't want to get
overaggressive, but look for something you can hit hard to the
middle of the field. The pitch ran a little bit inside, but I think
it was right on the corner and I was able to hit it."
Gregorius, who opened the game with a home run, finished with three
hits, as did each of the next four hitters in the Arizona lineup:
Parra, Goldschmidt, third baseman Martin Prado and Montero. Second
baseman Aaron Hill and Inciarte added two hits apiece.
Each of the top four hitters in the Colorado lineup -- center
fielder Charlie Blackmon, left fielder Corey Dickerson, shortstop
Troy Tulowitzki and right fielder Michael Cuddyer -- had two hits,
as did the No. 6 hitter, catcher Wilin Rosario.
Arizona reliever Brad Ziegler, who gave up two runs (one earned)
while getting the last two outs of the seventh inning, received the
win to improve to 2-1.
Lyles broke a bone in the middle of his hand, just below the
knuckle, when he tried to tag a sliding Martin Prado, whose knee
turned Lyles' glove sideways.
"I knew something was wrong. Never felt that feeling before," Lyles
said. "I didn't want to come out in the first, make the bullpen go
nine. Thankfully we got four innings."
NOTES: SS Didi Gregorius' leadoff homer was the first of his career
and the Diamondbacks' first of the season. ... The Rockies placed LF
Carlos Gonzalez (left index finger inflammation) on the 15-day
disabled list, and they recalled 1B/3B Ryan Wheeler from Triple-A
Colorado Springs. Wheeler went 2-for-4 with the Rockies last month.
... Colorado C Jordan Pacheco was designated for assignment. C Mike
McKenry was recalled from Colorado Springs for his second stint with
the Rockies this season. ... Diamondbacks INF Cliff Pennington had a
partially torn left thumb ligament surgically repaired Wednesday.
According to the team, Pennington could resume baseball activity in
eight to 10 weeks. ... The Rockies announced that RHP Eddie Butler
would make his major league debut Friday at Coors Field with a start
against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Butler made 11 starts at Double-A
Tulsa, going 4-4 with a 2.49 ERA.
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