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 Arizona struck for four runs in the seventh during the nightcap of a
doubleheader to beat the Colorado Rockies 5-3 and complete a sweep.
In the opener, the Diamondbacks scored three times in the seventh en
route to a 6-4 win.
Pinch hitter Aaron Hill doubled home two runs in the second game,
and center fielder A.J. Pollock hit a two-run homer as the
Diamondbacks capitalized on spotty Colorado relief pitching to sweep
their second doubleheader this season at Coors Field. The other was
May 6.
The Diamondbacks grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first on first baseman
Paul Goldschmidt's 27th homer, but they were limited to three hits
and no runs through the next five innings before their game-winning
rally.
"It was really good to have nothing going and all of a sudden find
something late in the game like that," Pollock said.
In the afternoon game, second baseman Phil Gosselin, coming off an
0-for-4 performance in his Arizona debut Monday, hit a three-run
homer and drove in four runs while going 2-for-3 with a double and
two walks. Patrick Corbin got 11 outs on ground balls as he gave up
two runs in 6 1/3 innings in his fifth start for the Diamondbacks
since he underwent Tommy John surgery in March 2014.
In Game 2, the Rockies got four solid innings from starter Kyle
Kendrick, then two scoreless innings from Christian Bergman. Scott
Oberg (3-4) followed Bergman to the mound in the seventh, and he
didn't retire any of the three batters he faced.
Oberg hit Gosselin with a 1-0 fastball to open the inning, then
walked shortstop Chris Owings on seven pitches. Hill followed with a
two-run double to the left-field corner that tied the game at 3 and
finished the rookie reliever. In 50 games, Oberg has issued 22 walks
and hit five batters in 47 innings. He has a 6.13 ERA.
Jairo Diaz relieved Oberg and gave up an opposite-field homer to
Pollock, who hit a 1-2 slider over the right field fence. It was
Pollock's 15th homer of the season, his second in the first three
games of the series at Coors Field.
"I haven't seen the guy, but I knew he had a slider," Pollock said
of Diaz. "I had it in my head; I wasn't really sitting on it. I hit
it on the barrel. I think the good thing is I didn't stop my (swing)
path. Yeah, it's probably an out in most parks. It definitely was a
little bit helped from the Colorado air."
Arizona starter Rubby De La Rosa (12-6) gave up six hits and three
runs in six innings. He did not allow a hit after third baseman
Nolan Arenado's homer in the third, and he retired 10 of the final
11 batters he faced.
The Rockies responded to Goldschmidt's homer with two two-out runs
in their half of the first. Shortstop Cristhian Adames, making his
first start of the season for the Rockies after being recalled
Tuesday, doubled with one out.
Adames scored on a single by Arenado, who took second on De La
Rosa's comical balk -- he made a quick-pitch move and threw the ball
to the backstop -- and scored on a double by first baseman Ben
Paulsen.
"I don't know what I was thinking," De La Rosa said of his balk.
"(Catcher Welington) Castillo told me, 'Did you see somebody going
to steal home?' I don't know what happened."
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De La Rosa said he immediately thought, "What am I doing?"
Josh Collmenter worked the final two innings to earn his first save
this season and the second of his career.
Before the sweep, the Diamondbacks had lost three straight and seven
of their past eight games. They improved to 34-33 on the road, while
the Rockies' record at Coors Field fell to 28-38.
Arenado, who went 3-for-4 and finished a triple shy of the cycle,
hit his National League-leading 32nd home run in the third, giving
the Rockies a 3-1 lead.
"Always real tough losing doubleheaders," Arenado said. "Especially
hard at this time of the year in September where people are tired.
We battled, did the best we could. It just didn't work out."
Kendrick, who was reinstated from the disabled list for the start,
worked four innings on 72 pitches and gave up three hits and one
run.
Kendrick last pitched for Colorado on July 31 before missing a month
with right shoulder inflammation. Having thrown 45 pitches one week
ago in a simulated game, he was going to be limited to 70-75
pitches. He is still building arm strength, hence his departure
after 72 pitches.
"He did a great job," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said, "and
(Bergman) did his job getting us through the middle innings. And
then we struggled late."
NOTES: Diamondbacks PH Aaron Hill left the game in the seventh as a
precaution due to left hamstring soreness after hitting a two-run
double. ... The triple play the Rockies turned in the ninth inning
of the first game was the fourth triple play in franchise history
and first since May 18, 2014, against San Diego. ... Diamondbacks
RHPs Enrique Burgos and Matt Stites and INF Brandon Drury were
recalled from Triple-A Reno. Drury made his major league debut in
the first game of the doubleheader. ... Rockies 1B Wilin Rosario,
RHP Miguel Castro, LHP Rex Brothers and INF Cristhian Adames were
recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque. Castro took the loss in the
opener during his Rockies debut. He was acquired from the Blue Jays
in the six-player deal that sent SS Troy Tulowitzki to Toronto on
July 27. ... Rockies RHP Kyle Kendrick (right shoulder inflammation)
and LHP Boone Logan (left elbow inflammation) were reinstated from
the disabled list.
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