Rockies Top Wild Comeback With Win Over DBacks
DENVER (The Sports Xchange) - The Colorado Rockies erupted for seven runs with two outs in the eighth inning Friday night, an uprising that carried them to a 14-7 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Nick Hundley hit his first career grand slam in the rally that brought the Rockies their fourth win in five games. They twice had to overcome Arizona leads. Colorado trailed 5-0 in the fourth when two errors enabled the Diamondbacks to score five unearned runs. And the Rockies fell behind 7-6 in the sixth when A.J. Pollock hit a two-run homer.
But David Dahl, who has hit safely in 33 of his first 36 games in the majors, tied the game in the bottom of that inning with a single, and the Rockies blew the game open with their bountiful eighth.
Nolan Arenado's single scored the first run. It came after Enrique Burgos hit Charlie Blackmon with a pitch with two outs. He stole second -- his 100th career stolen base -- and continued to third when catcher Wellington Castillo's low throw glanced off Blackmon.
After DJ LeMahieu walked, enabling him to reach base in a career-high tying 19 consecutive games, Arenado, who set a club record for August with 36 RBIs, then drove in his second run of the game.
LeMahieu stole third and scored on a wild pitch by Burgos (1-2), who then walked Carlos Gonzalez and Mark Reynolds. Silvio Bracho came on and gave up Hundley's grand slam. Pinch hitter Daniel Descalso followed with a home run. It was his third career pinch hit home run.
Carlos Estevez (3-7) retired the side in order in the eighth. And closer Adam Ottavino, who blew a save and suffered the loss Wednesday night when he gave up five runs in the ninth to the Los Angeles Dodgers, set the side down in order in the ninth with two strikeouts.
A.J. Pollock, who returned last week from a broken right elbow that sidelined him five months, put Arizona ahead 7-6 when he hit a two-run homer in the sixth off Jordan Lyles. It was Pollock's first homer of the season.
Diamondbacks starter Robbie Ray held the Rockies hitless until Carlos Gonzalez singled with two outs in the fourth. By that time, Ray was sitting on a five-run lead, thanks to the Rockies' generosity.
That lead vanished and Ray's workday ended in a six-run fifth, which began with five straight singles.
Cristhian Adames singled home a run. After a single by pinch hitter Tom Murphy, who was recalled earlier in the day and batted for starter Jorge De La Rosa, Charlie Blackmon's two-run single trimmed the Diamonbacks' lead to 5-3.
Murphy was thrown out at the plate on a ball DJ LeMahieu hit to third baseman Jake Lamb. Nolan Arenado flared a run-scoring single to right, and on the play, LeMahieu scored to tie the game at 5 when right fielder Yasmany Tomas' low throw skipped past firest baseman Paul Goldschmidt.
Gonzalez made it 6-5 when he lined a double over the head of left fielder Brandon Drury. That hit finished Ray, who had given up four earned runs in 24 innings in his previous four starts.
The Rockies gave up 47 unearned runs in their first 133 games, an average of .35 per game, but coughed up five unearned runs in the first four innings.
Aided by De La Rosa's throwing error, the Diamondbacks scored four unearned runs in the fourth to take a 5-0 lead. He gave up back-to-back singles to start the fourth before picking up Ray's bunt and making a low throw that went past first baseman Stephen Cardullo, allowing two runs to score.
With two outs, Paul Goldschmidt doubled home a run, stole third and scored on Welington Castillo's single.
The Diamondbacks scored their first unearned run in the third on Tomas' two-out single. A.J. Pollock walked with one out, and third baseman Arenado bobbled Goldschmidt's bouncer. After Castillo grounded into a force play, putting runners at the corners, Tomas poked an opposite-field single to right
NOTES: Arizona 1B Paul Goldschmidt has reached base in 49 consecutive games against the Rockies. He had been tied with Mike Piazza for the longest on-base streak against them. ... Rockies C Tom Murphy, OF Raimel Tapia, who will make his major league debut, and RHP Christian Bergman were recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque. ... Rockies RHP Tyler Chatwood (mid-back strain) and RHP Justin Miller (strained left oblique) were reinstated from the 15-day disabled list. ... Rockies INF Daniel Descalso was reinstated from the paternity list. His wife, Julia, gave birth Wednesday to Emilia, their first child. ... Rockies RHP Scott Oberg underwent surgery to repair his axillary artery. Dr. Robert Thompson, a vascular surgeon, performed the operation in St. Louis. ... Diamondbacks OF Socrates Brito was recalled from Triple-A Reno and will be in the lineup Saturday. ... OF Pete O'Brien and OF Mitch Hanigar possibly will be recalled after Triple-A Reno's season ends Monday, Arizona manager Chip Hale said.
