Arizona Diamondbacks 13, Colorado Rockies 7: Advancing on the Throw

If you’re a fan of high scoring baseball games, this series at Coors Field would be considered the best show on television. We watched the Diamondbacks and Rockies trade blows until the final out last night, and they picked up right where they left off today. Arizona’s opponent on the mound was Antonio Senzatela who entered the game with a perfect 3-0 record and 2.65 ERA in 17 innings pitched. The D’backs opened the game on consecutive singles from Kole Calhoun and Ketel Marte. Calhoun advanced from first to third on the rolling outfield single from Ketel, which would become a theme for both teams this afternoon. Starling Marte put the Diamondbacks on the board first reaching on a fielders choice which allowed Calhoun to score. Arizona’s attack ended swiftly thereafter when David Peralta grounded into a double play on the first pitch.

Luke Weaver made his fourth start of the season for Arizona, and Torey Lovullo was candid before the game in saying that he would be cautious with how far his leash would be for the right hander today. He had yet to complete more than four innings pitched in any game this season, so the expectation was that he would be lifted should he run into trouble around that same point in the game. Luke had no difficulty in the bottom of the first retiring Garrett Hampson, Trevor Story, and Charlie Blackmon in order. However, Colorado evened the score at one apiece thanks to a solo home run from the always dangerous Nolan Arenado. Still, Weaver kept his composure and limited the Rockies to that one run in the inning allowing only one other base runner. Colorado did have runners on the corners with only one out in the bottom of the third, Hampson advancing from first to third on a ground ball single to center field by Story. That brought Blackmon to the plate who was looking to extend his hitting streak to 16 games. He hit a soft tapper back to Weaver, and instead of attempting to end the inning on a double play that likely would not have been successful Luke wisely tossed the ball home to cut down Hampson and prevent a run. An outfield fly out from Arenado kept the score tied at one.

Arizona regained the lead in the fourth inning on a mammoth home run from Starling Marte that landed on the left field concourse.

Being that Luke Weaver was pitching well and did not have an uncomfortable pitch count, Lovullo opted to send him back out for the bottom of the fourth inning. Unfortunately, this is where matters unraveled for him yet again. Luke struck out David Dahl to begin the frame, his third of the game, but he would not record another out. Weaver walked Sam Hilliard, who advanced to third on a ground ball outfield single from D’back killer Raimel Tapia. Ryan McMahon worked a 3-0 count next, and then deposited a 93 MPH fastball down the heart of the plate into the left field bleachers to give Colorado the 4-2 lead. That would mark the conclusion of Weaver’s day on the mound. He now carries an 11.85 ERA through four starts as he continues to search for his feel. Taylor Clarke came on in relief and gave up consecutive singles to Elias Diaz and Hampson, but denied further scoring by retiring Story and Blackmon. To that point, Blackmon was 0-for-3 with his hitting streak now in jeopardy.

Undeterred, Arizona went right back on the offensive in the top half of the fifth getting things started on a lead off double from Stephen Vogt. He scored on a one out Bermuda Triangle bloop single from Nick Ahmed. Calhoun advanced Ahmed to second with a ground out. Once again, another runner took multiple bases on a ground ball to the outfield. This time it was Nick Ahmed scoring from second on an outfield single by Ketel Marte to tie the game. Ketel took second on the throw, and that sequence repeated itself in the very next at bat. Starling Marte, not to be outdone by his countryman of no relation, hit a roller up the middle to give Arizona the one run lead. The brothers Marte deliver. Arizona’s lead was short lived because in the bottom half of the fifth Nolan Arenado, disgusted with the small ball piddly scoring, hit his second solo home run of the game to left field. Much like Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres, Lovullo should reconsider pitching to Arenado for the foreseeable future. That tied the score once again this time at five runs apiece.

The Diamondbacks’ offense went full throttle in the seventh inning with an eight run scoring burst. It came against Tyler Kinley who was on in relief of Senzatela. Impressively, Kinley had not allowed a hit or a run all season in seven appearances, but Arizona put an abrupt end to that. It started with Ahmed and Calhoun on the corners with no outs (take a wild guess how that happened) and a subsequent walk of Ketel Marte to load the bases for Starling. He hit a high infield chopper that Arenado would have had a difficult time making a play on even if he had fielded it cleanly, Gold Glove or not, giving Arizona the lead once again. David Peralta followed with a bases clearing double in a 1-1 count, his first at bat in the game where he had seen more than two pitches, making the score 9-5. That ended Kinley’s outing, but not before his ERA ballooned from 0.00 to 7.11. The onslaught was only halfway complete. (Copy and prepare to paste) David Peralta scored from second base on an outfield single from Eduardo Escobar, and Escobar advanced to second on the throw. He was brought home courtesy of a two out error that rolled into the outfield by first baseman McMahon. Having batted around, Lamb scored on a line drive double from Ahmed. (Paste again) Ahmed became the Diamondbacks’ 13th and final run of the afternoon on a ground ball single to left field from Calhoun.

The 13-5 score held, and the Rockies didn’t threaten, until the bottom of the eighth. Hector Rondon, having concluded the seventh inning, dished out consecutive center field extra base hits to Hampson, a triple, and a double to Story to begin the eighth. He was lifted in favor of Junior Guerra, who promptly struck out Blackmon putting that hitting streak in serious question, but not completely out of the realm of possibility given the confines of Coors Field. Arenado notched his third extra base hit of the game, a double to the left field corner, scoring Story. The game was now 13-7, and given the late game high scoring last night you would not be faulted for thinking this was far from over. Guerra hit David Dahl with a pitch and then walked Tapia with two outs to load the bases, but got out of the jam by striking out McMahon.

Not only was Colorado down to their final scoring opportunity in the bottom of the ninth, they would also have to get some baserunners on to get Blackmon back up to the plate who was due up fourth. Archie Bradley came on to close out the game in a non-save situation having warmed up during the tightrope eighth inning. The Rockies got their baserunner on the count of a loud single off the right field wall from Hampson. A strong throw from Calhoun prevented Hampson from taking second base. Bradley induced a game ending double play from Trevor Story despite a challenge on the play from Colorado. Overturning the call would have resulted in one final at bat for Blackmon, but alas his hitting streak was cut down at fifteen games, and his batting average plummeted from .500 to .472.

Arizona takes two out of three in the series against first place Colorado having outscored them 32-23, but the Diamondbacks are still tied for last place in the division with the San Francisco Giants. They will have an opportunity to make up ground with yet another series against the San Diego Padres which begins Friday at Chase Field.

Probably wouldn’t need anti-venom for rattlesnake bite: Starling Marte 3-for-5, 4 RBI, HR, +28.5% WPA

Snakeskin boots: Nick Ahmed 3-for-4, 2 RBI, double, walk, +11.3% WPA

Snakeskin hat: Kole Calhoun 3-for-6, 1 RBI, +14.1% WPA

Is his bat a snake carcass?: Jake Lamb 0-for-5, K

Total comments: 310

Total commenters: 22

Commenter list: 68 88 96 98, AzDbackfanInDc, AzRattler, CA_Yankee_Fan, ChuckJohnson56, DesertWeagle, EdTheRed99, GuruB, Jack Sommers, Jim McLennan, Makakilo, Michael McDermott, MrMrrbi, SenSurround, Snake_Bitten, aj90, bklapes32, edbigghead, gzimmerm, kilnborn, onedotfive, since_98

No red comments in the GDT today, so we’ll go with the following exchange on Twitter between Jody Jackson and Archie Bradley.