Diamondbacks 8, Rockies 7
PHOENIX, Aug. 20 – The Arizona Diamondbacks took advantage of a five-run sixth inning and survived three unearned runs to defeat the visiting Colorado Rockies, 8-7.
The first three innings only saw one baserunner for each team – both shortstops. These came via a double in the top of the first by Trevor Story – who ended the day 3-for-3 – and a home run to lead off the bottom of the third by Nick Ahmed. Things got ugly in the fourth, though. The top of the inning began with a single to left by Story, who scored on a home run by the next hitter, third baseman Nolan Arenado. No more runners reached base in that frame.
The bottom of the inning started with a double to the right field corner by left fielder David Peralta. After third baseman Eduardo Escobar reached on a tough error by Rockies second baseman Ryan McMahon, first baseman Christian Walker lined a single to center, loading the bases for second baseman Wilmer Flores. He hit a soft liner to short for the first out, but right fielder Adam Jones followed with an RBI single to center, scoring Peralta and tying the game at two. Ahmed followed with a sacrifice fly to center, driving in Escobar. This RBI – his 70th of the season – tied his career high. The Rockies then walked catcher Carson Kelly intentionally to get to Young, whose grounder to first ended the inning with the bases left loaded.
Rockies Tie Game
Young opened the fifth by pitching two quick outs but walked Freeland on a full count. After that, two straight singles by Raimel Tapia and Story brought Freeland around to score. Arenado then flied to center, sending the tie game to the bottom of the fifth. The Diamondbacks gained a one-out single but could not bring him around.
In the top of the sixth, first baseman Daniel Murphy led off with a double and advanced to third on a single by Desmond. After McMahon fanned, Daza grounded into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play, giving the Diamondbacks momentum as they came to bat.
Diamondbacks Bat Around
The bottom of the inning began with Flores, who flied to the track in center. Next, Jones hit a grounder to third. Arenado had trouble fielding it but stayed with it. His throw to first, however, went wide, allowing Jones to make it to second. That brought up Ahmed. Freeland threw him three straight balls then doubled over in obvious pain. He limped off the field with a strained groin, bringing in Bryan Shaw, who threw a fourth ball to Ahmed. Shaw also walked the next hitter – Kelly – before allowing a bases-loaded single to pinch hitter Jake Lamb, who drove in two, putting the home nine back ahead, 5-3. Next, Marte made it 6-3 when he grounded into a 6-4 force play, bringing up Peralta, who lined a single to right. Up came Escobar, who cleared the bases with a triple into the right field corner, making the score 8-3.
Escobar’s triple accomplished multiple feats. It gave him his 100th RBI of the year and his 10th triple of the season. This marked the fourth time in Diamondbacks history that one player has had 20+ home runs, 20+ doubles, and 10+ triples in the same season. Stephen Drew did it in 2008, while Steve Finley did it in both 1999 and 2003, putting Escobar in elite company. Walker – the ninth hitter of the inning – could not keep the hit parade going, ending the inning on a called strikeout.
Rockies Claw Their Way Back, Diamondbacks Hang On
Catcher Tony Wolters led off the top of the seventh against new pitcher T.J. McFarland with a routine grounder to second, but a fielding error by Flores allowed him to reach first safely. Consecutive singles by center fielder Garrett Hampson – who entered the game with Shaw on a double switch – and Tapia loaded the bases for Story, who hit a dying quail to shallow right for an RBI single. That brought reliever Yoan Lopez into the game to face Story, who grounded into a run-scoring 6-4-3 double play. Murphy then smoked a double into the left field corner, scoring Tapia from third and making the score 8-6.
No one threatened again until the ninth. The Diamondbacks brought in fireman Archie Bradley to close out the game, and the Rockies led off with pinch hitter Charlie Blackmon, who ripped a laser to left. Peralta went back to the warning track and jumped, tipping the just-out-of-reach ball with his glove. It went off the wall and rebounded onto the field, where Peralta picked it up in time to keep Blackmon from reaching third. Tapia, however, followed with a groundout to second that moved Blackmon to third anyway. Up next came Story, whose deep fly to right scored Blackmon, cutting the lead to 8-7. The ever-dangerous Arenado – who hit a walk-off home run off Bradley last Wednesday in Denver – then popped to first, ending the game.
Young (5-3) earned the win, while Freeland (3-11) took the loss and Bradley saved his sixth game of the season. The teams end their three-game series Wednesday afternoon.
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