D-backs live to fight another day in playoff chase with win over Rockies

DENVER -- The Diamondbacks are inching ever closer to their goal: Get to San Diego this weekend still alive in the postseason chase.

Arizona took advantage of a first inning error by Rockies left fielder Zac Veen to score four unearned runs and that was all it took to beat Colorado, 5-3, on Wednesday at Coors Field.

The Diamondbacks are still alive, but they still have a narrow path to the postseason:

Where the race stands

The win meant the Diamondbacks could not be eliminated, and the Phillies’ and Cubs’ losses pulled Arizona to within three games of the third National League Wild Card with four games left on the schedule.

After the Diamondbacks finish their series with the Rockies, they will close the regular season with three against the Padres in San Diego. The Phillies meanwhile have one more game left against the Brewers before playing host to the Rays for their final three regular-season games, while the Cubs wrap up their season with one more game against the Marlins and three in Boston against the Red Sox.

The Padres, who are also in competition for a Wild Card spot, were still playing the Dodgers when the Diamondbacks game ended and the televisions in the Arizona clubhouse were all tuned to the game as players ate and showered.

Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly said the atmosphere is not like a playoff game simply because Arizona doesn't control its own fate at this point and must get help from other teams.

"We know where we stand," Kelly said. "The ball's not only in our court. There's a couple balls bouncing in other people's courts. We know that you know our backs are against the wall a little bit, and we do need a little bit of a miracle to get to where we want to go. So I think that maybe takes away a little bit of that playoff feel factor. But obviously, we all know that we have to win every single day."

Going to the ‘pen

The bullpen has been a huge strength for the Diamondbacks this year as opposed to recent years, and manager Torey Lovullo has vowed to be quick to get his starter out of the game.

That was again the case Wednesday, when Kelly, who had allowed just two runs, was yanked after a one-out, broken-bat single in the sixth.

Justin Martinez retired the next two Rockies to finish the inning.

It hasn't been a vintage Kelly season on the mound, though he has pitched better of late.

"I feel like probably my last three starts, I feel like I've pitched well enough to earn a chance to get out of that myself," Kelly said. "You know, 78 pitches, only gave up four hits, and two of them were broken-bat bleeders over the second baseman. I definitely felt like I had earned a chance to get out of that inning myself."

Lovullo, though, is going to ride his bullpen as much as he can in these final games.

"Merrill was real effective," Lovullo said. "It was hard to take him out of a game in the sixth inning, but at this point in time, you can't blink. We got a very strong bullpen. He did his job and handed it right over to the backend guys, and they executed."

Just enough offense

Veen's error opened the door and the Arizona offense burst through it.

Gabriel Moreno and Nolan Arenado each had an RBI single in the inning, while Corbin Carroll drove home a pair with a triple.

With the triple, Carroll became just the second player in MLB history to record 60-plus triples and 100-plus homers within his first 640 career games, joining Lou Gehrig.

The early lead allowed Kelly to settle in.

"It's the pitcher's best friend," Kelly said of the first-inning lead. "There's four runs on the board before I even step on the mound. That makes my job a lot easier."

The Diamondbacks don't have an easy job ahead of them for the postseason, but they're still alive for at least another day.