Kelly throws first career complete game -- and does it at Coors Field!

DENVER -- The D-backs suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Rangers in their series finale at Globe Life Field on Wednesday. Trailing by a run in the ninth inning, Arizona broke through for three runs to take the lead, but while one out away from a win in the bottom of the ninth, victory was snatched away and Texas dealt the D-backs a walk-off loss.

Following a flight to Denver and a day off on Thursday, the D-backs had a lot of time to think about what transpired in Arlington. But when they got back on the field, they wasted no time in putting all that in the past. Arizona erupted for six runs in the first inning and right-hander Merrill Kelly threw a complete-game four-hitter in a 9-1 victory over the Rockies at Coors Field on Friday night.

The D-backs sent 10 men to the plate in the first inning against Rockies starter Kyle Freeland. Ildemaro Vargas, who went 4-for-5 with a double and two RBIs in the game, opened the scoring with an RBI single. Two batters later, Gabriel Moreno delivered a two-run single.

Then the rookies came through, with Jose Fernandez doubling in another run before Ryan Waldschmidt singled in the fifth and sixth runs for Arizona.

That was more than enough for Kelly, who followed up a seven-inning gem against the Mets at Chase Field his last time out with an even more impressive performance at the most hitter-friendly park in the Majors. His complete game -- the first of his career -- was the first by a D-backs pitcher at Coors Field since Patrick Corbin on May 20, 2013.

Pitching to contact -- a strength that manager Torey Lovullo said before the game would help the veteran right-hander, Kelly yielded just one run on three hits, did not walk a batter and struck out three on 100 pitches.

Arizona’s other runs came courtesy of another RBI single by Vargas in the fourth, and two more runs in the seventh on a Lourdes Gurriel Jr. sacrifice fly and a Moreno double.