DENVER -- D-backs manager Torey Lovullo was not with the club for its game against the Rockies at Coors Field on Saturday. He was in Phoenix, where a celebration of life took place for general manager Mike Hazen’s wife, Nicole, who died on Aug. 4 following a 28-month-long battle with cancer.

In Lovullo’s stead was bench coach Jeff Banister, who served as the interim manager in a 6-0 win over Colorado. Prior to the game, Banister discussed what it would take for Arizona to take the next step as it builds toward returning to contention after missing the postseason for four straight years.

“As I sit here today, watching our club,” Banister said, “we talk about playing good defense … that allows our pitching staff to give us an opportunity to manage the game from the mound. … Offensively … the idea of building innings -- an inning doesn’t get built until a fifth guy comes to the plate.”

When it was all over Saturday, the D-backs had played one of their most complete games of the season, almost as if they were marking boxes on Banister’s checklist. As a result, on a difficult day for the team, the players on the field provided a small token of their appreciation for the Hazen family and the organization as a whole.

“Playing good defense.” Check.

The D-backs got some tremendous defensive efforts Saturday, particularly in center field. The game ended on an unbelievable leaping catch by Alek Thomas of a C.J. Cron drive that was likely headed over the wall. It was another tremendous grab during Thomas' rookie season, which earlier featured a homer-robbing catch against the Reds’ Joey Votto.

Because Thomas knew he wasn’t starting Saturday's game -- he came in as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning -- he decided to practice robbing homers during batting practice. Banister said he saw Thomas rob one “very similar” to the ball Cron hit.

“There were a few balls, probably two or three today, that were [good to practice on],” Thomas said. “I think I ended up robbing two of them. Just practice is the key, just have no fear out there. Try to get good reads, play close to the wall during batting practice, see if you can get your footing right.”

“Manage the game from the mound.” Check.

Zac Gallen continued the mastery on the mound that he has shown since the All-Star break. He threw seven scoreless innings and yielded only two hits while walking one and striking out six, becoming only the sixth road pitcher in the past 10 seasons to throw seven or more scoreless frames while allowing two or fewer hits at Coors Field.

“His changeup played big tonight,” Banister said. “He was able to move the fastball in and out, keep hitters off-balance both east and west. … As [the Rockies] were sitting soft, he was able to put some guys away with the fastball. He had enough high fastballs to allow that breaking ball to play.”

Gallen lowered his second-half ERA to 1.14 over five starts. And remarkably, he also lowered his ERA at Coors Field to 2.03 in five career starts.

Gallen attributed the success to a heightened focus whenever he comes to the hitter’s paradise in Denver.

“I think I just come in here with a little extra sense of urgency,” Gallen said. “Here, you’ve got to have that little bit of extra, even if you don’t feel great that day.”

Perhaps what was most amazing about Gallen’s outing was that he said he didn’t feel like everything clicked for him until the fifth inning.

“Building innings” offensively. Check.

Emmanuel Rivera continues to swing a hot bat after coming over from the Royals prior to the Trade Deadline, as he launched a pair of solo homers off Rockies starter José Ureña. Rivera has four homers in his first seven games with Arizona, and he said through an interpreter that there’s only one word to describe what’s happening: “Confidence.”

Josh Rojas also went deep, hitting a two-run homer off Ureña in the fifth. Rojas had three hits, raising his total against Colorado since the beginning of last season to 42, second to San Diego's Jake Cronenworth (44) for the most in that span.

A complete win and possibly a glimpse of the future

Saturday’s win ranks among the best of 2022 for the D-backs, and it came right on cue.

“It had all the elements,” Banister said. “When you take all those elements -- we talked about that pregame -- that’s one of the better games we’ve played all year.”