Rox drop D-backs on CarGo's slam, 7 RBIs
DENVER -- Carlos Gonzalez launched a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh and a two-run homer in the eighth, propelling the Rockies to a 9-4 win over Arizona in Wednesday's series finale at Coors Field.
"That's what we work for every day," Gonzalez said. "We work really hard to put up numbers to help this club win. I understand that when you're hitting third or fourth in the lineup, the situations are going to come to you."
Trailing, 4-3, Colorado loaded the bases against Randall Delgado (5-4) on two singles and a walk before Gonzalez crushed his second grand slam this season. The seventh-inning long ball was projected by Statcast™ to land 458 feet away, and the eighth-inning long ball tied him with Nolan Arenado for the National League lead at 33. Arenado hit a two-run homer in the first, which gave him 100 RBIs on the season and supplied the Rockies with a 3-1 lead.
"It's always fun," Arenado said of his back-and-forth homering with Gonzalez. "We're pulling for each other. That's the main thing. It's always cool to see your teammate be with you there at the top."
Video: ARI@COL: Arenado homers, makes two great plays in win
But Arizona starter Chase Anderson settled in and did not allow another run through five as the D-backs clawed back against Rockies starter Jon Gray. They plated a single run in the second and briefly took a 4-3 lead in the sixth, using two doubles and an RBI fielder's choice to score a pair of runs.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Hammer down: Aggressiveness on the basepaths paid off for the D-backs in the sixth inning. Jake Lamb led off the frame by pushing the envelope on a hit to right and wound up just beating the throw to second for a double. Later, Chris Owings' steal of third base allowed him to score one batter later when Ender Inciarte hit into a fielder's choice. More >
"It got us a big run right there," Owings said.
Video: ARI@COL: D-backs take the lead on fielder's choice
Taking a good look: Gonzalez often gives his deeper home runs a good look, but Wednesday's was even more dramatic. After connecting with his go-ahead grand slam -- which bounced hard off the second-deck facade and ricocheted into the Rockies bullpen -- Gonzalez took a good five or six steps before running to first. One more homer this season and Gonzalez will have tied his career high, which was set in his near-MVP season of 2010. More >
"He's been pretty locked in for a while now," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said of Gonzalez. "He can change the game at any time."
Video: ARI@COL: Weiss on CarGo's big night in 9-4 win
Bullpen meltdown: After the D-backs took a 4-3 lead, Delgado tossed a scoreless sixth before running out of gas in the seventh and loading the bases with no outs. With veteran lefty Matt Reynolds unavailable, D-backs manager Chip Hale went to rookie Keith Hessler, who allowed Gonzalez's grand slam.
"Randall had the good first inning and then just seemed to tire out in the second inning -- they had put some good at-bats on him," Hale said. "We tried to use Hessler there to get the one lefty. It was just a one-hitter guy and just hung his breaking ball. He's going to have to get the ball down and hit his spots better."
Clouds of Gray: In his sixth Major League start, Gray wasn't sharp from the beginning. He needed 25 pitches to get through the first inning, which included an 11-pitch battle with A.J. Pollock that resulted in Arizona's first run on a sacrifice fly. Although the D-backs only scored in three innings off Gray, they had at least one runner in scoring position in each of the first six frames. Arenado saved Gray in the fifth on a diving stop with a man on third but the D-backs finally broke through in the sixth off the young right-hander. Gray's 79 pitches were the second-most he's thrown this season, and he owns a 6.15 ERA so far.
"It's been three weeks of straight battling," Gray said. "I think it's easier every time to deal with that, so I think mental toughness is really what you're getting out of those type of games."
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Brooks Brown (1-2) picked up his first Major League win, tossing 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Brown has battled right shoulder inflammation for much of the season, and Wednesday was his first appearance with the Rockies since June 16. Justin Miller also earned his first Major League save.
REPLAY REVIEW
The Rockies completed an impressive 2-5-4 double play in the second after video evidence showed that second baseman DJ LeMahieu held the first-base bag on Arenado's return throw and the call was overturned.
Video: ARI@COL: Out call at first completes double play
Colorado, however, challenged again in the sixth and lost. Umpires originally ruled that Lamb didn't come off second base while being tagged during a slide after a leadoff double. The call stood after video evidence was reviewed.
Video: ARI@COL: Lamb safe at second with double
WHAT'S NEXT
D-backs: The D-backs open a three-game series with the Cubs at 11:20 a.m. MST Friday at Wrigley Field. Zack Godley will be recalled from Double-A Mobile to start the game and face off against his former organization.
Rockies: Colorado will open up a four-game series with the Giants on Thursday, beginning at 6:40 p.m. MT. The Rockies will give the ball to left-hander Chris Rusin, who gave up five runs (two earned) over 6 1/3 innings against San Francisco on June 27.
Watch every out-of-market regular season game live on MLB.TV.