D-backs rally late to win series from Rockies

DENVER -- Sócrates Brito's seventh-inning homer awoke the D-backs' bats as they scored seven runs in the last three innings to top the Rockies, 8-5 on Sunday at Coors Field.
Rockies starter Jon Gray was cruising before Brito's blast, facing the minimum number of batters for five straight innings after giving up a first-inning run on Paul Goldschmidt's sacrifice fly. But after eliciting a ground out from Goldschmidt to start the seventh, three straight D-backs singled off Gray before Brito launched his third career homer, a three-run shot. Arizona added three more runs on Brandon Drury's eighth-inning bases-loaded single and Chris Owings' ninth-inning double.
"I feel like I was getting ahead of guys and getting quick outs," Gray said. "That's why I wanted to be more efficient. I wanted to make it deeper into the game. I just tried my best to make pitches in the bottom of the zone and get ground balls. It was there. Unfortunately I just let one bad pitch beat me."
• Gray laments allowing game to get away

Arizona starter Archie Bradley, an Oklahoma native like Gray, limited his damage to RBI singles by DJ LeMahieu and Tony Wolters in the first and fourth innings, respectively, as he struck out six over six innings. The Rockies were able to add three runs off the bullpen on Tom Murphy's seventh-inning home run, Nick Hundley's ninth-inning single, and a Daniel Hudson wild pitch, but the game ended with two runners in scoring position on Carlos González's strikeout.
"Whenever you come in here you know it's not going to be easy," D-backs manager Chip Hale said. "It's never easy. A five-run lead is barely enough in this ballpark in the ninth inning."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Bradley battles: There was quite a bit of traffic on the bases against him, but Bradley managed to limit the damage those runners caused. While the Rockies did score single runs in the first and fourth innings, it could have been a lot worse, but Bradley struck out the final batter in each of those frames to strand runners.
"He did a real good job of battling," D-backs catcher Tuffy Gosewisch said. "The location was good on his fastball, moved it in and out on hitters and his curveball got better as the game went on." More >

Murphy hits a long one: Murphy's homer was his first of the season and a no-doubter to left field. The homer traveled 482 feet, which is the fourth-longest homer in the Majors this season and the third-longest at Coors Field. He hit three homers in a September cameo last season and hit 19 homers in Triple-A Albuquerque this season before his promotion.
"It looked like it might have been a pitch on the inner half that he got the barrel to," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "He's a strong kid so he gets it airborne, and it goes a long way."

Big knocks for Drury: Twice Drury delivered clutch hits after starting 0-for-2. The first came in the seventh when he drove home Jake Lamb with a single to right. Brito then followed with the three-run homer. In the eighth with two outs and the bases loaded, Drury dropped a single into left that scored a pair of tack-on runs.
"Drury had some great at-bats," Hale said. "He's done this a lot lately where he's struggled a little bit and then all of a sudden in big situations he battles with two strikes and finds a hole. These are huge steps for some of these young kids like he and Brito."

CarGo goes full Superman: Although Gonzalez has been bothered by a left ankle sprain, he appeared to be at full health Sunday when he laid out for an excellent catch to end the fourth inning on a liner from Yasmany Tomás. Gonzalez is in the midst of his best defensive season since 2013, according to Defensive Runs Saved (6) and Ultimate Zone Rating (2.5).
"He's a great outfielder, I know that," Weiss said. "Our guys' defensive numbers get penalized because of the space in our outfield, so I don't pay attention to it, but he's a great outfielder and has been for a long time."

QUOTABLE
"I thought it was going to be one of those games where we have to make a decision in the ninth inning whether to go to your closer or leave Jonny in the game. That's how much he was cruising. The runs they tacked on hurt because we always feel like we have a chance -- we still felt like we had a chance with the tying run at the plate. When you're down and you fight your way back and allow them to tack on a few more, it makes it tough." -- Weiss

TOMAS LEAVES EARLY
After hitting a single up the middle in the seventh, Tomas slowed up just before reaching first and appeared to be in discomfort. After being looked at by a trainer, Tomas was removed from the game for what the D-backs said was an illness.
After the game, Hale said Tomas experienced dizziness probably from dehydration. Hale added that Tomas did not want to come out of the game, but was told he had to.
"We had to almost get seven guys to carry him off," Hale said. "After the game he was feeling better."

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Goldschmidt's streak of reaching base safely against the Rockies came to a halt at 50 games when he went 0-for-4 with a sacrifice fly. Goldschmidt's streak was the longest by any player in history against the Rockies, eclipsing the previous mark of 48 set by Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza.

AFTER FURTHER REVIEW
Rockies first baseman Gerardo Parra was so sure that he had completed a double play and ended the third inning that he started walking off the field before noticing that first base umpire Tony Randazzo did not make an out call. The Rockies challenged the ruling that Owings was safe at first, and the umpires eventually overturned the call.

The Rockies got another double play overturned in their favor three frames later. LeMahieu caught a screaming line drive from Owings and flipped the ball to shortstop Daniel Descalso, who tagged second base just before Jean Segura touched the bag.

WHAT'S NEXT
D-backs:Zack Greinke will take the mound Monday night when the D-backs open a three-game series with the Dodgers in Los Angeles at 5:10 p.m. MST. It will be the first time Greinke has pitched at Dodger Stadium since signing as a free agent with Arizona over the winter..
Rockies: Right-hander Chad Bettis (11-7, 5.17) will get the call on a week's rest in the first game of a three-game set against the Giants on Monday at 2:10 p.m. MT. He has been plagued by walks and home runs recently with 4.38 walks per nine innings and 1.22 home runs per nine innings in his last nine starts.
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