PHOENIX -- Rockies second-year relief pitcher Carlos Estevez's assignment Saturday -- keep the D-backs from extending their eighth-inning lead, which was already two runs -- became harder when Carlos Gonzalez's normally golden glove failed him.
Gonzalez committed a three-base error on Yasmany Tomas' leadoff fly ball. But Estevez wiggled out inning scoreless -- with a combination of fortune, defense and good location -- and walked away with the victory after the Rockies scored three ninth-inning runs to win, 7-6.
"I wasn't expecting that," Estevez said. "It was. … I've gotta execute now. I cannot let this run score."
Estevez (3-0) has contributed to a bullpen that has been dependable when protecting leads. However, the Rockies entered with a 4.59 relief ERA because too many times deficits that were present when starters left grew against the relievers.
On Saturday, the Rockies trailed at one point, 6-1, but Chad Qualls and Jake McGee pitched clean sixth and seventh innings, and the Rockies cut the difference to 6-4 before Estevez entered.
The deficit stayed there.
Brandon Drury smoked a line drive right at shortstop Trevor Story. Nick Ahmed popped out in foul ground, and first baseman Mark Reynolds made a spinning throw to the plate to dissuade Tomas from tagging.
Then Estevez made his best pitch -- a 96.2 mph fastball above the zone that Jeff Mathis flied to left.
"He picked up 'CarGo' -- this game is about picking each other up," Rockies manager Bud Black said.