PHOENIX -- Friday night’s big moment for the Rockies came courtesy of Triple-A Albuquerque.
With a tie score and one out in the top of the ninth, newly recalled Rockies No. 15 prospect (per MLB Pipeline) Sterlin Thompson doubled, then Chad Stevens marked the second game of his callup with an RBI single to provide a 3-2 victory over the Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
To complete the Albuquerque takeover that ended a three-game losing streak, Albuquerque manager Pedro Lopez windmilled his arm from the third-base coaching box to send Thompson home. Lopez was in the second of his two scheduled games standing in for Andy González, who was at his daughter’s high school graduation.
The ninth inning reversed some misery away from a Rockies team that has struggled to execute in game-defining situations. On Friday, the team had runners in scoring position with fewer than two outs on three previous occasions and finished another inning with runners at first and second.
A Rockies constant in a positive sense, righty reliever Antonio Senzatela, entered with one out in the eighth and hit Nolan Arenado with a pitch. But he forced Ildemaro Vargas into an inning-ending double play grounder, then made himself the winning pitcher with a perfect ninth.