D-backs rally for 3 in the 9th to beat Rockies
DENVER -- The D-backs rallied for three runs in the ninth to beat the Rockies, 8-7, in a wild back-and-forth game on a rainy Wednesday night at Coors Field.
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"We just had to keep battling," D-backs manager Chip Hale said. "You just never know. Tonight, I would say we got a little lucky there."
The start of the game was delayed by 46 minutes, and when it got going, so did the Colorado offense as the Rockies grabbed a 3-0 lead. That was followed by the D-backs going on top 5-3 in the fifth inning, a lead that did not last long. The Rockies came back with four in the bottom half of the fifth to go up, 7-5.
The Rockies' bullpen was stellar until the ninth when closer John Axford blew his first save of the season after having converted 12 in a row. Yasmany Tomas drove home a run with a single to left, Jarrod Saltalamacchia drew a bases-loaded walk, and Aaron Hill capped things with a sacrifice fly as the D-backs won for first time in 30 games when trailing after eight innings.
• D-backs defy odds with ninth-inning rally
"They grinded out some at-bats, and they worked a couple walks," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "That Saltalamacchia at-bat was a battle."
Video: ARI@COL: Saltalamacchia draws game-tying walk
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Goldy gets another one: Paul Goldschmidt, who leads NL first baseman in the All-Star Game voting, hit his 20th homer of the year, a two-run shot in the fifth that put the D-backs up, 5-3.
"It was right down the middle," said Rockies starter David Hale, who gave up five runs on eight hits over just 4 2/3 innings. "It slipped right over the middle [of the plate]. I think anybody could've gotten that one I wanted it away, but it just kind of ran back over."
Video: ARI@COL: Goldschmidt hits two-run shot for 20th homer
Can't deliver the Ax: Axford entered with just three earned runs given up in 20 2/3 innings this season, but the Rockies' closer doubled that in just two-thirds of an inning. Axford's blown save was his first since June 24, 2014, also against Arizona. He has now given up five runs over his last three appearances, and Wednesday's rough outing raised his ERA from 1.31 to 2.53.
• Axford suffers first blown save with Rockies
Video: ARI@COL: Hill's sac fly gives D-backs the lead
Not making them earn it: The normally solid D-backs defense struggled in the first as starter Allen Webster and shortstop Nick Ahmed each committed throwing errors that led to a pair of unearned runs. Then, in the fifth, the D-backs issued three walks, including one with the bases full.
Video: ARI@COL: Ahmed's RBI single ties the game at three
In the Nick of time: Nick Hundley's second-inning homer was his first since May 26, and his bases-loaded walk in the fifth gave Colorado the lead back. Wednesday was Hundley's first multi-RBI game since June 8, but the Rockies catcher has six hits in his previous 11 at-bats and is hitting .316 over his last 11 games.
Video: ARI@COL: Hundley blasts a solo homer to dead center
QUOTABLE
"That guy's not your fill-in closer. He's got good stuff. He's an all-star caliber closer. Nine times out of 10 he's going to win that battle. Tonight was our night. We were able to string some hits together. -- Saltalamacchia on the ninth-inning rally
REPLAY REVIEW
The Rockies appeared to have a 5-4-3 double play turned in the third, but Hale challenged both ends of the play. After a 2-minute, 26-second review, the umpires ruled that DJ LeMahieu did keep his foot on the base at second, confirming that call, but overturned the out call on A.J. Pollock at first, ruling that he had beaten the throw.
Video evidence later confirmed that Goldschmidt did, in fact, hold the bag at first to complete a 6-4-3 double play in the seventh.
Video: ARI@COL: D-Backs win challenge, avoid double play
WHAT'S NEXT
D-backs: The D-backs wrap up this three-game series with the Rockies on Thursday at 1:10 p.m. MT with right-hander Rubby De La Rosa on the mound. De La Rosa is 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA in four career games (two starts) against the Rockies.
Rockies: Another De La Rosa (Jorge) gets the ball for the Rockies in Thursday's afternoon tilt. In 84 career day games (60 starts), he's 35-20 with a 4.30 ERA and has two wins in four afternoon starts this season.
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