Trying to avoid yet another rubber-match loss, the Colorado Rockies utilized an early offensive outburst to stave off the Arizona Diamondbacks and a bullpen meltdown in a 6-4 victory to secure a series win.
With the victory, Colorado is now 4-13 in rubber matches. This also marks the first series win in Arizona since 2022.
Feltner doesn’t falter
The last month of outings has been a mixed bag of results for Ryan Feltner, but he was able to steady the ship and deliver a solid start against the Diamondbacks.
Things started a bit shaky in the first inning after Corbin Carroll hit a one-out triple. Feltner had an opportunity to escape unscratched after Gabriel Moreno got an infield hit, setting up a double play, but Ketel Marte delivered a single to put the Diamondbacks up 1-0.
The Rockies answered back in the top of the second, and Feltner settled in, working efficiently with little traffic through the fourth inning, having allowed just two more hits in that span.
He ran into a little more traffic in the fifth inning that ran his pitch count up. Geraldo Perdomo had a one-out single and moved up to second on a savvy play where Willi Castro caught a pop-up in foul territory. Moreno followed up with an RBI double to give the Diamondbacks their second run of the game. Feltner then loaded the bases with a pair of walks before getting Nolan Arenado to ground out and end the inning.
Feltner ended up throwing 93 pitches, 59 for strikes, having allowed just two runs on seven hits over five innings of work. He only had two strikeouts while walking three, but an even split of five groundouts and five flyouts helped him mitigate the traffic. It also helped having his defense make plays like the one Carrigg made in the second inning.
He kept the game from spiraling and didn’t get rattled after the first inning, allowing the Rockies to build run support for him
Building a lead with blasts
After giving up their 10th first-inning run of the road trip, the Rockies offense went to work in the top of the second. Hunter Goodman walked to lead off the inning, followed by a single from Mickey Moniak. With two men on base, Castro delivered an RBI single up the middle to tie the game 1-1.
Merrill Kelly retired the next two batters on lineouts, but backup catcher Brett Sullivan came through with a towering fly ball that hit the foul pole in right field for a three-run home run and a 4-1 Rockies lead.
The Rockies would extend their lead in the fourth inning. Castro won an ABS challenge to draw a walk to lead off the inning. Newly recalled Zac Veen, making his first start in the outfield this season, then gave the Rockies a 6-1 lead when he barreled a low changeup from Kelly. The ball sailed 407 feet into the center field pool for a two-run home run, his second big-league home run, which also proved to be the difference maker in the score.
The offense continued to pester Kelly but wasn’t able to do more than the six runs on six hits against him as he went five innings, having allowed three walks and two strikeouts. Thankfully, he wasn’t able to induce more than one double-play ball.
The offense was rather quiet after the fourth inning despite collecting four more hits, including a pair of doubles. They had eight hits in total and struck out just six times with four walks. With runners in scoring position, Colorado went 2-for-11.
“The boys fought hard, even though it didn’t go completely our way,” manager Warren Schaffer said after the game.
Of Veen, Schaeffer added, “It just seems like he is in such a better place coming up this time.”
Bullpen stress
Despite the four-run lead entering the sixth inning, the Rockies bullpen made things far more stressful than they needed to be.
Parker Mushinski took the hill in the sixth inning and recorded just two outs after giving up a hit and issuing a pair of walks to load the bases. Juan Mejia entered the game and escaped the jam. He then started the seventh inning but walked the first two batters, forcing the Rockies to turn to Jimmy Herget.
He then issued a walk to the first batter he saw to load the bases for the third straight inning for Arizona. Max Kepler then flew out to left field, but it wasn’t deep enough to score a run, leaving the bases loaded with one out. Needing a ground ball, Herget’s command continued to waver, issuing a walk to Ildemaro Vargas to drive in a run, making it 6-3. Herget then induced a ground ball to third that the Rockies turned into a double-play to end the inning.
Brennan Bernardino then took over for the eighth inning and gave up a one-out home run to Carroll, the 100th of his young career, to put the Diamondbacks back within two runs. He dealt with more traffic but managed to escape the inning without further damage.
Thankfully, Jordan Romano was able to secure his eighth save with the Rockies, despite issuing a walk and facing the tying run at the plate, thanks to a bullet catch at first base to end the game.
The bullpen issued seven walks, but just two runs on four hits. Arizona outhit the Rockies with 11 hits and only struck out three times while securing 10 walks. However, they went 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 15 total players on base. It wasn’t pretty, but they locked down the win.
Up next
The Rockies are off tomorrow and will then kick off a three-game set in San Francisco starting Friday.
Kyle Freeland (3-10, 6.63 ERA) will make the start for Colorado while Landen Roupp (7-11, 4.22 ERA) takes the hill for the Giants.
First pitch is scheduled for 8:15 pm MDT.
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