Dose of Venom: D-backs don’t dig the long ball in loss to Rockies

PHOENIX — In a season shrouded with losses, the Arizona Diamondbacks found another way to blow a game Sunday — this time against the worst team in the majors.

“We had an opportunity to win the game in the ninth inning and we let it slip away,” said D-backs manager Kirk Gibson. “That’s a game we should win.”

When Oliver Perez took the hill in the 10th with the score tied at three, most were thinking it would turn into a three-up, three-down kind of inning.

It was anything but.

The D-backs’ top reliever barreled over as soon as Rockies outfielder Corey Dickerson belted his 0-1 offering over the pool in right-center. Dickerson had gone hitless prior to his tie-breaking homer.

“That’s how baseball is, one pitch can change everything,” said reliever Oliver Perez. “I wanted to throw it out of the zone and I left it right in the middle. Sometimes you have to tip your hat to a hitter because they’re just waiting for you to make a mistake.”

Perez gave up two runs in the tenth after not allowing a single run in his last six appearances and took the loss as the D-backs fell by a final of 5-3.

Meanwhile, Wade Miley did his part in Sunday’s outing, especially considering his last appearance.

Miley had the worst performance of his career against the Kansas City Royals allowing 10 runs earlier this, but on Sunday Miley held the Rockies to only three runs.

However, of the five hits Miley did give up over six innings of work, two of them went over the fence. The long ball has been Miley’s achilles heel. He has given up 22 home runs this season, second-highest in the National League. Not to mention, the friendly confines of Chase Field are not so friendly these days for Miley. He only has one win in 13 starts at home.

“It’s not the homers that hurt you, I walked the guy before,” said pitcher Wade Miley. “We had just scored two and you got to quit doing that, making those mistakes in those situations.”

Gibson knew exactly what happened when Miley gave up the first homer to Paulsen.

“He hung a slider, it’s just a bad pitch.”

Not only did the D-backs best reliever have a nightmare of a day, but so did their best slugger. Coming off his best night as a big leaguer and Mark Trumbo labeling his bat as “smoking,” David Peralta’s bat was fully extinguished. In the bottom of the ninth, Peralta came up to the plate with the bases loaded, just like he did on Saturday night where he smashed his first career grand slam. But instead of being the hero, he left with a zero. Zero hits.

“I got the opportunity for a walk-off and I didn’t do it,” said Peralta. “It’s part of the game, there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Peralta and Trumbo combined to go 1-for-10 at the plate. But that pales in comparison to what the D-backs did as a team, going 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position.

THE GOOD:

Miley helps himself out — well sort of. In the bottom of the fourth with the bases loaded, Miley’s dribbler back to Franklin Moraled led to a force out at home plate, but Rockies catcher Wilin Rosario tried to double up the D-backs left-hander at first and instead thre it away allowing Jake Lamb to score. That run proved to be critical.

In the top of the tenth, the Rockies were threatening to increase their two-run lead, but with the bases loaded Alfredo Marte made a diving catch in left field to end the inning.

THE BAD:

Perez gave up two earned runs in the top of the tenth after not allowing a single run in his last six appearances.

The second inning was where the Rockies did their most damage. Miley gave up a two-run homer to Paulsen. It was Paulsen’s first big league home run. Before Sunday’s game, Paulsen had two career RBI — a total he matched with one swing of the bat against Miley.

Miley gave up another home run to Rosario in the top sixth, equaling 22 homers he has given up this season.

With the bases loaded and no outs in the fourth inning for the D-backs, they were only able to score an unearned run. Didi Gregorious fouled out with a pop up to first. Miley followed that up with a dribbler back to the mound but Rosario’s throwing error to first allowed a run to come in and Inciarte flied out to left to end the inning.

Then in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded, again the D-backs best hitter grounded to the shortstop forcing the easy out at home plate.

The D-backs left the bases loaded to force extras.

Arizona squandered a lot of opportunities to score runs leaving 10 men on base and going 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position

STAT OF THE GAME:

0: NL Rookie of the Year candidate followed up a career night with zero hits. Peralta struck out, grounded out three times and flied out going 0-for-5. Peralta was coming off a game where he raked out his first career grand slam and a career-high five RBI.

HE SAID IT:

“Last night I had a great night, today I went 0-for-5. I got the opportunity for a walk-off and I didn’t do it. It’s part of the game, there’s nothing you can do about it.” — Peralta on his rough afternoon

NOTED:

• Inciarte extended his hitting streak to 11 games in the first inning with an infield dribbler beating out the throw. Inciarte has hit safely in 18 of his last 19 games. His 11-game hitting streak is currently tied for the sixth-longest in the majors.

• Peralta and Trumbo combined to drive in 12 of the 22 runs scored in the series against the Rockies.

• Despite going hitless on Sunday, Peralta’s batting average is at .313. He’s the only D-backs player batting over .300.

• In 13 home starts this season, Miley has a record of 1-6 with an ERA of 6.35.

• The D-backs went 4-6 on their longest homestand of the season.

• With the Rockies avoiding the sweep, the D-backs have only swept two series all season long.

UP NEXT:

The D-backs will get a day off to travel to Cleveland.
On Tuesday, Josh Collmenter will get the nod against the Indians. He allowed only one run or less in four of his last eight starts.

Collmenter has pitched against the Indians before, but it was very brief. He threw a scoreless inning in relief on June 24.

The Indians are coming off a weekend series against the Yankees, winning two of three.