Diamondbacks sweep doubleheader from Rockies in Denver
Sep 1, 2015, 9:22 PM | Updated: Sep 2, 2015, 6:42 am
(AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
DENVER — A.J. Pollock hit a tiebreaking two-run homer, Paul Goldschmidt also homered and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Colorado Rockies 5-3 in the second game to complete a doubleheader sweep Tuesday night.
Phil Gosselin homered and drove in four runs to lead Arizona to a 6-4 win in the first game. It was the second time this season the Diamondbacks swept a doubleheader from Colorado.
Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado homered in both games to take the NL lead with 32. He had three RBIs on the day and now leads the league with 98 — one more than Goldschmidt.
His five-hit day was lost in a seventh-inning rally in the second game.
Trailing 3-1, Arizona rallied against reliever Scott Oberg (3-4). Oberg hit Gosselin, walked Chris Owings and gave up a tying two-run double to Aaron Hill.
Pollock followed with a two-run homer — his 15th.
Rubby De La Rosa (12-6) allowed three runs on six hits in six innings. Josh Collmenter worked the last two innings for his first save.
Goldschmidt hit his 27th home run in the first inning but the Rockies rallied for two in the bottom of the inning to take the lead.
Arizona led most of the first game. Gosselin, who was acquired in a June 20 trade with Atlanta, doubled home a run in the third, and then broke it open with a three-run shot off Miguel Castro (0-1) in the seventh. Gosselin went 0 for 4 in his first game with the Diamondbacks on Monday after being activated from the 60-day disabled list.
“I’m happy (manager) Chip (Hale) threw me back in there,” Gosselin said. “Last night didn’t go how I planned or the team planned so it was good to get an early game and get back in there.”
His three-run shot to left went an estimated 434 feet and gave Arizona a 6-2 lead. It was the second home run of his career.
“He was having trouble throwing strikes so I figured he would come with a fastball at 2-1,” Gosselin said. “He threw it over the plate and I didn’t miss it.”
Patrick Corbin (4-3) allowed two runs — homers by DJ LeMahieu in the second and Kyle Parker in the fifth — and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings. The left-hander is 5-0 in his last seven starts against the Rockies.
Daniel Hudson pitched the ninth for his third save.
Colorado left-hander Yohan Flande struck out five while pitching five innings of two-run ball. He gave up five hits and walked three.
The 20-year-old Castro was charged with four runs in 1 1/3 innings in his Colorado debut. He was acquired in the July 27 trade that sent Troy Tulowitzki to Toronto.
“Big arm,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. “He left a fastball over the plate and Gosselin hit it out.”
Jarrod Saltalamacchia gave Arizona a 1-0 lead after a little confusion on his drive down the left-field line in the second inning. It was initially ruled foul but after a review of 1 minute, 37 seconds, the call was overturned.
Hale was ejected by home plate umpire Tim Timmons before the review. Hale said something was said from the bench and Timmons tossed him.
“Once I was thrown out I had a few choice words,” Hale said. “Somebody said something while he was going down the line to talk the other umpires that he didn’t like. I was trying to make sure he knew I would take care of that.”
TRIPLE THE FUN
In the first game the Rockies turned the fourth triple play in team history in the ninth inning.
With the runners on first and second moving on the pitch from Jason Gurka, Goldschmidt hit a line drive to shortstop Jose Reyes, who was shaded up the middle. Reyes threw to LeMahieu to force out Ender Inciarte, and then LeMahieu relayed to first baseman Ben Paulsen to get Gosselin.
“I saw Inciarte running and the ball was hit right to me,” Reyes said. “All I had to do was throw it over to DJ.”
It was the first triple play for Colorado since May 18, 2014, against San Diego.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Diamondbacks: RHP Brad Ziegler is fine after turning his ankle and injuring a finger on his pitching hand Monday. Ziegler rolled his ankle trying to make a play on a comebacker in the ninth inning… Hill (hamstring) left the game after his double as a precaution.
Rockies: OF Corey Dickerson ran in the outfield Tuesday morning and could be activated soon. He has been out since Aug. 1 with a fractured rib.
UP NEXT
Diamondbacks: RHP Chase Anderson (6-5, 4.22 ERA) will pitch the final game of the four-game series.
Rockies: RHP Jon Gray (0-0, 6.0 ERA) is going for his first major league win in his fourth career start.